Chapter 31 #2
I glance over at him, recalling the memory I dreamt about with him in it. I met him at least once before, but my mind erased the memory. Why? What traumatic event happened that made me want to forget him?
He’s standing over near the door with his arms crossed, his gaze set on me. When he notices me staring at him, he doesn’t shy away. I doubt he feels shyness.
I wrench my focus on him. “I love how you’re all talking about me like I’m not here.
” I shake my head, frustration building inside me.
They’ve kept so many secrets from me. And maybe they were trying to protect me, but if I had known about the danger I was in, I could’ve protected myself better.
Irritated at that, I glance at the man. “And I’m assuming you’re my real father.
” My detached tone indicates I’m not ready to cope with this.
It’s all too overwhelming. I’m on the edge of breaking, and I’m either going to start crying or beat the hell out of someone. It’s really difficult to tell.
The man, Sylas, clumsily stands to his feet. “I am. Maddison, I can’t believe we’re finally meeting—”
“I don’t want to hear it,” I cut him off as I step back. “I’ve heard enough bullshit over the last three weeks. My brain can’t take any more of this.”
River brushes his hands along the sliver of flesh on my lower back that’s peeking out between the hem of my shirt and the waistband of my pants.
It helps a bit, but not much.
Sylas stops dead in his tracks in the middle of the room, the lighting highlighting the sadness in his expression. “I know you’re upset, but I swear I didn’t know about your existence until a few months ago. And by then it was too risky for me to see you.”
Even though I don’t know him, I weirdly believe him.
“Maddy,” Ellie says as she moves to grab a bottle of wine from off an end table.
“I know this is a lot for you to process, and I know the idea of you being an heir to the world is freaking you out, but we don’t have a lot of time.
If James finds this island before we do, he could get a hold of the throne, now that he’s the beneficiary to your life. ”
“We need to get that fixed,” Sylas tells Ellie as she fills her glass with wine. “We need a lawyer to search those records and contracts and find a damn loophole.”
“I might know a guy.” Jocelyn walks over to the table and begins rummaging around in a purse.
“I don’t want to be an heir. Why aren’t you guys listening to me?” I snap loudly to get everyone’s attention. “I don’t want any of this.” I shake my head in frustration. “You all sound as crazy as James.”
It’s a lie. They’re clearly not even remotely close to being as insane as him, but I’m pissed off.
River angles his body toward mine and pulls me closer to him so he can whisper in my ear, “Why don’t we go upstairs for a minute, and take a break? Let them handle trying to dissolve the contracts. You’ve been through a lot. You don’t need to deal with all of this at once.”
With an exhale, I nod and then let him guide me out of the room, up the stairs, and into the bedroom I’m staying in. While he’s closing the door, I flop down on the bed and stare up at the ceiling.
“I know this might sound crazy, but I want to go back to being just northside Maddy. I don’t want this, River.
I don’t want to be a Royal. I don’t want to be the heir to the world.
” I feel the mattress concave as he sits down beside me.
I turn my head toward him. “I thought when your dad told me this, he was being crazy. I didn’t think I’d escape him and end up in the same position. ”
He lies down beside me. “You’re not in the same position. Everyone who’s downstairs is here to protect you.”
“How do you know that for sure?”
“Because I’ve been here for a few hours, and the entire time, all of them were discussing a plan on how to protect you.
” He traces his fingertip along my hairline and sweeps a lock of my hair from out of my eyes.
“I’ll agree with you, though, that it does all sound crazy.
But I believe it’s true, as out there as it all sounds. ”
“I don’t want to be a princess or queen, or whatever the hell it is they want me to be,” I gripe. “I’m not made for that.”
He contemplatively chews on his bottom lip.
“I actually think you are.” He pushes up on his elbow and slants over me.
“You are the most honest, strong, kind person I have ever met. And if anyone can do this, it’s you.
” He dips his head to press a chaste kiss against my forehead.
“Please don’t be upset with me for saying that. ”
I grasp the bottom of his shirt. “How could I? When you’re the sweetest guy I’ve ever known.” I wrap my hand around the back of his neck, pull his mouth to mine, and kiss him.
He kisses me back with so much passion I feel it all the way into my soul. Our tongues tangle as he props his body over mine and tangles his fingers through my hair.
“God, I’ve missed you,” he murmurs between kisses.
I splay my fingers across his lower back. “I’ve missed you, too, gothic prince.” I kiss him again and let myself get lost in it, in him, hoping I’ll never find my way out.
But because reality is really beginning to hate me, the moment is ruined as someone knocks on the door.
“Maddy, River?” Finn says from the other side of the door. “Are you guys in there?”
If it had been anyone else, I might have ignored them.
“Do you want me to let him in?” River asks as he pushes back, breathing raggedly.
I nod, my feelings a clutsterfuck of tangled knots tugging me in all sorts of directions.
River gets up and opens the door to let him in.
Noah is with him, and the two of them file into the room.
Finn briefly notes me on the bed with the blankets crumpled around me, but he doesn’t comment, which might not be a good thing since he usually teases River and me whenever he’s caught us kissing.
I sit up and scoot to the edge of the bed, and River takes a seat beside me. Finn and Noah take a seat on a small sofa that’s in front of us and right by the window.
“Anyone else feeling like they’ve lost their damn mind?” Finn is the first to break the silence as he scrubs his hand across the top of his head.
“I do,” Noah says, raising his hand. “I feel like I lost mine the moment the car accident happened. Honestly, part of me believes that I'm in a coma and this is all a hallucination.” He glances at me, as if he’s trying to tell if I’m real.
I wish I weren’t. I wish he were right. But I don’t believe he is.
“And what about Aiden being our brother?” River fiddles with a ring that’s on his finger. “He scared the shit out of me when we were kids.”
“Me too,” Finn agrees, reclining back on the sofa. “I once saw him break a guy's finger, and he was like ten when he did it.”
“I broke a guy’s finger when I was ten,” I point out with a shrug.
Finn snorts a laugh. “Of course you did.”
I almost smile.
So does Noah, but he looks worn out, his brow hair a mess, and dark circles shadow under his eyes. “Remember how he used to come to your guys’ family dinners?” he says. “Aiden, I mean. Didn’t your mom know who he was at that point?”
River shoves up the sleeves of his shirt. “I think she may have and was already working with him.”
“They’ve been working together, too?” I ask, my mind spinning. “I thought Ellie and Aiden were working together?”
“They’re all working together,” River explains, resting an arm behind me as he leans back.
“I guess Aiden has been protecting you for a while, but my father sent him to look for the island just shortly before he caused that car accident, so he wasn’t even in the country when that happened.
That’s why my father was able to get a hold of you.
If Aiden had been here, I wonder if none of this would’ve happened. ”
“He kind of seems obsessed with you,” Finn remarks, the corners of his lips tugging downward.
I pull my legs up onto the bed and crisscross them. “I don’t know about that. I think he just wants to protect me.”
The three of them trade a look with their brows raised.
I roll my eyes. “Whatever you guys are thinking, just say it aloud.”
“He’s obsessed with you,” Finn repeats, then winks at me. “But who can blame him? You’re pretty obsession-worthy.”
River gives him a funny look, and the humor fizzles from Finn’s eyes.
I’m unsure what to make of the exchange, but Noah notes the awkwardness of it, his gaze shifting between River and Finn.
“I met Aiden once. Or well, I could’ve met him more times, but just can’t remember.” I change the subject.
“What?” River says while Finn sputters, “When?”
“And why can’t you remember?” Noah adds, unzipping his hoodie and slipping it off.
“A while ago, I started having these dreams, only they felt like memories I’d somehow forgotten,” I explain.
“Ellie pretty much confirmed that I suffered through some trauma and my brain erased some memories to protect me. I’m not sure why I’ve been remembering lately, other than maybe the stress of everything is breaking my brain.
” I rest back against River’s arm. “But I’ve met Aiden when I was like eleven, and I was at Ellie’s house.
I’m pretty sure they had killed some of James’ bodyguards, but I’m not positive because they never flat-out told me. ”
Noah stares down at the floor with his brows furrowed. “Does anyone else think they’re keeping some stuff from us? Ellie, Jocelyn, and Aiden, I mean?”
“I’m sure they are.” Finn stretches his legs out in front of him. “I don’t necessarily think it’s bad, but I also don’t like that they are. It’s their secretiveness that made it so Maddy and I were completely caught off guard when Dad took us.”
“Agreed.” River rubs his hand across his jawline. “They should’ve told us. Maybe if they had, we wouldn’t have looked into that necklace, and none of this would’ve happened.”
“I doubt that,” I tell him with a sigh. “Your dad is the one who gave me the scholarship to the Royal Academy because he was suspicious of me being an Everford at that point.”
Finn nods his head. “You guys should’ve heard the stuff he said to me and Maddy. He really has gone off the deep end, even for him. He was talking about curses, crowns, and sacrifices. And the stuff he made us do…” He bites down on his tongue as his tone begins to tremble.
So do my entire insides.
I don’t want to think about that yet. Can’t.
Finn and I look at each other, and I can tell he feels the same way.
Silence wraps around us like the stillness of the night outside.
“We need to only trust each other for a while.” River finally breaks the silence, brushing my hair off my shoulder. “Until we can get more answers.”
“Agreed,” Finn murmurs with his arms crossed, his gaze lifting to mine.
I nod in agreement, “River’s right. Whatever happens in the future, I think the four of us need to lean on each other.”
“You really trust me now?” Noah questions, arching his brow at River and Finn.
River surprisingly nods. “After everything that happened, how could I not?”
The last time I was around them, they could barely be in the same room together. I have so many questions. “Okay, what happened while Finn and I were locked up?”
They spend the next hour explaining what happened after the car accident, all the way up to their arrival here. By the time they’re done, we’ve all arrived at the same conclusion.
“Then we fully trust only the four of us.” Finn sticks out his hand. “Let’s go old school and make a pact. And remember, if we break it, we die.” A ghost of a smile touches his lips.
“Aw, you guys used to make death pacts when you were kids. How cute,” I tease them, and for a moment, everything feels good, like we’re four people simply hanging out.
But the truth is we’re not.
The truth is, I’m an Everford who is supposed to rule the world. But deep down, I know I can’t do that. It’s not what I want. It’s not who I am, even if my blood suggests otherwise.
So while the four of us make a vow to stick together and only trust each other, I make a promise to myself to find a way out. For now, I’ll put my trust in River, Finn, and even Noah, and do my best to ignore the complicated feelings I have for the twin brothers.