Illusions That May (Court High Book 2)

by Eden O'Neill

  He peeled away like the psycho he was, the guy he pummeled rolling to his front in the side-view mirror. I only let out a breath when I noticed him get up, but I didn’t get a look long before Knight rounded a corner like he didn’t know what brakes were.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” I shot, bumping around and trying to get my seat belt on. Knight pulled another tight corner and I had to grab the dash. “Slow down. How did you even find me anyway?”

  So many questions in his car, but none of them he seemed to want to answer. On top of his fierce driving, he grabbed his phone, texting something before tossing it in the cup holder. This was obviously a rented car, something I didn’t recognize.

  “If you didn’t want someone finding you, probably shouldn’t have posted a tagged photo of where you were on social media,” he grunted again, and calling his bullshit, I pulled out my phone. I didn’t post anything on social media.

  Shit.

  I had, a picture I snapped at the park today but I hadn’t posted it. At least, I hadn’t meant to do so. The picture also tagged itself, hence my “knight” in shining armor here today.

  Knight snorted, bull-like in the way he did it. He was amped the hell up and didn’t look like he was coming down from that anytime soon. He braced the wheel. “I was already in town when you posted that. Went to that park, and when I didn’t find you, I drove around a bit, got lucky when I spotted you at a streetlight a ways back. I followed you after whoever dropped you off.”

  I swallowed. “Why? And why are you here?”

  “Royal.”

  “Royal?”

  He nodded. “He sent me to check on your ass, and thank God I did. I mean, what the fuck did you think you were doing? Buzzed the fuck to hell? You smell like a damn brewery.”

  Okay, so it was so not that serious. I only had like a couple of drinks and Royal sent him? What the fuck?

  “Why the fuck would Royal send you to check on me? Royal doesn’t care. He left me, shipped my ass here.”

  This had him chuckling, but not jovially. He was still pissed, and when I realized he was pulling us onto the highway at basically warp speed, I shot around in my chair. “Where are you taking me?”

  “The airport,” he said simply like that was cool. “You obviously can’t take care of yourself. You’re coming home.”

  “No, you’re not!” I started to unbuckle myself, but he was going too fast. “I’m not going home. That’s your home, not mine—”

  “No arguments, December. You’re going home. Royal sent me to check on you. I did and I’m making a call.”

  “Well, you don’t have one to make,” I said, working my seat belt off. I didn’t care how fast we were going. “You’re not taking me anywhere. You can’t. That’s kidnapping.”

  “Kidnapping or not, I’m doing it,” he explained, and when he came to a quick stop, I nearly shot through the window. He lifted up his phone. “Or do you want me to call your dad? Tell him where you are and what almost just happened to you?”

  My heart raced. “You wouldn’t.”

  “Wouldn’t I?” he stated, starting to dial, and I grabbed his phone.

  “Why are you doing this? Why do you even care?” Why did either of them? They hadn’t before. They hadn’t at all and clearly moved on, him too judging by the pics with Royal. I’d been gone for almost a month.

  Knight dampened his lips, pushing fingers through dark strands. “Because Royal asked me to, and Royal is my bro. Your sister was one of those too, and Royal, Royal and us guys look out for you. ’Nuff said.”

  I stared at him, jaw slack in my seat. This had been the most verbose I’d ever seen him, and for whatever reason, that had me giving him back his phone.

  He pocketed it. “Put your seat belt on. I’ll drive better. I promise.”

  Trusting him, I clicked it back on, settling in my seat. He had my hands pretty much tied here.

  So long, Arizona.

  Fifteen

  December

  I managed to get a text out to Ramses on the way to the airport. Knight and I were taking a red-eye back to Maywood Heights, and I didn’t want him to worry when I didn’t show up at work the next day. I also wanted to apologize, and since I wouldn’t be coming back, I felt I owed him that. He had been nice, and I’d been shit, letting him know that. I couldn’t tell him much, but what I could tell him was that I was going home, and I appreciated everything he did for me. I also told him not to worry and that I was fine, but after that, I shut my phone off. I couldn’t take any texts or calls in the air anyway and didn’t want to have to deal with anymore explanations. All that done, I continued on with the evening, Knight grabbing my bag and escorting me into the airport. He was a dutiful lackey, seeing through commands by a boy I really was trying hella hard to understand at this point. Royal had said his piece in bounds the moment he put me on a bus and decided not to go with me. Hell, he’d said it before when he didn’t go to my sister’s memorial and showed up with Mira at the reception. And then those pictures with her?

  I sat with all that to myself on a dark plane, a sleeping Knight beside me. He snored to hell, his big body tight on the outer seat, so I couldn’t get around him even if I tried. I had no idea what would happen once this plane touched tarmac. But I had a feeling whatever that was wasn’t up to me.

  I awoke myself to sunlight, low and barely dawn. The flight returning to ground had been easy and after getting my carry-on, Knight was taking us to his car. His Escalade was parked in the lot covered in ice, ready and waiting for the errand boy to come back. I remembered snow before I left Maywood Heights, but actually seeing it in full wintry bursts had been surprising. The trees were lined with it, the air filled with it. The world had changed so much since I’d been gone, and I hadn’t been prepared for it.

  Knight was, and when he pulled up his car to retrieve both me and my bag, he had a coat with him. He wore it, pulling it off, and after, he gave it to me. “Come on. I don’t have two. So…”

  He was giving his to me, literally the coat off his back. Not a fool enough to question, I took it, the thing incredibly warm when I put it on. It even smelled like him. Not nearly as good as Royal Prinze, but it did give me a comfort I hadn’t expected. I zipped the puffer coat to the top, putting the hood on, and the pair of us got into his ride.

  “I’m not going home,” I told him, strapping myself in. I shook my head. “I mean, I’m not going to my dad’s house.” That wasn’t home, not anymore.

  “You’d be right,” he said, pulling away from the curb. He barely flinched at the cold air in the car, obviously used to all this. “You’re going to Windsor House.”

  Windsor House…

  I sat low in my seat, at least where we were going was not my house. This held another possibility, and despite remaining silent about his choice of destination, a deep unease brewed in my belly. If we were going to Windsor House, we were quite literally going on Court territory. If we were going to Windsor House, we’d most assuredly be seeing Royal.

  I dampened my lips, staring outside at the bare trees and limbs covered in ice. There were several inches of snow on the ground, a familiar town gone, and I sank into the chill. My destiny was as out of my control as it had been when I left, and I let Knight take me through streets I didn’t want to be on. I stayed silent all the way to Windsor House, all this ironically familiar. He’d taken me here himself the first time. The lawn had been filled over with Court boys then, guys playing Frisbee under trees that changed colors and a ground full of green. All that was long gone now, and since it was so late—well, early—absolutely no one was out but a groundskeeper past the wrought-iron gates. He waved at Knight when he passed by, allowing us to go up the cobblestone walk to what was basically a castle. Windsor House literally came out of a storybook, in this case the most tragic one for me. I really didn’t want to be here, and that showed the minute Knight pulled to the House and I did nothing.

  After shutting off the car, he hopped out, coming arou
nd to me. He opened the door, and I only unstrapped and got out because it was damn cold and I wanted to get inside. He grabbed my bag, directing us to go through another familiar door. I’d been told once upon a time I’d been the only girl in this section of Windsor House. They hadn’t even had my sister back there, and I could only assume because Paige hadn’t wanted any part of that and the boys’ Court. Or maybe she did but simply wasn’t allowed. For whatever reason, they were continuing to make exceptions for me, and I let out a breath once inside only because this time it was empty and not full of judgy stares from boys. It was still too early yet. I guess.

  Knight was on his cell phone once inside, typing something on his phone, and I pulled off the coat, a roaring fire nearby.

  “Three. Two. One,” Knight counted down beside me, and barely after that last word, we weren’t alone. Royal stormed in, eyes wild and hair strewn. He looked like he just hopped out of bed.

  And fuck did he look hot.

  He wore a robe like some ancient goddamn prince, the thing open and displaying his abs as he slapped bare feet to polished tiles. He looked pissed, his cell phone in his hands, and at the sight of me, he stopped completely.

  We stared at each other, a beautiful boy and me. I had no idea how I looked, but I knew I hadn’t showered in at least twenty-four hours. I was also coming down off a late-ass flight and the drinks I took down before that.

  Oh yeah, and the fact that I was nearly assaulted.

  Frankly, I probably looked pretty fucking fucked up, and for whatever reason… despite everything and all that happened between us, I wanted him to forget all that. I wanted me to forget all that and just let him come to me. I wanted him to hold me, kiss me.

  He didn’t, his starkly green eyes cutting over to Knight.

  “You were supposed to check on her, not bring her here,” Royal gritted, inserting and twisting the metaphorical dagger deep in my belly. What’s worse was it’d felt like he had taken that dagger and stabbed even higher, lodging and slashing across my insides and beating heart. He approached Knight, not me. He raised a finger. “She can’t be here.”

  Fuck.

  The sensation seared worse, my swallow hard.

  “I had no choice,” Knight said, then panned to me. “I texted you what happened to her.”

  He texted him…

  He must have, that look between both of them. Especially Royal. Wild eyes accompanied cheeks filled with blazing red. Like he cared, cared about me.

  Royal folded big arms. “There are other places she could have gone.”

  Smirking with clouded eyes, I gazed away, hating myself for thinking for an absolute moment he did actually care. What happened to him? Him and me? He had cared. At least I thought he had.

  Maybe it’d been the abortion or something else. I didn’t know, but I stayed silent. The only thing I could do to keep from crying.

  “Really, Royal? Please, tell me where, then,” Knight continued as if I wasn’t there. “Should I have brought her to my house? Yours? You know none of us have been staying at our houses lately.”

  Lately? They’d been living here? I wondered why, but again stayed quiet.

  “Here was the best place,” Knight concluded. “We’re all here.”

  They were all here. I guess LJ and Jax somewhere too. I supposed they weren’t in on this little coup, then, just these guys.

  His hand bunching in his golden locks, Royal appeared conflicted. “Find her a room. We’ll figure it out, I guess—”

  “Does anyone want to stop talking about me like I’m not standing here?”

  I was tired of all this, their male goddamn privilege. They were pushing me around and I’d fucking had it. My jaw worked. “I don’t want to stay here and I don’t appreciate being made to stay here and brought here like some, like some…”

  “Someone who can’t take care of themselves?” The words had been for me, and only too harsh when they came from Royal. They’d been the first words he’d said to me since the last time we’d been together, that last kiss. His head fell, the shake slight. “Because honestly, December, that’s kind of how it sounded. Had Knight not come… Had you been hurt—”

  “Don’t act like you care,” I shot, backing away from whatever that was. This boy was playing with me, continuing to play and I was done. I pointed. “And I can take care of myself. I have friends. Friends that aren’t you.”

  Sandy-blond hair lifted, his eyes narrowing. His throat jumped. “Fine, then. Figure it out yourself.”

  I would. I would and I didn’t need him.

  So why had my heart jumped when he backed away? It was like my tether to him was failing, unraveling quicker than I was ready for, and I hated that. I hated that I didn’t want to let him go.

  He turned. “But you’re welcome to stay here until you figure out what you want to do.”

  I nodded, Knight’s coat bunching under my arms. Royal left, and with a nod, Knight gestured me to follow his own exit. I headed behind him, staying at Windsor House for at least one night.

  Sixteen

  December

  “Oh my gosh, December. It’s so good to see you!”

  Birdie and I embraced outside the gates of Windsor House the next day, pretty early as I wasn’t trying to run into any Court boys. I also didn’t know if she was actually allowed inside Windsor House, so instead of potentially opening up that can of worms and further risking the wrath of Royal and Knight, I met her there. We took a walk under icicle-covered trees, circulating the property, and since I still had Knight’s puffer coat on loan, I took full advantage.

  “I still can’t believe you were in Arizona this whole time. I mean, what the fuck?” The basketball player joined me on a park bench, breath in small puffs and her cheeks rosy. She shook her head. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  My hands deep in Knight’s coat, I shook my own head. “I wasn’t in a good place.” Still wasn’t and possibly would never be. I’d been on overdrive since my sister’s death, one thing and then the other. I’d never really gotten to mourn her even, all these things crashing down on me. “It’s been rough. I was homeless for a little while.”

  Her eyes bugged out. “Homeless?”

  “Yeah.” I nodded. “I think what happened to my sister just really messed with my dad. I thought I’d go to live with my aunt in LA, but overhead them both talking about what a burden I was the day of my sister’s memorial.”

  “Shit.”

  “Mmhmm. It’s just been one thing after another.”

  “So how did you come to be here?” she asked, lifting her head of big dark curls. She had them loose today, flurries from the trees sprinkling down on them. It wasn’t snowing, but the snow falling off the trees gave the illusion.

  I swallowed. “Knight Reed. I guess Royal sent him down to check on me. They have this… thing where they feel like they need to take care of me. Because of Paige, you know? Anyway, whatever about it.”

  She looked like she understood that, gazing back at Windsor House in the distance. “Well, that’s good, I guess. Freaky but good. How was it in there?”

  An honest question, but seeing as how I didn’t want to answer it, I shrugged. “I just want out. It’s too much.”

  She clasped gloves, staring at me. “Well, of course I’ll ask if you can stay with me,” she said, the reason I called her. Only a few words of that came out over the phone before she said she wanted to meet me, the reason we were here now. She put a hand on my arm. “And it shouldn’t be a problem. Shakira stayed with me for over a month last year when her parents had been fighting. My dad should be cool with it.”

  I knew she came from a single-parent household, something she’d mentioned in passing. Things were just her and her dad, and that sounded a far cry better than another day spent at Windsor House. Scared to even move, I basically stayed put in the tower Knight had put me in. I hadn’t even needed food, all that brought to me and left outside my door. It’d been vegan and everything.

  Trying
to forget the only person in that place who could have known to do that, I dug my arms deeper in the puffer coat. “And please don’t tell anyone I’m here. I really don’t want to talk to my dad.” He wouldn’t be able to do anything. I was eighteen, but I didn’t want to deal with him.

  She frowned. “Are you not coming back to school? Things really have blown over with…” She didn’t say it, but she didn’t have to.

  “I’m not ashamed about my past, Birdie,” I admitted. “There’s a reason I did what I did. I was young, but I don’t regret it. There was this guy. Took advantage of me my freshman year. I thought I was in love, and when it all went south, well, I did what I had to do, but don’t regret it.”

  She smiled at me. “You’re so brave. Stronger than me.”

  The words chilled, all that said to me before. Paige had said the same thing to me once upon a time.

  My heart hurt, dying inside, and though Birdie squeezing my hand helped, the feeling didn’t alleviate.

  “And of course I won’t tell anyone,” she said. “I’ll see what I can do about you staying with me. I can’t imagine living under the Court eye would be fun.”

  She definitely knew my plight, and if she could help me, I’d take it. I kept myself away during my time at the House for the most part, but didn’t like not being able to come and go as I pleased. I gave her one more hug, and then she walked me back to the gates, a promise to call me as soon as she could, and I knew I’d hold my breath every moment of that wait.

  Hours later, I still had no call but did get a text from Ramses. He’d sent a few, but this was the latest.

  Ramses: So you went home. Where would that be exactly?