Page 67 of The Lost Kings
Gio let out a small sigh before lobbing another pillow back at my face.
“Then we do what we did in the car…figure it out, I guess. I’m not ever fucking touching you though and if you touch me, I’ll stab you.”
He threw another pillow and I caught it. “I’m not holding back with her either, Gio. If the feeling is right, then I’m?—”
“Not touching me. Do what you want with Presley, and we’ll figure it out. But that part needs to be clear.”
It was my turn to laugh because this seemed to really be messing with him. We’d never been shy with one another. I openly masturbated under my covers from the time I was eleven, and he’d asked me to check something on one of his ball sacks before. He was my brother. My twin. We kept nothing from one another, but I agreed with him on this. I had no desire to ever intersect while enjoying Presley.
“As long as she never chooses anyone but us, I don’t really care what happens, but yeah. No worries, Bro. We won’t touch.”
“Good,” Gio mused then laughed again, before throwing yet another pillow at my face.
Chapter 26
Presley
PRESENT
Igripped the leather armrest as if it could somehow take the brunt of all my frustration and all my anger that had built up over the past year. The twins sat toward the front of the private jet while I took residence up near the back.
They talked and laughed together as if I didn’t exist. Their men filled in the empty spaces in between, and while each person either slept or played on their phone, I understood exactly what was happening.
They were isolating me. As if I hadn’t been isolated enough in the past year and a half.
As if they hadn’t punished me enough and for what? They were the ones who left, and who hurt me. The anger in my stomach tightened into a painful knot, making me feel queasy and a lot like I was about to burst into tears.
Instead, I bit my bottom lip and stared out the window. I would not give them the satisfaction of seeing me break. I had endured enough in my life to withstand this too.
I thought of Adrian and his easy smiles, the way the skin next tohis eyes crinkled when he laughed and the way his touch set me on fire. I thought of how we’d yet to cross any boundary that would have left a lasting impression on me. He hadn’t taken anything from me that I didn’t offer, and I’d never once offered him my body or my heart. Not fully.
The plane suddenly rocked to the side as it hit a patch of rough air, but it was enough of a jostle that it made my cup of coffee spill from my tray and ruin my jeans.
“Shit.” I quickly stood and began dabbing at my soiled clothes. It drew the attention of the twins, who had stopped talking at the sight of me standing. Their burning gazes were on me in seconds, and while Gio’s jaw ticked and Kingston’s eyes seemed to beg something from me, I pushed out the image and walked to the bathroom with my backpack.
I always hated fighting with the twins growing up. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, it was always excruciating because the two always had one another, and I was always the one left out all alone. Even now, as adults, it burned through my chest like a dry, painful heat, scorching up pieces of hope that I’d always carried regarding my relationship with them.
Foolish stupid hope.
The only extra pair of clothes I’d packed in my bag were pajamas. The rest were all in my large suitcases, which were tucked away in the cargo. With a sigh, I peeled my jeans off and pulled on my sleep shorts. They were on the shorter side, but at this point I just simply didn’t care.
I decided to complete my pajama set and pull on the button-down matching shirt and then tugged up a pair of tall socks. Once I was dressed, I took two seconds to inspect myself in the mirror. My face had somehow kept a warm glow from the irregularly warm winter, leaving my freckles splattered across my nose and cheeks. Thanks to Carter, I had started using a plethora of beauty products that actually worked for me. My lashes were thicker, thanks to some serum that I applied every night, and my lips were stained afterapplying a lip mask. Even my face was smoother after applying creams and using some jaw smoothing device that I didn’t take enough time to actually read about. I typically just listened to my cousin and used whatever she put in my hands.
I liked myself.
I had to remember that as the twins’ glares would hit like a boulder and their silence would cut like a knife. I liked me, even if they didn’t.
Pulling the bathroom door open, I stepped out and ran right into a solid chest.
“Sorry.” I automatically apologized before realizing the chest belonged to a twin.
Once I stepped back, I found starry gray eyes and a dimple that had popped out because of Gio’s reluctant smile. He didn’t seem to be able to help himself.
“Saw you go back here, you okay?” His tone was soft and kind, and confusing.
I nodded, tucking a piece of hair back. “Fine, just got coffee all over myself.”
Gio inspected me from head to toe, taking a step back. I felt mildly self-conscious but brushed it off. His jaw ticked once, twice, and then he laughed.
