Page 91 of The Prince of Broken Crowns

I still haven’t told her that I paid her bail bond. I worry if I do, she’ll try to pay me back, and I don’t want her to.

On top of wearing those tights, she has on a short dress, along with a leather jacket and boots. She’s so gorgeous in a way I’m not used to—all wild and beautiful, in an effortless way. I try not to stare at her ass as she leans over to stick her hand down the crack of the cushion, but I fail.

Lily notices and lifts her brows at me.

Thankfully, before she can comment, Maddy announces, “Here it is.” She removes her hand from the cushion and holds the wallet up as she spins toward me.

As I get a full view of her, I damn near lose my breath again. Her hair is down in untamed waves, her beautiful big eyes are lined with eyeliner, and her lips are shiny with gloss. She has a splatter of freckles on her nose that are so adorable, and her smile is the most amazing thing I’ve seen, so real and genuine.

“How’d you know it was going to be in there?” she asks as she approaches me.

“Because I couldn’t find mine tonight, and that’s where it ended up being.” I stuff my hands into my pockets, unable to take my eyes off her.

She grabs a mini backpack as she passes by an end table. She unzips it, drops the wallet in, then slips it on before walking up to me.

Lily is still standing in the way, but she inches to the side. “You two kids have fun,” she calls out as she backs away.

I want to press my fingers to the brim of my nose. Why are my siblings so annoying?

“You look stressed out,” Maddy remarks as she exits her dorm and closes the door behind her.

“My brother and sister are driving me crazy,” I explain as we start down the hallway.

“I don’t have any siblings, so I can’t relate.” She adjusts the handles of her bag. “However, my parents are annoying, so there’s that.”

Maddy has mentioned her parents a few times, and I also overheard her talking to her mother when she was in jail. She hasn’t given many specifics, though.

“You want to talk about it?” I offer, watching as a lock of hair falls into her eyes.

I have this strange compulsion to reach over and tuck it behind her ear, just like I did right before I kissed her the other day. It was a brief kiss but long enough that I still remember how soft her lips felt. Part of me wishes I hadn’t done it because it only makes me crave her more. But I can’t act on it, so I’ve been pretending it never happened. And Maddy seems to be on board with that.

“Do you like your parents?” she wonders as we turn into another hallway, our footsteps echoing against the domed ceiling and thick brick walls.

“I like my mom. To be honest, I’m not a fan of my father. He’s a cheating asshole, as you already know. Plus, he’s the main factor behind me being betrothed.”

Maddy falls silent for a second, and I worry I’ve freaked her out. Why the hell did I have to bring that up? Being betrothed in the royal world isn’t uncommon, but I highly doubt it’s that way on northside.

Then she says, “Do you still talk to her? Isla, I mean.”

With my lips pressed together, I nod. “We used to talk.” I pause as we reach the exit doors and hold one open for her. “We were friends when we were younger, but that got ruined when we realized the massive responsibility being put on us. I think when our parents first started talking about the arrangement, it didn’t register because we were so little. But the older we got, the more reality set in, ruining our friendship because neither of us saw each other like that.”

“Yeah, Finn told me that you all used to be friends.” Maddy steps outside, and I follow, letting the door fall shut behind us. The crisp night air is laced with darkness, and the sky is covered with sparkling stars and moonlight.

As her words register, I slow down. “Wait … Finn talked to you about this?”

“Yeah, we ate lunch together today, and he mentioned it.” Maddy’s hair dances in the light breeze as she glances at me, the exterior lights on the academy building reflecting in her eyes.

I’m uncertain how to process what she said, that she had lunch with Finn and that they talked about Isla and me. I’m not mad, just perplexed as to why they were hanging out and talking about me at all.

“What’re you going to do about it?” she asks, breaking the silence between us.

My brows crease. “What do you mean?”

We start down the stairs that lead to the parking lot.

“I mean, how do you just marry someone you’re not in love with and spend your entire life married to them?” She wraps her arms around herself. “I get that life can get miserable at times—trust me, I so can relate to that part—but it’s always been the possibility of getting a future that I want—a better one—that’s kept me going forward.” She glances at me, and I have no clue what my expression looks like, but it causes panic to flash across hers. “Oh my God, I’m sorry. That was really insensitive.”

We’ve stopped in the middle of the stairway, facing each other on the same step with a group of people loitering at the bottom, making some noise. But it feels like we’re the only two people here, because she’s saying the truth, and it’s been a long time since someone has done that with so much innocent honesty.

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