Page 22 of The Lost Kings

Presley

R ain fell at an angle, coating my window in fat droplets.

I was perched on my window seat, staring at the soaked world as my mood continued to sour, and I ignored my life.

I’d forgone training for five days, and I’d ignored my best friends nearly just as long.

I needed to forgive Kingston for what he’d done, but I wasn’t just mad at him.

I was devastated that he’d toyed with me the way he did.

It was bad enough that the twins were able to get Snapchat recently and they both had started making online friends, most of which were girls based off the giggles and laughs I heard coming from their screens.

Kingston confused me, more frequently than was kind.

My feeble crush on him had weathered indifference from him for so long, but to have him pretend, or even act as though he’d acted out of a place of jealousy, it was too cruel.

He said it was because he wanted to protect the family, but since when had he ever cared about that?

“Presley?” My mother’s voice had me turning, seeing her with a plate of apple slices and peanut butter.

I ignored her too. She’d done nothing wrong, but I was angry with her for keeping me here, just like I was at my father and Scotty.

I understood the gravity of what was going on and how we couldn’t simply exist outside of these walls without retribution, but the interaction from my birthday only proved that I’d never make any friendships or lasting relationships for as long as I was trapped in the manor.

My mother made her way up the stairs to my loft and gently sat next to me, placing the plate between us.

“Missed you at breakfast this morning, and lunch.”

She was worried about me, and part of me revolted at the idea of causing that, but I was too disappointed to empathize.

“Talk to me, honey. What’s going on?” She gently toyed with the ends of my long hair.

I wore shorts, long socks, and a hoodie, but my hair was washed and styled, so it hung in a long sheet behind me.

Something inside me cracked, feeling her fingers pull at a snag, as she continued to comb through it.

“I’m stuck here.” My throat suddenly burned as a sob worked through me. “I’m done with my school courses, but I’m only sixteen. I’ve had no experiences, nothing outside of the manor and the people here. I want to make friends, go to school, kiss a boy. I want freedom.”

I felt like a bird, begging for someone to open my cage.

Freedom felt so fleeting, and like such a strange concept.

Of course I wasn’t trapped; I was kept safe and well-loved, and yet the look on that boy’s face wouldn’t leave my mind.

The way he looked so shocked at Kingston’s behavior, and the way the realization hit me that I’d never know what it felt like to kiss a boy at a ball because the twins would step in and ruin it.

It all was a ball of tension just sitting in my chest like a time bomb.

“You know why we—” my mother started, but I cut her off.

“I know, but is it really so important to prevent me from having these experiences? What if I go by a different name and I keep my head down…I’m not trying to make waves or cause issues. I just want the chance to be a normal sixteen-year-old. ”

My mom’s eyes narrowed at that word choice, and I remembered what she’d said about me.

She didn’t know I had overheard her say that I wasn’t normal, but now I was using it against her.

Relying on the fact that somewhere, down deep in her heart, she longed for her daughter to have typical teenage experiences.

She bit her lip and glanced outside, and a fresh hope rose within me.

“I’d be safe, Mom. You know I could handle myself, and you know that I’d do whatever you said I had to.

I could do a half day, since I don’t really need any more credits.

Scotty can forge the paperwork and all the documents for me, showing I only need a few classes.

Please, I’m begging you. Ask him for me. ”

Her eyes searched my face, and I knew I’d gotten through to her. She was the number one fan of me having normal kid experiences. There was no way she’d deny me this.

“I’ll talk to your father, and to Scotty about it, okay?”

I flung forward and threw my arms around her. It was as close to a yes as I would likely get, but it still meant the world to me.

Dinner arrived and the smell of my mother’s lasagna filled the room. Our table only had four chairs because we never invited anyone over to eat with us. Scotty was a private person, and my parents liked to protect him in the little ways they could since he was always protecting us.

Scotty wore a simple T-shirt, sweats, and his feet were bare. I liked when he didn’t have to wear his armor here, as if this was the only place on earth that he didn’t have to wear a bulletproof vest. His thinning hair was a bit mussed, which meant he’d napped before dinner.

“So,” Dad started, while glancing up from his plate, “your mother talked to us about your request to socialize.”

That was an interesting term for what I was trying to do. I didn’t say anything for fear of what would happen if I misspoke or screwed everything up by blurting out how unfair it was that I’d been stuck here while my cousin Carter had been allowed to attend private school with other people her age.

She’d had boyfriends before.

Instead, I gracefully nodded while taking a small bite of food.

Dad continued, “I’m upset about what took place at the ball and I’m still unsure exactly where Kingston got the idea that it was his job to step in.”

I had no idea either; it was like he’d just picked up this need to be my protector out of nowhere.

“He’s hotheaded and doesn’t think through things before he ruins them,” Scotty murmured, keeping his eyes on his plate. While I agreed with him, I still felt the urge to defend my best friend, but I bit my lip instead.

“But I agree with your mother.” Dad placed his gaze on me, and I tried to tamp down my hope. “I think it’s time you get a little bit of socialization outside of this house. It could be good for you to be around kids your own age and learn how to be around them.”

Oh my god. It was happening; they were going to let me go. Elation filled my chest like warm, fuzzy cotton. It had a squeal of happiness erupting from my throat as I jumped out of my seat and rounded the table, hugging my dad. “Thank you, I won’t let you down. I promise!”

Dad hugged me to him then sighed. “Just hang on a second. Scotty has a condition.”

Of course he did. Releasing my dad, I glanced over at my uncle, awaiting whatever his ridiculous condition would be.

Scotty set his fork down and gave me his full focus. “You’ll go under a different first and last name. You will not drive yourself. You will carry a weapon at all times.”

I moved my head, agreeing with him on all fronts because it didn’t matter what name I used as long as it meant I’d get to leave and be around other people .

“Lastly,” Scotty added, giving me a sly smile, “the twins must go with you.”

The air nearly left my lungs. “What? No…Kingston is the entire reason we?—”

Scotty put his hand up, stopping me. “Those boys would set themselves on fire to protect you. You convince them to go and they get the blessing from Juan and Taylor to go, then you’ll be enrolled by Monday.”

“But they’ve already graduated!” There was no way they’d willingly go back to high school, especially just to be my protectors.

“I can create documents that say they haven’t. They’re only seventeen; it won’t be a difficult thing to fake.”

“Don’t get your hopes up, honey,” Dad said, grabbing for a piece of garlic bread. “You’ll have to convince two seventeen-year-old boys to babysit you, and they’ll have to win their parents over to do it. I’m not sure there’s much of a chance for you.”

My heart squeezed tight as my hope began to plunder. “Can’t you talk to Juan?”

He smirked and shook his head. “I’m afraid the twins are where my opinion stops counting. They’ve been protective of the boys getting mixed up in our mess since before they were born. They might relent because it’s just school but still…” He took a big bite of bread. “Don’t get your hopes up.”

I sank into my chair again and pushed the food around my plate feeling strangely depressed. This meant I was going to have to forgive Kingston for what he did, and then beg him to help me out.

Great.

My phone showed it was close to midnight when I finally built the courage to talk to the twins.

With a heavy sigh, I flipped my duvet back and got out of bed.

During the warmer time of year, I slept up in my loft, which was smaller and had less space, but I liked being near the large window that opened out to my small veranda ledge.

Dad had opted for an expensive but old piece of glass that had two pieces that opened, kept closed by a single gold hook. Just like in Peter Pan.

I hadn’t walked over to their side of the house in months, but it didn’t matter, I still knew the path like the back of my hand. Even in the dark, under only a blanket of stars to keep me company.

Pulling on a hoodie and a pair of slippers, I kept my sleep shorts on and pushed the glass panes open, revealing a small patch of black shingles and a dark sky.

The two arches on either side of my veranda kept the wind at bay, but once I was out, I pulled my window closed and then braced my hands before stepping around to the pathway.