Shattered Legacy : A Dark Bully Romance (Gravestone Elite Book 1) by Caitlyn Dare (red seas under red skies TXT) 📕

Brook huffs and pouts beside me, but she doesn't say anything else, although something tells me that it won't be the last I hear from her.

She's clearly serious about getting Cade back. Fuck knows why anyone would want that conceited asshole, but she's more than welcome to him. And somehow, she's discovered my weakness. And while I might have just refused her offer to break up the not-so-happy couple, that doesn't mean I don't want to figure out a way to make it happen. I'd just rather not have to sell my soul to the female version of Cade fucking Kingsley to do it.

Thankfully, I manage to catch up with what I'd missed while Brook was spouting her crap at me, and by the time I walk out of the auditorium a couple of hours later, I've almost forgotten about the whole exchange. Almost.

Just like my journey here, I keep my head down and don't acknowledge anyone as I grab a coffee before my next class starts.

By some miracle, I manage to keep up my hiding in plain sight act for two whole days.

I come to the conclusion that I must be emitting some weird back-the-fuck-off aura, because even Alex gives me a wide birth, which is seriously unlike him.

It all comes crashing down, though, as I leave my economics class on Wednesday morning.

I'm the last one to pack up and leave. Even the professor has given up waiting for me and disappeared.

I'm just about to reach for the door when it swings open and I find myself locked in Mia's dark and angry hazel eyes.

She's been messaging me, trying to catch my attention in class, but I haven’t so much as looked her way. If I weren't so in tune with her then I might have missed it, but if we're in the same room together then I know everything. I'm aware the second she turns her eyes on me. I feel the tether that's between us pulling tight, begging me to turn her way and to make that connection with her that we both crave.

She takes a step toward me, looking up through her lashes. Her shoulders are tense and her lips are downturned.

"You're ignoring me," she states, dropping her purse to the floor with a thud as she continues to close the space between us.

Her scent fills my nose, and my resolve to put some distance between us begins to crumble.

"Did you have a good date on Sunday night?" I snarl.

"You know I didn't. I spent the entire time I was there wishing that I was with you. But there was little chance of that, seeing as you can't even respond to my messages." Anger comes off her in waves. "You told me you wanted me, Bex. That it was me and you. And then you just ran away."

"You lied to me," I seethe, my voice laced with anger and disappointment.

"What? When?"

I suck in a deep breath, trying not to lose myself in the memory of him backing her into her room and pushing his tongue into her mouth.

"I saw him, Mia,” I spit. “I know it wasn't Annabel at your door Saturday morning."

28

Mia

Bexley’s words ring in my ear.

He knows.

He knows.

“Bexley, I can explain.” My voice echoes around the now empty room.

“Explain how your mouth ended up on his?” he seethes.

“I’m his prosapia, I don’t exactly have a choice.”

“Fuck,” he hisses, jamming his fingers into his hair and tugging sharply. Then his defeated gaze settles on mine. “This was a mistake. I don’t think I can do this anymore.”

I suck in a ragged breath, his words lashing my insides.

“Y-you don’t want me?” My arms go around my waist as I try to hold myself together. I gave myself to him. I let myself believe his words.

You’re mine.

And now he’s throwing them back in my face like I’m nothing.

“It doesn’t matter what I want,” he says coldly. “Like you said, you’re Kingsley’s prosapia. Soon enough you’ll be his fiancée. And I’ll be one of his lapdogs. This,” he motions between us, “us. It can never work.”

“So that’s it, huh?” I swallow the ball of emotion in my throat. “You’re just going to walk away?”

My body begins trembling as my chest cracks wide open. I knew he might have been having second thoughts, but I didn’t think he’d break my heart quite so brutally.

“I’m not the guy for you, Mia.” He glances away, and I know we’re done here.

Bexley is choosing—and he’s choosing the coward’s way out.

Well fuck him.

Fuck him and Cade and the Electi.

Fuck them all.

If Bexley won’t help me figure this out, I’ll do it myself. Because I refuse to stay in this situation and just let Cade ruin me. Which is exactly what I know he’ll do. He’s just biding his time, toying with me until the day he can finally make me his in all the ways he wants.

“You know, I really thought you were better than him. I thought you were trustworthy.” I slam my hands against his chest. “I thought you’d keep my heart safe. Guess I should have known you’d fuck off as soon as you got what you wanted,” I shriek, aware that if anyone passes the room they’ll hear me. But I don’t care. In this minute, all I care about is letting Bexley know just how deeply he’s betrayed me.

I storm away, but Bexley grabs my wrist and yanks me back. My eyes snap to where he’s roughly grasping me and then flick to his dark gaze.

“I suggest you get your hands off me.” My voice is a low growl as I wrench myself free and stagger back.

“What did you say about me?” He sneers.

“You heard me. You’re a coward. You’re—"

“Not that. The bit about me being like him. I am nothing like that fucker.” Bexley’s eyes spark with contempt, sending shivers skating down my spine.

“Keep telling yourself that.”

“That’s rich, coming from you. Or did you forget that his fingers have been inside your pussy?”

My