That was me.
I said that.
His name is Reign.
I know that name. I know who Reign is.
Iknow.
I snap my eyes up to him and again, I find him already staring at me. He completes his name for me. “Davidson. That’s me. Probably not for long though. Since my dad wants to see me.”
“This is…”
Again, he finishes the sentence for me. “My party, yeah. Well, my brother’s.”
I swallow, horrified, blushing. “I… I didn’t…”
His eyes, so unique and interesting and still on fire, roam over my features. “Yeah, not helping, Bubblegum.”
“W-what?”
“If you don’t want me to call you Bubblegum, then you should stop being so pink.”
Before I can say something else, the guard speaks. “Let’s go, kid. I don’t have all day.”
The guy —Reign— doesn’t move though.
He keeps staring at me. “Tell me your name.”
“Echo.”
Something moves over his features then.
Something like… relief mixed in with a mysterious emotion.
Whatever it is, it makes my breaths choppy. It makes me feel relief too.
That I said it. I told him.
Which is weird because I didn’t want to.
“Echo.”
I nod and now that I’ve told him my name, the rest of my story comes out. “Adler. Echo Adler. I… My parents work for your parents. They just started. M-my mom’s on the cooking staff and my dad’s the groundskeeper. I live —”
My words come to a jerking halt when the man steps forward and in a shocking display of aggression, grabs hold of Reign’s arm.
“Hey, what the hell?” I go, all loudly and angrily. “Let him go.”
The guard throws me a dismissive look before he jerks on Reign’s arms and begins to drag him away.
I open my mouth to protest again but Reign doesn’t let me. “Where do you live?”
Swallowing, I answer, “In the carriage house. Right across from… your mansion. Are you…”
“Am I what?”
I watch him move further and further away, his arm still in the grip of the man. And it’s a strong grip too. It must be hurting him. It has to be.