Reed runs a hand through his hair. “Two, maybe three.”
My heart seizes. Oh my God. A part of me had expected a denial. But…he’s actually admitting to having sex with his dad’s girlfriend? More than once?
“Maybe?” I screech.
“I was drunk.”
“You’re disgusting,” I whisper.
He doesn’t even flinch. “I wasn’t with her when you and I were together. The moment you and I hooked up for the first time, I was yours. Only yours.”
“Oh, lucky me. I got Brooke’s sloppy seconds. Hurray!”
This time he does wince. “Ella—”
“Shut. Up.” I hold up my hand, so grossed out I can barely look at him. “I’m not even going to ask you why you did it, because I know exactly why you did. Reed Royal hates his daddy. Reed Royal decides to get back at his daddy. Reed Royal has sex with his daddy’s girlfriend.” I gag. “Do you realize how messed up that is?”
“Yeah. I do.” His voice is hoarse. “But I never claimed to be a saint. I made a lot of mistakes before I met you.”
“Reed.” I meet his gaze head-on. “I will never forgive you for this.”
A flash of determination lights his eyes. “You don’t mean that.”
I step toward the door. “Nothing you say or do will make me forget what I saw in your bedroom that night. Just be happy I’m keeping my mouth shut about it, because if Callum finds out, he’ll lose his shit.”
“I don’t care about my dad.” Reed advances on me. “You left me,” he growls.
My jaw drops. “You’re mad at me for leaving? Of course I left! Why would I spend another second in this awful house after what you did?”
He moves even closer, his big frame invading my personal space, his hand coming out to cup my chin. I shrink from his touch, and that makes his eyes blaze hotter.
“I missed you every second you were gone. I thought about you every goddamn second. You want to hate me for what I did? Don’t bother—I was hating myself for it long before you showed up. I slept with Brooke and that’s something I’ve gotta live with.” His fingers tremble against my jaw. “But I didn’t screw her that night, and I’m not letting you throw away what you and I have just because—”
“What we have? We have nothing.” I feel sick again. I’m done with this conversation. “Get out of my room, Reed. I can’t even look at you right now.”
When he doesn’t budge, I plant both hands against his torso and shove him. Hard. And I keep shoving, keep slapping at his muscular chest until I move him, inch by inch, to the doorway. The slight smirk on his face only heightens my anger. Does he find this funny? Is everything a game to this guy?
“Get out,” I order. “I’m done with you.”
He stares at my hands, which are still pressed up against him, then at my face, which I’m pretty sure is redder than a tomato.
“Sure, I’ll go, if that’s what you want.” He cocks one eyebrow. “But we’re not done, Ella. Not by a longshot.”
I barely wait until he’s stepped past the threshold before I slam the door in his face.
9
The first thing I see when I wake up is the fan over my bed. The smooth, heavy cotton sheets remind me I’m no longer in that shitty, forty-dollar-a-night hotel room anymore, but back in the Royal Palace.
Everything is the same here. I even smell Reed on the pillowcases, like he slept in here every night while I was gone. I throw the pillow on the floor and make a mental note to buy some new sheets.
Did I make the right decision coming back? Did I have a choice? Callum proved he could run me down anywhere. I made what demands I could. The hand-scan security lock on my bedroom door. A credit card in my name. A promise that once I was done with high school, the scrutiny would be lifted.
The question I should be asking myself is whether I’m going to let one guy ruin my life. Am I so weak that I can’t handle Reed Royal? I’ve been in charge for years, first taking care of my mom and then myself. The hole in my heart left by Mom’s death eventually healed over. The hole that Reed put there will heal too.
Right?
Rolling over, I spot the phone that Callum gave me lying on the nightstand. I left it behind along with the car, the clothes, and everything else I’d been gifted. But separating myself from the Royals, specifically Reed, didn’t mean I stopped thinking about him. I couldn’t leave that behind, and those memories haunted me every mile I traveled.
I grab the phone with purpose and force myself to face the mess I left behind. Seeing all the messages is bittersweet. Every other time I’ve picked up and left, no one has missed me. Mom and I never stayed in any one place for longer than a couple of years.