Page 20 of Royally Ruined

As we turned along a chain-link fence and entered a wide stretch free of trees, I motioned out the windshield. “See for yourself.”

The airfield was small; just big enough to house the private jet my family owned. It sat on the runway, glossy as a ladybug and just as red and black.

She pointed. “Is that a jet? That’s a jet. Why are we ...”

“My family is using it to fly to Vermont today.” I watched as the color drained from her features. “You look pale. Are you scared of flying?”

“Ah, no, more like I’m scared of sitting within several feet ofyour whole family.” She ran her hands down her cheeks. “Holy hell, I’ll be right next to your mom and dad!”

“Actually, he left already. Kain’s bachelor party was last night, so—”

“Kain?”She grabbed my arm so violently the car swerved. I pulled up short and parked it before she made us crash. “You never said this was your brother’s wedding!”

“I didn’t think it was important.”

“How was it not—jeez!”She cupped the back of her neck and bent in two. “Ugh. Ugh. This is really bad.”

My hand came up, itching to soothe her. I hesitated too long; when she lifted her head, my hand was back in my lap. “It’s going to be fine. Only Thorne knows about the meeting last night, my mother and sister aren’t involved, no one will find it weird for you to come along to this.” Well, that wasn’t entirely true. But I felt sure we could make this work.

We had to.

She was watching me with blatant disbelief. “Besides all of that, let’s go back to the wholeclothesthing. That’s a jet, not a shopping center.”

I nodded slowly. “My family keeps lots of things on there. Always good to be prepared.”

Scotch shut her eyes, thick lashes reminding me of coal-colored eaves. “You knew I’d be upset if you told me this was a family affair. That’s why you omitted all these details.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Was I wrong?” That was a death glare if I’d ever seen one. “Come on, we need to hurry and change before the others arrive.”

“I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she grumbled, following me from the car. “Going to a wedding for some random friend of yours, that I could swallow. Is Thorne in on this?”

“He is. Scotch, just breathe.” I reached for her hands; she dodged me. “Is it so hard to pretend we’re a couple if it keeps you alive?”

She hesitated, looking from me to the jet. “It’s not about that. I just ... I don’t like being tricked, and this feels like you were trying to trick me.”

I wanted to say I was sorry, but deep down I wasn’t. I was more concerned about keeping my word and keeping her safe than I was about lying to her.

That time, when I reached for her hand, she let me take it. Her fingers were like the fragile ends of soft ferns. “Sometimes you tell small lies.”Sometimes you have to be a martyr and take the blame. Sometimes it’s your responsibility.

Abruptly she pulled away from me. “Let’s just get this over with.” Scotch took brisk steps, heading up the steps into the jet.

My fingers traced the ghost of her hand that I’d been clutching a second ago.

Get this over with?

Scotch had no idea how much I wanted the opposite of that.

- CHAPTER SEVEN -

SCOTCH

Man. I was bummed out.

Not even pissed, just kind of ... disappointed.

I tried to blame it on the fact that the jeans I was tugging myself into were just a hair too tight on my butt—did his sister wear a size negative five or something?—but really, I was just let down by Costello’s hiding things from me.

He thought I’d freak out if he told me we were fleeing to his brother’s wedding,I reminded myself.He thought he was making it easier on me by not telling the full story.Yanking the least garish top I could find—a blue sweater—over my head, I sighed.Well. He wasn’t wrong.

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