Page 142 of Red King

She folds her arms over her chest. “It’s none of your business. I heard you’ve been seeing Hannah. That you guys have been getting close.” She lifts her brows.

“You heard wrong. Who the fuck is Reese?” I shake my head, willing myself to calm down. “I’m sorry. I have no right to be a controlling asshole.” I rake a hand through my hair. “I have no hold over you. Are you dating someone?” I growl the last. “I just want to know. I swear I won’t hurt him…even if I want to.”

She laughs. “You’re funny.”

“Please, Paisley. Just tell me already.”

“No, I’m not dating anyone.” Her cheeks go blood red. “Reese is someone I made up. I like these chocolates called Reese’s Cups. It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t exist. Lexi and Jim seemed to have everything. When Lexi asked me if I was seeing someone, I felt like such a loser that I lied about dating an accountant called Reese…okay? I called him that after the chocolates. Are you happy now?”

“Yes, I’m happy.” I grin.

Thank fuck.

“Well, I’m not happy at all.” She puts her hands on her hips. “You kept dating the Tributes after I left.”

“You made me promise.”

“You’re seeing Hannah. I know you are. Don’t even think about lying to me. I heard her; she was with you when I called you the other day.”

I smile.

“Don’t you dare do that. You can wipe that smile right off your face.” She points a finger at me, and I love it. Just how I loved that she made me wait outside that church for fucking ever. Just like how I loved the way she looked at me when I first arrived and then refused to look at me again. She turned her back, and that was that.

I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I still can’t. I’m totally fucked.

“Ididdate the Tributes. I tried really hard, but I hated every single second of it.” I give a one-shouldered shrug. “I kept telling myself to try. To push through. When that didn’t work, I went out with Hannah a few times because you said she was nice, but I hated that even more. I couldn’t so much as hold her hand, let alone kiss her. She’s really nice but seriously fucking annoying. She started talking about our future together. How many children we were going to have. The fact is that nothing happened with anyone after you left. Much to their dismay, I told the Council I was stepping down from the program.”

“Why was she with you, then? I heard her in the background. I know the sound of Hannah’s voice.”

“One of the guards was caught leaving Hannah’s apartment in the early hours of the morning. I was having a meeting with her, the guard, and Thorn.”

“She was sleeping with a guard?” Paisley’s eyes go wide.

I nod. “Yes. Turns out the only candidate she wanted, she couldn’t have.”

“You?” Paisley asks, lifting her brows.

“Yes. She started secretly seeing this guard. Anyway, we’re having to rethink the rules. We want Tributes to fall for shifters, even if they aren’t candidates. We want them to stay on our island. Maybe such strict rules don’t serve our needs. Enough about that. Bottom line, I’m not seeing Hannah. I don’t want Hannah. I never have.”

“Why didn’t Maggie tell me you weren’t seeing Hannah anymore?” She looks confused. “I spoke to her just last week.”

“You talk about me with Maggie?” I smile. I can’t help it.

“Actually, no, not since the first time we spoke two weeks after I left. At that stage, you were dating Hannah, and it seemed exclusive. After that, we never talked about you again.”

Oh well, fuck!

“Look, Maggie cares about you. I’m sure that whatever she said or didn’t say was to protect you.”

“For sure. She wanted me to move on,” she says, still looking unsure. “That’s probably it.” She looks like she’s deep in thought.

“Steel wanted me to do the same. He was worse than the Council.” I shake my head. “It came from a good place, a well-meaning place. Our friends want the best for us, but they don’t always know or understand exactly what that is.”

“Why did you come here, Arctic?” Paisley looks so vulnerable in this moment that I want to pull her in close.

I don’t.

We’re not there yet…not even close.

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