The Queen by Jennifer L. Armentrout

My eyes opened as my lips pursed. I couldn’t say that I was shocked
that Caden knew exactly where I was.
“And here you are, acting like nothing’s going on when the
motherfucking King of the Summer Court is in love with you.” He tapped
my arm again. “I know you like him. You like him a lot, and you were hurt
when he pushed you away.”
“Things have…they’ve changed. I’ve been through a lot,” I said,
hating that I was using what’d happened to me as an excuse.
“Bri, you’ve been through a lot. But, girl, you’d already been through
a lot. You’re a fighter. You’re a survivor,” he said, and my gaze lifted to
his. “What you’ve gone through is terrible. But I don’t think it sucked out
your ability to love and the ability to recognize the feeling. Or your
common sense.”
“My common sense?”
“Yes. Your common sense seems to have taken a vacation,” he said,
and my brows lifted. “You have the love and devotion of a King. Granted,
he’s not human, but who in their right mind would swipe left on him?”
“That’s the problem, Tink. He’s the King.”
“So? That should fall under the pro category,” he reasoned.
I stared at him. “Do you know what will happen if he doesn’t choose
a Queen from his people? I know you do. That’s why you got all quiet and
weird after you saw him kiss me. That’s why you tried to get me to
understand that he had reasons for pushing me away.”
“You’re right, but he still chose you. He chose you over his Court,
over—”
“And you know what that means.” I couldn’t hear how he chose me.
That wasn’t helping. “You know what will happen.”
“Is that why you’re saying things are different now?”
“Why else would I say it?” I admitted, shoulders slumping.
His gaze roamed over me, and his chest rose with a heavy breath.
“You love him, right?”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“It’s the only thing that matters,” he responded. “Despite what and
who he is, you still fell in love with him. Is that not true?”
I wanted to be able to say no, and maybe that would be the right thing
to do. I needed to get better at saying it because perhaps then I’d believe it.