“It’s not about business, Cara.” My father smiles. “It’s about heart.”
“What if my heart isn’t in it?” I stop myself from speaking more, wanting to tell him the truth. I want to tell him my heart wants to sing. That I want to leave Argyle and find my own way in the world.
My father smiles softly and wraps me in a tight hug. “Let’s talk about it when you get back.”
When we pull apart, his eyes are misty. My father is a large man, and I’m not used to seeing him teary-eyed. He clears his throat and nods to the library door.
“Go. Don’t leave the Prince waiting.”
I slip out through the door as emotion tightens my throat. It’s not that I want to leave home—I have to. I’m compelled, like some hook has dug itself into my gut and is pulling me away. I need to see more of the world and discover things for myself.
I need to get away from the memory of Luca, and all the broken promises that he brought to me.
Will my father understand that, though?
Before I get to the front door, with my swimsuit on under my clothes and my bag slung over my shoulder, my mother appears in front of me.
She’s the exact opposite to my father. She’s thin and wiry, with sharp, green eyes. Her skin, contrary to my father’s, is pale and almost translucent. As always, her lips are painted bright red.
My mother isn’t a champion swimmer. She married my father when they were very young, and I think part of her resents the fact that Tristan Shoal is celebrated throughout the Kingdom while she’s only seen as his wife. Her family is part of the old aristocracy in Argyle, but their fortunes have been declining.
She had my six sisters and me when she was young, and her whole life has been dedicated to making sure our family is well-taken care of.
I should be grateful for everything she’s done. I know I should. It’s just that where my father’s arms are like a warm, tropical breeze, my mother’s embrace is a cold wind whipping through a barren countryside. I’m not supposed to be afraid of my own mother, but deep down, I have to admit she intimidates me.
I’ve always thought she married my father because she thought he would raise her name back up to its former glory. But my father mostly cares about swimming, and the Shoal Swim School offers far too many scholarships and free programs to turn much of a profit.
When my father wasn’t the path to riches for her, my mother arranged to marry my sisters off to dukes and earls, with the final jewel in her crown being me. I was supposed to be a princess.
And I failed.
Ever since Prince Luca left to get surgery on his back, my mother’s been in a foul mood. My marriage into the royal family was supposed to secure my whole family’s future. Joining with the royal family would ensure that we would never have to worry about a thing—even with six of us daughters and a retired Olympian to provide for.
Then, it all fell apart.
Luca doesn’t want me anymore.
“Going somewhere?” my mother asks, arching an eyebrow.
“Sailing around the Kingdom.” I try to step around her, but my mother shifts to block my path. I try not to squirm under her hawk-eye stare.
She glances out through the open door and slides her gaze back to me. “With Prince Theo?”
I nod. “Yeah.”
Something flashes in my mother’s eyes, and an uncomfortable feeling snakes down my spine. I can almost hear the gears grinding in her head.
Discomfort twists inside me as my stomach clenches. I haven’t seen that look on her face since I was a young teenager, and it was decided that Luca and I were perfect for each other. I don’t want her to get any ideas right before I leave this place for good.
“Got to go. Bye!” I yell, dodging around her. I rush through the door and slam it behind me.
As soon as I skid to a stop beside the Prince’s convertible, he flashes another smile at me and leans over to open the door. I toss my bag into the back seat and slide in. The unease in my heart evaporates.
“Ready?” he asks, grinning.
I nod. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”
The Prince revs the engine and takes off down our long, winding driveway and out through the estate gates. The convertible roars beneath us as Theo shifts gears. I lift my arms up to feel the rush of the air as we drive, finally letting myself smile in earnest.
It feels like old times. Before the accident. Before Luca went to Singapore. Before he pushed me away.
Like all those years when the Princes and I would spend long, summer days together. When we’d laze on sailboats and go swimming for hours. When we’d come back home with wrinkly fingers and toes, and hair bleached by the sun.
A laugh explodes out of me as the wind whips through my hair. I glance at Prince Theo, leaning over to rest my head on his shoulder. He slings his arm around me and gives me a nudge, grinning.
“Happy?”
I nod. “Yeah. Happy.”
And it’s the truth.
I’ve been excited to leave Argyle. I’ve been looking forward to making a future for myself, away from my family and my home. I’ve been looking forward to exploring a new world and trying to make it as a singer.
But have I been happy? Really, truly, throw-your-arms-out-of-a-convertible-and-let-out-a-scream happy?
I can’t say I have.
“I knew you would be.” The Prince grins, accelerating down the road. “I couldn’t go another year without doing this. It’s tradition. It’s important. The past three years have been a mess, and I think it’s time we start enjoying life again.”
“Couldn’t agree more,” I say, my smile splitting my face in half. My cheeks already hurt.
We slow down as we arrive at the royal marina, and Theo’s personal sailboat is a hive of activity. Half a dozen members of staff are walking on and off, preparing it for its time at sea. We won’t be out there long—just two nights—but the royal preparations leave nothing to chance.
Theo glances at me, smiling. “Did you bring the deck of cards?”
A flash crosses my eyes as I grin. “Yup. Wouldn’t be the solstice sailing trip without them.”
“Good.” The Prince opens the convertible door and strides toward the waiting sailboat. I grab my bag and scamper after him, excitement igniting in the pit of my stomach.
After three years of pain and countless sleepless nights thinking about Luca, this is the first time I feel like myself again.
It’s the perfect way to leave Argyle. I’m not leaving after a year of misery. It’s my final tour to the island of my youth, and the last little bit of familiarity before I take off for a new beginning.
As soon as I step onto the royal yacht, my heart feels at ease. Most of the staff members walk off, leaving Prince Theo and me with a chef, the captain, and a two-man crew. Usually, we’d have the other princes here, too.
Theo doesn’t seem to mind. He shakes the captain’s hand and looks over his shoulder to smile at me. I inhale the sea air, closing my eyes to enjoy the sun’s rays on my skin.
After three years of heartbreak, things are turning around. This is the start of the chapter for me. One where I have new experiences and a fresh start.
The Prince is right—our traditions are important. Even if Luca’s gone and it’s just Theo and me, it matters that we do our solstice sailing trip. It matters that I stay friends with Theo. It matters that we care about each other, even if Luca and I will never be together.
It’s one last sailing trip to send me off into the world—the perfect goodbye.
THEO
“SING ME A SONG, CARA.”
I stare up at the night sky as a thousand stars twinkle down at me. Gentle waves lap at the sides of the sailboat. The sound of the shore has long since faded, and Cara and I are alone on board with the captain, crew, and chef.
Cara groans beside me. I turn my head to see her lying on the yacht’s deck beside me, her dark, reddish-brown hair splayed around her head. Big brown eyes stare back at me, and she s
hakes her head.
“It’s bad luck to sing at sea.”
“It’s bad luck to have women on board, yet here you are.”
“Why are there always women carved on the bow of a ship, then?” She arches an eyebrow.
I grin. “They’re topless. That makes it okay.”
“Bullshit.”
“Hey, I don’t make the rules. Long John Silver says topless women are okay, and clothed women aren’t. Who am I to argue with him?”
Cara laughs, shaking her head. God, I’ve missed that sound. For most of my childhood, Cara was with us at the castle. Whenever court life became too serious, I could always count on her to cut through it with a laugh.
Where my life has been defined by duty and responsibility, Cara has always been carefree. It’s one of the reasons I wanted to take this trip this year. One last time feeling free until I was chained to my title.
She snorts, shaking her head. “I’m not taking my top off, you pervert.”
“I only asked you to sing me a song.”
She smiles, staring up at the starry sky without answering.
“Come on,” I say. “When we were kids, you wouldn’t stop singing. Your voice was beautiful.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Why not?” I nudge her, and Cara turns her head to stare back up at the stars. She doesn’t start singing, and the only sound is the ocean around us.
Finally, after a long silence, Cara sucks in a deep breath.
“I’m leaving,” she says into the night.
“You’re what?”
“I’m leaving. Next week, I leave for the United States, then maybe Farcliff, Canada, and who knows? I want to see the world.” She glances at me, her bright, wide eyes peering deep into my soul. “I applied to a bunch of music schools, but I haven’t gotten into any of them. Most of them didn’t bother replying. Could be a blessing in disguise. This way, I can just leave and see where the wind takes me.” She lets out a long sigh. “I’m thinking I’ll start with Los Angeles. It’ll be relatively warm there, so not too much of a shock to my system after growing up in the Caribbean. I’ll see if I can get a record deal, or at least make some contacts in the music industry. If not, who knows? I can do something else. I always wanted to be a singer, but maybe I’m just not good enough.”
“Bullshit,” I answer. My chest is tight. Cara’s leaving? For good? First my mother, then Luca, and now Cara, too? I clear my throat. “Your voice is amazing.”
“Not according to the dean of admissions for most of the top schools in North America.”
“Whatever. Screw them. Sing me something. I’m your future King.”
“Playing the King card now, huh?” She grins, shaking her head. “What if I refuse?”
“I’ll make you walk the plank. I’ll tie you up to the mast and never let you leave.”
Cara’s laugh rings out in the silent night. “So, life as normal, then. Trapped here to do someone else’s bidding.”
My eyes prickle and a lump forms in my throat. I wasn’t expecting that. It takes me a few seconds to compose myself. “Is this because of Luca?”
She answers with a sigh.
In a way, I’m happy for her. I think Cara deserves to make a new life for herself. She stopped singing around the time she was promised to my brother Luca. It was arranged by our parents, but it still felt natural. They loved each other.
Then, Luca jumped off a cliff and broke his back. He moved to Singapore to get treated, and he pushed us all away. Refused to have us visit. Stopped taking Cara’s calls.
I saw her break. We suffered alongside each other, until we drifted apart.
Maybe leaving is a way for her to heal. To find her voice again.
She deserves a fresh start. Cara’s always been independent, and I doubt even Luca could have kept her in Argyle for long. They would have had a happy, adventure-filled life together while I stayed at home and ran the Kingdom. I was always a little jealous of Luca—and of Cara, too—but my duty to the Kingdom was more important than any spontaneity.
Now, more than ever, my responsibilities have to take precedence. My father is sick, and I know I’ll have to step up soon. In a way, this solstice sailing trip is a goodbye to my youth. I didn’t think it would be a goodbye to Cara, too.
“Do you miss him?” she asks in the silence.
I turn to look at her, the moonlight glowing over her smooth skin. Cara doesn’t meet my eye. She keeps her gaze on the stars as I stare at her profile.
Has she always been this beautiful? Maybe it’s the light of the moon and the gentle rocking of the boat. Maybe it’s the two glasses of wine I had with dinner, but Cara seems to have a glow about her that I haven’t noticed before. I stare at the curve of her neck and the delicate fullness of her lips, almost forgetting that she asked me a question.
“So… do you miss him?” she repeats softly, staring up at the stars.
“Who, Luca?” I finally answer, the words almost torn from my throat. My brother’s name tastes bitter when I say it.
Cara nods without looking at me.
I grunt. “Of course. He’s been gone three years. I wish none of this had happened. I wish he hadn’t jumped off that cliff. I wish you hadn’t been there to see it. I wish everything was back the way it used to be.”
Is that true, though? Do I want things back the way they were before? When I’m lying here alone with Cara, I wonder if maybe I don’t want things to go back at all.
Silence hangs heavy between us. “How about you? Do you miss him?” I finally ask.
Cara inhales and turns her head to look at me. A soft, warm breeze flows over us, carrying the scent of salty air and seaweed. Her almond-shaped eyes drill into mine as she tucks an arm under her head.
“I missed him desperately for a long time,” Cara finally answers. “If he had told me that he wanted to break up with me, I think it would have been easier. But he just pushed me away and forced me to just…give up.” She winces, shaking her head. “I shouldn’t say that. He broke his back and it was incredibly difficult for him. I wanted to be there for him.”
“But he wouldn’t let you.”
Her eyes meet mine, and the depth of her sadness almost knocks me back. When my brother had his accident, my whole family was in shock. Hell, the whole Kingdom was in shock. Luca was airlifted to the hospital in Argyle, and then transferred to Singapore for a series of risky operations to try to stitch his spine back together again.
We tried flying to be with him. We tried calling. We tried talking to him.
He retreated from all of us. He was medicated, in pain, and facing a lifetime without the use of his legs. I tried to understand his reaction, but it was tough to be shut out.
Being here, on the boat with Cara, I realize that she probably suffered more than all of us. They were a couple. She was supposed to marry Luca, and then all of a sudden, she was alone.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you,” I blurt out.
Cara’s eyes widen, as if she’s surprised that someone would even think about her feelings. She shakes her head. “Don’t be sorry. I’m not yours to worry about.”
Isn’t she, though? It feels like she should be mine to worry about. I stretch my arm out toward her. “Come here.”
She hesitates for a moment, and finally shimmies closer to me. When Cara’s head rests on my shoulder, a wave of calm washes over me. The weight of her head on my chest, and the warmth of her body next to mine feels…right.
It feels like she’s supposed to be there. She fits against me in a way that I didn’t even know was possible, like our bodies were made for each other. Two puzzle pieces carved from the same block. An extension of each other.
My body starts to heat up. Warmth starts in the pit of my stomach and slowly snakes its way through my veins. It’s an unfamiliar sensation, full of lust and desire. It spreads like a slow burn through my abdomen, making my cock harden and my fingers twitch to explore Cara’s body.
But I re
sist.
It’s wrong.
I can’t.
We’ve been friends for years. Since we were kids! She dated my brother from the time she was fifteen until only a couple of years ago. She was going to be my sister-in-law.
I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to ignore the thumping of my heart. Cara’s head rests on my shoulder, and she drapes her arm across my chest. Her skin is warm against mine, and all I want to do is trail my hand along her arm, feeling her velvet skin beneath my fingertips.
As she settles into me, the soft noise that slips through her mouth makes my body burn hotter.
Stop it, I tell myself.
I inhale slowly through my nose, trying to ignore the creeping heat spreading through my body. Can she hear my heart racing?
“Come on,” I say, shimmying away from her. “Let’s play cards.”
Mostly, I just need to get Cara away from me. I shouldn’t be feeling these things about my brother’s ex-girlfriend. We’re just friends.
Right?
Cara’s lips stretch into a smile. We stand up. The boat rocks gently, throwing her toward me. Cara giggles, catching herself against my chest.
I look down into her eyes, feeling that same stirring of my heart once again.
Clearing my throat, I pull away and nod toward the main cabin. The chef has cleared the table, so it’s free for us to play cards.
It’s part of our tradition. We don’t actually play cards. We build card castles.
Simple, really. The more the boat rocks, the more the cards fall. The more the cards fall, the more you drink. The more you drink, the harder it is to build card castles. And on, and on, and on.
Tradition.
Cara slips into the booth seat at the table and pulls out a deck of cards from her bag. They’re the same worn cards that we’ve used for the past ten years. All three of my brothers, Cara, and I would play card castle games for hours when we were younger. She always had the same deck, ready to pull out of her bag whenever it was needed.
That’s one thing I like about Cara. She collects things that mean something to her. They’re never expensive things, even though her family is wealthy. The things she collects are usually small, like a worn pack of cards or a couple of nice shells that she finds on the beach. She doesn’t value the things that most people in my life hold dear—expensive cars and clothes, jewelry, and money. She values things that have meaning.
Wrong Prince: An Accidental Pregnancy Romance (Royally Unexpected Book 6) Page 2
