Page 116 of The Prince of Broken Crowns

“Hmm …” He contemplates this, and then his eyes light up. “I have an idea.” He starts pushing buttons as he scrolls through options on the television. “Lily and Wren are always talking about this movie.” He selects the title Mean Girls.

“Looks like a chick flick.”

“So?”

I secretly smile to myself. He’s so damn cute. If only I could enjoy his cuteness without all this crazy, scary shit going on.

“Hey, River?” I ask, and he glances at me. “Why did you act weird when we were in my room? Like maybe someone could hear us talking?”

He stretches his arm along the back of the sofa, his hand grazing the back of my head. “I’m not positive, and I could be overacting, but the thought crossed my mind that perhaps someone planted a camera in your room.”

My back goes ramrod straight. “What?”

He scoots closer to me. “Like I said, I have no proof, but the society is capable of a lot of things.”

“What if they did? How the hell am I supposed to feel safe in my room again?”

He reduces the space between us even more. “Finn will give us answers. I promise. Now, let’s watch the movie, okay? It’ll help you take your mind off of this.”

I nod but know it’ll probably take more than a movie to help me take my mind off of this.

No, the only thing that’ll help is for me to get some damn answers.

River

Ican’t stop sneaking glances at Maddy as we watch the movie. Every so often, she laughs, and it’s so damn beautiful to watch. Her dark hair is falling in waves down her shoulders, she has no makeup on, she smells like mint and sugar, and don’t even get me started on her legs that are fully visible in those short shorts. I want to trace the lines of her tattoos that carve across her legs and neck. I want to slip the hem of her T-shirt up and see how far those lines go up her side.

I want to fucking kiss her so damn badly.

I’m so fucked. It’s that simple.

I can’t fall for her, and yet I can feel myself standing on the edge of a cliff, about to tumble off. And part of me wants to fall until I crash.

We make it through the movie, and Finn still isn’t there, so I pick another. Maddy is half out of it at this point, and about five minutes later, she dozes off, her head ending up on my shoulder.

I shut my eyes and breathe in and out, trying to stay calm. I need to relax, but having her touch me like this is maddening. All damn night I’ve been sneaking touches, and I’ve almost kissed her at least a half dozen times.

“No,” she starts to whimper in her sleep, her eyelids twitching, as if she’s trying to wake up.

“Maddy,” I whisper, placing my hand on her cheek.

She rolls into me so her chest is pressed against my arm and her leg is hitched over my lap. I’d be more focused on how turned on I am by her body heat, but she also seems to be stuck in a nightmare.

“Hey, open your eyes,” I tell her, brushing the back of my hand along her cheekbone, trying to gently coax her out of the nightmare.

She gasps, her eyelids snapping open, and her chest heaves as she struggles to get oxygen into her lungs.

“Breathe,” I tell her, shifting my body to face her. “You’re fine. Nothing’s happening.”

It takes her a beat to get her bearings. Then the haziness eventually dissolves from her eyes.

“I was having a nightmare,” she mutters, her eyelids fluttering as she blinks. “That Drew found me. And the society. They tied me up and dragged me into the woods and …” She stares at me. “How long have I been asleep?”

“Not too long.” My hand is on her cheek. I should move it—she’s awake now.

But I don’t.

“Oh.” Her gaze is locked on mine.

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