Ruined Sinner by Becker Gray

Chapter Thirteen

Aurora

Our annual art installation project was finally on display. It had taken nearly a year to work on. Since Pembroke had quite a few artists as alumni, we put on a gallery show at the end of every year. And this one had to go off without a hitch. As always, my mother had donated. That was for me, I supposed. But I think she’d actually enjoyed it last year when she came. For a princess, she loved the ordinary mum things, like coming to school events.

Strong arms wrapped around me, and I sighed, wanting to be annoyed at Phin, but there was something so comforting about his hold. Something that made me feel safe and cherished.

I knew I shouldn’t get attached, and I kept reminding myself that getting too comfortable with Phin was a bad idea. But he made it so damn easy. And his arms felt so good around me.

Last night, after the library incident, I’d found him outside my dorm door waiting for me. Apparently, I hadn’t answered my text about wanting to hang out with everyone. Then the texts had gotten increasingly dirty. He’d taken one look at my face and grown deadly serious. And I knew, I knew that he would annihilate anyone who hurt me.

God, what was it about him?

“All right, so what’s the plan? How long do we have to attend this thing before we can skip out, and you and I can get some alone time?”

I laughed. “And by alone time you mean half naked, right? You finally going to let me give you a blowie?”

He growled low. “I’ll take you up on that one of these days. But I actually do want to hang. I figured maybe we could get food or something. Unless you have some pieces here.”

I shook my head. “I displayed some watercolors last year. I don’t know. I just wasn’t inspired this time. I started something in December, but I just—I don’t know. I didn’t love it.”

“Uh-huh.” He watched me carefully but said nothing. Unlike the others, who had been desperately trying to get me to say something and tell them about what had happened, he waited patiently for me to open up. But how was I supposed to tell him anything when I still struggled to put it into words myself?

But again, he didn’t push. He didn’t press. He just let me be.

When he pulled me in for a quick kiss to the temple, I didn’t stiffen. I just let it happen. And he smiled down at me. It was one of his genuine smiles. Not the one he used when he was trying to charm the pants off of someone. Not the one he used when someone unfamiliar was trying to talk to him. Someone who was only interested in the Yates money or what he could do for them. No. This smile, the one he gave me, was his happy one. Truly happy.

I still found it wild that I knew all those things about him. Specifically, what he needed, what his smiles meant.

You are starting to freefall. You probably should tell the shrink about this. About your obsession with him.

Oh yeah, she’d have a field day. She kept asking me if I felt in control of my feelings and fully present in my body, whatever that meant. And with Phin, I felt so present in my body that my skin was singing with it.

“Well, well, don’t you two look cozy?”

I frowned and then turned toward the voice, and I suddenly winced. “Oh, it’s you.”

Phin frowned, looking between me and the tall, sandy-haired Croft Wells student who’d just appeared. “Do we know each other?”

“I’m Brantley Nichols,” Brantley said with a jerk of his chin. “Of the Nichols family? Seems you came in and scooped Aurora right from under my nose.”

Phin laughed. “Or is it that you wanted to bone my girlfriend?”

Brantley’s brows rose by degrees. As if he couldn’t believe someone was so blatantly going up against him.

“Honestly, I’m confused,” Phin said, in that deceptively easy tone of his. “How is it that you attempted to blackmail her mom? That’s really ballsy, dude.”

Brantley frowned. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“Other than you tried to go near something that was mine, I don’t give a fuck about who you are. You’re lucky you’re still standing.”

Brantley raised a brow but chose to ignore Phin’s words. Or at least that’s what it seemed like, because instead he said, “You know, Aurora, I did my research on you. I was very surprised to hear you had a boyfriend.”

Phin glowered at him. I didn’t think that Brantley had any idea what fire he was playing with right now.

“I mean, I’ve been paying attention to your social media, who kept showing up with you at events, and not once did I see this idiot. So, tell me, idiot, how is she yours again?”

“The best part about Aurora is that she doesn’t try and put a stamp on me,” Phin said coolly. “She’s mine, I’m hers, and that’s that.”

Brantley laughed. “Or this shit isn’t real. Aurora, you literally will do anything to keep from going out with me.”

Next to me, Phin straightened. “It’s time for you to go, Brantley.”

“Why do you get to have an opinion on this?”

“I get to have an opinion because I’m her boyfriend. Or do you even understand what that word means? Next time you upset my girlfriend, I’ll put you on the ground.”

There was a low menace to his voice, and I knew he meant every word. His protective instinct had been triggered, and he was in no mood for fuckery. It was time for me to defuse the situation. “Okay, that’s enough. Brantley, you’re dismissed. And believe me, that’s to your benefit.”

Brantley stared me up and down. “You’re really telling me you’re choosing someone like him over me?”

“Why is it so hard for you to understand that?” Phineas said, his words like knives as he stepped closer to Brantley. “Can you not see? You said you’ve been watching her, but did you not see how we were with each other? Or are you really that stupid? You don’t know anything about Aurora. You don’t know how beautiful and strong and determined she is. How goddamn magical. All you see is the crown, and you think you can have it? How dare you? I’ll tell you what you won’t do. You won’t hit on my girlfriend. And then you’re going to apologize to her for acting like she doesn’t have the brainpower to know what she wants.”

Brantley stared at him. “Who the fuck do you think you are? What did you say your name is again?”

Phin laughed then, a dark laugh that sent goose bumps rippling up even my arms. “Phineas Yates. Does that ring any bells?”

Suddenly it dawned on Brantley, and his eyes went wide. “Yates? Shit.”

Phin nodded slowly. “Yup.”

Brantley’s gaze went from Phin to me and back again. “I met your parents at the engagement party for Aurora’s cousin. You know, our families could be very close.”

Phin’s eyes flashed. “Yeah, I’m not impressed.”

If an entire body could wince, that’s what Brantley’s body was doing right now. “Look, we got off on the wrong foot,” Brantley rushed out. I was mistaken about Aurora.“

Phin shook his head. “No, you weren’t. Or, you were, but that part where you told me you’ve been stalking her, that was interesting. Food for thought, actually. It’s something I want her security team to look into.”

“Look,” Brantley said, trying for a smile, “maybe we can just have a chat one day.”

Phin shook his head. “No. First of all, she’s in charge. Second of all, I can’t think of a single reason for us to have a talk about anything. Not after all your family did to Aurora’s.”

With that, Phineas took my hand in his, gave me a soft peck on the lips, and tugged me through the crowd. He’d saved me. I hadn’t thought I was going to get much out of our arrangement, but instead what I got was a Phineas I could believe in.

A Phineas I wanted to believe when he said that I was magical.

I was falling for him again, like a fool. But my heart, though I should have known better, couldn’t fight this. I didn’t have the right kind of defenses. He was already winding his way through my soul.

And it was going to be very hard to go back to the way it was before.