The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 286

I laughed. Then I laughed harder, the sound ripping out of me like it had been trapped for months. Years. Hell, my whole life.

Before I knew it, I was letting out a wild, unbridled yell of joy.

“Yeah!” I shouted into the wind. “Faster!”

Zane glanced back at me, grinning, and obliged.

By the time we pulled up to a small diner on the edge of town, I was breathless and grinning like an idiot. Zane killed the engine and helped me off the bike. My legs trembled beneath me, but not in a bad way.

“So?” he asked, pulling off his helmet. “What’d you think?”

“That was…” I shook my head, letting my hair loose from the helmet. “That was way more fun than I expected.”

“Told you.” He slung his arm around my shoulders and steered me toward the diner. “Come on. I’m starving.”

The diner was cozy and warm, with red vinyl booths and a jukebox in the corner playing some old rock music. We slid into a booth near the window, and a waitress in a retro blue uniform came over to take our order.

Once our food came, we got to talking. We shared a plate of cheesy fries and an enormous milkshake with two straws. I dunked one of the fries into the chocolate and stuffed it into my mouth, leaning back in my seat.

“So,” I said, chewing slowly, “you said your parents want you to find a mate.”

“Ugh, Liora… I don’t wanna talk about this.”

“Hey, if you’re gonna use me as your fake girlfriend, I deserve to at least know the truth.” I tilted my head. “Why not just find a real girlfriend? What’s so wrong with that?” I gestured around us. “It’s not like you don’t know how to show a woman a good time. Most girls I know would love to do this with you, but you don’t do anything beyond hooking up.”

Zane hesitated for a long moment, staring at the fries between us. Finally, he sighed.

“My parents fought constantly when I was growing up,” he said. “Like, screaming matches every single night. Throwing shit, slamming doors, the whole deal. I used to hide in my room and put pillows over my ears just to drown it out.”

My chest tightened, but I didn’t interrupt.

“I thought that was what marriage was supposed to be like. Just two people who hated each other but were stuck together anyway.” He looked out the window. “So I figured, why bother? Why get close to someone if it’s just gonna end in heartbreak?”

“So you push people away before they can hurt you?” I asked.

“Bingo.” He pointed at me. “It’s easier to hook up and move on than it is to actually… feel something. You know?”

I did know. More than he probably realized.

Zane nodded. “Good. She deserves that much.”

“Yeah. She does.”

After that, we finished eating and climbed back onto the motorcycle. The ride back to campus was quieter, and Zane didn’t speed so much. I rested my head against Zane’s back and watched the stars overhead, enjoying the feeling of the wind against my jacket.

When we pulled up to the dorm, I climbed off the bike and handed him the helmet.

“Thanks,” I said. “For tonight. I really needed it.”

“Anytime, Princess.” He winked. “See you tomorrow for our study session?”

“Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

I waved goodbye, then turned and headed inside. My stomach was doing nervous flips as I climbed the stairs to the dorm. I had no idea how Mia was going to react when I told her the truth, but I couldn’t keep lying to her. Not anymore.

But it didn’t matter, anyway. Because when I entered our room, she wasn’t there.