Page 120 of Dark Knight (Knight's Ridge Empire 10)

“Anyway, I was going to say that what you need is a good fry-up, and luckily for you, I make the best one,” he announces, shattering the tension that had fallen between us.

“Sounds perfect. I’d love to eat your sausage,” I joke before rushing toward the bathroom to the sound of his laughter.

“Touché, baby C,” he calls just before I close the door and fall back against it with my head spinning and my nerves shot.

Surely, if he knew, he’d say something… right?

No?

“Shit,” I hiss.

I’m so fucking confused.

But one thing I do know is that I shouldn’t have let last night happen. Even if Alex does know that nothing is going to change between us, it was still totally disrespectful, and I’m ashamed.

If he’d woken up and seen… I drop my head into my hands as shame burns through me.

That’s not the girl I am. Or at least, it’s not the girl Alex and the others know me to be.

But there’s just something about Daemon. And when he touches me, every single shred of my dignity just goes flying out of the window.

* * *

Thankfully, Alex’s self-proclaimed legendary fry-up did actually make me feel a little better about the whole situation as we all chilled out around the fire once more.

It might be the Easter holidays and the sun might be shining, but we haven’t exactly got the heatwave Stella promised. It’s not overly warm without the added heat from the fire.

My phone still burns a hole in my pocket, and I spend almost all day looking over my shoulder in case he appears like the ghost he is. But as the hours pass, I really start to believe that he did just drive all this way last night to eat me out and has happily gone home alone again.

The concept is bizarre, but then I’ve never claimed to understand Daemon and the way he is. I just seem to have found myself along for the ride.

“What’s the plan for tonight, then?” Jodie asks from the hammock she and Toby commandeered a few hours ago when she had a call with Jesse to get an update on Sara’s progress—or lack thereof.

Nico and Brianna are once again sitting as far away from each other as possible. Last night’s truce—the reason behind the fact that I was sharing a bed with Alex and not my actual roommate—seems to be well and truly over. I guess they both got what they needed and we’re now back to service as usual.

“Barbecue and hot tub sound like a plan to me,” Seb says, eyeing Stella up as if she’s already wearing nothing but her bikini.

“I’m not getting in that water if you have plans to be fucking in it,” I mutter, looking between the three couples with a smirk.

“Maybe it should be girls only,” Emmie suggests.

“So you guys in there practically naked and us out here?” Seb asks, his nose wrinkling like a kid who’s just tasted something sour. “Yeah, that’s not going to work,” he says, speaking for all the guys.

“Sex addict,” Stella mutters lightly.

“That’s rich coming from you, Princess,” he shoots straight back.

I rest back in my lounger, smiling to myself as they bicker like an old married couple.

It makes me weirdly content, seeing them. It’s so normal. I like knowing their worlds are happy and normal while mine feels like it’s spiralling out of control.

The conversation moves on from hot tub activities, and I sit there with my weak vodka and Coke and just listen to them all.

My heart drops as I realise that in only a few months, all our lives are going to change. University is going to start, and Stella and Emmie will still be at Knight’s Ridge. Daemon may or may not pass his exams and have to face the consequences, whatever they may be. Nico is going to dive headfirst into Family business, following in our father’s footsteps with the view of being Theo’s second in the years to come when he finally takes over from Uncle Damien.

It all makes my head spin. And where will that leave me?

Sadness washes through me at the thought of my friends moving on with their lives without me. Yes, I might get uni, although it’s not something I’d really choose for myself. What else am I going to have while they’re all living in the same building—a building my father has already told me I won’t be having a flat in—and still enjoying hanging out together while I’m stuck in my rut of a life, waiting for my mum and dad to marry me off?