Queen Regnant ( Ace of Queens #3)

Ch.24 Bad Habit

Chapter 24

"Mavi," Owen said breathlessly as his eyes took her in. She was even better then his imagination.

Had her eyes always been that intense gray? Her cheekbones were definitely more prominent. Did she lose weight? Her hair was longer....

Owen took a step towards her as Edna's eyes bounced back and forth between them.

Slowly, as Owen neared her, Mavi froze. The hurt and the pain she had been holding back for the past two months came crashing down on her like a space shuttle. She wanted to run into his arms and feel his warmth and inhale his scent of fresh sheets and soap, but she couldn't bare to do it. He had hurt her just as much as anyone else had.

"I want to go home." Mavi said suddenly. Her clipped tone and cold expression made Owen halt in his track.

"How did you get here?" Owen quizzed.

"Eg.... Exton just abandoned me here," Mavi said. "Something about my family cutting me off. I don't care. I don't want to be here. I want to go home. Now."

Owen's eyes moved over her face. He couldn't help the smile that pulled across his lips at her stubborn expression.

Mavi's eyes landed on his dimple and she grew angrier, "Are you laughing at me?"

"No!" Owen tried to hide his chuckle. "Absolutely not."

"Call my dad!" Mavi demanded. "He's not opening his mind-link....no one is. Call my mom. I want to go home."

"Mavi, calm down," Owen held out his hands as if he was approaching a wounded animal.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" Mavi narrowed her eyes at Owen. "I am calm. This is me calm. Do as I say or I will go batshit crazy."

"Okay, okay," Owen tried to negotiate. "I'll call the palace. Here put this on."

Mavi looked down at the navy blue cable knit sweater he held out for her.

"Why do I have to wear that?" She asked.

Owen's mouth twitched, "I can't take you home to my mother dressed like that."

Mavi looked down at her appearance. Her own mother wouldn't even approve of her outfit.

"Also, it's freezing outside," Owen pushed. "I don't want you to catch a cold."

Mavi knew the stubborn genes in her were having the time of their life. She wanted to tell Owen off and storm out into the snow without his stupid sweater. But the rational side of her looked out at the piles of snow outside and shivered.

Owen waited patiently as he watched Mavi debate on her own. Edna raised her brow at Owen to ask if this girl was insane. Owen gave her a polite smile.

A few seconds later, Mavi snatched the sweater from Owen's hands and pulled it over her head. She hated how it smelled just like the blazer in her room.

As she lifted her hair out and pulled the sweater down, she found Owen watching her.

"What?" She snapped.

"That's not going to be enough," Owen said as he began to remove his coat. Before Mavi could protest, he stepped in front of her and draped the coat over her shoulder.

"There," he said as he bundled her up. "Now, shall we head home?"

Mavi didn't speak. She nodded her head as she set her lips tight together. Owen thanked Edna for her help and guided Mavi out of the cafe. With one hand on her lower back, he guided her carefully through the salted sidewalks and into his black jeep.