“I knew we’d break them,” Duke says, slapping fives with Baron.
“Who told you that?” Royal asks, his intense, dark eyes fixed on me.
Blood rushes in my head, but I keep my voice even. “Colt.”
“When?”
“This morning,” I say.
“You gave him your phone number?” Royal asks, his eyes darkening even further.
“Yes.” I resist the urge to add more, to say that we have a project together or something else to excuse it.
“Why would you do that?” Royal asks, his hand clenched on the bar. I should have known he’d be the hardest to convince, the one who wouldn’t let me off easy. He never has.
“Because I like him,” I say. “And he likes me. He asked me to Homecoming tonight, and I said yes.”
“This better be a fucking joke,” King says.
“It’s not,” I say, now making shit up on the fly. “In fact, that’s where I really went last night. I went to get a dress.”
The vein in the side of Royal’s temple is throbbing so hard I can see it. Duke looks like his head’s about to explode, and Baron is just gaping in utter confusion.
“You’re not going to that dance with a Darling,” King says, his face reddening and his eyes blazing with anger.
“I know you hate them,” I say, holding up both hands. “And if you say I can’t go, then I won’t. But before you decide that, I want you to hear me out. Okay?”
Royal slams his fist down on the counter. “Fuck. No.”
“Come on,” I say, rolling my eyes. “I said I wouldn’t go if you didn’t want me to, even though I really want to.”
“Have you been sneaking around with him?” King asks.
“No,” I snap. “I wouldn’t do that. We’ve never even kissed.”
“You better not have,” Duke says.
“Give me a fucking break,” I say, my own anger rising. “The four of you have fucked more girls than there are in this entire town, and I can’t even think about kissing a boy? I can’t have a crush, or buy a pretty dress and go to a dance like every other girl in this country? That’s bullshit, and you fucking know it.”
“You’ve been to a dance,” Royal says quietly.
“With some lame-ass friend of yours who wouldn’t even dance with me because he was afraid you’d kick his ass if he touched my hip,” I say. “You guys are my brothers, and I love you, but I’m not five years old. I’m sixteen, and my body doesn’t belong to you.”
“You already fucked him, didn’t you?” Duke asks.
I resist the urge to throw my orange juice in his face. “No, but if I did, it would be none of your business,” I snap. “I’m old enough to date, and Colt’s nice. If you’d give him a chance, you’d know that.”
“You really like him, don’t you?” Royal asks, staring at me like I’m a stranger.
“He’s funny, and he makes me happy,” I say, lifting my chin and refusing to back down, even though the look my twin’s giving me crushes my soul. “Besides that, he’s going to call off his cousins so they don’t get back at you for destroying Devlin’s car, which by the way can’t be replaced at the dealership like the Range Rover. This stupid out-pranking each other thing isn’t funny anymore. You could have killed Colt.”
“I wish I had,” Royal growls, glowering at me.
“And in return for him doing that,” I say. “You’re going to drop the charges against him.”
“Like hell,” Royal says, touching his bruised face.
“And he won’t press charges against you for attempted murder,” I say, giving him a hard look.