She doesn’t have to worry about the fangirls. Levi never looked at anyone the way he looks at her.

The look of a king to his queen.

The look I thought Aiden was about to give me last night.

“I know how hot-headed those with the King last name can be.” Astrid takes my hand in hers. “But they can have a big heart.”

That only includes Levi.

Aiden doesn’t have a heart.

I can be a naive fool and try to find it, but it’s full of wires in there.

I’ve already wounded myself enough, I can’t do it all over again.

“Well, Aiden is negotiable.” She winks. “But he’s been so different since you started to spend time with him.”

“Different how?”

“He smiles more and he appears a tad more human. Not to mention that he’s preparing freaking breakfast! You’re a miracle maker.”

We both laugh at that.

“Astrid, may I ask you something?”

“Any time.”

“How were you able to reach Levi?” Not that the cousins are the same, but they share similar traits.

“Reach him?”

“How did he open up to you and showed you his true self?” My head hangs. “I can’t even scratch the surface with Aiden no matter what I do.”

She appears thoughtful for a while. “I didn’t do anything special.”

“N-nothing at all?”

“I only showed him my true self and in response, he showed me his. Remember the yin and yang I mentioned earlier? It’s exactly like that. You take as much as you give. You can’t close off and expect him to bare his soul.”

“But I’m not closed off.”

“Maybe not consciously, but subconsciously?” She throws her hands in the air. “I’m not that good at psychology rubbish, but all I’m saying is, if you show your genuine self, then Aiden will be compelled to show himself, too.”

“What if he doesn’t?”

“Then the fucker doesn’t deserve you.” She laughs. “But seriously. You’re wrong about thinking that you can’t scratch the surface with him. I believe you’re already deep inside him, you just don’t know it yet.”

I don’t think so.

“Frozen!” Levi peeks his head inside, wearing a grin that appears so much like Aiden’s when he’s genuine — which is rare as hell.

“Her name is Elsa,” Astrid scolds.

“Frozen is a term of endearment, princess.”

“Only to you.”

“Morning, Levi.” I wave at him.

“What’s your magic trick to have that dickhead make breakfast?”

“Being herself.” Astrid winks, and I can’t help the smile that breaks free.

We should meet more often. She’s one of the most real girls I’ve ever met.

Even though she’s the daughter of Lord Clifford, a renowned member of the House of Lords, she’s more down to earth than commoners.

“By the way,” Levi shouts in a voice loud enough to reach downstairs. “He cooks like shit.”

“You’re only salty because you don’t get to eat it.” Aiden’s voice comes from downstairs.

Astrid and I snort before we break into laughter.

“I’ll go help.” Astrid pats my arm again. “Come down when you’re ready.”

She stops at the doorway, stands on her tippy toes and places a kiss on Levi’s mouth, then escapes before he can clutch her.

My chest warms at the sight.

They’re really so compatible together. It makes me wonder about how rocky their relationship was last year.

“Are you coming?” Levi asks.

“Uh… yeah, sure.”

I remove my jacket and remain in my shirt. It’s too warm inside for a jacket.

Levi steps into the room as I place the jacket near the backpack.

“How is it with him?” he asks.

No idea how to answer that.

Good would be a lie. Bad would be a lie, too.

“It’s complicated,” I tell the truth.

“Well, he’s the complicated type.” Levi laughs. “You didn’t listen to my warning, so you reap what you sow.”

I face him. “Your warning?”

“At Ronan’s party, I told you that you should stay away from Aiden for your own sake, not his.”

Right. He did tell me that.

Does that mean Levi knows something about what happened to change Aiden into who he is?

Now, I have to ask without sounding too obvious.

“It’s not like I had a choice.” I shrug. “You know him better than anyone.”

“No one actually knows Aiden. We can only try.” He smiles a little. “But I’m glad you’re taking a chance on getting to know him, too.”

“A chance?”

“He’s not conventional.”

I nod once. Of course, Levi recognises Aiden’s true nature. They grew up together in the same house.

“This change happened somewhere in his childhood, right?”

He nods. “He was a quiet child by nature, but that incident changed everything.”

“You mean Alicia’s death.”

“Yes, that one was the icing on the cake, but it’s not —”

“Breakfast.”

Both Levi and I startle at Aiden’s voice. I was so focused on what Levi was saying that I didn’t notice him come in.

“How about you make a sound, you fucking creep?” Levi scoffs.

“How about you leave?” Aiden shoots back.

“Dream on.” He winks at me. “Come on. Let’s eat.”

I start to follow him out.

A strong hand clutches me by the arm and wrenches me back. “What the fuck were you talking about with Lev?”

His eyes are darkening by the second.

It’s then I notice that possessive streak. I don’t know if he overhead, but he seems more concerned about Levi more than anything.

“The usual. Arsenal and football.” I try to tease. “I can see who’s the talker in the family.”

“Elsa,” he growls in my ear. “Don’t push me. You know I go fucking crazy at the thought of you with another man.”

“Levi included?”

“Every last fucking one of them.”

He’s incurable.

And because I don’t want to antagonise him more, I say, “Levi might be the talker in the family, but he’s not the king on my board.”

A charming smile tilts his lips, and I find myself staring at it longer than needed.

He threads his fingers in mine. “Good save.”

We walk down the hall when I ask, “Where did you go this morning?”

“To buy gluten-free grocery.” He grunts. “Let’s get this breakfast over with so they’ll leave.”

“Why do you not want me around them?”

“I don’t want you around anyone, sweetheart.” He chances a brief glance at me. “Especially my family.”

But why?

What’s so wrong with his family?

Levi was on the verge of saying that maybe it’s not only Alicia’s death that caused Aiden’s change.

If it’s not his mother, then what made him who he is today?