Tarnished Crown

by Erin Watt

  “Take out your phone and tell her to come out,” I demand.

  Julie rolls her eyes. “Why would I do that?”

  “Because you’re a romantic.”

  “I am not.”

  “Julie, you tell us stories about how your socks can only be matched in certain pairs because they belong together and can’t be stuck with another, different sock because that would disturb the balance in the universe.”

  “Are you saying that you and Savannah are a one true pairing?”

  I hold up my hand and cross my middle finger over my index finger. “We’re destined to be together but circumstances have kept us apart. Clearly the fact that she’s visiting my college out of all the ones she could attend means it’s destiny. Do you want to be the one to stand in the way of true love?”

  She sighs and takes out her phone. “The things I do for you guys.” She presses a button on her phone. My heart rate picks up. “Hey, Lou, send the Iron Maiden out, would you? Gideon Royal has just issued a decree.”

  I get up and start walking toward the front door just as it opens and a girl’s pushed out. One of the girls in the doorway makes a shooing sign and then the door shuts in Sav’s face. She takes one look at me and starts pounding on the door.

  “Let me in!” she yells. “There’s a creep out here!”

  I fold my arms over my chest. “Traitors. I’d pledge a different house if I were you.”

  She ignores me and continues to knock. Fortunately, no one in the house answers. A couple of the sisters peek out the window. I gave them a friendly wave while Savannah growls in disgust. After a minute of futile pleas, she swivels to face me. Anger shoots out of her eyes. My pulse pounds a little faster and a little louder. She looks so hot right now.

  I reach for her but she slaps my hand away.

  Across the street, Julia and Cal watch in wide-eyed amazement.

  “Kick him in the balls,” Julia yells.

  “Noooo!” Cal cries and then tries to cover his balls and Julie’s mouth at the same time.

  “We can do this in front of an audience or we can take it elsewhere.” I give a meaningful look across the street.

  “Stupid Deltas.” She kicks the metal railing of the front steps. She glares at me again, but is smart enough to know that she’s got few options. “Where then?”

  My room? A private island? Mars? Somewhere where there’s no one but the two of us? She’s not going to go for that.

  “There’s the Bean café.” I jerk my head behind her. “It’s open twenty-four hours.” Is that disappointment that flickers in her eyes? I raise my eyebrows. “Or we can go back to my place.”

  She stuffs her hands in the pockets of her hoodie. “The Bean is fine.”

  Sav starts walking briskly down the sidewalk. I guess I imagined that regret.

  I catch her in a couple strides and grab her wrist to redirect her. “The Bean’s this way.” I point in the opposite direction.

  “Right.” She shakes me loose and tries to put as much distance between us on the sidewalk as she can, going so far as to walk on the grass. I shove my own hands in my pockets so I don’t give in to the urge to grab her.

  “What other houses did you go to tonight?” I ask, pretending to make casual conversation. All the frats were having end of the year parties.

  She reels off a few, and I scowl. There were hundreds of hungry guys at each stop.

  “I went to a couple of those. I didn’t see you.” I’d actually started a house-to-house search but never found her again, so I ended up camping outside the sorority house where I heard she was staying. It turned out to be a good plan. I’ll take that as a positive sign.

  “I didn’t stay long.” She falls silent and then asks, “What’d you say to Julie to get them to kick me out?”

  “The truth.”

  “What? That you cheated on me? That you lied to me? That you used me?”

  “That you’re my true love.”

  She halts suddenly and spins to face me. I stop, too. Her hand whips out and slaps me hard. I reach up and palm my cheek.

  “I’m not sorry,” She fumes.

  A slow smile spreads across my face. It burns, but it’s the first time I’ve felt alive in years. She may hate me, but Christ, that means there’s love just on the other side of that thin, thin line.

  I rub my cheek. “Good to have you back, baby.”

  Chapter 4

  Gideon

  Three Years Ago

  “I take back what I said. You should definitely invite the Montgomerys.” I look down the hall, wishing for another glimpse of Savannah. She’s not here, though, because I’m a senior and she’s a sophomore, which means her row of lockers is at the other end of the building.

  “You just said you wouldn’t hook up with anyone that ran with Jordan Carrington,” Bailey reminds me.

  “And I’m not.”

  Her brow crinkles in confusion. “Then why—” She cuts herself off. “Are you talking about Savannah? Isn’t she a little young for you?”

  “Young ones are the best,” Three says, grabbing my shoulder and shaking me roughly. He doesn’t know his own strength. “You can train them. Tell her you only want to see her on the weekends and only if you don’t have other plans. Also, no texting during Tar Heel games.”

  Bailey stops, crosses her arms, and shoots daggers in Three’s direction. It takes him a dangerous few seconds to catch on to what he said. When his own careless words sink in along with his girlfriend’s pissed-off expression, his eyes grow comically large.

  He raises both hands in front of his chest in a pleading gesture of innocence or stupidity. In Three’s case, it’s probably both.

  “I don’t mean you, baby. I love spending time with you,” he declares. Then he proceeds to dig his grave deeper. “I like experienced girls.”

  “Experienced?” she shrieks. “Are you calling me loose, Hamilton Marshall the Third!” She slaps him on the back with her purse.

  “No. No. No. You’re not loose. You’re tight. Really tight.”

  Around us, there are gasps of shock. Bailey turns beet red and Three looks like he wants to die. I lean back against my locker and watch the show with amusement.

  Three spins around and enters Bailey’s locker code, then pulls out her books for her morning class. “Let me get these books for you and I’ll walk you to class, baby.”

  Bailey’s having none of it. She plucks the books from his arms. “It’s not the weekend, baby, so we don’t need to be together.” Then she shrugs him off and walks away.

  Three chases after her. “Bailey. I’m sorry! You know I love you.”

  She darts into her classroom, leaving Three standing out in the hall with his shoulders slumped.

  Dejected, he wanders back to me. “Gid,” he gripes. “Why don’t you punch me in the mouth when I’m about to say stupid shit like that?”

  “Because my hand would be sore.”

  “From one punch?”

  “Because you say stupid shit like that all day.”

  Three grimaces. I grab him around the shoulders and lead him down to our classroom. First period is our study hall, which is a good thing since I’m not a morning person.

  “Don’t worry, man. She’ll be back on your lap by lunch.”

  “I have second and third period with her,” he moans. “She’s gonna glare at me the whole time.”

  “Better having her glare at you than not talking to you.”

  “The silent treatment is the worst,” he agrees. “Are you serious about this Savannah girl? All kidding aside, she is young, and if you pursue her, she’s going to be a target.”

  “For what?”

  “Guys who will want to say that they did her first. Girls who will be jealous of your attention. You know what this place is like.” He spreads his arm out. “Snakes to the right. Vultures on the left.”

  “Which predator are we?”

  “Snake

?”

  “I prefer vulture. At least we’re up in the air.”

  “See. Even you want the upper hand.”

  I sigh. “When did dating become so complicated?”

  “Stick in your own lane,” he advises as we reach study hall. “No point in dragging a poor sophomore into the arena, especially if you aren’t serious.”

  Inside the classroom, we nod at a few classmates and then drop our stuff onto the table in the corner, where Dane Lovett is already sprawled out. His books are open, but he’s busy texting someone.

  “I’m thinking of having a party tonight. Kind of an opening day, welcome-back-to-school sort of thing,” he says without looking up at us.

  “Nah, we’re going to Rinaldi’s,” Three says.

  “Boring,” Dane intones.

  “Who are you inviting?” I ask, my thoughts swinging back to Savannah Montgomery. Her doe eyes are stuck in my brain. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen someone look at me with such open adoration. It was…charming.

  “The usual.” He rattles off a bunch of names.

  “You should invite the Montgomerys.”

  Three raises his eyebrows, asking me if I’m serious. I shrug. I don’t know, but I’d like to see her again.

  “Shea?” Dane nods. “Sure.” He starts typing something and then looks back at me. “Wait. Montgomerys plural? As in more than one?”

  “There’s a sister,” Three chirps.

  Dane makes a face. “Isn’t Shea’s sister in middle school?”

  “Nope. She’s a sophomore. Her first day here.”

  Dane’s expression brightens. “Oh, nice. Fresh meat. Gotta love that.” He sticks out his tongue and winks.

  Three makes a slicing gesture across his throat, but Dane doesn’t see it. He’s too busy typing.

  “Nothing like getting them while they’re eager,” he continues. “That way they have zero expectations and you can do whatever you want with them.” He glances up at me. “What’d you say the sister’s name was?”

  I place my hand over his screen. “She’s not for you.”

  Dane stiffens. “What?”

  This time it’s Three’s turn to cross his arms across his chest and watch me with amusement. And I don’t even care. Decision made. I’m serious enough, because the thought of Dane laying one of his dirty hands on Savannah doesn’t sit well with me. Not one bit.

  “She’s not for you.” I pull the phone out of his grip and place it on the table. “Find some other girl. Savannah Montgomery is off the market.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since now.”

  “You?” He cocks his head in disbelief. “Have you ever hooked up with anyone younger than you? I thought you liked the college girls because they knew what they were doing and were less likely to turn into stage five clingers?”

  I rub a finger across my nose. That does sound like something I’ve said.

  Three whacks the back of my chair. “Plus, not a half hour ago he was saying that he was going to be a monk for senior year because he didn’t want to deal with any weeping when he leaves.”

  Dane inspects me for a second and then picks up his phone again, apparently deciding I’m not serious. “You in or out for tonight?”

  “Out.”

  “Why? I just texted five people you were going to be there.”

  “We’re meeting at Rinaldi’s,” Three reminds him.

  “Just come afterwards, then. The party will just be getting started.”

  “I’ll ask Bailey,” Three says.

  “Do you have to ask Bailey before you take a shit?” Dane grumbles.

  I catch Three’s arm before he drives a fist into Dane’s bent head. Our friend is is back to texting.

  “What’s this Savannah girl got that you like so much?” he mutters as his fingers fly over the keyboard. “If she’s Shea’s sister, then the girl’s probably cold and manipulative as hell.”

  I stretch out my legs, fold my arms behind my head, and close my eyes to conjure up Savannah’s face. There wasn’t a chilly thing about her. At least not when she looked at me.

  #

  Dane’s house has so many cars parked around it that it’s almost impossible to get to the front door.

  “Just park on the lawn,” Bailey moans. “I don’t want to walk.” She sticks a foot between the armrests. “I’m wearing four-inch Louboutins. My soles are going to get scratched.”

  “I’ll carry you, baby,” Three volunteers.

  I maneuver up to the driveway and then park the Range Rover on the grass. Three jumps out immediately and runs around to Bailey’s side. I don’t ask why she’s wearing shoes she can’t walk in, because her answer will be that Three likes them. That’s been her answer since they first started dating. While she wears the pants in the relationship, it’s because she’s one hundred percent committed to making him happy.

  He pulls her out of the car, her legs dangling over one arm and her body cradled in the other. “Shit, baby, you look so smoking hot right now. I could eat you up.”

  He nuzzles her neck while she squeals appreciatively. The sound sends a strange pang into my chest. I shove my fists into the pockets of my jeans and walk toward the back gate. It’s early fall, which means any party Dane is throwing will be out by the pool.

  Sure enough, a crowd of a hundred or so are gathered in the backyard. I slap a few hands, backs, and asses as I make my way through the crowd.

  “Coke or Sprite?” Dane shoves two bottles into my hand.

  I make a face. “No beer?”

  “Mixed drinks only tonight. Sorry.”

  “Sprite then.” Coke means rum, and I don’t like my drinks sweet. I hand the Coke bottle behind me for Bailey. I scan the faces and check off the ones I know until I find the girl I came for. She hasn’t noticed me yet; she’s busy talking to some guy I don’t know. In fact, there are several dicks around her.

  I pin an accusatory glare at Dane. “Did you happen to mention my interest in Savannah?”

  He shrugs. “I dunno. Maybe it slipped out.”

  “Sure it did.” Asshole.

  “Look, senior year is going to be boring as hell. What’s wrong with making our own little entertainment?” He slings an arm across my shoulder.

  “You have sorry ass hobbies, Dane.”

  “I know. And I’m too old to do anything about it.”

  I shrug his arm off and stride forward, stepping on a few toes on my way to Savannah, Shea, and the snake, Jordan. There are a couple of other girls sitting there, but I can’t be bothered to remember their names.

  Leighton Park sits at the end of the lounger that Savannah and Shea are perched on. I tap him on the shoulder. He squints up at me, a blunt hanging out the side of his mouth.

  “Move,” I command.

  He blinks a couple of times before taking a deep drag. “I like it here.” He pats the cushion, placing a hand dangerously close to Savannah’s ass. “The scenery’s nice.”

  I clench my jaw.

  Behind me, I can feel the eyes of half my class. So they want a show, eh? Who am I to deny them that.

  I pluck Leighton’s joint out of his mouth and throw it in the pool. That gets his ass out of the chair.

  “You asswipe!” he screams, and then, like a dumbass, dives into the pool after his joint.

  “How baked is he?” I ask the girls.

  They all shrug, except for Savannah, who replies, “He just lit it.”

  I signal for Dane to come over. “You can give this back when he drags himself out of the pool.”

  I hand him the still-burning blunt that I’d just pretended to throw in the water, and then take the spot that Leighton just vacated.

  The girls look at me suspiciously, but, again, it’s only Savannah that has the balls—no, the ovaries—to say anything.

  “All that because you wanted Leighton’s seat? I could’ve moved.”

  Shea slaps a hand against her own face at her sister’s dimness, while Jordan sneers. “This is why underclassmen shouldn’t mix with us. You’re too stupid to live.”

  Savannah hangs her head in embarrassment. Jesus, Jordan is a viper.

  I’m about to grab Savannah’s hand and drag her away, but then Three’s words come back to me. He told me that singling this girl out would make her a target, and he was right. The guys were already all over her when I arrived, and Jordan’s preparing a pit for Savannah to fall into.

  Walking away isn’t in my nature. I’m Gideon Royal, heir to a big-ass fortune. I’m used to getting what I want, when I want it.

  But maybe, just this once, I should ask for permission first. Despite her age, Savannah grew up in this world. She has to know that you’re either predator or prey. So I decide to let her make the decision.

  Smiling at her, I flip my hand over and lay it palm up. “I’m already tired of this place. Want to go for a drive?”

  Chapter 5

  Savannah

  “So did you take his hand?” Kira asks from her desk, where she’s slathering night cream on her face. The bunny ears on her headband bob as she talks. It brings a brief smile to my lips.

  “Of course she did. She wouldn’t be crying if she turned him down.” Jisoo scoops out some of the cream before tossing me the jar.

  I catch the little pot with one hand and swipe the back of my other hand across my cheeks. Even though Jisoo said I was crying, I didn’t realize I was until my hand comes away wet.

  “I took his hand,” I confirm. Quickly, I unscrew the jar and start slathering goop on my splotchy face. I hate that he still gets to me like this.

  After I slapped Gideon and ran off, two of my future sorority sisters were waiting at the door. They took one look at my stricken face and half-carried me up to the third floor.

  Once upstairs, Kira poured three glasses of wine, Jisoo produced a spa kit, and they both badgered me until I started talking. Jisoo said confession is good for the soul. Maybe it is. I feel better now than when I first saw him at the party.

  “If you had to go back, would you do it again?” Jisoo asks.

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