Page 23 of Royal Havoc

Update: speed walkers are tricky bitches!

Suddenly, she stops, and I almost run into her back, forcing me to quickly side-step to the right to dodge her. Finally, now that we’re closer, I can see a fire glowing in the center of a circular gravel area. Several chairs surround it, filled with bodies I can barely distinguish from the shadows cast by the crackling flames.

“Zoey?” A guy's voice echoes in the darkness as he shoves what I assume is a girl's body from his lap.

“Oof,” the body grunts, landing hard on the rocks.

He rushes from his chair, almost tipping it backward, and kind of trips over the flailing body on the ground. I watch as he charges towards us, and I step back right before he stops in front of her.

“I told you to keep your ass at home,” he barks in her face, putting on a show for the spectators.

Crossing her arms defensively. “Annnd, I told you to stay away from skanks,” she hisses, standing her ground.

The drink she concocted burns my throat as my eyes bounce from the shouting love doves to the drunken mess crawling around the gravel like a baby deer trying to figure out its legs.

“She fell on my lap before you showed up. Was I supposed to throw her in the fire?” I hear him lamely start to argue.

“You mean, she fell on your dick,” Zoey corrects obnoxiously, calling him out like a champ. I have to admit I’m proud of her. She glances around the fire. “Maybe I should find a dick to fall —”

He snatches her arm, dragging her towards the row of trees. “Shut the fuck up,” I hear him bark.

She twists around, walking backward, shouting at me over his shoulder, “Don’t you move an inch,” she orders.

I quickly flash her the peace sign, letting her know I heard her. Then continue sipping the shitty drink, wondering the whole time what kind of funky ass drama she’s pulled me into. I’m not used to the girl-power-unite thing because I’ve always held the power while others trip over themselves to unite.

I’m for damn surenota relationship counselor. Especially when you add in the fact that I’ve never had my own relationship. I avoid that shit like a piece of chewed gum on the sidewalk. Me and sticky don’t mesh.

Once the lovies are out of sight, away from prying ears, I turn my attention to the crackling fire, moving a little closer, hoping to steal a little of its warmth. I ignore the baby deer still shuffling around in the rocks, devoting my attention to scanning the shadowed faces across the fire.

A breeze floats in, rustling the leaves, causing a round of tingly static to rush over my skin. My spine stiffens, adrenaline shocking my system, setting off warning bells. Everything close to me fades away when my eyes focus on the row of trees in the distance. An eerie sensation of being watched overtakes me, covering me in a layer of clammy sweat. Sucking in a deep breath, trying to gather my sanity, until I notice my shadow’s been erased by another.

Before I can move, beer and mint tickle my nose. “Strike two,” he rasps beside my ear, something hard tracing the seam of my jeans over my ass.

“Who are you?” a girl sneers. Her nasally voice instantly grates over my nerves.

Her proximity and the way she touches him awakens an ember deep in my soul. My insides smolder as my eyes trailover her. She’s the complete opposite of me. Her blonde ringlets smoothed neatly into a high ponytail trailing down her back.

She’s the light to my dark.

He stands by, silently challenging me. Too bad he doesn’t scare me in the slightest. If anything, their presence is pissing me off. I refuse to cause a scene, which is what guys like him crave the most. Instead, I taunt them, raising a brow as I sip my drink, waiting to see which of them bow to the queen first.

“Since you’re obviously new, I’ll give you a pass. He’s off limits,” she sneers drunkenly, glaring at me like I’m worse than yesterday’s leftovers.

I bite my bottom lip, holding in the laughter exploding inside me. If only hewereoff limits, wouldn’t that make my life so much more enjoyable? Actually, scratch that; this bitch is about to realize I’m far from new.

Let’s play…

From the corner of my eye, I notice two guys standing near the fire, eavesdropping on matters that don’t concern them.

I smile sweetly at the adoring couple in front of me, watching her snuggle into his side. Vex’s brows scrunch just before I turn, strolling over to the strangers.

My back burns from his molten stare when I stop in front of one of them, yanking the guy by his shirt. Our lips collide, and the guy grunts in shock. His hand finds me quickly, sliding up my back urging me closer.

I end the awful kiss, smiling up at the wide-eyed stranger. “Hi.”

“Vex!” I hear her nasally voice shout behind me.

“Touch her again, and I’ll rip off your fucking skin,” he warns the guy from behind me, roughly jerking me away by the arm.

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