Page 25 of Royal

I hope you’re settling in.

Can you come by on Wednesday?

I have an appointment at 9.

Chewing on my lip as I consider whether I’ll walk or try to get a ride to our house, I fire off a quick response.

Yep. See you then.

I click into the thread of texts I have going with Freya. The first thing that hits me right away is that her messages in response to mine had come in a full twenty minutes after I texted her. Where the hell had she been?

I can’t find you.

Shit. Okay.

I’m heading back.

Echo! Did you really head back

without me?

Where are you?

You did so good.

And you have serious chemistry

with Royal.

That can’t be faked.

He was totally into you.

I need the juicy details.

Shit. I think you really left.

Okay. I’ll either see you at home

or catch up with you tomorrow.

Sorry, I may have gotten a little

caught up with my bf.

Text me when you get in so I

know you made it safely.

XOXO

Oh, shit. That’s a lot of texts I missed. After the long walk home with Emory, I hadn’t bothered checking for messages before I crashed. I’d been too overwhelmed by everything and needed the oblivion that sleep provides. I exhale steadily as I let my thumbs fly over the phone screen. Hopefully, she’ll accept my apology and not ask questions or make any more assumptions—because telling me how amazing the chemistry was between me and the guy who is hell-bent on ruining my life is too much for me to take. It makes me want to bury my head in the sand and never come up for air.

Hey, sorry.

I was so tired, I passed

out when I got in.