Wicked Princess - Ashley Jade Page 0,39
ties I can think of.
Yet, for some inexplicable reason, it feels like these walls harbor all my secrets.
All my pain.
I’m not quite sure what the reason behind my fresh set of tears are now.
All I know is it hurts like hell.
It’s as if there’s a physical hole in my chest that can never be filled.
A vital piece of me missing.
A wave of exhaustion sweeps over me and I stagger over to the only piece of furniture in the entire place.
The mattress in the bedroom.
And then I sob until there are no more tears left to cry.
Chapter 23
With shaky fingers, I type Hayley’s name into the search engine.
Instantly, my laptop spits out a slew of results.
Her birthdate and email. An article from our local newspaper that lists all the people from her graduating class. There’s even a picture of her from back when she was on the cheerleading squad at Royal Hearts Academy, a link to her Instagram page, and her obituary.
However, there’s absolutely nothing in the search results about our accident.
Not even a local news station covered it.
Hmm. I’m about to try a different search, when there’s a knock on my door.
“Come in,” I tell Sawyer.
“You have to tell them soon,” Sawyer hisses, quickly closing my bedroom door behind her. “Keeping this secret from Cole is killing me.”
I close my laptop. “I will. I just want to…” Catching myself, I shake my head. “You wouldn’t understand.”
Her brown eyes soften. “Try me.”
“I want to keep him a little longer.”
Stone’s been the light at the end of a very long, very dark tunnel and being forced to say goodbye to him is going to hurt so much.
I want more time.
“Okay, you’re right.” Her features screw up. “I don’t understand.”
I stifle the urge to say I told her so and tell her the truth instead.
“My brothers are everything to me. Which means I’ll never put anyone before them. Ever.”
“Still not understanding.”
“They’re never gonna be okay with me dating him, Sawyer.”
And because they’re my family and I love them…I’ll do what they want and stay away.
No matter how much it might hurt me.
A deep frown works over her face. “Honey…no.”
Now I’m the one who doesn’t understand.
“Yes, it’s going to suck at first. Your brothers will flip out and do their overprotective brotherly thing and order you to stay away from him.” Walking over to me, she cups my face in her hands. “But, Bianca. Your brothers love you. And I know that above everything else—including any pride or anger they might feel—they want their baby sister to be happy. We all do.”
I guess I never thought about it like that before. “You really think so?”
She smiles. “I know so.”
“I’m telling Jace and Cole soon,” I inform Stone.
We’re currently lying on his bed, watching another film in the Jason Bourne series.
Turns out Stone is a really big movie buff.
He turns on his side, facing me. “Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah.” I run my finger down his stomach. “After Christmas.”
His forehead creases. “Why not sooner?”
“I don’t want to ruin the holidays.”
I figure it’s the least I can do before I drop the bomb of all bombs.
“Wow.” His jaw tics. “Didn’t realize being with me was ruining your life.”
That’s not how I meant it at all. “Stone—”
“Whatever.” He sulks. “I get it, I just hate that we have to sneak around all the time.”
“It’s only for two more weeks.” I kiss the tip of his nose. “After that you’ll no longer be my dirty secret.”
His eyes gleam with wicked intent. “Dirty secret, huh?”
The energy in the room shifts, causing the muscles in my thighs to clench.
Stone has been the epitome of a gentleman, never pressuring me for anything more than a kiss. But the look he gives me tells me he’s ready for more.
So am I.
He palms my breast, squeezing gently. “Is this okay?”
More than okay. “Definitely.”
Closing the distance between us, he kisses me.
Goosebumps break out along my flesh as his hand dips lower, skimming the bare skin above the waistband of my jeans.
He pulls back. “Am I hurting you?”
My pelvis is the least of my worries. Besides, it’s almost healed.
I shake my head. “Not at all.”
In fact, I wouldn’t mind if his touch was a little rougher.
The sound of him lowering my zipper is so loud it almost echoes.
My breath hitches when he licks two fingers and slips his hand inside my panties.
Smirking, he brushes the pad of his thumb along my clit. “You like this?”
Biting my lip, I nod.
He repeats the movement, sending tiny little tingles to the