Page 88 of Cruel King

No meanness or cruel words. Just normal conversation.

“Thank you.”

He smiles and returns to his work as I watch and realize my father was right. There is something changed about Matthias.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-FIVE

Ava

People streamby as Eden and I sit outside her favorite restaurant and I try not to let myself get down again about everything. She called me so many times in the past few weeks, and every time I said I couldn’t meet her.

Until today.

This morning when she called, I finally felt like maybe I could venture off the estate and act like a normal woman in her mid-twenties and not the pathetic mess I’ve been since Theo left. It actually felt good to say yes to Eden’s invitation to get together, and although she has no idea how worried I was I would regret it, I’m enjoying myself for the first time in far too long.

“Are you going to eat more of your sandwich, or should I assume you’re on some hunger strike or something?”

I give her an eye roll she deserves and take a bite of my turkey club. Setting the quarter of the sandwich back down on the plate, I shake my head. After swallowing it, I frown at her.

“Better?”

“I guess. I mean, almost half a club sandwich eaten is better than nothing. So do you want to talk about things yet, or are we going to pretend you’re fine?”

Leave it to Eden to cut to the chase not halfway through lunch.

“What do you want to talk about?” I ask, knowing full-well she, like my father, thinks that if I talk out my feelings that I’ll feel better.

Maybe I will. I’m just afraid if I start talking about Theo now, I’ll start crying right here on this busy street surrounded by all these people.

She leans in toward me and whispers in front of my face, “Well, the options are my work, which may be the most boring thing on the planet, or how you’re doing. Your choice.”

I focus on her stunning green eyes and know she’s not going to give up. Maybe it’s time to talk about everything.

“For the record, I think your work is interesting. You’re the assistant to the president of one of the largest banks in the country. Stop acting like you’re boring. But since you’re going to keep pushing because that’s who you are, fine, let’s talk about how I’m doing.”

Stopping to take a sip of my water, I watch her level her gaze on me as she waits not-so-patiently for me to continue. After a few seconds of silence, her eyes open wide as any hint of patience disappears.

“Is this my cue to start asking questions? Because I have a ton, and I’m happy to start peppering you with them like I’m some idiot reporter on the red carpet and you’re some star who just hit it big.”

I shrug. “Feel free.”

“First and foremost, why did you and Theo break up? You two have been best friends forever, so I just figured when you told me you guys had gotten together that it would be the world’s greatest love match. I mean, everyone says relationships are so much better when you’re best friends with the guy you love. So what happened?”

With a heavy sigh, I answer her question. “He found out something terrible about me and couldn’t forgive me.”

Eden’s mouth drops open, and for a few seconds, she just stares at me like some fish gasping for air before she shakes her head in total disbelief. “That is bullshit. You tell me right now what he couldn’t forgive. Theo King couldn’t forgive you, Ava Sutton? I refuse to believe that.”

“Well, it’s true.”

After all that’s happened, I should just tell her. I’m not embarrassed of what I did with Matthias. Yes, I should have told Theo. It was a mistake not to. But what his brother and I did those two snowy December days wasn’t, and I won’t say it was.

Eden tilts her head to the right and screws her face into a grimace. “Do I have to ask politely what you did that Theo can’t seem to forgive? Just tell me already. I’m dying here!”

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly through my nose as my heart begins to beat wildly. Why am I nervous about admitting the truth? It’s not like I killed someone or anything. I had sex. A lot of sex. With a certain person. So what? People have sex all the time.

Finally, I have no more air in my lungs to expel and say, “I slept with his brother.”

My friend looks like someone’s hit her with a stun gun. She shakes oddly for a few moments like she’s twitching from a jolt of electricity, and then she sits back in her chair and opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.