Page 26 of Cruel Abandon (Fallen Royals 5)

“Sit down, Sky.”

I’m tempted to say no again, but the way he’s looking at me sends chills through me. We’ve always been hot and cold. Able to talk to each other or unable to even be in the same room together.

I blamed it on him, his fickleness, my one-time crush…

But maybe it’s me.

Maybe he couldn’t stand the fact that he remembered while I forgot.

And I can’t even fathom what the hell it was.

“Did we suffer together?” I ask quietly. “Or did you…”

He jerks his head to the side and exhales. “I won’t do this with you. We’ve gotten off track.”

“Off track?”

“I came here to tell you to stay away from Mitchel. And when he turns out to be a bigger asshole than me, you can’t say I didn’t warn you.”

I frown. “Warn me? You’re just trying to bully me away from someone who’s actually nice, for a change. Unlike every other guy at this school.”

“Every other guy, huh?”

“Yes. At the end of the day, you’re not special. You just sit on your make-believe throne with your friends and pull everyone else’s strings. I’m not a puppet, Liam.”

Amusement flickers over his expression, and he steps forward. “What would that make me? Your master?”

I scowl. “Definitely not.”

“I sort of like the sound of that.” His gaze is unnerving.

For the first time, I wish I wasn’t so tuned in to him. If I wasn’t, I might be able to block out the irrational side of my brain—the part that’s saying he’s here because he’s jealous, that he cares. That he secretly likes me.

Ha.

He’s possessive.

Infuriating.

And a dick.

Great combination.

Now, I finally follow his directions and sit on my bed. I do feel better once I’m seated, but the room is a bit tilted. “Let me just… get this straight.”

He lifts his chin, which I take as a sign to continue.

“You broke into my apartment again, snooped around my room, just to tell me to stay away from Mitch?”

“Maybe.”

I grimace. “Why else?”

He comes over and lifts my hair. “Do you miss the blonde?”

“Excuse me?”

“If you hadn’t leaked that video, if I didn’t force you into becoming someone else, would you have still dyed your hair?”