Page 103 of The Lost Kings
I knew it wasn’t fair to go to Adrian and act as though he could ever fill the role the twins had always claimed. I just didn’t know how to contain this pressure that filled my chest and clogged my mind with concern and fear. I was so tired of carrying the burden all on my own and I knew if I asked them to, the twins would help me.
I just needed a peace offering.
Walking down the halls toward the west side of the manor, I passed through the open foyer area that led to the back terrace. From there, I wandered over to Kingston’s garden, which was mostlyovergrown and dead, and dropped into a squat. Twisting the lid of the jar, I took the glass and scooped up as much dirt as I could, then resealed it.
Reentering through the terrace, I stopped when I caught who had just walked through the front door of the manor.
“Adrian?” He stood next to Scotty who was welcoming him and two of his guards into the house.
“Presley.” He smiled at me and then cleared the space between us. “I hope you don’t mind me changing our plans but your uncle offered to have me over for breakfast and I thought that was a wonderful idea.”
I smiled as he leaned in and gave me a quick kiss. Right as he did, I practically felt their presence emerge from the gym. Covered in sweat, and in their workout gear, the twins approached our group.
“Is this dirt?” Adrian lifted my hand and acted as if he were confused.
Kingston’s eyes snapped to the jar and then back to me. There was something wrong. His expression didn’t lift or lighten; it hardened as if the sight of the dirt only made him angry.
“It’s a gift,” I said, feeling embarrassed that there were so many eyes on me.
Kingston stepped closer and I took the jar, placing it in his hand with a smile.
“When we were kids, I’d?—”
The jar fell to the ground, shattering around our feet. Shocked, I stared at Kingston’s hand, realizing he’d dropped it on purpose.
“Why—”
“Some shit should stay in the past, Pres.” His cold tone sent chills down my spine as I watched him walk away. Gio’s expression shuddered, but his glare on Adrian was severe. This was not at all how I wanted to start the day, especially with them. I was hoping to apologize and find some common ground and eventually explain that I was going to let Adrian go.
My uncle wasn’t making things easy for me on that front.
Giving Adrian another smile, I stepped away from the dirt mess and followed him over to my side of the manor, where my mother was apparently preparing breakfast. Mom was all smiles and glowing skin with laughter and the most welcoming demeanor.
I liked seeing how Adrian responded to it, and how his eyes kept roaming over me as if he were trying to remember every detail. It was how he used to watch me in Italy too, and I loved it then as much as I did now. That guilt from last night twisted my stomach again, making it difficult to eat.
Why was this so hard?
I loved the twins, always had, but I liked Adrian. He made me feel different than the twins did, less fire and ice. It made me rethink everything all over again, especially with how Kingston had just behaved. I knew they were frustrated with me, but I was also angry with them. They didn’t get to just act however they wanted and not expect me to respond.
Once we helped my mom clean up breakfast, I invited Adrian to my room so we could talk. I wasn’t even sure what I was going to say, but I felt like I needed to confess how I felt about the twins, so he didn’t think I was leading him on.
My room was bright from the loft windows above the room being open and pouring light along my carpet. I sat on my bed, and Adrian copied my movements, facing me. He tugged my old, tattered stuffed Highland cow into his large hands and smiled down at it. I thought he’d joke about me still having a few childhood knickknacks on my bed, but his face lifted, giving me a serious expression that sobered me.
“Bellissima.” Adrian stroked his hand down the side of my face.
I smiled, placing my hand in his. “Yes?”
“I have been thinking a lot about this, and I think it might be time for you to understand the other reason I sought you out in the beginning. Do you remember me explaining there was another reason I’d share with you later?”
I nodded, squeezing his hand as nerves sailed through my stomach like angry birds.
Adrian’s chestnut hair was cropped handsomely, revealing his light blue eyes, and I tried to cling to how familiar he looked as he took a deep breath. “I saw you once at a ball…you were there under a different name…and I’m fairly certain you were young, just freshly sixteen.”
That ball.
I tried to rack my brain for whether I remembered seeing him or not. I was focused on the guy that had brought me cake, and then Kingston stabbed him…so the rest of the night was fuzzy.
“You were distracting even then. I remember wondering if you knew that you were in danger being there, that there were a few people who knew your true identity, and if I should tell you. Then I watched as the twins moved in and removed the Milano boy and realized it wouldn’t be safe for me to reveal that I was aware of who you were. But ever since that day, when I saw you, I wanted to know more about you.”
