~Malia~
"Hey, you dipped out of school last week, you okay?" Lizzie's warm blue eyes met mine and it was so hard to lie to her compassion.
"Yeah, sorry I had a family thing." Well, that clearly wasn't a lie. Internal eye roll.
"Okay, well, let me walk you to class?"
"Sure."
We looped our arms together in the crook of our elbows and walked to first period together and it wasn't long before I spotted them.
Henry, a few inches shorter than Daniel, trying his best to insert himself into a conversation that didn't involve him whatsoever.
I made sure to stare at them for a while, mainly Daniel because that made the most sense given our history that I'd be looking at him and not Henry, and finally our eyes connected.
I raised my eyebrows as we continued walking down the halls and Henry finally caught on to what was happening.
I noticed as I passed them that Henry turned around to watch us disappear down the hall and around the corner and I finally allowed myself to breathe again once we were out of their eyesight.
"Woah, what was that all about?"
I had sort of maybe forgotten about Lizzie there for a minute.
"You know I used to date Daniel, right?"
She eyed me with a stern level of confusion.
"Yeah, but I thought you were with Louis now..."
Here it goes, time to put my acting skills to the test.
"He made it perfectly clear where we stand, and I'm positive he doesn't want anything to do with me."
"Mhmm...."
"What?"
"Oh nothing...I just find it hard to believe that a guy looking at you like that wants nothing to do with you..." she trailed off and I whipped my head to where her eyes were trained in the classroom and found Louis' piercing stare trained directly on me.
His eyes swept over my body and I could practically hear the growl of approval in my ear as if he were standing directly beside me. He looked as if he wanted to devour me then and there in the middle of the classroom. I would definitely be having a talk with him about that later.
"Whatever, it doesn't matter. He said what he said and I'm not about to bow down to whatever he wants. Daniel and I have history...that's not something you can just erase."
Unless that certain someone faked their own death effectively shattering my heart in the process, but I didn't say that to Lizzie.
"Wait. Daniel as in the one who died in the military?"
I was surprised it had taken her that long to ask.
I pulled her to the side of the door and away from prying eyes and ears.
"Yes. He was pulled into a secret sect of the government that focused on international affairs but the press ousted him when they found my connection to him and that was when I found out he was still alive. Louis pushes me away and I decided if I didn't explore what was still there with Daniel I'd never forgive myself."
"Well girl, it looks like you're in the middle of one jacked up love triangle, but I'm here if you need me."
I felt more than terrible for lying to her but I had to make sure everyone believed our facade, especially the King's Horses.
"Thank you, I really appreciate it."
We walked into class together and I felt Louis' searing gaze but I tried to make it seem like it didn't affect me and focused on Daniel as he came strolling in right before the bell rang right behind Henry.
His eyes held remorse and longing, two emotions I was positive I didn't reflect back to him in my eyes.
A sharp intake of breath behind me and I realized Louis was trying his hardest not to say something.
This must've been torture for him, especially given the fact that he pretty much always got whatever he wanted in life whenever he wanted it.
Henry slid into his seat next to me and Daniel took his position with the rest of the security detail and I tried to be fake discreet as I followed Daniel with my eyes to his position.
I could feel every pair of eyes on me in the entire classroom as the confusion probably filled everyone, wondering why Louis wasn't sitting next to me like always.
It was like the claim he once had over me was lifted and they were all free to glare at me and affix me with their judgements now that the Prince didn't want me anymore. Or so they thought.
I couldn't concentrate the entire class and almost jumped for joy when it was over.
I was grabbing my bag and writing utensils when I felt his presence beside me.
"Sit with Henry at lunch," he told me and if I closed my eyes I could almost pretend that he wasn't speaking to me but someone else, but the reality of our situation was far too harrowing for pretending so I merely nodded my head and followed Lizzie out the door.
I had no more classes with them for the rest of the first part of the day, so that meant lunch was going to be fun.
I was thankful to have brought my own lunch and basically used Lizzie as my shield for the hateful looks thrown my way all day and followed her like a lost puppy to "our" table in the middle of the lunchroom.
I did as Daniel instructed and sat down in the empty space next to Henry, glad that there was another empty spot to my right for Lizzie to sit.
The entire table came to a resounding hush and I tried to ignore it as best as I could but it became awkward when I realized no one was speaking.
As if on cue, Louis came strolling in the cafeteria with a girl on his arm. Gorgeous, obviously, but that wasn't the problem.
I forced myself to turn back around and wipe the devastated look off of my face, reminding myself it was all for show, but damn if it didn't hurt.
I could only imagine what would happen if he actually decided he didn't want to be with me anymore...Daniel's "death" was something different-I thought he'd been taken away from me by the universe but if Louis chose to leave me, I didn't think I'd ever recover.
Tears sprung to my eyes and I quickly blinked them away, not wanting to draw more attention to our messed up situation than there already was.
The table greeted Louis as he sat down and didn't throw a single glance my way, but Daniel made sure to keep his gaze on me from where he was standing with the other guards across from our table by the windows.
I flicked my gaze to his every now and then but I couldn't help my jealousy and peered over at Louis a few times, and every time he was looking the other way.
Henry noticed my varying glances and smirked over at me.
"Got a thing for my guard? You can borrow him if you'd like."
I stiffened in my seat and every single pair of eyes turned towards me.
"I'm not going to dignify that with an answer."
He didn't need my kindness, he wasn't the one we were putting the facade on for.
"Ah, but your lack of an answer tells me all I need to know."
Louis' fists were clenched at his sides and the stony expression he wore was my undoing.
"Lizzie, I'm done eating. I'll see you later?"
I didn't wait for her response as I pulled myself up out of my chair and basically sprinted out of the cafeteria, feeling every pair of eyes on me, but the only pair that mattered burned me to the core.
Only when I was out of the view of everyone did I finally allow myself to cry.
*******
Author's Note:
So what did you guys think??
What do you want to happen next??
What do you THINK will happen next?
Favorite part so far of the book?
What do you want more of??
Thank you guys for sticking with me through my delayed updates! I'm really trying to make it up to you guys for being gone for a few weeks!!
Until next time my lovely readers,
Kristen :)