Page 47 of The Prince of Broken Crowns

He nods, brushing strands of his hand out of his eyes. “You seem shocked by that?”

“I … I’m just not used to people doing stuff like this for me.” I shake the shock out of my head. “Thank you.” It might be the most sincere thank you I’ve ever given.

“You’re welcome.” His gaze flicks down the hallway as a guy shouts, “River, hurry up. We’re going to be late.” He returns his focus to me. “I have a weight class I have to get to, but if you need anything, just text me … Wait, we should probably exchange numbers, right?” He leaves the question hanging in the air between us.

“Yeah, probably.” It’s a new experience for me as I retrieve my phone and we message each other. I’ve never given my number to a guy before, but that’s okay. I can have a guy for a friend.

That’s what I tell myself as I program River into my phone under the title, “Gothic Prince.”

“All right, I’ll text you later if I haven’t heard from you, so we can figure out what time to meet in the mornings for training.” He begins to back away, slipping his phone into his pocket.

“Wait just a second,” I hiss, causing him to pause. I motion for him to come close, and when he does, I ask, “What happened to the message on the door?”

“I had it cleaned up,” he explains while peering around suspiciously at the people roaming the hallway. “If anyone else saw it, it would’ve led to gossip about either you or Lily.” He looks back at me. “I did take a photo of it, just in case.”

I lean against the doorframe. “Can you send it to me?”

He nods. “Are you sure it was for you?”

“I’m not positive,” I reply. “But I do think it’s weird that the same night I got grabbed at a party, a message was left on my dorm room door. Maybe it’s a coincidence. I don’t know. Would anyone leave a message like that for Lily?”

He wavers. “Honestly, there’s a small chance it could be for her … She’s had some problems with getting bullied before.” Tension flows off of him. “Please don’t say anything about that to her. And if you could keep quiet about the message on the door until we can figure out more about it, I’d really appreciate it.”

While I loathe the idea of keeping a secret from Lily—or anyone—I also know that I owe River. Big time.

“I can do that,” I say, checking the time on a clock on the wall across from us. “It’s the least I can do for you after you spent last night watching my stomach give itself an exorcism.”

He smashes his lips together, on the verge of smiling again. “You’re fine, Maddy. I’ll see you later, okay?” He wavers then spins on his heels and walks off down the hallway.

I watch him walk away, convincing myself that I’m not staring at him for that long.

But the truth is, I am.

The brutal truth is, I think I might like River Averson. And that makes me uncomfortable, more than even the note on the door.

River

I’ve felt lonely my entire life, even when I’m with my brother or with friends and family. Because I’m the firstborn.

Yeah, Finn and I are twins, but I came into this world first. So, I’m officially the heir to my family’s fortune and business. I’m also obligated to marry whoever my parents want. Sure, I could deny them, but that would leave my family’s fortune and business to fall apart. And that would leave my siblings with nothing. I can’t do that to them, so I live this life where I have no say in anything I do.

And I feel alone.

But then I was in jail, and I saw Maddison talking on the phone with her mother, and I felt this connection, like this beautiful girl was in the same boat as I’ve been in my entire life. The one where I had to take on too much responsibility at a young age. The one where I feel broken but do my best to keep it together.

I’ve never felt that with anyone ever. And I never thought I’d feel it with a girl from northside. The problem is nothing can come out of this other than a friendship, even if I find myself staring at her long legs and beautiful eyes far longer than I should.

She’s so beautiful it’s insane. But I can’t act on it.

My arranged marriage may not take place until I’m twenty-one, and my parents never set a rule where I can’t date until then, but what would be the point? I date and what happens if I fall for someone? Then I break their heart, and mine, and I spend the rest of my life aching with the memory of what I lost.

No, things are much better this way.

“So, I heard a rumor about you.” Finn appears in my line of vision as I’m lying on the bench, about to lift a set of weights.

The sound of clanking weights fills the air, along with the stench of sweat.

He has his blond hair pulled back, and he’s sporting a T-shirt with the Royal Academy Ravens football team logo on it.

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