Kings of Linwood Academy - The Complete Box Set: A Dark High School Romance Series Callie Rose (i read a book TXT) 📖

I consider stepping out into the hall, but it’s risky. If either Samuel or Audrey decided to storm out in a fit, they could easily catch sight of me standing there. The hallway is long, but there are no nooks or crannies to hide in.

A sudden idea strikes me, and as the angry voices continue, I slip through the side door of my bedroom into the laundry room. It’s dark, unused for the moment since Bri’s entire focus is on final preparations for the party in a few hours. I close the door behind me and then creep over to the door that leads to the hallway, pulling it halfway open when I reach it.

Better.

With fewer walls between me and the fighting couple, I can make out not just the volume and tone, but more of the words being spoken too. Pressing my back to the wall just to the side of the doorframe, I close my eyes, focusing all my attention on the sounds coming to my ears.

“…was I supposed to do? Huh?”

Mr. Black’s voice sounds completely different than normal, deeper and harder. Audrey responds in a scathing tone, but her voice is higher pitched and quieter than his, and I can’t pick out any of the individual words.

Whatever she says only makes her husband more furious though, and he’s practically shouting as he responds. It sounds like he’s moving around, pacing maybe, because the words go in and out of clarity.

“Maybe if you didn’t… …in my own goddamn house! You think it makes me feel like a man to… …my own wife?”

Goddammit. I wish I could stand right outside their fucking room with my ear to the door. I’m trying to piece together meaning from the bits I’m hearing, but it’s hard without context.

“…if I could trust you!” Audrey shrieks, and then there’s a heavy thud.

My heart jumps into my throat, beating so hard and fast it’s impossible to swallow. For a second, I’m certain that he hit her, or that she hit him. But then there’s another thud, and a shattering sound, and I realize it’s from objects being thrown against a wall.

Samuel says something to her, his voice softer, a little less angry. But it doesn’t work. Something else shatters against the wall.

“You never loved me like you loved her!” she screams, and I’m suddenly extremely glad I hid in the laundry room, because the sound of the master bedroom door being yanked open and slammed shut makes me jump in surprise. If I’d been standing out in the hall, I would’ve been caught pants-down for sure.

My heart is pounding against my ribs with such force that it’s starting to drown out all other noises. Keeping myself pressed tightly to the wall, I focus on taking deep, slow breaths as I listen. Audrey storms down the stairs, her shoes tapping out a discordant rhythm on the steps.

A few minutes later, I hear Mr. Black leave the bedroom and go downstairs too. He must catch Bri as she’s passing through the foyer, because I hear him explaining to her that there’s a bit of a mess that needs cleaning up. His tone is back to its usual pleasant friendliness, and if I hadn’t just heard the screaming match, I might believe that he’d just accidentally knocked a vase off a shelf or something, instead of dodging objects thrown by his wife.

What the fuck was that about?

I rub at my chest, trying to convince my heart it can calm down now, but it doesn’t believe the lie. My fight or flight instinct is still ramped up high, and when I hear Mr. Black’s footsteps on the stairs again, I dart back into my room, closing the door behind me as softly as I can.

Then I collapse on the bed, staring up at the ceiling and replaying what I heard over and over again in my mind, trying to fill in the blanks with my best guesses.

One thing I know for sure. They were arguing about another woman. A woman Samuel loved more than his wife.

But was it Iris?

Or someone else?

13

The weirdest fucking part of the whole thing is that shortly after seven o’clock, Samuel and Audrey Black parade down the stairs looking like they’re the world’s happiest, most loving power-couple.

Lincoln came by my room at 6:30 dressed in a sleek, tailored tux, which I barely resisted ripping off his body. His room is farther away from the master suite than mine is, so I don’t know if he heard his parents’ blowup earlier. I want to ask him about it, but I decide to wait until we have more time to talk.

It’s as he’s leaving my room, stealing a few more kisses on his way out while I brush his disheveled hair back into place with my fingers, that we see his parents emerge from their suite arm-in-arm. Audrey’s got on a stunning dress made of gauzy plum-colored fabric with a high waist and what are probably real diamonds encrusting the bodice.

Mr. Black glances over and catches sight of me and Linc, and an indulgent smile crosses his lips, like it does his heart good to see young love or something.

My hands clench involuntarily, and Lincoln must feel it, because he takes both my hands in his, bringing my knuckles to his lips. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” I swallow. “Have fun at the party.”

“You know I won’t.” He chuckles dryly.

I roll my eyes, and he steals one more kiss before walking over to join his parents at the head of the stairs. Tugging my bottom lip between my teeth, I absorb the taste of him as I watch the three of them descend like royalty to greet the waiting guests.

That’s the second time he’s kissed me in front of his dad, although I guess now that the cat’s out of the bag, the number of times doesn’t really matter. But it’s the first time he’s ever done it in front of