Steel Princess (Royal Elite #2) by Rina Kent

Good job in being a mess, Elsa.

“That’s… smart.”

My attention snaps back to Knox. Was that a smirk in his words or am I imagining things?

It’s probably the alcohol.

The taste of nausea lingers at the back of my throat, threatening me with vomit.

It’s definitely the alcohol.

Knox and I talk about Cambridge. Like me, his father has great expectations for him.

The more Knox talks about his father, the more it reminds me of Aunt and Uncle.

“Thanks again,” I tell him as he stops in front of my house. “You keep showing up for me when I need you since we met.”

“I’m happy to be of service, my lady,” he says in a Shakespearian tone and even kisses the back of my hand.

I giggle as I stand in front of his car and fake a curtsy. “Night, good sir.”

It takes me two tries to tap in the code of our house.

This is totally the last time I drink.

I freeze at the entrance.

Aunt stands there as if she’s been waiting for me.

Shit. I need to leave before she smells the alcohol on me.

If I knew she’d be here, I would’ve never taken the damn shot.

“A-Aunt? Weren’t you supposed to work tonight?”

“I can’t leave you alone all the time or I’ll die from concern.” She takes my backpack. “Was that Knox just now?”

“Uh, yeah. He picked me up because Kim couldn’t.”

Contemplation covers her features. “Does that mean King is no more?”

“Knox and I aren’t like that.”

“Well, if you have to choose, my vote goes for him.”

I study her for a bit. “Why have you never liked Aiden, Aunt?”

She freezes with the backpack in her hand before she forces a smile, and I know, I just know that there’s something she’s not telling me. “I feel like he’s taking you away. You haven’t been the same since he came into your life.”

She can say that again.

“Wait a minute.” She sniffs the air and my breathing stops when she gets closer to inhale me.

“Is that… were you drinking?” She all but shrieks.

“It was only a glass, I promise.”

Her eyes blur with unshed tears and I feel as if someone jammed a knife into my heart. I don’t like making Aunt upset. What the hell is wrong with me?

“It won’t happen again,” I offer in a small voice. “I’m not even drunk.”

“What if your heart condition relapses? You know how hard we’ve worked to get you stabilised.”

“I-I’m sorry.” God. I feel like the most horrible person ever.

Aunt clutches me by the shoulders and pulls me inside to sit me on the sofa. “A few days ago, you were found drowning in a pool. Then you had an episode in the hospital and now you’re drinking? This isn’t you, Elsie. Tell me what’s going on.”

I want to know the truth. Tell me the truth, Aunt.

But I can’t say that, so I apologise one more time and promise her that it won’t happen again.

We eat dinner together and I try to ignore how she watches me as if I’ll have an episode any second now.

It’s at times like these that I wish Uncle Jaxon was around.

After helping out with the dishes — and Aunt making me drink some soup to chase away the alcohol — I go to my room.

I sit at my desk to work on some homework, but I end up slouching in my seat with a pen in my mouth.

Did the plan work?

Cole or Ronan are supposed to send a picture to Aiden that I ditched the party to go with Knox.

Would that ruin his mood or is he too busy with Silver to care?

Maybe he’s fucking her in his indoor pool as he did to me the other time. Maybe he has her spread-eagle as he eats her the way he devoured me.

My hold on the pen turns painful.

How could he move on with Silver when it’s barely been two days since we ended it?

Since I ended it.

The time frame doesn’t matter. I don’t have the right to question him anymore.

I groan and run a hand through my hair in frustration. I don’t care who he fucks.

Not one bit.

Giving up on homework, I snuggle in bed and pull out my phone.

My heart surges in its cavity at the two texts waiting.

Aiden: Let’s play that game you love so much, sweetheart.

Aiden: Be mine again or…

I refresh the page, searching for his next text, but there’s nothing.

He always offers two options. Where’s the other facet of the coin?

Then it hits me.

He sent those texts after school when he was leaving with Silver.

He wants me to be his again or he’d… what? Fuck Silver?

Is he going to send me a pornographic text of how he fucked her now?

Disgusted, I open Instagram. I unfollowed him the other day, but I search for him anyway.

His last post was after the night he attacked me in the middle of the night.

It’s a black and white picture of a chessboard with all the glass pieces scattered. There’s no caption and he posted the picture around five in the morning.

I scroll in the comments. There’s one from SilverQueens a few hours ago.

Can’t wait for 2nite. Xo.

I click on her profile and something in my heart dies.

Since they left together, I knew it was for this, but I kept telling myself that he wouldn’t do it.