Page 57 of Wicked Dreams (Fallen Royals 1)

He’s smiling at her. She has a hand looped around his arm, and her fingers grasp his biceps.

“Amelie was studying in France as an exchange student,” Riley whispers.

Shame seeps into my skin. It’s a cold, vile feeling, and I almost turn away from them. I don’t need to see Caleb with another girl who I used to like. Yet, I’m transfixed on her hand.

And then she’s breaking away from the crowd, and murmurs chase her.

“Margo!” She has an accent.

I’d forgotten about that—or maybe it’s more pronounced now that she’s older.

“Welcome home.”

I smile. I hadn’t thought to ask about her, and now I’m unprepared for the warmth in her eyes.

“I should say that to you,” I answer.

She waves me off. “Nonsense. I’m just glad that you’re back. Have you been reintroduced? You’ve seen Sav…” Her perfectly sculpted eyebrow rises. “Oh, that isn’t a happy face on our dear friend.”

I follow her gaze to where Savannah looks like she’s bitten into a lemon. Amelie leads me over to her, throwing her arm around Savannah’s shoulders.

“Our friend is back,” Amelie tells her. “We’re welcoming her with open arms.”

That’s a decree from a queen if I’ve ever heard one.

“And you remember Caleb.” She drags me over to him. “My boyfriend.”

My whole world screeches to a halt.

I stare at her, unable to even look at him. His gaze is on me for the first time in a week, and my skin itches.

“What?”

“Darling, we’ve been dating since junior year,” she says, laughing. She flips her hair back and leans in close. “Sure, you may have had him first… and Sav got her pound of flesh. But he’s not yours anymore.”

I swallow. “Interesting. I wouldn’t have expected—”

She smiles. “The bell is about to ring. You know the way?”

“To—”

She drops my arm. “Let’s go, Caleb. We’re going to be late.”

The bell rings, and I flinch. Everything about the past five minutes has been… fake.

My stomach twists when he offers his arm to her again, leading her away. The courtyard empties in seconds, as soon as the doors are swung open to admit them.

Long ago, I thought Caleb and I would have a happy ever after. Clearly… I was so wrong.

Riley finds me in the same spot Amelie left me. Seconds or minutes later, I can’t tell.

“That was the most cunning and brutal thing I’ve ever witnessed,” she says.

I swallow shards of glass. Pretty sure my insides are all hollowed out. “Yeah.”

“Do you want to skip?”

I shake my head. “I really wish we had classes together,” I mumble. “I shouldn’t skip. I should go in there with my head held high…”