Black Knight (Royal Elite #4) by Rina Kent

Okay, so I might have lied about Elites’ game tickets. It’s the only way to keep him from bugging me, sort of.

He’s a Xander fan through and through.

“Yeah, promise.”

“I’ll ask him for tickets next time.”

Of course he will. This is just a temporary solution. Kir is smarter than I give him credit for.

“Don’t bother him.”

“He said I don’t.”

I pause. “He did?”

He nods frantically. “He always asks his cook to make me brownies and lets Ahmed play with me. Xan says I can call him when you can’t pick me up.”

“Don’t tell me you did.”

He looks away.

“Kir!”

“Don’t worry, Kimmy.” Kir grins. “Xan will lie and say you dance better than me.”

I make my hands into claws. “Well, is he going to lie and say you’re not ticklish?”

“No, stop it.”

“Here comes the gorilla for the monkey.”

“Nooo!” he shrieks as I attack him, tickling his side until he gasps with giggles and laughter.

It’s only after he raises the white flag that I finally leave him alone and kiss him three times – two on his adorable cheeks and one on his forehead. “Sweet dreams, little monkey.”

“Night, Kimmy.”

I push his hair back and kiss him one more time before leaving his room.

After changing into a denim skirt and a camisole, I go outside just in time to find Ronan pulling in.

We agreed to meet once the game was over, but I never thought he’d be here straight after.

He swings the door of his Mazda open and barges outside. He still has bruises around his mouth from the fight with Xander.

It must hurt.

Just like all the bruises Xander came to school with must hurt.

No, I don’t care about him.

Ronan gathers me in a hug, scooping me off the ground. “We won!”

I squeal as he spins me around before finally putting me to my feet.

“So happy for you.”

“Liar.” He glares at me. “You could’ve been happy by actually being there.”

“I had to spend time with Kir.”

“Or you could’ve brought him with you.” He leans in to whisper, “Which means, you’ve been running away.”

“Fine. Can we go?” I really don’t want to run into Xan if he comes home now.

Although the football team usually celebrates the win at the Meet Up after every game, I’m not taking any chances.

“Sure.” He ushers me into the car, even opening the door for me.

He’s such a gentleman – protective, caring. Why can’t I fall asleep thinking about him? Why can’t I obsess over him? Have my chest squeeze for him?

If I’d had a choice in my heart’s admission process, it would’ve been Ronan.

Or that’s what I tell myself.

The car revs into life, leaving the neighbourhood, and I blow out a long breath.

“He didn’t play,” Ronan says with a smile that’s different from his easy-going ones.

Xander didn’t play? But why? He’s always a startup, except that time the coach punished him and Aiden because of a fight.

But I won’t allow myself to get sucked into that orbit. I stare out of the window at the upper-middle-class villas passing us by. “I don’t care.”

“Coach knows about the fighting and drinking and benched him,” Ronan continues, deaf to what I said.

I face him, unable to help myself. “Fighting and drinking?”

“He has an issue.” Ronan taps his fingers on the steering wheel as if he’s enjoying music that doesn’t exist.

He doesn’t go on, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say he’s playing with me.

“So? What type of issue?”

His grin nearly splits his face open. “Told you, fighting and drinking. He used to control it before, but lately, he’s been appearing hungover and barely holding on. His face has some cuts, and there are bruises on his body. He doesn’t pay attention to practice or studies or even himself. Today, he came drunk and the captain had had enough.”

“If his dad knows, he’ll be in trouble,” I murmur to myself, then realise I said it aloud.

“Pretty sure Coach called him by now,” Ronan hums. “I think there’s talk about sending him to a closed rehab and he’ll only come back for his diploma. It’s no secret Lewis will lose his shit on him. After all, this is an election year.”

Something in my chest squeezes, tightening harder the more I ignore it.

“He brought it on himself,” I say, then change the subject to the game.

Ronan launches in on his heroic accomplishments and the decisive pass he gave to Aiden so that he scored their only goal.

As we go into the restaurant, I laugh and smile at his goofy behaviour. We even commemorate the dinner with a selfie in Ronan’s over the top style. He wraps an arm around me and tucks me to his side, kissing my cheek.

Although I’m laughing on the outside, there’s something cutting me open and slicing me to tiny pieces on the inside.

I order a salad, even though Ronan says they have diet-friendly food, but I don’t eat any of it.

My body is right here in this high-end restaurant that I shouldn’t have worn a denim skirt for. The setting has an elegant brown and white combination that gives a certain type of serenity.