Chapter 25
Chapter Twenty-Five
Royce
I glance at the time; it’s just past four. I’m pacing ahead of the alley, a queue of people wait patiently to get in. I don’t want to take away the attention, so I stay back until I have contemplated my next move.
Proudness blooms in my chest. She deserves this. Do I go now? Or do I hold back and wait? Kai tuts beside me and I glare at him.
“What?” I scowl, my fingers curled around a small string bag.
“Are we going in or what?” He crosses his arms across his body.
“Yeah, maybe… I don’t know. I don’t want to crash.” My hand curls around the back of my head.
“You’re not crashing. You’re her boyfriend… people would expect to see you there,” he mutters and he makes a good point.
“I suppose.” I lick my lips, the tension building at the base of my neck and I can feel a headache coming on.
“Come on, stop being a pussy.” He nudges into me. “You’ll make her night.”
“Really? I doubt that,” I scoff. “Not after how I made her feel last night.” I sigh. “She’s pissed off with me…”
“Bit of a dick move,” he admits, kicking his toe into the floor.
“Thanks for the support, buddy.” I clip him around the back of his head.
“Look, you’re my best mate. If I don’t say it, no one will.”
I inhale heavily, waiting for his blow.
“You’ve got to get your head out of your ass.” He turns to face me, my eyes tracing his. “She’s a good girl, look how you regretted breaking up with Ana?s. Do you really want to feel like that again?”
His words sit with me for a moment. Problem is, my feelings for Ana?s were minuscule compared to how I feel about Athena. That’s my struggle. I have never felt like this; it’s scary and confusing and in my state of frenzy, I push away. I know that.
But I can’t seem to stay away from her, even if I wanted to. I’m drawn to her. Like a gravitational pull that I have no control over.
My apartment feels empty. Her smell lingers and I find myself chasing it just to get my fix.
Fuck.
“I know you don’t like hearing it, but she’s been the making of you. You have this new shiny reputation; do you want to screw it up again?” he asks me.
I drag my eyes down to the bag that I am holding. I have made it my mission to collect these silly snow globes for her because she deserves them. She shouldn’t be buying them herself. My chest tightens.
“Plus, not to mention how well you’ve been doing since she has been around. Maybe she’s your lucky charm.”
His words hit a nerve, and I narrow my gaze on him, trying to understand what the hell is
going on.
“You’ve fallen for her, mate, no point fighting it.” He shrugs, a lopsided smile on his stupid face and my eyes follow him as he walks towards the queue.
I hate that he’s right.
A few people recognise Kai and reluctantly, I follow. I don’t want her seeing him and thinking that I didn’t show for her. The chatter grows, people turning to ask for autographs and photos, but I shut them down.
“Sorry, I’m not Royce the F1 driver today.” I give a wide smile. “I’m Royce, boyfriend of Opal Bloom.” I give them a wink, watching the way their expressions soften, almost swooning at my words. After reading it in her books, now I kind of get it.
“Good man,” Kai mutters, clapping me on the shoulder as he pushes me forward towards the door.
It doesn’t take me long to spot her, and for a moment, I stand in the open doorway and watch her.
She’s in her element, smiling and chatting to the readers.
A small team is behind her consisting of Rue, Nora, Ana?s and I am assuming Edel.
They’re packing and passing Athena new books to sign, whilst making sure everyone gets ample time with the lady of the hour.
There is a glisten in her eyes that I haven’t seen before. She looks happy and I know this is what she was meant to do. All that self-doubt and worry she speaks off, but I see none of that when I am looking at her now.
Fuck, she’s pretty.
Her eyes catch mine from across the room, her lips parting then closing, then her cheeks turn pink. Winking, she smiles back and I know I am done for.
How the fuck am I meant to stay away from her?
One night and I had a panic attack at the thought of being alone.
And the issue was not even being alone. It was being without her.
The girl who has made me doubt every other relationship I have had.
Sure, Ana?s was my only serious one, but even with her I didn’t feel like this.
Nora waves me over, giving me a ‘what the fuck are you doing’ look and I smirk, strolling across the room. The chatter falls quiet.
“Hey you.” My voice is a soft croon.
She looks surprised to see me, like she wasn’t sure if I would come or not. “Hey,” she whispers, her beautiful ambers locked on mine.
“Will you sign my book?” A boyish grin teases my lips, and I watch as she gives me a tooth-baring grin, her dimples pressed into her cheeks.
Slipping it out of the bag, I delicately place it on the table then lower the bag to my feet.
I can hear the light chatter. the sounds of photos being taken, but I don’t care.
I am too lost in the moment with her. The noise simply slips away, the people fade into the background, and it’s just me and her again.
She opens the cover and signs the front page, slowly sliding it across to me.
“Thank you.” Picking it up, I hold onto it.
Her cheeks pinken under my heated gaze.
“I’ll leave you too it.” I step back, and I know it’s not out of choice.
“Wait.” She catches me off guard as she slips from the table that is set up for her and rounds her way to me.
We’re standing toe to toe. She is slightly taller than usual because of her chunky sandals.
“You look beautiful.” I smile, my eyes bouncing between hers.
“Thank you.” She drops her face for just a moment.
My finger and thumb grip her chin as I slowly tilt her face up. “Don’t ever hide from me.” The words I have said to her before bring back memories for both of us and the urge to trace every inch of her skin overwhelms me.
Edging forward, I slide my lips over hers, kissing her softly. Her small hands place on my chest, fingers curling into my tee as she clutches. Teasing my tongue, she moulds herself into me and just as I am getting into it, she pulls back, fingers to her lips.
“I’ll see you later?” There is hopefulness in my tone, and she gives a soft nod.
My heart is racing in my chest. My skin feels clammy and it takes everything in me to turn and walk away. This will put those rumours to rest.
Nora’s dagger gaze pierces through my skin but I don’t care. She would have dealt with it delicately; I dealt with it how it needed to be done.
“Oh.” I bend and hook the bag on the tips of my fingers. “This is for you.”
My heart is caught in my throat. I may seem like I am cool on the outside, but internally I feel like a teen boy with a crush. My pulse thrashes around in my chest like a wild horse and I can’t seem to rope it and bring it back home.
“Open it later,” I rush out as she just about slips her hand into the bag.
“Okay,” she whispers, stepping towards me again as her lips dust over mine.
My arm snakes around her waist as I pull her body flush to mine. “Can I see you tonight?” I whisper against her lips. Her hand is pressed against my chest again and I swear she can feel the way my heart is thumping beneath her fingertips.
“I’m going out with the girls,” her answering whisper is shaky, a pull of disappointment swirling.
“No problem.” I peck her on the lips again and pull away. “Have fun.” I wink, ignoring the burn that radiates through my body as I walk away.
Once I am outside, I inhale deeply and continue walk down the alley.
“Well, I think that’ll shut the Cowan rumours down, don’t you?” Kai says with sarcasm and I flip him off in response.
We wander around down by the marina. Kai is aimlessly talking for the sake of it, I am sure. I give the odd nod, make a grunt every now and then, but all I can think about is her. The way she consumes my mind at any given second.
It’s not healthy. It’s like a drug that I am constantly chasing. Like a dopamine fix. It’s sickening. Never has a girl got me this twisted. Ever. It’s like a sickness with no cure. Oh wait, there is a cure. Athena-fucking-Stanley.
“Did you hear me?” Kai snaps and I sigh, turning to face him.
“Er,” I mutter, looking over the marina, the yachts bobbing gently on the water.
“You prick.” Kai chuckles.
I half laugh, trying to replay what he had said. “You’re going to have to say it again,” I admit, sighing.
“How you feeling about this weekend?”
My lips curl into a smile. “Okay, I think.” I don’t look at him. “But I have your words replaying over and over.”
“Yeah?” He smirks. “Which ones?” He is so fucking cocky I can’t stand it.
“About how I have driven since she’s been at the races.”
He gives a knowing nod. “It’s true.” He shrugs, his arms resting on the bar as he locks his eyes on the yachts.
“Yeah, I am thinking you might be right,” I say, rolling my lips, “but I’ve told Nora to tell her to stay away.”
“Oh.”
I scrub my face, annoyance biting at my skin. “Yeah, I can’t go back now… can I?”
Kai turns to look at me, hand on his hip as he tilts his head slightly. “Course you can. I am sure she would love to come and being honest, she is probably butt hurt that you told her you didn’t want her there.” His words ring true.
“I asked her to meet me after her signing.”
He raises a brow. “Yeah, I did hear, I mean, not that I was eavesdropping or anything.”
“She shot me down.” I snort a laugh.
“I don’t think she shot you down.” Kai rolls his eyes.
“Well, she didn’t say yes.”
“Probably because she is with her friends.” He nudges his shoulder into me, tilting his head back for me to follow.
“Hungry?” I ask as we begin walking back to the apartments.
“Always, my man, shall we get food?”
“Yeah, I need to kill some time.” I curl my hand around the back of my neck and give it a squeeze. “I’ve got Athena on the mind.”
I like how I can speak to him about it. I feel comfortable enough to open up to him. We get on so much better since he left Saint Onyx and we’re not team mates anymore. We had our moments when we raced together, but nothing like Cowan and me. I can’t stand him.
We sit in Quai des Artistes and we’re tucked at the back.
I don’t really feel like conversing with anyone other than Kai.
I’m not massive in the F1 world, but my popularity has definitely grown more in the last year or so.
I used to be able to walk down a street and have the odd person notice me, I remember feeling down about it, but now, I think I would kind of like my privacy back.
Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t feel like we’re in the spotlight as much as other sports, but we do get captured.
“What are you having?” Kai asks, nose buried in the menu.
“Not sure,” I sigh, nothing is really appealing to me.
The waiter hovers and Kai orders sparkling water for the table. He orders a steak, I copy. I’m hungry but I’ve also kind of lost my appetite.
We fall into easy conversation and talk about our upcoming race.
Monaco is one of the most prestigious races on the calendar.
The mighty rich seem to come out more to this one than others.
A tight street circuit with very little room to overtake, this race is all about where you qualify.
If we can qualify in the top three, we have a good chance but fuck, I will need luck in my side this weekend to get a top three start.
And that’s why I needed Athena at the race.
My lucky charm.