“I didn’t… no, I did, I definitely did.”
“Is that all? He feels angrier than that.”
I cut a glare at Kris before he can say anything. My brother lifts his hands. “I saw nothing.”
Iris pokes my chest. “What. Did you.Do?”
“Nothing.” I grab her wrist and drop my voice so low I’m not sure she’ll hear me. “I didabsolutely nothing,and that feels likeeverything,and I don’t know what todo,Iris. I needed you to keep me away from him, goddamn it—”
Her eyebrows bend. “Oh my god, Coal. You’ve got itbad.”
“You need to talk to him,” Kris says. “Clear this up.”
“Talking to him doesn’t tend to go well.”
“Figure it out.” Kris bumps my shoulder. “It’s a long month. You can’t avoid him. The palace isn’tthatbig, and this tension is gonna get old fast.”
The strain on my face is a full-on conversation with no words spoken.
Oh, THIS tension is gonna get old? What about the tension between you and Iris, HMMMM? What about THAT tension, that we’ve been living with for YEARS, brother of mine?
Kris ducks his head, swirling the beer around his wine glass in silent surrender.
But honestly. He’s right. This month will be hard enough on all of us without me making every interaction worse.
I drop my head into my hands. Then quickly realize how that looks to everyone else around and sit up, but I hate that too, I can’t properly freak out in my ownhomebecause lord forbid someone mightsee.
Hex is at the table, eyeing the food, an empty plate in his hands.
I surge to my feet.
Pause.
Then lean over Kris like I’m going to whisper something to him, and at the last second, I go, “Ball tag,” and hit him in the groin.
“Shit—” He rocks forward with a suppressed groan.
I walk away, my steps a little lighter, as Iris sighs defeatedly and mutters something about not knowing why she’s even friends with two idiot white boys.
I refocus on Hex, and I know he feels my gaze on him because he turns to me seconds before I stop next to him.
“Prince Nicholas,” he says.
“Coal,” I correct.
His lips twitch. “Coal.”
“Can we talk?”
“Aren’t we?”
“Not here.”
“In… private?” Hex pushes his chin over my shoulder, at the guy fromChristmas Inquirer.
Ah. Yeah. Iris’s two supposed suitors sneaking off to talk? It was headline-grabbing enough that we were in a sleigh together; this is downrightscandalous.
I look around. “Four rows back. By the window. In five minutes? We can stagger.”
