Steel Princess (Royal Elite #2) by Rina Kent

She stares at me with a parted mouth.

“Is it that strange?” I ask.

“Strange? Try miraculous. Aiden never makes breakfast. Not even when Levi forces him to help out.”

“He’s not the type who can be forced into doing anything.”

Understanding covers her features. “True.”

“Did you just come over?” I try to sound innocent like I didn’t hear her and Levi fucking each other’s brains out.

God. I’m so bad.

“Yeah. We wanted to spend the weekend at the place that started it all.”

“Started it all?”

She beams. “Levi and I started at the Meet Up. Crazy, right?”

I shake my head. “You guys are so good together.”

“Right? I agree. I need more people like you to say it to his fangirls.” She laughs before a nostalgic expression covers her features. “We weren’t always on good terms, you know, but I think the clashes in our personalities are what brought us together even more. Like yin and yang of sorts. We’re not there to be each other, we’re there to insert a piece of us in the other half.”

I heard about their rocky relationship last year, but I never asked. It’s understandable, though.

Levi might appear fun, but he has his own demons. Just like Aiden, he keeps them carefully tucked under the surface.

And this petite girl, only a year older than me, has managed to not only see his demons but to also make friends with them.

Hell. She fell in love with them.

Astrid seems like the type of girl who’s all in. She took Levi the way he is and even loved him for being who he is.

Maybe that’s why Levi watches her like she holds the world in the palm of her hands.

She doesn’t have to worry about the fangirls. Levi never looked at anyone the way he looks at her.

The look of a king to his queen.

The look I thought Aiden was about to give me last night.

“I know how hot-headed those with the King last name can be.” Astrid takes my hand in hers. “But they can have a big heart.”

That only includes Levi.

Aiden doesn’t have a heart.

I can be a naive fool and try to find it, but it’s full of wires in there.

I’ve already wounded myself enough, I can’t do it all over again.

“Well, Aiden is negotiable.” She winks. “But he’s been so different since you started to spend time with him.”

“Different how?”

“He smiles more and he appears a tad more human. Not to mention that he’s preparing freaking breakfast! You’re a miracle maker.”

We both laugh at that.

“Astrid, may I ask you something?”

“Any time.”

“How were you able to reach Levi?” Not that the cousins are the same, but they share similar traits.

“Reach him?”

“How did he open up to you and showed you his true self?” My head hangs. “I can’t even scratch the surface with Aiden no matter what I do.”

She appears thoughtful for a while. “I didn’t do anything special.”

“N-nothing at all?”

“I only showed him my true self and in response, he showed me his. Remember the yin and yang I mentioned earlier? It’s exactly like that. You take as much as you give. You can’t close off and expect him to bare his soul.”

“But I’m not closed off.”

“Maybe not consciously, but subconsciously?” She throws her hands in the air. “I’m not that good at psychology rubbish, but all I’m saying is, if you show your genuine self, then Aiden will be compelled to show himself, too.”

“What if he doesn’t?”

“Then the fucker doesn’t deserve you.” She laughs. “But seriously. You’re wrong about thinking that you can’t scratch the surface with him. I believe you’re already deep inside him, you just don’t know it yet.”

I don’t think so.

“Frozen!” Levi peeks his head inside, wearing a grin that appears so much like Aiden’s when he’s genuine — which is rare as hell.

“Her name is Elsa,” Astrid scolds.

“Frozen is a term of endearment, princess.”

“Only to you.”

“Morning, Levi.” I wave at him.

“What’s your magic trick to have that dickhead make breakfast?”

“Being herself.” Astrid winks, and I can’t help the smile that breaks free.

We should meet more often. She’s one of the most real girls I’ve ever met.

Even though she’s the daughter of Lord Clifford, a renowned member of the House of Lords, she’s more down to earth than commoners.

“By the way,” Levi shouts in a voice loud enough to reach downstairs. “He cooks like shit.”

“You’re only salty because you don’t get to eat it.” Aiden’s voice comes from downstairs.

Astrid and I snort before we break into laughter.

“I’ll go help.” Astrid pats my arm again. “Come down when you’re ready.”

She stops at the doorway, stands on her tippy toes and places a kiss on Levi’s mouth, then escapes before he can clutch her.

My chest warms at the sight.

They’re really so compatible together. It makes me wonder about how rocky their relationship was last year.