Chapter 32
MADDISON
I’m unsure how to handle this whole paparazzi thing. I panicked the last time something like this happened, but this time, I’m resisting the urge to, mainly because I don’t have another option. What am I going to do? Take off? Where? I don’t know my way around the Royal City.
Instead, I climb into River’s car. A few minutes later, we’re exiting the shade of the carport and turning onto the road that leads to the main area of the city.
The sky is glistening with sunlight, and the air is humming with the sounds of people wandering around, driving around, running up and down the sidewalk.
I envy the latter to the point where my legs ache to be outside, my feet slapping against the concrete.
“You’re thinking about running, aren’t you?” River notes the direction of my gaze.
His hands are resting on the wheel, and he keeps tapping his finger with the ring on it, his body buzzing with restless energy.
“Yeah … I can’t wait to get out there.” I sigh longingly. “It keeps me centered, you know.”
“I do.” He moves his hand to the shifter.
I twist in the seat to face him. “How is your injury doing?”
“Fine.” He shifts gears then uses that hand to lightly touch his side. “My skin’s a bit tight, but other than that, it’s okay. I think I’ll be able to run slowly in a couple of days.” His gaze slides to me. “Then we can start training you again. Tryouts are soon.”
“I know.” I worry my bottom lip between my teeth. “I’m so nervous. It’s weird ’cause I haven’t been before, but there’s just so many good runners. And now I’m not even training right now.”
“You’ll be fine; trust me. People have to take time off for injuries all the time. Isla had to take off like two weeks during our junior year because she messed up her ankle.”
It’s odd hearing him talk about her so casually.
“I saw her times online. She’s fast.”
“She trains. But she also has the best trainers. You’ve barely had any training up until this point. My bet is you’re going to PR the hell out of tryouts.”
A smile pulls at my lips. “Way to stroke my ego, and yours.”
He chuckles. “I kind of did, didn’t I?”
“Yeah, but it’s cool. I like being told I’m amazing.” I wink at him, and he laughs.
It’s crazily amazing how easy it is to be around him sometimes.
A few minutes later, we’re pulling into the parking lot behind the library, a daunting building to behold; stories high with castle-like towers and a gothic ambiance. The stained-glass windows alone are pieces of artwork, along with the tiled walkway that leads up the double door entrance.
“Wow,” I say to River as we approach the building, unable to remove my eyes from it.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” He laces our fingers together. “It’s the oldest building in the city.”
“It’s amazing.” I inch closer to him as a man walks out through the doors.
River takes the opportunity of my nearness to release my hand and slip his arm around my back.
We’re so close as we enter the library that I can feel his body heat engulfing me.
It’s noticeable, too, since when we pass by the front desk, the fifty-something-year-old woman sitting behind it glances up at us with a frown.
Her lips part to say who knows what, but when she notes River, she stops the words from leaving her mouth.
River walks forward without noticing, steering me through the highest arched doorway I’ve ever seen.
On the other side is the motherload of all libraries.
The ceiling stretches up three stories and peaks at the top, and the walls are lined with towering bookshelves.
Shorter bookshelves line the room’s main area, along with tables, chairs, sofas, and it even has a small coffee shop in the back.
The place is pretty empty, probably since it’s so early.
“They serve breakfast here,” River explains as we make our way past a section of sofas, heading toward the coffee shop. “I figure we can get something to eat before we start looking for books on info for, well, you know.”
I’d forgotten about breakfast until he brought it up.
But it’s problematic. On the one hand, I know I need to eat.
On the other hand, the prices listed on the menu are astronomically high.
River will offer to pay—that’s a given fact—and I keep allowing him to do it, which is starting to become a real problem.
“What looks good?” he asks as we arrive at the counter.
Behind it is a girl a few years older than us. She has short black hair and is wearing an apron. She has a frown on her face as she steps up to the register, as if she hates her job.
“What can I get you?” she asks in a bored tone.
River flicks a glance at me.
I’m restless and twitchy, scratching my wrist as I deliberate what to do. If I want to get on the cross-country team, I have to nourish my body. Usually, the cafeteria is my way of doing this, but that’s not an option for now. Starving isn’t, either.
“I’ll have the egg and sausage sandwich and a small coffee,” I tell the barista then tell River, “I’m paying you back. I don’t know when, but I will.”
“Sounds good, Mads.” He sounds like he’s tolerating me.
I resist a heavy sigh and peer around while he orders for himself and then pays the barista.
She takes his name, and it’s obvious she doesn’t know who he is, which makes me wonder if she’s from northside, or perhaps an out-of-towner.
After that, we head over to a table and sit down to wait for our food.
My gaze travels around the bookshelves, and my mind floats back to when I saw Finn and Eli seemingly vanish through a wall.
“I wonder if this library has any secret passages,” I remark, partly joking.
But River has a serious expression as he rests his arms on the table and leans toward me. “There are actually rumors that it does, but I’ve never seen them or know anyone who’s seen them, so it could be merely a legend.”
“Oh.” I slant back in the chair. “I was actually joking, but now I’m intrigued. Should we go look for one?”
Confused amusement sparkles in River’s eyes. “You want to go look for a secret passage?”
“Sure. Why not?” I shrug and smile as I get to my feet. “We can do it while we wait for our food.”
River is beyond amused as he stands up and rounds the table. “Okay, lead the way.”
My smile widens as I start toward the closest row of bookshelves with River trailing closely behind me.
I head toward the back wall where more bookshelves are.
Once I reach the area, I grind to a stop and tap my finger against my bottom lip.
“So, which one of these books do you think opens the secret passage?” I assess the selections then tug on a thick, leather-bound book.
Nothing happens, and I’m mildly disappointed.
“Did you really think that was going to work?” River teases me while gently bumping his shoulder against mine.
“I don’t know. Maybe.” To be honest, I didn’t, but it’s kind of fun pretending. Besides … “This place is huge, with a ton of books; who knows what secrets are hiding behind these walls.” I grin.
He mirrors my smile. “You want to tug on some more books then?”
“Oh, absolutely.” I’m partly joking, but I pull on the nearest book, anyway.
River does the same with his eyes on me. We do that a few more times, and nothing happens. But at least we’re smiling.
After we’re done, we collect a stack of books that may contain some answers to what exactly happened with the Everfords. By the time we’re stacking the books on our table, the barista is calling out River’s name.
“I’ll go get our food,” he tells me then walks over to the counter.
I watch him, biting on my bottom lip as I check out his ass. Then I shake my head and focus on the books because: what the heck is wrong with me? Have I lost my ability to have any self-control?
River returns a handful of minutes later and sets the coffees and sandwiches down. I have a book open and am skim-reading a page about how royals came to be. Sure, it doesn’t have anything to do with what we’re looking for, but it is interesting.
“Dude, did you know that the original royal families became wealthy because they killed a bunch of people?” I peer up at River as he takes a seat beside me. “I mean, it was a long time ago, but still, it’s kind of messed up.”
He unwraps his sandwich. “Will you think less of me if I say I already knew that?”
I shake my head. “No, you didn’t kill anyone. Besides, sometimes I think you don’t even like being a royal.” I direct my gaze back to the book but glance at him a moment later when I can feel him watching me. “What?”
“It’s nothing.” The way he’s staring at me, though, doesn’t appear to portray that it’s nothing.
“I feel like you’re lying to me, bro.” I keep my tone light so he knows I’m not upset. I’m simply stating a fact.
“It really is nothing.” He reaches for a book. “I was just thinking about how it seems like you’re the only person who really sees me.” He clears his throat as he grabs a book and opens it up in front of him.
I do the same, attempting not to think about how right he truly is, that out of all the people I’ve met, River is the one who seems to get me—a royal. I’m unsure how this happened.
Now I’m the one to clear my throat. “And vice versa.” I leave it at that and start reading again.
He does the same, seemingly on the same page as I am—not literally but metaphorically.
We remain quiet for a while, the sound of pages flipping filling up the air.
We eat while we research and, every so often, when I reach for my coffee, he extends his hand toward his own, and our fingers brush.
It happens so many times that it becomes comical, and I snort a laugh.
River chuckles. Then, with a smile, he returns his focus back to the book.
Slowly, he angles his leg toward mine until our knees touch. I should pull away. I need boundaries and rules. We’re not in a place where putting up the facade that we’re dating is necessary. And yet, I don’t budge.