13

I briefly close my eyes against that haunting voice from the past. When I open them again, the eerie voice disappears but Aiden’s steel expression remains. Damn him and how easily he can poke open that part of me. I kept it buried for more than ten years, but he’s slowly letting it loose in a matter of two days. “Maybe I can.” My voice sounds a lot calmer than I feel. “What do you even know about me?” “A lot more than you think.” He squeezes my jaw so hard, I wince. “I swear to God, either let me go or —” “Or what?” His features spark with the promise of a challenge. “You can’t do fuck to me. Let me put it this way, if I murder you, Coach will burn the corpse and the principal will scatter the remains. If I commit a crime, the school board will flip it around so it seems as if I’m the victim. You might have your head in the sand like little miss Ostrich, so here’s a quick reminder, I’m king here.” His words sting because they’re true. As long as he has the King’s name, his father doesn