Broken Kingdom : A bad boy college romance (Royal Hearts Academy Book 4)

by Ashley Jade

  I have to be honest with him. “I don’t know…maybe?” I feel his entire body tense as I continue. “I can’t help wondering why I was with him the night of the accident.”

  And why I feel this unexplainable pull toward him.

  “Does it really matter?” A long sigh escapes him. “I’m not trying to be a dick, but even if you got all your memories back, it wouldn’t change anything.”

  I mull this over for a moment and realize he has a point.

  No matter what I may find out about my past, it won’t change my future with Stone.

  However, I’m so tired of feeling like a computer with erased files.

  Tired of everyone I care about keeping me in a safe little box and only giving me tiny crumbs of information about myself that I have to fight for.

  Tired of having no control over my life because I don’t have all the facts.

  I don’t want to upset Stone or make him feel like he has any cause for concern though, so I simply say, “I guess not.” I draw tiny circles over his stomach. “But if you knew anything important about my former life, you’d tell me, right?”

  I need to know he’ll always be honest with me.

  No matter how uncomfortable the truth may make him.

  He presses his lips to my temple. “You know I’d never lie to you, Bourne.”

  He’s right. Stone’s always been honest with me so I have no reason to start doubting him now.

  “I know.” Taking a deep breath, I decide to tell him something else that’s been weighing on my mind. “Don’t freak-out, but Oakley moved into your apartment building. I ran into him on the stairs earlier when he was moving in.”

  I expect him to say something, but he doesn’t.

  When I peer up, I see he’s fast asleep.

  Being careful not to wake him, I flick off the light and curl up beside him, trying my hardest to ignore this crushing feeling in my chest.

  The one telling me my heart is holding on to a secret…

  And figuring out what it is could change everything.

  Past…

  My brothers appear to be just as confused as I am when they walk through the front door.

  “Do you have any idea what this is about?” Jace questions.

  I shrug. “Nope.”

  “Fucking weird,” Cole mutters.

  Amen to that.

  Earlier our dad sent us a group text declaring we were having a family meeting tonight and it was imperative that we all be there.

  Given he’s always at work and he hardly speaks to us…it came as one hell of a surprise.

  “I hope he’s not sick,” I whisper, because even though we aren’t close the thought of losing my only remaining parent isn’t something I can deal with.

  “Let’s get this shit over with,” Jace utters.

  United, the three of us make our way into the kitchen.

  Where we find Dad and Nadia sitting at the table.

  Immediately, we all stiffen.

  Whatever this is about, one thing’s for sure. It’s not good.

  Jace is the first to speak. “Why the fuck is she here?”

  I can tell our dad wants to yell at him for his language and his dig at his girlfriend, but he lets it slide.

  “Sit down, kids. Nadia and I have something very important to tell you.”

  A sick feeling rolls through me.

  Beside me, Jace and Cole bristle.

  “I’ll stand,” Jace says.

  “Me too,” Cole chimes in.

  “Ditto,” I add for good measure.

  A horrifying thought occurs to me just then.

  “You better not be pregnant,” I blurt out.

  Nadia practically chokes on her drink.

  I don’t know much about the woman—hell, I don’t want to—but even I have to admit she’s pretty. Beautiful even.

  Given she’s clearly from India, just like my mom—it’s safe to say my dad has a certain type.

  Or maybe he’s just trying to fill the hole Mom left in his heart.

  If that’s the case—I can’t blame him.

  However, I’m not cool with the two of them procreating.

  I’m the baby of this family goddammit. And if this bitch thinks she’s just going to waltz in uninvited and start popping out additions to it, she can kiss my squat-sculpted ass.

  “Nadia’s not pregnant,” my dad quickly says.

  I start to relax…until I hear his next words.

  “We are, however, getting married.”

  Reaching for her hand, he kisses it.

  I can’t help but notice the ugly, gaudy diamond on her left ring finger.

  Jace—who always has something to say—stays silent. However, it’s obvious he’s not pleased with the news.

  None of us are.

  “When?” Cole bites out.

  Dad and Nadia exchange a glance. “We haven’t decided on a date yet, but sometime within the next year or so.”

  Without a word, Jace exits the kitchen.

  A moment later the front door slams shut.

  Cole snorts. “Wow.” His eyes land on Nadia. “Enjoy living in a dead woman’s house with the husband you stole.” He glares at Dad. “Congrats, man. Make sure to have your whore sign a prenup.”

  With that, he walks out.

  Nadia’s face falls.

  Dad looks at me, his eyes begging, pleading with me to show some compassion.

  But I can’t.

  Because it hurts.

  So fucking much.

  “You’ll never take her place,” I tell Nadia, and I mean it with every fiber of my being.

  Despite her mistakes and the secret I’m forced to keep—I will always love my mother.

  There’s not a person on this earth who could ever put a stop to that.

  Tears clogging my vision, I run out the patio door. I’ll spontaneously combust if I have to spend another minute trapped in here with them.

  God, I miss her.

  I miss her smile, her laugh, her smell…the way she hugged me so tight—like I was the most important thing to her.

  But mostly?

  I hate how it’s all starting to fade away.

  Every day that passes my memory of her withers more and more.

  If I’m not careful…one day I’m going to wake up and every trace of her will be gone.

  “You have a lot of nerve,” Oakley calls out.

  I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn’t even realize he was out here.

  However, I’m not in the right state of mind to go toe to toe with him right now.

  “Look,” I start as he stalks over. “I’m really not in the mood—”

  “I don’t give a shit,” he snarls. “Not only did you hook up with Hayley’s new boyfriend behind her back…you videotaped her touching herself and put it on a fucking porn site.” Face twisting in disgust, he takes a step forward, cornering me like I’m his prey. “What the fuck is the matter with you?”

  I blink, not understanding what he’s talking about.

  Yes, I recorded Hayley touching herself.

  Hell, I recorded her doing lots of sexual stuff.

  However, I didn’t put those videos on a porn site.

  Not yet anyway.

  Ice runs through my veins as it dawns on me.

  There’s no way Hayley would know I planned to do that.

  Not unless she talked to him.

  Holy shit.

  This is bad. Real fucking bad.

  Hand clutching my stomach, I utter, “I don’t know what Hayley told you, but—”

  “She told me everything,” Oakley spits.

  Somehow, I doubt that…because if she did?

  There’s no way Oakley would be looking at me like I’m the most despicable person he’s ever come across.

  And he certainly wouldn’t be taking her side.

  “Oak—”

  I can’t finish that statement because he takes another step forward causing me to lose my footing and teeter bac
k…but not before grabbing his shirt.

  A second later we both fall into the pool.

  I sputter up water as I come to the surface. I barely have a chance to gather my bearings before an equally drenched Oakley is swimming toward me.

  Face full of anger, he punches the water. “If you think I’m gonna stand by and let you ruin the lives of all the women I care about, you’re even crazier than I thought you were.”

  I ignore the thick rush of jealousy pushing through my veins because what I have to tell him is important.

  I might have taken those videos, but I never put them up on any porn sites.

  I also never hooked up with Zack.

  Which means the bitch is lying her ass off.

  And the fact that he would believe her over me…hurts.

  Far more than I thought it would.

  “Hate to break it to you, Oakley, but your precious Hayley—”

  Eyes narrowing, he backs me against the wall of the pool. “You better stay the hell away from her.”

  His voice is so full of malice my insides twist.

  I jut my chin in challenge. “And if I don’t?”

  Long fingers hover around my throat, ready to squeeze.

  “Do it,” I dare.

  Hand still wrapped around my neck, he leans in until his lips brush over my ear. “Is that what it will take?” His warm breath and deep voice caress my skin as he slides his palm down my torso and hitches my leg around his waist. “If I give in and fuck you will you stop your bullshit?”

  The answer stalls in my throat when his mouth finds my collarbone.

  My heart kicks up as his teeth nip at the column of my throat, sending a pulse of heat between my legs.

  I claw at his back when he grinds against me and I can feel how much he wants this.

  Wants me.

  “Yes,” I concede, my mind and heart racing as his hips meet mine again. “F—”

  A callous laugh cuts me off. “Too bad, baby girl.” His smile is downright vicious. “It will never fucking happen.”

  A moment later, he trudges out of the pool.

  Taking my heart and pride with him.

  I’m not too proud to admit my anger is fueled by pure jealousy.

  The fact that he would protect Hayley, yet won’t even give me the chance to explain my side of things—not that I can tell him—has me shaking with rage.

  And the need for revenge.

  Fortunately, I spot the perfect opportunity to exact it when I watch from my bedroom window as Oakley leaves the following afternoon.

  After stealing the spare key out of a kitchen drawer…I slip out the patio door and trot over to the guesthouse.

  Armed with lighter fluid and matches.

  Oakley might care about Hayley…but there’s something else he cares about even more.

  Weed.

  I do a quick sweep of the living room but come up empty.

  Gritting my teeth, I make my way into his bedroom.

  The king-sized bed is unmade and there are random articles of clothing on the floor, but it’s the small notebook on his bed that snags my attention.

  The one he never lets anyone see.

  My mouth drops open when I take a look inside.

  Traces of you

  Traces of me

  What a beautiful tragedy we could be.

  Heart in my throat, I quickly flip to another page.

  I’m dirty

  You’re clean

  All the lines in between

  If only I’d let you in

  Maybe then I’d truly be seen.

  Holy shit. Oakley writes poems.

  And I don’t mean a few words that rhyme.

  His words make you feel something.

  I have to remind myself that not only would it be wrong to steal his notebook so I can read them all—but I need to get this little mission over with before I lose my nerve.

  I quickly place the book back where I found it and search all the nooks and crannies of his room, looking for his stash.

  I find it in a hamper in his closet—and holy shit—there’s a lot of it.

  After hauling what easily feels like three pounds of marijuana to his bathroom, I set to work dumping it in his tub and pouring lighter fluid all over it.

  Then I strike a match and drop it.

  Take that, bastard.

  I’m all smiles as I watch the flames flicker…

  Until I notice the tub is melting, and the fire is growing.

  Shit.

  Panic crawls up my spine as the bathroom starts to resemble a Post Malone concert.

  I can’t even turn on the faucet because the fire is so bad.

  Grabbing a towel, I try fanning the flames down, but that only makes them worse.

  My stomach roils. Oh, God.

  The terror trapped inside my esophagus is the size of a softball.

  “Jesus,” someone who sounds a lot like Oakley barks as their arm goes around my waist. “What the fuck, Bianca?”

  “I didn’t mean to do this,” I tell him on an exhale as he yanks me out of the house. “I only meant to burn your weed.”

  “It’s fucking fiberglass,” he barks before he grabs the fire extinguisher next to the grill and goes back inside.

  Oh, shit.

  I hear sirens looming in the distance when Oakley comes back. “It’s out.”

  “I’m sorry—”

  “Holy shit,” Jace yells as he runs over to us. “What the fuck happened?”

  An equally alarmed Cole sprints out behind him. “Are you guys okay?”

  “Yeah,” Oakley says. “Bathroom is fucked, but I managed to put the fire out before it destroyed the rest of the guesthouse.”

  “That’s good.” Jace blows out a breath. “But how the hell did it—” Pausing mid-sentence, he inhales deeply. “Why does it smell like Coachella?”

  Cole sniffs the air. “Jesus, Oak.” He sniffs again. “You trying to get the whole town high?”

  Oakley glares at me.

  Placing my hands on my hips, I leer at them. “What are you guys even doing here anyway?”

  “We were here to smoke and chill with Oak.” Cole snorts. “But I guess that’s out of the question now.”

  Oakley opens his mouth to speak, but a slew of firefighters rush into the back yard.

  Along with our dad.

  “Is everyone okay?”

  I blink. “What are you doing here?”

  “I was on my way home when the fire trucks passed me, and I got an alert on my phone.” Taking a deep breath, he makes a face. “Is that marijuana I smell?”

  We all stay silent.

  Dad scrubs a hand down his face as the firefighters run inside the guesthouse. “Look, Oakley, I was young once too, I get it. But I can’t have you getting so high you become reckless and start fires inside my guesthouse—”

  “It wasn’t him,” I blurt out. Not only because I don’t want Oakley taking the rap for something I did, but because I don’t want him getting kicked out. “It was me.”

  Three sets of eyes widen in surprise.

  “What do you mean it was you?” my dad questions.

  “Well,” I start. “I found Oakley’s weed and set it on fire in the bathtub.” I hold up a finger. “In my defense, I didn’t know the tub was made of fiberglass.”

  That was definitely a not-so-pleasant surprise.

  Mouth agape, my dad stares at me.

  “Dude,” Cole comments. “Not cool.”

  Jace pinches the bridge of his nose. “Why the hell did you do that?”

  I shrug. “Because he pissed me off.”

  Looking up at the sky, my dad sighs. “Bianca, sweetheart, you could have seriously hurt yourself and others.”

  Batting my eyelashes, I put on my sweetest, most innocent face. “I’m sorry, Daddy. It will never happen again.”

  My act works because he totally melts, and my brothers concede.

  I can practically feel Oakley’s broody gaze boring
holes into me.

  Fortunately, the firefighters come to the rescue.

  “The bathroom is destroyed, but the fire is out and everything else is intact.”

  “Thank you,” my dad tells them. “I appreciate it.” He looks at Oakley. “I’ll be away on business this week, but I’ll hire a crew to rebuild the bathroom while I’m gone.” He takes out his phone. “In the meantime, you can take one of the spare bedrooms in the house.”

  I can tell Oakley wants to argue, but he’s in no position to.

  Turns out my plan worked even better than I expected.

  Chapter 14

  Bianca

  I’m on edge as I walk into the little coffee shop on campus.

  Dylan and Sawyer have been blowing up my phone begging me to meet them so we can talk, but I haven’t wanted to because I’ve been so angry.

  I thought we were friends. Hell, more than friends.

  I considered them my family and knowing they’ve been keeping this lie from me seriously hurts.

  However, I’m willing to hear them out because I care about them and being on the outs sucks.

  I find them sitting at a booth in the corner, looking as sad as I feel.

  “Hey.”

  Their faces perk up when they spot me.

  “Hey.” Sawyer moves down, making room for me. “How are you?”

  “Okay,” I lie.

  The moment my butt hits the booth, Dylan pushes a steaming paper cup toward me. “We got you your favorite. Mocha macchiato with a splash of coconut milk.”

  I eagerly take a sip. I might be mad at them, but not enough to turn down free caffeine.

  Sawyer thrusts a small plate in my direction next, and I’d be lying if I said the yummy goodness on it didn’t make my stomach growl. “And a chocolate croissant.”

  Bringing it to my mouth, I take a hearty bite and try not to moan because it tastes incredible.

  However, there are more pressing issues at play.

  I wipe the flakes off my mouth with a napkin. “Now that you’ve both softened me up with treats, why don’t you tell me the real reason you guys wanted to meet.”

  I know why. I just want to hear them say it.

  Sawyer’s face falls. “We’re sorry for lying to you.”