Black Knight (Royal Elite, #4)

by Rina Kent

He’s wrong. Xan and I will never change. I’ll always be his Green and he’ll always be my knight.

“Green…” He sniffles in my neck. “Promise you’ll never leave me.” “Never. You’re my knight, remember?” He nods. “From today onwards, we’re one.” “We’re one.”

After retrieving the paper, I unfold it discreetly. It’s a scribble in Ronan’s messy handwriting with a smiley emoji at the top. ‘Give the world a middle finger with a smile.’

I know Kimberly’s fake smiles. I’ve learnt them. I have them engraved in a dark corner

in my heart, the one with her name written all over it.

He’s the type of king who’ll start wars for his queen. As scary as Aiden is, I love the way he looks at Elsa, the way his brows soften under his hard face, the way he tells her without words that he’s hers as much as she’s his. I’ve been watching them since they began, and I fell in love with them together worse than a fangirl falling for fictional heroes in romance novels. The fangirl is me, by the way. I have more book boyfriends than I can count. Don’t judge.

Xander: Remember when you promised you’d never leave me? My fingers tremble as I read and re-read the message. Before I can fathom a reply, another text comes. Xander: I free you of that promise.

“Like how much I hate you. I don’t. Or how much you’re nothing. You aren’t. Or how I can live without you. I can’t.”

“What others?” He brushes his lips against mine. “You’re my first, Green.”

“You still love hugs, Xan?” “Only from you, Green.”

Physical abuse is nothing compared to the scars she’s left in my soul, scars it will take me a long time to heal.

But I’ll get there. I’ll build back my life, and she won’t be a part of it.

Now, there’s a new me, and it’s no thanks to her.

And with pain comes release. With pain comes freedom. I’ve never felt freer than when I’m held down by him.

He’s slowly but surely taking away my pain, and I’ll also take his.

The universe doesn't matter, Green, you do. Then. Now. Always.