Cruel Prince(Royal Hearts Academy #1) - A. Jade Page 0,125
meet him in fifteen minutes.”
“Your place or his?”
“Neither.” Trekking to the mirror, I do a quick once-over. “He wants to meet at our old elementary school.”
“Really? Why?”
“I don’t know. The only thing I can think of is that he wants to end things the same place it began.”
There’s a sharp intake of breath. “Whoa. Do you really think Jace would be so cruel? Actually…don’t answer that. Think happy thoughts,” she says before hanging up.
The ominous feeling in my gut gets worse with every step I take toward the giant sequoia tree.
He looks up when I approach. “Hey.”
No kiss. No hug. Just hey.
“Hey.”
The look in his eyes right now is like nothing I’ve ever seen before.
He motions to the spot on the ground next to him. “Sit.”
Begrudgingly, I do.
The smile he gives me is uneasy…like he doesn’t want to have this conversation any more than I do.
“How are you?”
How am I? If he’d bothered to speak to me for more than two seconds over the last forty-eight hours, he would know I’m freaking the fuck out.
“Fine.”
His dark eyes roam over my face, studying me.
I grind my molars. It should be a crime to look so hot when you’re about to break someone’s heart.
He reaches for my hand. “You know I love you, right?”
My heart seizes. Oh my God. This is it.
“Yup,” I croak.
He makes a face. “Are you okay?”
“Just peachy,” I grit out through clenched teeth.
“Really? Because you don’t—”
“Good God, man. Just get on with it.”
Break up with me so I can break your jaw and knock some sense back into you.
“Didn’t realize you were in a rush.” I feel his gaze bore into me. “You were wearing a blue dress with white stripes. Your hair was up, and you had a pair of red earbuds in your ears.” He traces the length of my forearm with his finger. “Your eyes were closed, and you were singing your favorite song.” Laughing, he gives his head a shake. “You sounded terrible…but you looked so happy in your own little world. I couldn’t take my eyes off you.”
I have no idea what he’s talking about. “When?”
His Adam’s apple bobs. “The first time I saw you.”
Really? He’s going to say something like that before he smashes my heart to smithereens, and he can’t even bother to get it right.
“The day we met I was wearing overalls, not a blue dress. My hair was down…and I had headphones on. The babysitter’s cat destroyed those red earbuds the week before.”
He smirks. “I said it was the first time I saw you…not the first time we spoke.”
Oh. I always thought I was the one who noticed him first.
That uneasy look in his eyes is back. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately.”
I brace myself for impact. “About?”
“Us.” He runs his thumb over my knuckle. “The future.”
“Okay.”
“Do you remember when we used to exchange notes with dares on them?”
Of course I do.
“Yeah, they’d have to be completed by the end of the upcoming week or you lost.” I give him a smug smile. “I never lost, by the way.”
“I know.” He pulls a piece of paper out of his pocket and hands it to me. “I’m hoping you continue your winning streak.”
Confused, I unfold the paper.
My heart constricts when I see what’s written on it.
I dare you to move in with me.
“Are you serious? Like into your house?”
He grins. “No. Into an apartment…our apartment. I found three I think you’d like that are less than five minutes from Duke’s. I talked to the land—”
“Wait, what? You went apartment hunting?”
He nods. “That’s what I’ve been doing the last two days.” He blows out a heavy breath. “I know you were planning on dorming and I didn’t want to take that experience away from you, but I’m a selfish prick.” He crosses his arms. “I want to be the first one to see you when you wake up. Not some stupid roommate—whoa, what’s happening? Why are you crying?”
“I thought you were breaking up with me,” I choke out, wiping my tears with my sleeve.
He makes a face. “Breaking up with you? What the hell? Baby, why would I ever break up with you?”
“I don’t know, asshole. You said we needed to talk and then you pretty much ghosted me for two days.”
“I did not ghost you. You said you were busy.”
“I’m never too busy for you.” I twine a blade of grass around my finger. “I just had to get ready for my first semester of college. It’s a