Mr. Saito gave no indication that he heard. His eyes found me immediately, and as if I didn’t already have the sneaking suspicion I’d done something wrong, his expression darkened, gazing at me like I was a puddle of dog piss.
The look in his eyes was nasty, but everything else wasn’t. I didn’t use the word beautiful lightly. I’d been forced to assign it to Julian because some things were just woven into the fabric of reality.
The sun rose in the east. I was afraid of frogs. And this angry boy was one of the most gorgeous things I’d ever seen.
A crown of jet-black locks framed his face, brushing the top of broad shoulders. Inky pools shone through narrowed eyes and his tawny skin reported not a blemish or wrinkle for the parts of him I could see. He too was covered in bandages.
Saito tossed his bag at the foot of the last desk in the back row and joined the boys’ staring contest. But my hair stood on end at the blatant dislike in his gaze.
My parents must have hit him too.
“Ember,” Brandon hissed. “Just get up.”
I tore away from Saito. “No,” I said as the classroom door open once more. “Why should I?”
There was one seat left, and I lifted my chin to stare down the next asshole who tried to intimidate me.
“Mr. Cruz,” said Geske, trembling on false bravado. “I won’t have any trouble in this class. Take the last free seat.”
Cruz...?
One word. One look.
Everything blew away.
His presence filled the room. Filled my mind like it did the first time we met.
Jet-black locks swept back from his crown and light danced through his strands, gifting me visions of halos.
He changed.
Taller. Thicker. Defined.
Almost like his being was in flux when we met, deciding what he was going to be, and then it came to the evitable conclusion that the name he was given was more than a title. It is who he is.
A dark prince.
He grew larger in my blurred world and I slowly realized he was coming to me. Yes, to me.
He extended his hand, large and calloused, and I rose to place mine in his as though it was the most natural thing in the world.
He was covered in bandages too, but now I knew why.
“It’s you,” I whispered.
His eyes did not spark with recognition. If anything, he looked curious as he drew me to him. Hips knocking together, he gripped my waist, and we traveled over each other’s faces like every lash and curve had to be committed to memory.
But I didn’t have to remember. It was burned in my brain. That night. And—
“Royal.”
He didn’t say anything, and still it didn’t seem like he knew who I was. But he was holding me. Warmth spread through his hands into my body. My heart fluttered in my chest like a caged wild bird. Unbidden, my palm covered his heart, aching to feel if his was doing the same.
Suddenly, he was gone.
Royal ripped away from me so fast I stumbled and bumped into Brandon’s desk. The boy dropped in the seat I just vacated and shoved my backpack off, throwing it on my new chair. I’d been too out of it to notice he was moving me out of the way.
Loud, humiliating laughter went up through the class, loudest of all from the boys in the back row.
Brandon gripped my wrist, half shoving me into the empty seat.
I plopped down cheeks flaming.
I’d freely admit I was rattled.
He was here? How could he be here?
Royal Cruz wasn’t only in my new school. He was in my class. Sitting behind me. Sharing my air. Sending vibrations through my desk as he drummed his fingers. Looking at me like he didn’t have a clue who I was.
A hot flush infused my skin. Did Royal not know me? After what we did...?
“Okay, let’s get back on track,” said Geske. “It’s the first day, so we have nothing on the docket except for our new student.”
I jumped. Who? Me?
Geske smiled at me, erasing all doubt. “Miss Bancroft, why don’t you stand up and introduce yourself? You’re the first new addition to this group since sophomore year.”
I didn’t move, partially hoping if I stayed still, ducked behind the random dude in front of me, I’d disappear ostrich-style.
“Up, up, up,” he cried cheerily.
Yeah, it doesn’t work for the ostriches either.
Forcing myself to my feet, I chanced a peek at Royal.
He was bent over a notepad, scribbling something. He wasn’t paying a lick of attention to me.
“I’m Ember Bancroft,” I stated. “I’m—”
“—a thieving, lying bitch,” finished Destiny.
“Destiny,” Geske shouted. “If I have to tell you again, you’ll spend the rest of homeroom in the hall.”
Destiny shot me a venomous glare like her dressing-down was my fault.
I held up my fingers. “I’m a Pieces. I love all things sweet, sugary, and chocolatey. And... oh yeah... I don’t know where my parents or the money are, so if that’s fueling any stupid vendettas you have against me, get over it now.”
“We know you do,” a girl I’d never seen before shot back. “So if you’re going to stand up there and spout bullshit, you can quit now. None of us buy it.”
Shrugging, I sat and took out a book I borrowed from Eli. If they refused to believe me, I wouldn’t waste my breath. I had a feeling they’d give me plenty of other opportunities where I’d have to share the truth.
For the rest of homeroom, my eyes scanned the words on the page without registering a single one. I was highly aware of Royal and the scritching of his pen behind me.
He has to remember. Unless that night was just a common Saturday night for him.
My nails dug into the cover, anger sparking at the thought. If the forced chair swap was humiliating, it’d have nothing on this guy erasing me from existence.
Wouldn’t it be worse if he did know me? Throwing around my stuff and sitting there while the class laughed at me was less of a sting to a stranger.
My mind went around and around the entire half an hour. Shaken by the scent of his body spray. Penetrated by each cough, shift, and bump against my desk.
The ringing bell was sweet relief. If I have any ounce of luck, let Royal not be in any more of my classes.
I made to rise just as Royal brushed past me. A piece of paper floated on my desk.
My pulse picked up speed. Royal wrote me a note? He does remember me.
Fingers trembling, I unfolded the paper and saw what the note contained.
In a breath, I crumpled it in a fist and lobbed it at his back. “Asshole!”
The ball bounced off his hair as Royal laughed, the smooth, deep sound not lessened by the undercurrent of mocking.
Royal walked out with his silent group not far behind. There was no question.
Royal remembered me.
BRANDON TRIPPED DOWN the hall, racing to catch up.
“Hey, wait up.”
Mrs. Jackson’s physics class. All I was interested in was getting there as fast as possible. I was ready for taunts, accusations, threats, and even violence, but I was not ready for Royal Cruz. My body felt strange like millions of ants were marching through my veins.
Brandon caught up to me, chest puffing. “Damn, you’re fast. Did you run track at your old school?”
“I’m going to physics,” I said. “You should get to your class.”