The Little Dove #2 ✔️

43. Mad World

Just wanted to shoutout to everyone who got The Lone Dove to number one as a 'Royal', and thank you all so much for helping me reach this target. Hope you all enjoy this chapter!
Thank you so much!

CHAPTER 43: Mad World

The ride was silent as Edmund has one hand on the wheel of his SUV and the other resting on the console. My bags and belongings were in the boot as we leave the academy, with the others behind us, including my brother, who was still reluctant to follow him. I sigh quietly, resting my elbow on the sill of the tinted passenger window, Edmund stares straight ahead. I cross one leg over the other, he sighs, "You know that I never meant to hurt you, lemon." He whispers.

I stare out the window, "You were protecting them." I murmur, he knew who I meant.

He glances over to me, I meet his eyes, pursing my lips, he does the same and turns back to the road, turning on the windshield wipers when the rain begins hounding on the glass at a sudden rate, he's silent, knowing I was right, I sigh in annoyance, "I lied too, perhaps I had seen it as protecting you, perhaps it wasn't, but you knew about most of what was happening to me. That's what hurts the most." I tell him.

He clenches his jaw, hand tightening on the wheel, "Are you talking about the fact you went to New York just to learn more about my past? You helped the others escape at the cost of learning everything I'd ever been through and you still ripped my heart out when you got back home." He mutters, changing gears harshly and accelerating.

I close my eyes and internally roll them, "Yes, I did. I bloody well knew you'd never tell me anything." I mutter.

He scoffs, "You really think in the time we've known each other that I'd want to confess everything of my miserable childhood, compared to yours. Don't think I don't know the kind of life you've had, Melanie. Loving parents, siblings-strength that I couldn't experience the same way." He says, eyes narrowed to stilts, eyebrows furrowed.

I huff, "Why are you comparing our lives, our past experiences? You told me that I'd look at you differently if I knew about your past, I didn't. I only...changed when I found out your team had a hand in Johnson's ploy to make me his next victim." I say, glancing over to his side, he stops at the intersection as more vehicles on the opposite side are given the green light.

He looks over to me, "I thought that if you knew about my life, you wouldn't want me in yours anymore, I didn't think neither you nor your family would want someone like me dating you." He says.

I give him a dirty look, "That's a coward's answer, given it would be my decision whether I wanted to continue dating you, under the determination of your past. I'm not pitying you, Edmund, I know you've had one greatly rough lifestyle, but you preposterously assume I would hate you because of it." I mutter.

He frowns and looks back to the windshield, "I didn't think you would hate me, I was certain you wouldn't want to be with me and whether it was because of my past, or what happened at the academy, it turned out to have the same damn result. You're not with me, are you?" He asks me.

I turn back to the windshield, "Why didn't you tell me about what Erik did? And, Iris? You stuck up for her even when I knew she was a part of it."

He shakes his head, patronisingly, "She was only a part of it because she fell in love with Forthright, who fell in love with you. I hated that, every turn he was with you." He mutters.

I huff, "I thought he was the bastard who hurt those girls, I thought he was the one after me. Hell, you were there when I infiltrated his office and made you look like a bloody King afterwards, only for you to accuse me of hurting Erik when you knew where I bloody well was in the first place." I growl at him.