Page 23 of Triumphant Kings (Boys Of Kingston Academy #3)

He sighs, putting his forehead to mine. “I wish I could make it better.”

“I know. But it’s passing.”

Since we decided to stop keeping our relationship dynamic a secret, the school has been buzzing.

I swear, these people have nothing better to do with their time than talk shit about other people.

Some of the stories I’ve heard people make up are just ridiculous.

But I knew people were going to talk. You're just never prepared to hear how cruel people can be.

“I’M DYING,” I GROAN , sucking in lungfuls of air.

“Don’t be so dramatic.” Collin laughs.

I glare up at him, where I’m bent over in pain, trying to catch my breath. “It hurts to breathe.”

“Drink some water.” He holds out a bottle of water that I take from him eagerly and chug down with greedy mouthfuls.

“Thanks.” I gasp, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

“I think we’re going to need to start going for more walks when we get back home.” He laughs, and I shoot him another glare.

“I’m in good shape, thank you very much.

It’s the fact that we’ve been fucking all day, and then when I’m a boneless mess, you slap my ass, tell me we’re taking a shower, getting dressed, and then going on a sunset hike.

If I weren’t certain you loved me so much, I’d swear you were trying to kill me.

Or at least leave me too tired to walk back after you abandoned me here. ”

“I’d never.” He narrows his eyes at me, then he smiles. “But that was some pretty epic sex.”

He’s got me there. “Still.” I straighten back up and groan, stretching out my body. “Give a girl a break.”

“Fine.” He chuckles. “Let’s sit for a bit, then we can go slow the rest of the way up.”

“Thank you,” I say dramatically as I sit down on a nearby rock. “I’d like to enjoy the scenery without feeling like I’m going to pass out.”

He gives me a sheepish look. “Sorry, I got a little too excited. I kind of had this all planned out, and we were supposed to have time to do the hike and enjoy it. But then you looked so sexy and I couldn’t keep my hands off you. Listen, you're the one who’s really at fault here.” He grins.

“Oh yeah, how?” I raise a brow.

“You turn me into this caveman that only has you on his mind.” He shrugs.

“My bad. Sorry, I’m just out here, being me.” I laugh.

“Good, I’m glad you accept your hand in this.”

“Shut up.” I laugh, tossing the water bottle. He laughs, catching it.

When we start walking again, this time it is slower, and I’m in awe of everything around me. It’s so peaceful out here, no one else around for miles. Just us and nature.

By the time we get to where we’re going, it’s so worth the aches in my body.

“Wow,” I breathe out, eyes widening at the absolutely breathtaking view.

“Beautiful, right?” Collin asks, grabbing the backpack he brought with him, and pulls out a blanket, laying it out on the grass. “I used to hike this all the time as a kid, spent hours up here just me and my thoughts, even sometimes sleeping here.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” I ask, looking around. “Aren’t there wild animals here?”

“There is.” He sits on the blanket and pats the spot next to him. Smiling, I join him. “But I’ve always held my own.”

“You’ve had to?” I ask, surprised.

He nods his head. “Fought off a cougar once. Almost didn’t make it out alive.”

“You didn’t.”

“I did,” he laughs, lifting his shirt to show the scar under his left armpit. “I was sleeping and woke up to him sniffing me. I didn’t think, just acted. I caught him by surprise, stabbed him with the switchblade I kept within reach. He did get a swipe in, but I came out on top.” He winks.

It takes a moment to wonder if he’s joking or not, but when I realise he’s being serious, an odd sense of arousal hits me. “Okay, why is that so hot, though?” I bite my lip, and he tosses his head back laughing.

“No,w who’s the horny little freak?”

“Always you, babe. Always you.”

“Mhhm.” He grins. “No sex, though. Eat. Then sex.”

Rolling my eyes, I smile and look into the basket. “I can’t believe you made me a picnic.”

“Believe it, Sunshine. Now eat. You're going to need your strength to get back down the mountain.”

“Don’t remind me.” I groan, shifting through the various foods he’s packed, settling on the crackers and brie cheese. “You could be the best husband a girl could ask for, and give me a piggyback down?”

“How about we make a deal. On the parts that I can, I will.” He winks.

“Deal.”

He pulls me into his lap, feeding me as we watch the sun go down, the sky changing colors as it does.

I’m doing my best to eat and trying not to think about how all I want to do is reject it. My body is telling me it’s hungry, but my mind is putting me off it.

I’m trying so damn hard not to fall into old habits. This time, it’s not because of the bullying. Sure, it’s not helping, but it’s not how I see my body that has me wanting to be skinny, forcing myself not to eat.

It’s the stress of everything going on.

My appetite isn’t what it used to be, and I’m at the point where I have to force myself to eat.

Thankfully, I’m not puking it up, but still. It’s not normal. It’s not healthy, and if I keep going at this rate, people are going to start to notice.

So I tell my brain to fuck off, and keep eating what Collin feeds me, praying I don’t suffer for it later.

I’m fine. I know it’s just the stress. Once we’re over all of this, things will go back to normal. In the meantime, I’ll keep doing what I’m doing and force myself to eat.

“Thank you.” I tilt my head back to look up at Collin.

“For what?” he kisses me.

“For being amazing. For loving me. For bringing me here to get away from our very fucked up lives.”

He sighs heavily. “You shouldn’t be thanking me for loving you, it’s the easiest thing I’ve ever done. As for the fucked up lives, that’s all on me. I’m the one who brought a monster into your world.”

“Stop.” I hug his arm, getting more comfortable on his lap. “You had no control over that. He’s not a deal breaker to be with you and Preston. He never was. I’d fight a million monsters like him to have what we have.”

“We don’t deserve you.” Collin kisses my throat. “But we’re fucking grateful to have you.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

“I love you. Thank you for choosing me.”

“I didn’t choose you, Collin. You were always meant to be mine.”

“And that right there is why we don’t deserve you. And why we’re going to burn the fucking world down for our happy ending.”

“I’ll be right there by your side as we do it.”

That is something I’ve never been more sure about in my whole life.

They are my life. My present and future. Nothing anyone can do will change that. Not if we have any power over it.