Page 21 of Royal Havoc

Hendrix dabs the corners of his mouth. “We were finished,” he lies, standing and grabbing his plate. “Curfew’s eleven,” he reminds me coldly, brows raised, daring me to challenge him.

I storm from the room without a word, listening to her footsteps follow me down the hall. Snatching my purse from the table on my way out. I march down the steps, spinning around to face her once we’re far enough away from the house.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“Saving your ass, obviously.” She smiles smugly, giving me a wink.

Fine, I’ll admit she might have a point, but it doesn’t answer my question.

Why does it seem like this girl lives to antagonize me?

“Tell me what you want, so I can leave. It’s freezing out here,” I groan, crossing my arms, trying to stay warm.

She tilts her head, staring at me like I’ve spoken an unknown language. “Meet me at the end of the driveway in ten. We’re going to a party,” she informs me, judging my outfit with a quick swipe of her eyes.

“I’m not —”

She spins on her heel before I can fully protest, sauntering down the drive. “Ten,” she repeats, holding up both hands in the air, fingers spread wide giving me a visual.

All I can do is shake my head while I storm down the path to the cottage.

This bitch is a lunatic!

ten

Let’s Play

Onyx: 2024

Fifteen minutes later, I haul my ass down the driveway to meet Zoey, expecting to find her waiting in a car.

Jumping when she stands from the curb. “The hell,” I gasp, ready to punch a bitch.

She laughs, proud of herself for scaring the piss out of me. “You good? Need to change your panties?” she teases.

Flipping her off. “Am I driving?” I ask, already searching for my keys.

She grabs my arm, pulling me with her. “We’re walking.”

Stopping dead in my tracks. “Are you immune to the cold? Cause I’m not,” I question, already starting to shiver.

Rolling her eyes. “Don’t be a baby. It’s forty-five degrees,” she huffs, lacing her arm with mine. “It’s not far,queenie.I promise you won’t freeze,” she jokes, pulling me along beside her.

I’ve never claimed to be Mensa material. But she’s got me walking towards a house across the cul-de-sac.

She could’ve just said…

“Wait,” I grumble, forcing her to stop again. “Why are we suddenly walking towards trees? Aren’t we going to one of these houses?” I ask, motioning to them on either side of us.

She’s really pissing me off with all this laughing. “We’re going through the pine trees.” Pointing at the small patch of green needles between the houses. “It’s a shortcut. Promise.” She winks, already moving.

Facts! I’m not into nature. I hate bugs. And birds are the devil, swooping at your face. Hi, I’m Onyx, and I don’t give a shit if we’re compatible because dating apps suck too! Thanks for reading my bio!

Against my better judgment, I follow her through the trees, biting my tongue, holding in my curses.

Thank Christ, at least I wore a toboggan, which at the time was to cover my bedhead. I never would’ve imagined it would be protecting me from spiders.

We break through the trees, coming out beside a sidewalk. She turns right, leading us down a hill.

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