Page 6 of Triumphant Kings (Boys Of Kingston Academy #3)

Declan

I ’ve never felt so lost and out of place in my life. I’m trying not to overthink everything, but it’s hard when I have no idea what’s going on.

Sadie is married to Collin. The whole world knows.

What does this mean for us? I know she said it changes nothing, but Sadie and I just went public with our own relationship. How will it look when we go back to school, and she’s now married to another man, when she’s supposed to be dating me?

And not just any man, one of our teachers. Our guidance counselor. What does this mean for them? Will Collin lose his job?

All of these questions have been flooding my mind, and I have no answers.

I don’t know where to go from here.

It’s only been a few days since New Year's, but I haven’t seen Sadie since that night. When I woke up in Grayson’s guest room, Sadie and Preston were both gone when I went searching for the others.

Grayson didn’t know where they were, so I texted Sadie. She said they were at Collin’s place and that she would text me later.

She did, it wasn’t more than a few words, but it had an I love you, like she’s trying to remind me that we’re okay.

I want to believe her, but I’m not sure I can until we sit down and talk.

So, until we’re able to do that, I’ve been trying to keep myself busy. I’ve gotten a head start on a few classes for next semester, but I gave up when my mind kept drifting.

Reading helped for a few hours, but when I got to a slow part in my book, I lost interest.

I tried gaming, but it was only getting me more worked up every time I died.

Now, I’m lying in my bed, back in my dorm room, staring up at the ceiling as a very depressing playlist blares in my ears.

Because it’s not just Sadie that I have no idea where I stand with, it’s Preston, too.

All I can think about is the day he broke down and poured his heart out. He wants me. He told me he loved me. He said he wasn’t running. Yet, that’s exactly what it feels like.

We haven’t talked about his big confession like he promised. He’s either been distant or acts like nothing’s happened.

I hate it. I want to know where we stand. I love him so much it hurts, and having him say the words I’ve been dying to hear back from him meant the world to me. It also terrified me, with good reason, because here I am, lost and confused again.

Groaning, I roll over and bury my face into the pillow. Why couldn’t life just be simple for once? I had everything I ever wanted in the palm of my hand for just the smallest of moments before it was snatched away, hovering just out of reach.

Letting out a heavy sigh, I turn my head and stare at the wall as I listen to the lyrics of a man screaming about his lover who ripped out his heart and crushed it in the palm of their hand.

A distant banging has my brow furrowing. For a moment, I think it’s a part of the song. But I’ve listened to this song many times before, and I don’t remember that.

Pulling an earbud free, I hear someone knocking at my door.

Sitting up, I grab my phone to pause the song and toss it back on the bed before climbing off and over to the door to answer it.

Whoever it is, they sound frantic.

Having no idea who it could be, I look out the peephole and find Preston standing on the other side.

My heart starts to race, a flush taking over my body.

Fuck. I feel like a nervous virgin right now. We haven’t been alone in a while. He hasn’t even texted me since everything went down on New Year's. I have no idea where his head is at with all of this.

The insecure part of me has me wondering if this is him coming to break things off. That he changed his mind, and it’s all too much.

With shaking hands, I open the door, heart thundering in my chest. His eyes flick up to lock with mine, and I swear all the air in my lungs whooshes out of me. Lips parting, I go to ask what’s wrong, but I don’t get a chance to speak.

Preston steps forward, slides his hand into the back of my hair, and presses his lips to mine.

The world around me goes still. His lips against mine feel soft and warm. Like home. Like it’s exactly where we belong.

A small whimper slips free as my mind catches up to the moment, my hands reaching out to grab a fistful of his shirt.

He swallows the sound with a small growl of his own. The kiss grows harder, more heated as he walks me backwards into my room, closing the door behind him.

I gasp when I’m spun around and shoved against the door. “W-whats going on?” I stammer out, panting heavily as my head spins.

“I’ve been a fucking idiot,” Preston says, kissing me again, his tongue demanding its way into my mouth. My eyes flutter closed again, reveling in the feeling of his body against mine.

I moan in pleasure as he shoves his thigh between my legs, my fully hard cock grinding against it.

He rips his lips from mine, and I almost cry out at the loss, needing to taste him again, begging this isn’t going to be ripped away from me like before.

“I’ve been so in my own head, too worried about my own fucked up life, to see the best things I’ll ever have are right in front of me.

I’m done running, Declan. I love you.” His wild eyes stare into my soul, and everything feels right in the world again.

“No more hot and cold. No more running. No more denying what's meant to be mine. If you’ll still have me, I want to be yours, Declan.” The vulnerability in his words is not something I’m used to from him.

Preston has always been a hard, closed-off guy to the world, only letting out small parts of his softer side when he’s around me. But even then, it wasn’t very often.

So I know this isn’t just words to bullshit me. He means it.

“How can I believe you're not going to run again?” My question comes out soft, like I’m almost afraid to ask. Like if I do, he’s going to get mad and take back what he said. But I need to know. I can’t handle all of these inconsistencies in my life.

Preston’s eyes grow hard, and for a moment, I panic, like I fucked everything up.

When he closes his eyes and opens them again, I see determination shining back.

“I know I’ve fucked up and gave you no reason to believe me, to not trust my words, but I’m going to do everything I can to prove to you that I’m yours.

That's what we have, it’s real and I don’t want to lose you.

I want to be with you, to see where this goes. To build a life with you.”

I’m hearing a lot of him talking about me. What about Sadie?

My heart drops as panic rises again, so I ask. “What about Sadie?”

The corner of his lip lifts, and I almost sag in relief.

“She’s still very much a part of this, too.

But it’s not just the three of us, Declan; it’s me and you, you and Sadie, me and Sadie.

We might be sharing our girl, but that doesn’t mean what we build between me and you can’t be a thing of its own, too.

Not to say I won’t enjoy a Sadie sandwich any time I can get one.

” The cocky smirk he gives me has me laughing.

“So you talked to her? Because I haven’t gotten a chance yet.” My shoulders sag in disappointment.

“I have.” He nods. “And before that pretty mind of yours goes all crazy with worry, we’re okay. She’s still ours. My asshole brother hasn’t taken her from us. I’d kick his ass if he even tried,” Preston growls, kissing me again hard.

I’m not sure how he knows all of this, but I don’t ask, too consumed by the feeling of his body against mine.

His words settle a lot of the unease that’s been floating around inside my head, but I know I need to talk to Sadie myself. That can wait, because right now, all I can think about is this man. The man who I’ve been pining after for way longer than I’m proud to admit.

He’s mine. Mine. Holy fuck, he’s mine.

Something inside me snaps, a sense of desperation unfolding as I grip his shirt tighter, pulling him closer, my lips moving against his frantically like he’s the air that I need to breathe, to survive.

He growls into the kiss, the sound going right to my cock. It jerks against his leg, and I whimper with need.

I want him so badly. His hands are all over my body, his mouth against my skin.

No. No, what I need is to feel him inside me, my lips wrapped around his cock as he uses me for his pleasure, telling me how much of a good boy I am.

As if he can read my mind and sense the panic that’s starting to form, he rips his lips from mine, breathing heavily. “Get on your knees and show me what else this mouth can do,” he demands, and I nearly melt into a fucking puddle right here and now.

I don’t even care how pathetic it makes me look, I drop to my knees so hard they hit the ground with a thud as I greedily reach for the button on his jeans.

I’m surprised I’m even able to get them undone with how much my hands are shaking with anticipation and pure need.

“Fuck,” he growls, his fingers tangling in my hair. “Look at you on your knees for me. So fucking eager for my cock.”

Pausing, my eyes snap up to his, and my lips part as I pant out every breath. His are filled with blazing heat while mine are hazed with an all-consuming need.

“Yes,” I breathe.

“Then go on.” He nods. “Take me out, Declan, then swallow me whole. I want to see you fucking choke on my cock. You gonna cry for me, baby boy? I bet you look so pretty with tears running down your cheeks.”

My brain short-circuits as I gape up at him in shock. I’ve heard his dirty words before, but never were they directed at me.

A wave of arousal hits me hard, and pre-cum fills my boxers. So fucking hot.

“What are you waiting for?” he growls, the grip on my hair tightening.

I whimper, not in pain, but in need. My eyes find the bulge in his jeans and I grip the waist of his pants and pull down, taking his boxers too.

His cock springs free, nearly hitting me in the face. My breathing stutters, eyes widening. I’ve never been this close to his cock before. It’s thick and long, pre-cum dropping from the tip.