Page 35 of The Prince of Broken Crowns

“Okay, you can ask it, but I won’t promise I’ll answer.” I set my food and drink down and turn to face him. “What’s up?”

His gaze sweeps across the room, and then his brows knit. “Wait—you’re rooming with my sister?”

“Is that your question?”

“No, I just realized her stuff is in here.”

“Oh. Well, yeah, I am. Why else do you think we were going to orientation together yesterday?”

He shrugs. “I just thought maybe you guys made friends.”

I waver. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, because I think your sister’s really nice, but I don’t think we would’ve even talked to each other had we not been roommates.”

He drags his teeth along his bottom lip. “I don’t know. It’s not that surprising to me. Sure, you guys seem like opposites—although I barely know you.” A smile creeps onto his face again. “Well, other than you’re a smartass, which Lily isn’t. Still, I get the whole social outcast vibe coming off you, and Lily can be like that sometimes. Or, well, she has in the past.” He pulls a whoops face. “Please don’t repeat that.”

I snort a laugh. “Who would I tell? I haven’t talked to anyone besides Lily, Wren, you, River, and Noah.” I set my phone down beside my food. “Besides, it’s not my thing to gossip.”

“I wouldn’t guess it was. In fact, you seem like you’re the opposite …” He trails off. “Wait, you talk to Noah?”

“For like five seconds.” I pick up one of my slices of garlic bread and pop a chunk into my mouth. “And only because I was talking to River, and he came to talk to him, so he introduced himself.”

That seems to astonish him even more. “You were talking to River?”

“I just said I was. And you saw me the other day while I was.”

“But that’s not the time you’re referencing.”

“Well, no. I’m talking about while I was in my first class today.”

His shock magnifies. “So, you’ve talked to my brother twice already?”

“Yeah, so?” I shove another bite of bread into my mouth. “Why is everyone making such a big deal about this? I get his whole betrothed thing, but so what if we talked? Is he not allowed to talk, either?”

“No, he’s allowed to. He just doesn’t do it very often.” He leans against the doorjamb with his arms crossed. “You saw him in that jail cell, all silent and brooding. Well, that’s pretty much how he is twenty-four seven. He must like you or something.”

“He barely knows me, so I doubt it.”

“You don’t seem too impressed that he might.”

I smile cheekily. “Should I swoon, like I did over you in jail? Oh, wait, I did not do that, even though you tried to get me to.”

He drags his hand across his mouth to conceal a smile. “Hell, you’re entertaining.” He lowers his hand to his side. “We have to be friends.”

I cross my arms. “Friends, huh? Why do I get the feeling you don’t have female friends?”

“Hey, that’s not true at all.”

“Really? Or are you including friends with benefits?”

He squirms ever so slightly. “Okay, maybe that’s partially true. But I don’t screw every woman I talk to.” His squirminess shifts in the blink of an eye. “Besides, there’s a first for everything, right?” He dazzles me with a grin.

And for a moment, it works on me, as my heart flutters inside my chest. But seriously, what the hell?

Stop that, you dumbass heart. You have one job, and that’s to keep me alive. Not swoon.

I shake the feeling off to the best of my ability. “I guess.”

“So, what do you say?” He legit sticks out his hand. “Friends?”

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