Page 113 of Scarred Crown

At the meeting room, my mother raps on the door before opening it.

“If he asks me, I’m not lying,” I say in a rush.

She raises her eyebrows but doesn’t respond. I can’t tell whether she thinks my declaration is wise or idiotic. She strides into the room, and an aura of control oozes out of her.

Around a large table are all the people we need to consult, and they have various day planners and calendars open around them. While we all use electronics to remind us of events and activities, the master calendars are for big events and are always scheduled on paper first.

Alex and Nick are on opposite sides of the table, and both are brandishing ice packs. Alex has one gingerly pressed to his cheek, and Nick has one across his knuckles. Both of them are scowling, and the room is so quiet that the steady drip from the ice water machine is noticeable in the room.

Guess Nick decided he’d rather smash the fences than mend them.

Jules

Twelve years ago

There are guards coming down the hall of my dorm, and at first, I expect the boy sandwiched in the middle of the four-man crew to be Nick. My heart kicks in my chest. No matter how often I scold myself, I can’t stop hope from blooming at the sight of him around campus. We barely speak at college, but we seem to have fallen into a similar extended circle.

I see Nick both more than I need and less than I want. The memory of our friendship hovers and lingers in the air around us whenever we share a space.

During our first few weeks here, I tried to regain our friendship footing by popping over to his dorm to see him. He and Vicky broke up before we hopped on a plane to California. No girlfriend, no problem, right?

After the third time I caught him, almost literally, with his pants down and some crown chasing bunny polishing his pole in his room, I stopped making an effort. He’s fallen into a sex hole, and there’s no dragging him out.

So when I realize it’s actually Alex coming down the hall toward me, I’m relieved and disappointed at the same time. I should have known. Nick never travels with that much security, and they never wear suits.

“Alex!” I exclaim, and then I notice everyone is staring at him.

“My favorite Bellerivian.” His lips twitch.

I can’t help a small laugh. The gossip he’s going to inspire with a comment like that in an all-girls dorm is unreal.

Security sweeps my room. My roommate went home for the weekend, so I’m the only one in the small space. It takes them all of ten seconds to verify there’s no one hiding inside waiting to kill or kidnap Alex.

“Come in.” I usher him into my room. “What are you doing here?”

Alex doesn’t answer me right away. Instead, he takes in my space, the photos on my wall, and the pictures littering my roommate’s space. “Nice place.”

“It’s a shoebox.”

“You don’t have classes, right?” Alex asks.

“It’s Saturday, so no.” I’m still trying to figure out what he’s doing here dressed in jeans and a T-shirt like he’s hanging out at home.

“Fancy some lunch?” He raises his dark eyebrows in question.

“Where do you want to go?” I grab my purse off my desk chair.

“Somewhere on campus is fine.” Alex runs a finger along the top of my desk.

“You’re going to maximize the campus gossip. For any particular reason?” I loop my purse over my arm and open the door for him to exit.

“Feeling a bit down, to be honest. Looking for normalcy—whatever that’s like.” Alex sighs and runs a hand through his hair as the guards lead us toward the food court.

“What’s going on?”

“I texted Nick, but he didn’t respond.” Alex avoids my gaze.

“He probably has a different number now. Did you check with your dad? I’ve heard rumors he switches his number almost as often as he switches women.”