Page 47 of The Lost Kings
They were both quiet before sharing a look with one another. It was almost as if they’d known I was going to enroll or something. I couldn’t prove it but it was just a feeling I had. Finally, it was Kingston who spoke up.
“Why?”
My mouth parted with a response when Gio cut in. “Aren’t you done with your required courses? Scotty’s had you working on a crazy tutoring schedule, I think you’re ahead of us.”
I tugged at my pajama shorts nervously, unsure how to even explain this to them. They were my best friends, and they’d seen me in every stage of life from having the flu to wearing designer gowns to charity functions. They had never shown any interest in me one way or another, but for whatever reason my dad and Scotty seemed to think they’d follow me all the way to public school.
It was ridiculous and yet, there, buried under my heart, in soil that would never see the light of day, was a fragile and very pathetic crush that liked to linger in my lungs when I’d breathe in their scents and burn in the backs of my eyes when I’d hear them talk about a girl that had messaged them. Occasionally when they weren’t looking, I’d focus on how much they’d changed, how their bodies had been honed into weapons with stacked muscle and veins running up their arms in ways that I couldn’t help but stare at.
I knew it was wrong.
The shame I felt on an almost daily basis was exhausting, and the mortification was even worse. They saw me as a friend, if not a little sister, and nothing more.
With a heavy sigh, I crossed my arms. “I’m sixteen now, and if I don’t get out of this house and start making friends, then my chance at dating or getting my first kiss will be nonexistent.”
There was a horrible, uncomfortable silence that stretched between us. One so awkward and noticeable that I finally looked up, seeing them both silently communicating with each other. I hated when they did that.
“Stop doing the twin thing.” I shoved at Gio’s arm.
Kingston’s jaw flexed as if he were annoyed. Gio blew out a harsh breath before looking down.
“So what do you want from us?” Gio asked.
Here it went. I inhaled a sharp breath before slowly letting it out. “Scotty said I have to convince you guys to go with me. I have no idea why, because I’m perfectly capable of handling things on my own, but he’s making that a requirement.”
King’s amber eyes narrowed while a small smirk lifted along his lips. “So we have to go in order for you to go?”
“Yes.”
Gio crossed his arms, his brows caving. “But we’re already finished with all of our courses.”
“Scotty said he’d forge documents for us.”
Kingston scoffed and shook his head. “Wow, how kind of Uncle Scotty. He’s doing all this just so you can see if your Prince Charming is waiting for you in the Rake Forge public school system.”
Asshole. Obviously, I wasn’t expecting my soulmate to find me in high school; I merely wanted to date or get some friends. I elbowed Gio out of sheer irritation with them both. However, because he was sitting on the arm of the couch, he started to tip sideways. Instead of embracing the fall gracefully, he pulled my arm, which had me jerking to the side automatically, forcing him to fall on top of me.
“Gio!” I mumbled into his shoulder, but I felt him laughing aboveme. His palm moved to the side of my face while he sat up, staring down at me.
“If you’re wanting to get your first kiss out of the way, I can help.”
My face flushed, the crush I harbored flared to life with excitement, which was exactly why I had to tamp it down and push him off me.
“I’m good, thanks.”
Kingston glared at us from where he stood.
“You do realize most the guys in public school have already kissed girls…”
Gio scoffed, hiding a laugh, and for some reason it made me feel lame enough that my face turned red.
I shrugged. “So what?”
“So, the first time you kiss someone it’s awkward. You have to sort of learn how to do it right. If you kiss some guy you’re into and he’s expecting you to know what you’re doing, it might embarrass you.”
I was already embarrassed.
My eyes were hard as I assessed my best friend from across the room. Gio tugged my hand into his lap, stroking over my knuckles. “We’re just watching out for you. We don’t want you to encounter something that will make you feel unprepared, or that could make people talk about you or draw attention to you. Even with a fake name, Pres, you can’t draw attention to yourself.”
