Broken Empire A Reverse Harem High School Bully Romance - Callie Rose Page 0,14
some of the most deeply flawed people I’d ever met. But I’d also seen the parts of them that were beautiful and good—parts I wasn’t sure many other people knew about. Maybe my grandfather had found those sides of my grandmother too and loved her for them.
But I still can’t see them.
“Here, Talia. This is from your grandmother and me.”
Philip smiled warmly as he handed me a small box wrapped with a ribbon. When I lifted the lid, I found a set of car keys nestled inside.
“It’s got the highest safety ratings of any vehicle on the market. I—we—had it delivered to campus. I know it’ll be a while before you need it, but it’s there when you do.”
He watched me almost anxiously, and my heart squeezed in my chest. I had told him about how my brakes had failed, but I hadn’t mentioned the possibility that it’d been Adena. He’d hired an independent assessor to examine the wreckage, but Elijah had been right—the car was too badly damaged for the investigation to reveal anything.
“Thanks, Grandpa… and Jacqueline.”
Philip beamed, but she just nodded stiffly.
A few days after Christmas, my grandparents stopped by my bedroom in the early evening, dressed to the nines for a holiday party. Philip had offered to stay home if I preferred, but I’d brushed him off. There would be house staff around, and it wasn’t like I needed constant help.
“Can I get you anything before we go?” His hand rested on the small of Jacqueline’s back, and he looked younger and taller somehow in his black tuxedo.
“No. Thanks.” I shook my head, muting the movie I’d been watching. “Have fun.”
“Thank you.” Jacqueline’s voice was cool as always, and she didn’t quite meet my eyes. I couldn’t tell anymore if it was anger or pity that made her act this way around me.
“We will.” Philip stepped forward to press a kiss to the top of my head, a now-familiar gesture.
I heard the front door close as they left, and I was about to press the remote to unmute the TV when my phone buzzed beside me.
ELIJAH: Hey, Tal. What are you up to?
I’d been getting messages from all the guys since the day I’d gotten back to the house, although I hadn’t seen any of them in person. Mason’s and Cole’s texts tended to be short and almost cryptic, as if they weren’t quite sure what to say but wanted to say something. Elijah’s were sweet, and Finn’s were usually long, rambling, and purposefully upbeat.
Leaving the volume turned down, I picked up the phone and typed a response.
ME: Just resting. What are you up to?
ELIJAH: Not much. Can we come over?
My heart did a stutter-step in my chest, beating a little harder and heavier as my thumbs flew over the screen.
ME: Yeah. Sure. All of you?
ELIJAH: Yeah. See you in a bit.
I dropped the phone back onto the mattress and unmuted the movie, trying to focus on the screen and not the oddly giddy feeling that filled my chest. I hadn’t seen the Princes for ten days, and maybe it was stupid, but… I missed them.
After my accident, they’d transferred all their focus to me and my recovery, so I still felt completely out of the loop about what the fallout had been for each of them from Adena’s release of all the research in my little notebook. The school had managed to contain it pretty quickly, but that didn’t mean copies of copies and re-uploaded versions of the videos hadn’t gotten out. I was sure all of their parents knew, although I doubted every member of the Roseland elite had gotten wind of the full story.
Pretty much all the kids at Oak Park knew though, and that would be plenty to give the guys headaches once school started back up.
The doorbell rang before the movie ended, and I heard one of the house staff answer before footsteps headed toward my door. I propped myself up a little higher on the bed, brushing a hand through my hair. It wasn’t like I hadn’t showered, but something about lounging around all day made me feel gross anyway.
Not that it mattered. Every single one of the Princes had seen me looking a lot worse than this.
And they still look at me like I’m beautiful. Breathtaking.
I shoved that thought away before it made me flush, glancing up as Mason knocked on the door, which sat slightly ajar.
“Come in,” I called out.
He pushed it open, his gaze instantly tracking up and