Page 16 of Vicious Desire (Fallen Royals 4)

Our first meet is next weekend, and maybe it’s just me, but I feel like we’re vastly unprepared. I keep telling myself it’s only Monday… there’s a full week of practices ahead of us…

But my pragmatism is showing.

Whatever. In the end, it’s a solo sport. There’s team scoring, but each point depends on the individual. We’re not tied together like lacrosse—

My lips twist.

Here we are, circling back around to Eli.

“I requested the day off,” Noah says. “For your meet. It’s at Lion’s Head, right?”

“Yeah.” I make a show of checking my watch. “And on that note, I need to go do homework. Yell when food arrives.”

He nods and lifts his phone.

There’s only so much sibling interaction we can manage before things start to crumble.

I lock myself in my room and take a deep breath.

Eli’s back in town. Mom’s lost touch with reality. Dad’s absent.

Everything is fine. What a way to kick off senior year, huh?

6

Eli

My first instinct was to go to Riley. The jig is up, anyway. I knew it the moment I stepped into the tattoo shop—even before then. I’m impressed with my self-control, because I stayed home.

Mom took the news better than expected, and she agreed with Dad about a job. Her eyes were already lit up, thinking of the great connections I could make working in a law office or something.

Dumb shit.

I’m not going to waste my year of freedom filing papers in an office.

“Dad gave me the week,” I told her. “I’ll find something.”

I have a few things in mind, but that can wait.

Today… today we’re on a mission.

I catch a ride with Dad into the city in the guise of applying for jobs in person. Instead, I hop in a taxi and head to Caleb’s apartment.

It’s still early. There’s fog again, but the sun already peeks through when I arrive. I can appreciate how hard Dad works—he gets to the office as the sun is rising and doesn’t head home until the evening. Plus an hour commute…

We had a little get-together here before Theo, Liam, and I went off to college—clearly it only stuck for those two. That was the first and last time I was at his place, but it’s fine: I remember the way.

I bang on their door.

Nothing.

My phone reads seven a.m., which I suppose is a bit early.

I hammer on the door harder, continuously.

It swings open mid-knock, and a scowling Margo glares up at me.

She really came into her own against Caleb’s siege. It was impressive, if a bit daunting. Her whole relationship—the beginning of it, anyway—brought back memories of Riley my sophomore year.