Five

by JA Huss

  Which might be true, but we’re not starting a new life together. We’re not even friends, for fuck’s sake.

  But I keep my mouth shut and say, “Thank you.”

  “So… lunch? I can help you find Tera.”

  I hesitate.

  “Or not,” he says, putting his hands up in surrender just like earlier.

  But she’s gone. It’s stupid to pretend to go looking for her. And I can’t tell him that, so I say, “Lunch is fine.”

  I need to play this cool.

  “I bet Tera is with Mia and Kallie, anyway. And I know they’re with Brian and Edward.”

  He takes my hand, and I let him. Because whatever the fuck is going on here, it’s not going to be resolved simply. And I won’t be dragged into it. Not by Frank, or Kallie, or Mia or anyone. They have no idea who they’re messing with. I can call Cliff later and catch up with Tera. I’m glad she’s out, actually. I hope she’s halfway to upstate New York by now. Safe.

  It’s too bad it will end this way. I liked this place. Princeton was a great experience up until now. And I even kinda like Kallie and Mia too. They’re bossy and opinionated, but aren’t all us princesses that way?

  Frank talks the whole way over to the tower building, where everyone is waiting for us—except Tera.

  Brian gets up, approaching us before we even reach the others. “Have you seen Tera?” he asks, coming off angry, rather than concerned. And he’s only looking at me, not Frank.

  “No,” I say. “I’ve been looking for her all week. I’m starting to get worried,” I say, aiming that statement towards Mia, who is standing not six feet away, pretending not to notice me as she and Kallie talk about shoes.

  “She’s been acting weird this week,” Frank says. “Have you noticed, Aurora?”

  I want to smack him for continuing to call me that. It’s Rory, asshole. Or princess to those who love me. No one calls me Aurora.

  “Rory?” Brian asks, snapping me out of my contemptuous thoughts. “Have you noticed anything funny about her this week?”

  “I just told you. I haven’t seen her.”

  “I think she is,” Mia says.

  And then Kallie joins in. “Me too. She’s been avoiding everyone all week. I think it’s the stress of school.”

  “Well,” Brian adds, “she has been having trouble in her classes.”

  “What?” I say. “It’s the first fucking week of school, Brian. How the hell can she be having trouble in her classes?”

  “Aurora, can you curb the language, please?”

  I want to punch Frank Fulbright right in the nose. “I’m a goddamned Shrike, for fuck’s sake. And I’ll say fuck all I want, thank you.”

  Frank just stares at me with an open mouth.

  “Do you always let her talk to you like that?” Edward asks.

  “Excuse me?” I say, turning my venom towards him.

  “She needs to learn some manners,” Brian says.

  “Knock it off, you guys,” Frank says. “I’m handling it.”

  “You better,” Brian says. “Because it won’t be tolerated.”

  “I’m right fucking here, you cavemen. Don’t talk about me like I—”

  “Aurora,” Franks says, grabbing my arm. “Stop it. Right now.” He growls those words at me. And his grip is so tight, it hurts.

  “Let. Go. Of. Me.” I growl it right back. “Or I will kick your ass right here, right now. And I will make it count.”

  He lets go, but he’s angry. His face is turning red as he takes a deep breath, ready to say something nasty, I can tell.

  “And another thing, Mr. Fulbright,” I say, cutting him off and staring him right in the eyes. “I like to be called Rory. You don’t get to have an opinion about it. So if you call me Aurora one more time, I’ll kick your fucking ass for that too.”

  Mia lets out a nervous laugh, but Kallie quickly shushes her.

  “I’m afraid I’ve lost my appetite,” I say in my sweet princess voice. “So I’m gonna take a raincheck on lunch.”

  And then I turn on my heel and walk away.

  Fuck them.

  I spend the rest of the day in class, fuming. Who the hell do these people think they are? Tera is lucky. I’m happy she got out now. Because she’s right, they are definitely weird and I’m out too. Frank Fulbright can go fuck himself tomorrow night. But I’m not going to cut and run. They will not drive me out of Princeton in my last year. To hell with that. I’ve worked too hard to let this… this… cult take it all away from me.

  But Princess, that rational voice of Five says in my head. You know better than anyone how weird things like Palladium House can turn out to be something… bigger.

  Five Aston did me a huge favor at the beginning of summer. My tight little circle of family and friends aren’t what they appear either. So you never know what people are capable of until you get into a live-or-die situation.

  I mean… maybe I’ve already seen too much? Maybe by the time you get to senior year at Palladium, you’re in too deep to walk away? Maybe if I don’t show up tomorrow night they will start planning other things for my future.

  I need to be careful.

  By the time my afternoon classes are over, I’m even more paranoid than before. I text Tera to check on her. Make sure Cliff picked her up OK and she’s safe. But she doesn’t answer me back.

  I’m not really surprised. I’m still in the house. She has to figure that I’m a risk. She can’t trust me. Or maybe she does still trust me, but she can’t afford to talk to me until I leave too.

  And I’m still wondering how safe it is to use my phone. Hell, Five can hack any phone. And if Five can do it, I’m sure lots of other people can do it too.

  I make a note to get a new phone first thing tomorrow morning.

  By the time I walk across campus and make it back to the house, it’s dark already. And all those glowing lights inside that used to make me feel warm and safe now feel ominous and scary.

  I take a deep breath and prep myself for another confrontation as I go inside. It’s busy. Lots of people here for dinner in the dining hall. Mostly juniors, but I see Mia and Kallie, along with Edward and Brian, standing off to one side of the foyer.

  Frank enters, sees me, and then… ignores me.

  They all ignore me. Literally turn their backs.

  “Fuck you all,” I mutter, heading straight for the stairs.

  I don’t need them. But when I get to the second floor and glance over my shoulder—they are all staring at me. Like they’re waiting for something to happen.

  I get a chill up my spin as I head down the hall towards my bedroom. I pass Tera’s room, and stop to listen.

  Silence. And there’s no light shining from under her door.

  I bet my ex-friends have all figured out that she left. Hell, they probably blame me.

  But I knock anyway. Just for the pretense. “Tera?” I say, rapping on her door.

  Silence.

  “Tera? Are you in there?”

  “Nobody can find her.”

  I whirl around and find Frank standing behind me.

  “She’s been missing all day.”

  “Oh,” I say, playing it off. “Well, I’ll text her and see if she answers.”

  “We’ve all been texting her, Rory.” He doesn’t sneer my name. He says it sweetly. Like he took my warning seriously and now he’s trying to make nice. “We’re worried about her. And you.”

  “Why are you worried about me?” I ask, barely able to control my laugh.

  “Because you’re acting strange. So is Tera,” he says. “She was fine last weekend. Brian said she was excited on Saturday night. And even though you weren’t exactly excited, you were fine too, right?”

  I don’t know what to say. How the fuck does he figure I’m on board with marrying him? I barely know him. And I know better than anyone that Tera was absolutely not excited. Plus, she’s a horrible liar. There’s no way she convinced Brian she was on board with this pairing bullsh
it. So I just… tell him the truth. “I’m in love with someone, Frank. And it’s not you. What more can I say than that? I’m not looking for a husband to be my stepping stone. And I’m not looking for a man who wants me to build him up. I’m looking for true love. And I’ve found it.”

  “With Five Aston,” he says. And it’s not a question.

  I try not to show my surprise and confusion, but I fail pretty miserably. “How do you know about him?”

  “Tera talked, you know. She told Kallie and Mia everything about your childhood crush on that…” He stops to choose his next word carefully. “Man,” he says. But I’m pretty sure whatever he was gonna say first wasn’t something flattering. “He’s dangerous, Rory. Infamous. You are aware that he’s connected to the Chinese mob?”

  I shrug. “I dunno. I don’t see him much.”

  “Well, he is. And his grandfather just died, you know.”

  “What?” I’m actually stunned.

  “Last weekend. Didn’t he call to tell you about his new job? He’s the head of his grandfather’s Triad now. He’s a crime lord, Rory. So yeah, I guess… if that’s your idea of a prince, of a romantic happily ever after, then no, I can’t compete because I’m a good guy.”

  He turns and walks away.

  I watch him descend the stairs and disappear. And then I say, “You’re not a good guy, Frank Fulbright. You’re the worst kind of monster. The kind who thinks he’s good.”

  I head back down the hall to my room, unlock my door, and step inside.

  When I try for the light, nothing happens. I flick it again. Nothing.

  And then a gloved hand covers my mouth and a voice says, “Don’t move,” in the darkness.

  Chapter Twenty-Five - Five

  “Shhh,” I say. “It’s me.”

  She whirls around in my arms and grabs my face. “Jesus! I thought you’d never get here! These people are on the train to Crazytown, Five!”

  I kiss her. Long and soft. With lots of tongue to let her know I’d never leave her hanging and she’s been the only thing on my mind since we parted last week.

  She didn’t let me walk out on her last summer. She followed my ass out that door, grabbed me by the arm, spun me around, and slapped my face.

  Hard.

  She looked me in the eyes and said, “Fuck you, Five Aston. Just fuck you if you think you’re doing this alone. We. Are. Partners. In life. In death. For eternity. And you don’t get a say in it, mister. Because this is fate. I’ve been yours and you’ve been mine since the beginning of time. And it’s gonna stay that way, whether you like it or not.”

  Well, what does a prince in love do when his princess makes such a declaration?

  He takes her seriously and…

  He does this.

  I cup her face in my hands and say, “I am here, Princess. Even when I’m not. I’ve seen everything and it’s all gonna be taken care of tomorrow. But…” A wave of sadness washes over me, so unexpected, it makes my chest ache. “I’ve got bad news.”

  “Your grandfather?” she asks.

  “How’d you know?”

  “Frank fucking Fulbright just told me outside.”

  “Frank Fulbright,” I huff. “Did I call that, or what?”

  She grins up at me in the low light filtering in from the window. “You’re a genius, Five Aston.” But then she frowns. “I’m so sorry. I know your grandfather meant a lot to you.”

  “They killed him,” I say.

  “Who?”

  “God.” I laugh in disgust. “Take your pick. I mean, everyone’s on my list. His own people? These Palladium House people? The Young and Mobile Society, whoever the fuck they really are? Hell, maybe it was the Company.”

  “They’re all the same,” Rory says. “They have different names, but people like that, Five, people like that are all the same. Greedy, power-hungry, maniacal people with egos the size of which I’ve never seen before. They don’t want what’s good for the world, they only care about what’s good for them. And it doesn’t really matter who all these people are, or if they’re on the same side or not. They exist everywhere. In every country, in every government, in every family.”

  “Even ours?”

  She shrugs. “What our parents did when they were our age wasn’t for the good of anyone but them. They got caught up in their own wants and needs, just like everyone else.”

  “I talked to my dad about it. He says what they do now is just a precaution. So I was wrong. They’re not criminals. They’re good people who made mistakes. That’s all.”

  “I know,” she says, taking a deep breath. “I think they’ve made up for it, even if they never had to account for it publicly. But I don’t want to make those mistakes, ya know? I don’t want to live with the guilt of bad decisions and have those mistakes pass onto our children, like they did to us.”

  I grab her hair and pull her closer to me. Until our foreheads are touching and we’re eye to eye. “We won’t.”

  “We need to put an end to it, Five.”

  “And we’re gonna do that tomorrow night, Rory. Just like we planned. And maybe… just maybe…I can make my grandfather’s last wish come true while we do it

  “What do you mean?” she whispers back.

  “Later,” I say. “I’m tired and I’ve missed you. We have all night.”

  “And how did you get in here anyway?” This question has her smiling before she finishes.

  “Please,” I say. “These Palladium people are security amateurs compared to your father’s setup back home. I have Spencer Shrike’s dad gene to thank for all the tricks I use to go places people don’t want me to be.” And then I wink at her, take her hand, and lead her over to the bed. “Everything your father did to protect you as a girl made me a better man.”

  Rory stands in front of me. She is perfection in my eyes. Nothing but beauty, inside and out.

  “We’ve got this night before everything changes, Ror. Let’s make the most of it. Because even though we spent the whole summer together, this past week without you has been hell. And I’m not gonna waste one second of our time tonight.”

  She seems to melt into me then. Her body presses against mine. So warm. So soft. So trusting. I hug her tight for a second. I’m not delusional. I know that things will be difficult tomorrow. And dangerous. But if ever there was a woman up to this task, it’s her.

  My princess is tough but tonight I’m gonna treat her like she’s not.

  “I love you, you know that, right?”

  She nods her head against my chest, then whispers, “I know.” And when she turns her head up to see me, I don’t even wait for the I love you that comes next. I kiss her mouth and she breathes those words into my soul.

  My hand slips under her shirt, caressing the soft skin over her ribs. She wiggles and smiles against my lips. “Stop,” she says.

  “You want me to stop?” I say, teasing.

  “Just the tickle.”

  “But the tickle is the best part,” I say, letting my hand slide up to cup her breast. I pull her bra down, exposing her, so we are skin on skin. And then I play with her nipple. She begins to breathe heavy as we continue to kiss. Her hand wanders to the button of my jeans. It comes undone, and then there’s a coolness that heats me up as her fingers dive down to squeeze my already growing cock.

  “Take me to bed, Mr. Aston.”

  But I’m already on the move, backing up until the backs of my knees hit the mattress. I sit and bring her into my lap. She straddles me, opening her legs as I caress her thighs.

  “Take off my shirt,” I say, looking up into her eyes. I want to turn the lights on. See every part of her body. But we’re in the dark right now, and that’s where we need to stay.

  Her fingertips reach for the hem of my shirt. Her turn to tickle me with her soft caresses. I stifle down a stupid grin as she drags it up my chest, pauses to kiss my lips, and then brings it over my head.

  Her hands immediately go to my bare skin. Like she can’t wait
to touch me everywhere. Her palms press flat against my pecs, feeling my heartbeat quicken with anticipation.

  There’s a part of me that wants to rip her clothes off, flip her over, and fuck her wildly. But there’s a bigger part of me that wants to slow it all down and stretch out each moment for eternity.

  I’ve made love to her all summer. I’ve enjoyed every bit of her body and every bit of that time. But tonight… it means just a little bit more. Tonight is the last night we’ll really be together as prince and princess. And I want to make it last forever.

  So I let her play with my body. I let her take her time tracing the outline of the muscles in my chest. The curve of my bicep. I let her memorize me the way I want to memorize her.

  Her fingernails drag just the slightest bit. Not sharp, not soft, but just right.

  Both of my hands slide under her t-shirt to cup her breasts. She lets out a long, quiet sigh as we meld with the quiet night. Become one with it.

  “Keep going,” she whispers softly. “Keep going.”

  It’s so different now than it was when I went home last summer. When her pleas were, “Fuck me, fuck me, fuck me.”

  Now she just wants me to love her.

  “I love you,” I say. Redundant and unnecessary. But I say it anyway.

  “You are my only love, Five Aston. My heart is nothing but full when I’m with you. So please, keep going.”

  Even if I wanted to deny her, I wouldn’t be able to. Not because I want her body, but because I want her soul.

  So I take it.

  I lift her shirt up over her head and toss it aside, then unclasp her bra and toss that too. Now her perfect, full breasts are right in front of me. And there’s nothing in this universe that can stop me from sucking on her nipples.

  She throws her head back, moaning softly. Her long hair brushes against my fingertips, splayed across her ribs. Tickling me. Enticing me. Begging me for more.

  Her back arches, pressing her breasts into my mouth as I lick and suck. And then it seems like every long moment needs to speed up. I grab her around the waist and lie back, bringing her on top of me. She hikes her knees up, pressing her body into my chest as she runs her fingers through my hair and leans down to touch her perfect lips to mine.