The Heir

Chapter 28

I know Ryan said he'd talk to Duke but I simply cannot wait. Besides, I know I'll be able to get through to him much easier than my brute of a best friend.

I barely slept last night, I just can't get my brain to shut off. It's a nonstop cycle of what ifs. What if Duke actually believes Enzo? What if he's already told his friends? What if this spreads across campus like wildfire; deadly and uncontrollable? What if someone retaliates? What if someone offers me up like a lamb to slaughter?

The second Hannah's clock hit 7, I climbed out of bed. I didn't even bother to get ready, I just tossed on my robe and slippers and stomped into the hall. Duke's room is nearly on the other side of the floor and I make my way over quickly. He should be up by now, he has practice in a half hour.

I pound my fist on his door. After a beat, the door swings open to reveal his roommate. He rubs his eye as if I woke him, still donning pajamas.

"What's up, princess?" he groggily asks.

"Where's Duke?" I demand an answer.

"Shower," he grumbles. "That it?"

I nod and turn on my heel. I head straight for the boys bathroom. Yeah, I could probably get in trouble for doing something like this but let's be real; me busting into the boys room is probably a fantasy most of them have only dreamt of.

It's steamy and smells like overlapping cologne. There's a few boys brushing their teeth at the sink but they freeze once I enter. I disregard their presence entirely and continue through the tiled room. There's music playing the closer I get to the showers until I can hear a few boys singing way off key.

"Duke!"

The singing stops. So does the joking and laughing. I listen as one of the showers turns off, folding my arms over my chest. The curtain pulls back to reveal a naked and dripping wet Duke. I'm not going to lie, he's got the body of a professional athlete, but that's not why I'm here.

"Princess," he smirks, grabbing a towel. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

I glance at the other boys fresh out of the shower. They're dead silent, watching me. I finally look Duke in the eye again.

"We need to talk."

"Came all the way into the boys room just to talk?" Duke strides closer, shaking out his hair. "I find that hard to believe."

"Duke," I sigh.

"You just wanted to see me naked, huh?" he smirks, now towering above me. The water from his hair drips onto the strip of skin my robe doesn't cover. "You didn't have to go through all this trouble for that."

"Guess you're not interested in the alone time you're always begging for," I shrug. I turn to leave and he laughs, grabbing my wrist. I have to bite back a self satisfied grin because Christ is it easy to play this guy. I face him with raised brows.

"Let me get my stuff," he gestures to the cubbies against the wall. I nod once and he releases me.

I let my gaze scan over the room as he grabs his pajamas and shower stuff. Those who aren't showering are just staring. A few whisper to one another but their eyes stay fixed on me. Let them add this to their spank bank; me in the shortest and thinnest robe I own in the steamed up boys bathroom.

"C'mon," Duke wraps his free arm around my shoulders and urges me into the hall.

"What did you want to talk about, princess?" Duke asks as we head towards his room.

"Privacy is needed," I say quietly. He looks at me with an amused smirk before opening the door to his room.

It's surprisingly clean, nothing out of place, and his roommate is nowhere to be found. I hop up onto Duke's bed as he locks the door. He pulls out his desk chair and sits in front of me, still only in a towel.