by Lucy Lennox
There was simply no way.
So I gently disengaged myself from him and got dressed, silently grabbing only the essentials before dropping a kiss on his forehead and sneaking out of the room like a jackass.
I didn’t even try to find Jon. No part of me wanted to discover him sleeping in my sister’s bed again, and it wan’t his shift anyway. He could get pissed at me later for fucking up our original plans. I needed out of there as soon as possible.
Once I was airborne on the private jet with Arthur and the skeleton crew of guards, I thanked my lucky stars I wasn’t the king yet. I could still manage to pull off a move like my midnight escape without it being a massive strategic endeavor. As it was, several royal guards had been scrambled to see to my sudden change of plans, and the pilots had been summoned from a dead sleep to move the flight up several hours.
Throughout all of it, Arthur didn’t said a word. From the look on his face, I could tell he knew exactly what was going on.
I’d needed off the island before I could grab on to Felix’s ankle and beg.
According to the pilot, we had just passed over northern Liorland, the area between the Netherlands and Denmark, when a call came in from Henriette.
“Good morning,” I said and tried to cut her off before the ranting and lecturing could begin. “Sorry to leave without you, but I—”
“It’s no problem,” she said in a calm voice. “Everything’s fine.”
“Wh-what?” Maybe she hadn’t realized yet that I’d ducked out without saying a proper goodbye to Felix.
“It’s fine. Felix and I had an early breakfast, and I just wanted to let you know I’ll be staying a couple more days. I want to stay away from the paparazzi a little longer till the heat dies down.”
“Wh-what?” I repeated, only having heard the part about Felix.
“Close your mouth lest the flies get in,” she admonished.
I realized my jaw was hanging open. “What… I mean how…” I cleared my throat. “How was Felix?”
“Fine.”
I waited for her to elaborate, but nothing came.
“Did he make it to the airport on time?” I was the stupidest idiot who ever spouted bullshit questions.
“I’m sure you’ll be in touch with him at some point and you can ask him yourself.” And there was the familiar holier-than-thou tone in my sister’s voice. Stupid fucking sisters.
“But how did he seem? Okay? Upset?” I wanted to kick myself for sounding so desperate.
“Enough about Felix. Mother called late last night and told me they’re preparing the big announcement the day after tomorrow,” Hen said. “So the next couple of days are going to be crazy for you, not to mention Mother’s big New Year’s do.”
I’d forgotten today was New Year’s Eve. A day normally celebrated the world over for fresh starts and hope for a better life.
Fat fucking chance.
“Okay. Happy New Year, Hen,” I muttered.
“You too, big brother. I have a feeling it’s going to be a doozy.”
I had a feeling she was right. The moment I touched down, my assistant, Lucas was on hand to notify me of all my upcoming obligations, including an official date with my mother’s first-choice princess pick.
The woman had been foisted upon me several times previously by my meddling family. The daughter of a highly placed minister in my father’s first cabinet, she was currently a professor of art history at a university in Paris. I hadn’t seen her in many months due to her teaching schedule, but I assumed she was in town visiting family over the holiday.
I didn’t have much time to worry about that, and I assumed it was just one of many official events I’d be dragged to against my will in the coming days and weeks. With the Felixmoon slipping too quickly into the past, all I was left with was a laser focus on what I had to do to take over the throne.
When Lucas said go, I went. When my mother said put this on, I put it on. When my father said read this, I read it. Arthur was the only person who saw how I really was because it was only when I fell into bed at night, exhausted and hollow, that I allowed myself to remember the comforting touch of the man who’d somehow grown roots around my heart.
But that man quickly became the man of my dreams only—not someone real. Not someone I’d ever be able to hold again in this life. My real life had no room for Felix Wilde in it. I had other more important things I needed to focus on.
I was to be king.
Chapter 26
Felix
I knew before even falling asleep in Lio’s bed that he’d chicken out of sticking around for the goodbye. And, honestly, I was relieved as all hell.
Neither one of us could handle it. Not with the way things had progressed so quickly between us. It wasn’t normal. It was some aberration born of the singular situation from being practically stranded on a deserted island with each other. It wasn’t real.
So I decided to take it with my chin up and squash down all the emotional shit until I could get home and find a nice little shady spot on Doc and Grandpa’s ranch to curl up in the fetal position and lose my ever-loving shit.
Until then, I was the man of goddamned steel.
“Good morning, Hen,” I said with surprise when I entered the kitchen in the still-dark early morning. “What are you doing up so early?”
“Couldn’t sleep. I kept wondering what other private pictures that photographer might have gotten through the castle windows.”
“Oh god. I hadn’t even thought of that. Do they know? Do you have media relations people who can find out from the photographer somehow?” I poured myself some coffee and sat down next to her at the table.
“They’re trying. And I’ve never gotten undressed without making sure all curtains are closed no matter how far removed a building is from public view. I heard a story once about journalists using drones, and it freaked me out. So even if there are more, they shouldn’t be too bad. It’s just the invasion of privacy, you know? Now knowing what personal moment could be made not quite so personal after all.”
“I know exactly how you feel,” I admitted. “My mom’s famous, so I’ve been on the end of the lens before. Never as bad as that though. I’m so sorry that happened to you and Jon.”
She sighed. “That’s the other thing that pisses me off. It happened to Jon too, but no one seems to give a damn about him. It’s all about how my privacy was invaded and my life is being turned upside down. Not one person has mentioned how this might be affecting Jon as well.”
I reached my hand over to squeeze hers. “You’re right. How’s he handling it?”
She shrugged. “He’s putting on a stoic face, but he barely slept a wink all night either. He only just fell asleep an hour ago. Good thing Lio left the island without him, or he would have been dead on his feet today.”
I felt my heartbeat kick up. “Lio’s gone back to Monaco.”
Her eyes widened. “I thought you knew? Didn’t he tell you? He flew out in the middle of the night.”
I’d assumed he had, but hearing confirmation was still a kick in the teeth. It was so like him, I almost wanted to laugh. That cowardly motherfucker. He never wanted to get within punting distance of his feelings if he didn’t have to.
“He didn’t tell me, but I’m not surprised.” Before Hen could go off on a rant against her brother, I stopped her. “It’s okay, Hen. Honestly, I was relieved he wasn’t there. I can’t handle the goodbye any more than he could have. I just didn’t realize he left the island altogether. I thought maybe he was hiding until after I left.”
“He’s halfway home by now,” she said with a sigh. “And straight into the dragon’s lair. I don’t envy him the bullshit he has in store.”
I thought about everything he’d told me about his father—how cold he was, how indifferent to Lio and Hen’s emotions. Even his mother, while much better than his dad, wasn’t the warmest person. According to his stories, she valued appearances because she’d been raised to do so. She�
�d grown up in one of Manhattan’s old money families, and after meeting King Lior at a yachting regatta in the Hamptons one summer, she’d taken to her role as if born to be a queen.
“Does Lio have someone besides you in his corner? Someone he can confide in when he gets overwhelmed?”
Hen looked at me with sad eyes. “His best friend, Iggy, is an airhead player. I think Lio only keeps him around because he’s been the only person Lio can trust with his secret besides Arthur.”
“What secret?” I asked before I could think.
She rolled her eyes at me. “He’s gay?” Then she snorted a little and winked at me. “You know, in case you didn’t notice when you two were naked in bed together.”
I felt my cheeks ignite. “Har har.”
Hen leaned over and ruffled my hair. “I’m sorry, Felix. I know this can’t be easy for you. I could tell the two of you were starting something special.”
I flicked my eyes away from her as if that would help hide the massive heartbreak etched in them. “Yeah, well.”
She pushed back her chair and pulled me into a tight hug. It was the kind of hug that came from family—the kind that said it knew you felt flayed open and gut shot and were currently held together with nothing more than spit and baling wire.
“Fuck,” I whimpered before I could stop myself. “Fuck, Hen.”
“I know, honey. It sucks. It’s okay to let it out.”
So I did. As if I could have held it back anyway. There was simply no way after that. She was too kind, too loving and understanding. Hen had been one of only a handful of people who’d seen the two of us together. And that somehow made it real—undeniable. It couldn’t be a figment of my imagination because there had been witnesses.
I cried like a baby on her shoulder and didn’t even slow down long enough to feel embarrassed about it.
“Why can’t I fall for a regular guy?” I complained once I caught my breath and took the dish towel she offered me for my face. “I mean, a prince? Really? Jesus.”
She laughed through her own tears, and I realized she’d been crying too.
“Why are you crying?”
She rolled her eyes again. “’Cause it sucks. I told you that. It’s so unfair. It’s not like we chose to be born into this family. We should be able to be with the people we love.”
“You’re not thinking about breaking up with Jon, are you?” I wondered whether her situation would allow her to date someone like a royal guard and whether things were serious enough between them to find out.
“Hell no. No. I love him, and he loves me. But I shouldn’t get trashed in the media because of it.”
“No. You shouldn’t.”
“I wish Lio would come out of the closet. That would take the heat off me quite nicely.”
I stared at her in disbelief before noticing the teasing twinkle in her eye.
“Bitch,” I muttered.
“Sucker,” she quipped back.
We were both quiet while we took a moment to sip our coffee. Just before I opened my mouth to tell her I needed to finish packing my things, she turned to study me for a moment.
“What is it?”
She pursed her lips before speaking. “I just remembered Jon got a notice from Bert about the road to town being washed out.”
“How can that be? It hasn’t rained.”
She shrugged. “He said something about a water pipe break. You know that bridge across the inlet leading to town?”
I nodded, picturing the narrow single lane structure that seemed to be on its last breath.
“It’s totally wiped out. You won’t be able to get to the airport until they’ve fixed it. And today’s New Year’s Eve. Tomorrow’s New Year’s Day.”
“How did Lio get out?”
Hen paused, her face coloring with guilt. “It happened after he left. Like, just before you came down.”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
“You can’t go yet, Felix. I need your help.”
“No, you don’t,” I said, standing up. “You want to find a way to make things happy ever after for your brother, and that can’t involve me. I’m leaving this morning regardless of how awful I feel about it, Hen. There’s nothing in Monaco for me. Please don’t make me go there under the guise of some harebrained scheme to get the two of us together.”
“You watch too many Hallmark movies,” she muttered.
She wasn’t wrong. “You know your brother watches them too.”
She shrieked. “No! No way! Tell me everything. Every dirty little secret about that fucker.” The evil glint in her eyes was 100 percent little sister. I’d seen it many times in my cousin Hallie’s eyes when she teased her brothers.
I laughed as I rinsed out my mug. “Nope. Some secrets I will take to the grave. No one should know the royal prince cranks up Celine Dion when he thinks no one is around, he sips tea with his pinky out, or that he prefers purple socks.”
Another shriek. “Oh my god, he’s so gay!”
“I made up one of those things. Two truths and a lie is a staple in my family.” I made my way over to her and drew her into a big hug. “Thank you for everything. Meeting you has been one of the joys of my life, Hen, and I will never forget it.”
I heard her sniffle in my ear and mutter, “Goddammit. Don’t make me cry again.”
After extricating myself from the embrace, I made my excuses so I could take one last walk around my favorite spots around the castle. It was when I finally found the hidden entrance to the little private courtyard outside Lio’s treasury room that I spotted the ancient grave marker and felt my heart stutter.
Mon Etienne…
Chapter 27
Lio
I spent New Year’s Eve studying my ass off at the office. My father and his council members had gathered binders full of information I needed to review, and my mother kept interrupting to update me on plans for the coronation festivities the following week. Everything had been moved up in an effort to have me solidly on the throne before news of Eleanor and her pregnancy broke. By the time the clock chimed midnight, my head was pounding and all I could think about was how badly I wanted to talk to Felix.
Instead of succumbing to the temptation to call or text him, I forced myself to put in another hour of work before taking a hot shower and falling into bed. The following day was more of the same with a long break in the middle for a big formal meal with family and friends.
I wasn’t at all surprised to find a myriad of women there whose sole purpose seemed to be luring me into asking them out on a date. My mother was pushing the princess plan hard.
It wasn’t difficult for me to smile and make polite small talk. I’d been raised to excel at diplomacy after all, and it wasn’t until my uncle Laurence grabbed one of them around the waist that I lost my composure.
“Excuse him,” I barked, pulling her away from his grasp. “He’s losing his balance as he ages.”
The woman’s eyes widened at my words, and I waited for the guilty conscience to hit me. It didn’t. The man was a pig and deserved everything he got. I steered the woman over to an area with some seating where my friend Iggy was holding court. He raised his eyebrow at the tall blonde on my arm before rescuing me.
“Véronique, why don’t you come tell me all about your visit to Florence. I heard it was insane.”
I shot Iggy a grateful look before searching around for my mother. Did I dare request for her to hold off her pesky matchmaking until after the coronation?
Once I found her by the bar with the extensive wine selection on display, I noticed her face brighten as she reached for me.
“Lior, darling. Come here and meet Elise. She—”
“I’m sorry, Mother. I was just coming to give my apologies. Father is expecting my response to an urgent memo within the hour. I need to take a moment in the office.” I nodded to the attractive young woman next to my mother before turning to make my way out of the room.
Later that night, Iggy texted
to ask if he could sneak into my place and stay over. The cramp in my gut was an unnecessary message from my body. I already knew the answer was not only no, but hell no. There would be no more nights spent in bed with my old friend. Instead, I went to bed alone.
It was only the first day of the year, and it was crawling as slow as honey on a sloth. How in the hell was I going to make it to the coronation? And how soon after that could I sneak in a visit to a tiny town in Texas where a beautiful boy hid himself away behind colored glass and textbooks?
Chapter 28
Felix
Spending New Year’s in a hotel room by myself in Paris was less than thrilling. I tried my best to enjoy the City of Light on the night when it was illuminated by hundreds of fireworks. I’d eaten at a small cafe near my hotel and took my time walking back through the throngs of people in the streets. I spent much of that day and night thinking about what I wanted my life to be. Getting a taste of true happiness with Lio had woken up something inside of me, and I wondered if I’d have the guts to keep that part of me awake and alive when I returned home.
I thought about what I wanted to do next besides finding a teaching job for the following school year. Did I want to pursue glassmaking as an art more than just a hobby? Did I want to begin researching and writing another book about a different aspect of glassmaking or glass history? I couldn’t imagine beginning another project like that right away, so I quickly moved on to other aspects of my life.
Before leaving Hobie, I’d struck up a new friendship with my cousin’s boyfriend, Nico, and looked forward to spending more time helping him design his tattoo shop above the small bakery he owned. Grandpa and Doc had purchased the building the year before in an effort to preserve some of Main Street’s historic properties in Hobie. I wondered if there were any other projects like that they needed help with. Regardless of what my job prospects were, I knew I’d need a side project to sink myself into for the coming months until I got over the current ache in my chest after leaving Lio.
