Free Foretell by Belle Malory

trunk, and linked her arm through mine. She pulled me along with her down the path and patted my hand. “Don’t fret, my little feminist. Just because Rex is carrying your bag, it doesn’t give him any power over you. It just saves your shoulder from soreness, that’s all.”
    Gabe snorted up ahead.
    I angled a brow at Lola, as if to say, It ’s still super annoying , but the moment lost its seriousness. I eventually cracked a smile. “Well, in that case, if the guy is going to be chivalrous, he could try being nice while he’s at it. And polite. Maybe a little sensitive too. Basically, he just needs to learn some manners and proper social etiquette.”
    Lola nodded empathetically. “I completely agree with you.”
    “Why is he like that anyway?” I’d blurted out the question without thinking. As soon as I said it, I regretted asking. Lola seemed mildly surprised that I’d asked. Even Gabe paused to look back at Lola, giving her that look that questioned whether or not they should say anything.
    “Never mind,” I said. “I don’t think I want to know.”
    Lola stared ahead as if she were lost in thought. “I can’t remember everything. Some of the details are a little foggy, but I think you should know. Your curiosity makes sense. You are stuck with him, after all.”
    I groaned at her reminder.
    “I believe it had to do with a girl,” she began.
    “Well I could’ve told you that. There were tons of pictures of some blonde chick in his portfolio.”
    Lola gaped at me, clearly shocked. “You looked through his portfolio?”
    The heat of embarrassment rose to my cheeks. Apparently I was sticking all kinds of shoes in my mouth tonight. “It was left out on the seat,” I said, trying to sound innocent. “I didn’t know what it was.”
    “Did he catch you?”
    I nodded, shamefaced.
    To my surprise, Lola laughed. “He must’ve been livid.”
    “He was,” I admitted, uncomfortably.
    “I’ve never even dared to look in his portfolio,” she said. “His art has always been very private.”
    “Not always,” Gabe said from up ahead.
    “Eavesdropping much?” Lola asked. She was still annoyed with him for tying her up on the train. Gabe flashed a grin at her. Then he walked ahead a few more paces, respectfully leaving us with a measure of privacy.
    “He used to show his work,” Lola explained. “But that was a long time ago. Back in his happier, carefree days.”
    “What did the girl do to him?” I asked. “She must’ve really hurt him, being that he’s changed so drastically because of it.”
    “Well, she had a lot to do with it. But his shift in attitude wasn’t entirely her fault. I personally believe the Constantin’s decision to abandon the Royal Courts had a greater impact on Rex’s attitude.”
    “The Royal Courts?”
    “The five royal families. Well, there’s only four now, if you exclude the Constantins. There’s the Bonjaras, Gabors, Dandolins and the Lüceanus. Anyway, the Constantins abandoned the courts and their people completely, which was no small thing. Within the gypsy tribes, abandonment is a huge disgrace.”
    “So why did the Constantins leave?”
    “For many reasons. It was hundreds of years ago when it happened. Times were different then. Many of the Royals were corrupt, immoral and greedy. There were constant power struggles. And like Gabe told you earlier, his mother was murdered by one of the former kings. For the Constantins, that crossed the line. They chose abandonment shortly after.
    “It had been really hard on Rex. He’d embraced a sort of fellowship with the other Royals. Their betrayal was a shock to him.”
    “I don’t blame him. That’s horrible,” I said. “So they’re no longer travelers?”
    “They still travel every now and then. They just don’t live on the road with a tribe anymore.”
    I thought about what Lola told me. Losing the life one was born into would be difficult. I knew a little about that. My life was never the same