Cruel King (Royal Elite #0) by Rina Kent

His body freezes as if someone threw ice water on him. That someone is me.

His shoulders droop and he nods before he turns around and leaves.

My knees crumble and I fall down, realising that I’ve succeeded.

I broke us apart for good.





53





Astrid





We might be over, but is it the end?



* * *



The two weeks after Victoria’s arrest go so fast.

Nicole went to a relative’s house in southwest London. Dad offered her to stay, but she refused.

Victoria pleaded guilty, but even with that, I know Dad pulled all his weight in the political ring to have her behind bars as long as possible.

After my time off school, I decided to go back. According to Dan, the entire feud about a murder’s daughter was slipped by Victoria to the journalism club, and it blew up in Nicole’s face.

Since Victoria’s story is all over the press, the secret murder’s daughter is now Nicole.

I don’t think she’ll ever return to RES or finish her senior year. And for some reason, I feel bad for her.

Like me, Nicole didn’t want this life. She only accepted it for her parent. It’s wrong for her to pay for her mother’s sins, even if Nicole can be a total bitch herself.

I’ve never seen her so broken as the day she packed her suitcases and said goodbye to Dad and I. Daniel stood by my side that day.

She didn’t look him in the eyes as she bowed her head and walked out of the door.

“Are you ever going to tell me what happened between you two that night?” I ask Dan once she’s out.

His jaw tightens. “Doesn’t matter.”

“Dan… I’m your best friend, you’re supposed to tell me these things. I’m supposed to be there for you when you’re hurt.”

“That’s a tad bit dramatic, crazy bugger. Tone it down a notch.”

“Nope. It’s written in the friendship manual. I finally read it.”

He laughs. “About time.”

I face him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“One. It’s fucking embarrassing to tell you I was drugged and might have drugged you. And oh, wait. You had an accident that night.”

“Well, we had time after, why have you never brought it up?”

“You make it sound like a disaster or that I’m traumatised.”

“You aren’t?”

He continues staring at where Nicole disappeared. “I’m not.”

“But didn’t she… assault you?”

“Not exactly.”

“Not exactly? What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing you need to worry about. Nicole is over.”

But something tells me that’s not the case.

I sit at my desk in my room and stare at the sketchbook. I’m supposed to find a few sketches that speak of me and my style so I can send them to colleges, but I got lost somewhere.

For the past hour, I’ve been staring at multiple sketches of Levi. There are a few of him scoring, running, or just standing over the team with crossed arms.

I can’t get him out of my head.

Since that day he walked out on, I keep replaying the last look in his eyes. The hurt. The defeat.

I broke his wings, but I’m the one who’s bleeding.

I’ve been dreaming that he’d come back to knock on my door or sneak from my window.

But that’s all they were. Dreams.

Even if he came, it’d only make it harder to push him away again.

Because I said the truth. He’ll only see me as the daughter of the woman who killed his father. And while Mum had nothing to do with it, his father died that day.

I can’t live having him look at me that way.

That doesn’t mean I can stop thinking about him, though.

That doesn’t mean I can stop my muse from sketching him.

A few months.

It’ll be less than a few months before we go our separate paths.

Dan mentioned that Jonathan King allowed Levi to play professionally.

He’ll pick either Manchester or Liverpool and live at the other half of the country while I continue studying in London.

My heart aches and bleeds at the thought of never seeing him again.

“Those are really pretty.”

I startle and meet Dad’s gaze. I fumble with the notepad, slamming it shut and fight the embarrassment creeping up my cheeks.

Thank God Dad didn’t see the half-naked sketches.

“I knocked,” he says. “Three times.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” He pulls a chair and sits beside me. “I mean it. You have a special talent that’s different from your mother’s.”

I smile. “Thanks, Dad.”

“Are you returning to school?”

I wince. “It’s time, I guess. I can’t run away forever.”

No matter how much I want to.

“I know it’s been crazy around here recently, but you’re strong and I trust that you’ll get through this.”

“I know, Dad, it’s just…”

“That King boy?”

I swallow. “It’s over between us, don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried. My feud with Jonathan isn’t something you two should worry about.”