Page 50 of The Prince of Broken Crowns

She slips a scrunchie out of her hair, letting her hair fall down, before gathering it back up into a ponytail again. “Well, I went to my yoga class today, thinking it would be a great day. In fact, I worked hard to convince myself it would be. But then I get there and this bitch, Amy Fellingford, asked me what it felt like to have no one want me here. When I asked what the hell she was talking about, she told me that, last night, she saw that someone painted the words, ‘You shouldn’t have come here’ on our door. I couldn’t figure out what the hell she was talking about since there was no paint on the door when I got back last night. Then I had to endure Amy’s smirk as she showed me a photo she took of our door last night and, sure enough, there it was.” She’s bouncing with restlessness as she continues to walk.

“I know River saw it and had it cleaned up before I could see it. This is so typical of him. He always does this and, sure, I like that he’s trying to take care of me, but not telling me stuff doesn’t help.” She slams to a halt. “It worsens things because it allows people like Amy to blindside me.”

“Um …” I start, hoping to God she doesn’t blame me for what I’m about to tell her. “I was actually with River last night when he found out our door had been painted with that message. I was pretty drunk, so I didn’t know he had it cleaned up until this morning. I’m sorry I didn’t mention anything—I honestly didn’t think about it. But I also thought—and still kind of wonder—if the message was for me. Unless this Amy girl put it there … I mean, do you know if she did?”

Lily slumps into the chair across from mine. “I doubt she did. She’s more of a spread-rumors sort of girl than someone who would take the time to vandalize. I think she just saw it there, knew it was my dorm, and used it against me, because that’s what she does.” Her eyes darken with rage as she curls her hands into fists. “But River shouldn’t have just cleaned it off. He should’ve warned me.”

“Probably,” I don’t entirely agree, but I don’t disagree, either. I have no siblings, so I’m clueless how these types of things work. “But I think he was just trying to protect you. And I think he was also helping me out, too, in a way.”

Her gaze lifts to mine. “I still can’t believe he brought you back to the dorm last night. River isn’t usually like that.”

“Like how?” I wonder. “Nice? I thought you said he was.”

“I did, but I also said he was selective with his niceness.” She assesses me. “Did you ever ask him for tips on the track team?”

“I did. And he offered to help me train.”

Her brows elevate as she absorbs this. “You really must’ve made an impression on him when he hit you with his car if he just offered to train you.” The corners of her lips quirk into a ghost of a smile.

Well, at least she’s calmed down.

“Maybe it was the impression I left in the front of his car,” I joke with a shrug.

She sputters a laugh. “Did that really happen?”

I laugh with her. “Nah, I was just messing with you.” I wish I could tell her the truth about how River and I first met, but River started this lie, and I think he needs to be the one to tell her the truth.

I think I might talk to him about it because I hate lying to Lily.

She dabs the tears of laughter from her eyes with her fingertips. “Thanks. I really needed that.” She stretches out her legs then stands up. “Do you want to go get some ice cream from the cafeteria? It might help with your hangover.”

“Sure, but how did you know I’m still hungover?”

“Because you still look like you are.”

“It’s that obvious, huh?”

“Yeah, but that’s okay. Like half the people here look that way right now. Finn included.”

I rise to my feet. “Rumor on the street says he likes to party pretty hard.”

“He does.” She wanders across the room and picks up a bag from off the floor. “I think it’s his way of coping with the divorce and Noah’s betrayal.” She scoops up a wallet that’s fallen from the bag and drops it inside. “And River became even more guarded and controlled than he already was.”

I start to head back toward my room to grab my wallet. “What about you?”

She slips the strap of her bag over her shoulder. “What about me?”

I stop in the doorway. “How do you cope?”

She flicks a piece of lint off the front of her shirt. “I didn’t have to since Noah was never really my friend.”

I rotate to face her. “But your parents still got divorced.”

She dithers. “I know, but they never had a great marriage, anyway.”

“Mine, neither,” I divulge, surprising the hell out of myself.

When I first decided to attend the academy, I made a promise to myself to not tell anyone much about my northside life.

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