and I could still hear the way his fist had connected with Godfrey’s face. While stopped at a redlight, I looked down at my thighs where the lines from his nails had dug into my skin, warning me to shut the fuck up, but I’d been too self absorbed to stop.
And even though I’d taken my fair share of hits thanks to Godfrey Taylor and the Heirs, it still ate me up inside that he was his daddy’s punching bag. I wanted to fix it. I wanted to protect them. My hand automatically went up to the crown necklace that now hung around my neck. Maybe it was stupid, but a part of me truly felt like I really was their queen, responsible for their wellbeing.
As I descended the long drive covered in leaves and hanging Spanish moss, my breath caught in my chest. Godfrey’s Black Mercedes was parked right there by the large fountain. I wasn’t planning on seeing him so soon, but I was relieved to know that he wasn’t at his house. There was no telling what kind of punishment he would’ve endured there. I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white.
It wasn’t until I was inside the foyer that I realized I hadn’t knocked on the door. I simply walked inside Rogue’s house, like I’d done so many times before. My scuffed boots shuffled along the tile as I called out for them. “Godfrey? Rogue?” But no one answered me. It felt odd just letting myself in, but familiar all the same.
I traveled upstairs and checked Rogue’s room first. My heart and my head couldn’t decide if I wanted to see him or not, but luckily, I didn’t have to question it for long because his room was empty. His king-sized bed with navy bedding was made, as if he hadn’t even slept in it the night before. The bathroom door was open, revealing that he wasn’t there either. I called his name once more, but he didn’t answer. Stephanie’s taunts immediately crossed my mind, and I had to swallow down the emotion-laced bile threatening to spill out of my mouth. Were Godfrey and Rogue there with her right now? The thought churned like acidic rocks in my stomach.
I made my way across the hall to the guest bedroom. I’d spent quite a few nights there. The guys would build pallets on the floor around me so that we could watch scary movies and eat junk food until the sun came up. Rogue’s parents were never home. He’d spent most of his childhood with a nanny, and when he was old enough to not need one, we started spending the night more often. He’d never admit it, but Rogue Kelly didn’t like being alone. Maybe that was why he was keeping Stephanie Palmisano’s bed warm.
When I twisted the door knob to the guest room, I noticed a bulky body under the maroon and gold bedding, with blond hair peeking out towards the pillow. Godfrey. I sighed in relief at his presence, despite the pangs of nervousness I felt. Would he hate me for the part I played in his father’s anger?
Sneaking inside, I shut the door quietly behind me. I didn’t think about my next actions, it was just instinctual, something I’d done a hundred times before. I removed my jacket and boots, then made my way over to the opposite side of the bed before lifting the cushy bedding and crawling in beside him. I nuzzled up to his back while wrapping my arm around his stomach, and I felt him tense.
“I’m so sorry, Godfrey,” I whispered, knowing he was awake.
It was all so wrong. I didn’t expect him to respond. I just wanted to hug him. I wanted to hug the boy that cut Abigail McKinley's ponytail off in third grade because she told me that my freckles looked like dirt and made me cry. I wanted to comfort the teen that taught me to drive on Carriage Lane when Mama was adamant about me not getting a license.
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered again, before nuzzling closer, breathing in his scent and convincing myself that he was okay. The door to the bedroom opened but I stayed still, not willing to tear my body from Godfrey’s just yet.
“Taylor, I heard your father was being a prick again last night,” Luis's bright voice said as he entered the room. His steps faltered when he noticed me. “Oh, who do we have here?” he