Page 18 of Broken Prince
It’s a mess, all of it. And the best thing to do is to stay far away from it. But it’s not easy, not at all.
Maybe Elijah will do me a solid and stay away so I don’t have more confusing feelings to deal with.
Normally, I’d talk to my mom about something like this, but I can’t. If I couldn’t talk to Mom, I’d call my best friend. Can’t fucking do that either.
I swear, I better find some good friends here, or I’m going to go crazy dealing with all this on my own.
Hopefully, Rose Briar Hill University is the change I need in my life. Because at this point, I think I’m fucked.
Chapter 4
Delaney
The first time I see Elijah is the next morning. I’m up early, unable to fall back asleep after getting up to pee, so I decide to take a jog around the property, which is when I see him slip into his room.
My brows furrow. He’s fully clothed at six am? Does he go on early morning runs or was he just coming home?
“Weird,” I mutter to myself before heading downstairs. A part of me can’t help but wonder if he only agreed to be friends because his brothers did. What if he doesn’t want that, hates the idea of me being here, and is avoiding me.
Heading into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water, I freeze when I see Logan.
“Hey.” I smile as he spins around, a very wide-awake Benny in his arms. “Good morning, cutie pie.” He smiles at me—and ugh, he’s so damn cute!
“This little man didn’t want to sleep anymore, so that’s why we’re up, but what are you doing up this early?” Logan asks before his eyes skim over my body. “You run?”
“Is that so hard to believe?” I laugh, putting my hands on my hips with a playful smile.
He cocks his head to the side, and this time, as he looks at me, I feel the heat in his gaze. It makes me want to squirm, a warm feeling stirring in my belly.
“No,” his voice is a little huskier than before. “I can see it.”
Swallowing hard, I go to the fridge and grab a bottle of water. “I haven’t gone running in a while,” I tell him, turning back to see Benny grabbing at Logan’s face, and I smile. “Something happened, and I stopped.” I shrug.
His brows furrow. “What do you mean something happened? Like what?”
Looking down at the bottle, I play with the label, feeling uneasy as an old memory takes over. “It’s nothing.” I give him a forced smile.
“Delaney,” he counters in a warning tone. “If this friend thing is going to work, we need to trust each other. You can tell me things..”
He’s right. It’s just not very easy for me to relive it. Sighing, I meet his eyes. “About a year ago, I was running like I always did every morning at six am. There was a park near my place that I always went to. It had a nice running trail, and it was a pretty safe area. Until it wasn’t.” I lick my lower lip before continuing. “That morning, when I was just about to finish, a guy came out of nowhere. He attacked me, pulled me into the bushes.” I look away, closing my eyes as I feel the ghost of his hands on my body.
“Delaney,” Logan’s voice is soft but thick with fury.
“It’s okay.” I smile, shaking it off. “He didn’t rape me if that’s what you're thinking. He tried, though.” I let out a hollow laugh. “I fought hard, gave him a few really good punches and kicks. I managed to get away and ran home.”
“Fuck,” he curses, running a hand through his hair. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.” I can see he means it. “Did they arrest him?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I called the cops as soon as I got home, but by the time they went to check it out, the guy was long gone. After that, I didn’t feel safe, you know? Like he was out there waiting to finish the job. It took me a long timeto go anywhere on my own, always bringing my friends or boyfriend wherever I went. Sorry, ex-boyfriend.”
“I still think that jackass is the biggest fool on the planet,” he mutters, taking Benny’s hand and pressing a kiss to it when he tries to pull at Logan’s lips.
“Thanks.” I laugh. “I think so, too.”
“So, what made you want to start running again?”
I shrug. “I miss it. And your property has really good security, gates all around. I feel... I don’t know... safer. I don’t think I’ll be listening to music as I run any time soon, but I think I’ll be okay running the perimeter.”
“Do you plan on going every morning?”