Royal Prick(63)

“If I could go back and change things I would, damnit would I ever, Royal.” I wanted to believe the look of guilt and sincerity in Mark’s eyes, but I couldn’t help but wonder why he was gone for so long if he knew it was all a lie from the start. Why didn’t he fight harder for my mother? Why didn’t he just come home and tell her the truth?

“What happened between you and Mom then? Did you tell her it was a lie? Why didn’t you come back for us?” I questioned, a warning to my words. Let him lie to me. Let him, because then maybe it would be easier to look at Noelle every day and not hate the part she played in ruining my life. I knew how stupid it was to hate someone for something that they had no control over but still. If it hadn’t been for her, my parents would still be married. I would still have a family and maybe I wouldn’t have been so angry all my life.

Then you wouldn’t have her. A voice echoed loudly in my head.

He sighed, “There was no point, son. I had already ruined everything with that lie I believed, and by the time she moved on from the hate and anger she had toward me it was too late. We couldn’t rekindle anything, when there was nothing there to rekindle. The trust had already been ruined and without trust you have nothing.”

Tears pricked at me eyes, the fact that my very future was fucked up because of a woman like Viviana, because of someone like Noelle being brought into this world. My heart was being ripped open. Old wounds started to ooze blood, and I didn’t know if I could ever look at her the same way. If I could see her without hating her. If I could separate the two.

If Noelle knew… If she knew I would never be able to forgive her, and any chance at a future we ever had would be gone.

“I need to go.” I wiped at my eyes, not wanting to let Mark know how much the truth hurt me. I may be set free now that I know everything but going years upon years without an answer to anything killed me. Now I had my answer as to why things were this way.

It was all merely a lie. A tangled web of lies that could never be forgotten.

“I’m sorry, Royal.” I knew his apology was real, but I couldn’t accept it. He wasn’t sorry for what had happened, he was sorry that the truth was fine released.





Chapter Twenty-Two

-Noelle





One Tequila.

Two Tequila.

Three Tequila.

Floor.

That was my mantra as I downed shot after shot. I met Jordan at the Falls which was our usual spot. It was where we went to pregame or just to hang out and escape from the world around us. After a few shots were taken to unwind, we headed to the party. We didn’t know the guy that was having the party from school, but he let us in because he said it was hot as fuck that I put Sasha Master’s in her place.

I should’ve been outraged, or even humiliated that something like that was being remembered and spoken about by my peers, but I wasn’t. I felt a sense of pride.

I just laughed it off, heading straight for the bar that was lined with every color of liquor known to mankind. Which meant with the amount of alcohol that was already swimming in my veins that I didn’t move even an inch from this spot since we arrived. I was plastered. My body weighed down by the booze, but my mind was finally free from thoughts of Royal so it was a win win.

“Bitch!” Jordan hollered at me over the roar of the music that was blasting out of the speakers and into our ears.

“What the hell?” I questioned her. I didn’t even let my mom call me a bitch. I wasn’t sure how I felt about letting Jordan do it. Then again, I kind of was being a bitch today.

“Fuckboy keeps texting me. He wants to make sure you’re going to be with me all night.” Jordan smiled with mischief in her eyes. I knew that look. It meant that she was up to something that was probably going to get us in a shit ton of trouble.

In that case, Aye, Aye Captain.

“Did you tell him to get fucked?” A giggle erupted from my throat. I covered it with more liquid courage, downing the other shot I had just poured before Jordan swayed over toward me.

“No. I did bait him though. I asked him what he would do if you weren’t?” Such a tease Jordan was. I bet she had him climbing the walls of the house.

“Well I’m an adult so I can do whatever the fuck I want… And guess what?” I leaned into her. “He’s not here so I really can do whatever I want.” There was way too much excitement bubbling inside of me.

What could I possibly do in the time it took for him to find me? Probably nothing more than I was currently doing, since I haven’t even tried to get up and walk yet. That would be another struggle of my life.

“That’s just it. Echo…” She looked around the room to see if anyone was watching us.