Page 75 of Unmasking My Dark Knight

“You’re a fucking idiot, Romeo… but I love you,” Rachel finally said, and I don’t know why, but it made me emotional. The back of my nose felt like it was on fire.

“I love you too,” I said back, wiping my hands down my face.

Rachel grunted, as if sitting up from wherever she was lying. “Okay. Now that we've established you’re a dick for tricking Ivy Jade, we need to get you two back on track to your relationship,” she said, taking charge. “And I hate to say this, but your only way out of this mess is by being completely honest about everything you did.”

I sat up, terrified.

“I hear what you’re saying, but how do I tell her? How do I stop her from hating me?” I asked.

“You don’t. That’s the thing, Ro. You can’t stop people from how they feel about you…” Rachel said calmly. “It’s clear to some degree that Ivy Jade has already accepted you. She fucked you as a clown, right? She gave High Jynx a chance; she—for some reason—embraced that weird side of yourself that you constantly try to hide.”

I tossed the ring box onto the bed and stood, running my hand through my hair. Be honest with Ivy Jade? I took a few deep breaths as I rooted myself in an armchair near the window, trying to calm myself down.

“She’s supposed to be with some rich guy named Antonio… she’s talking to him right now downstairs,” I said, still unsure how I could overcome that.

“So?” Rachel asked, confused.

“So, how can I compete with a super wealthy guy? How can I give Ivy Jade everything that she wants?”

“Is this about Megan again?”

“No!” I said defensively, but really, Rachel pinpointed the sorest subject of all. Megan wasn’t even in my mind anymore—not in a way that was romantic or sad. She just felt like a cautionary tale at this point, a big red warning label that plastered itself all over Ivy Jade. What would happen after our time at the chateau? What would our relationship look like after the dust settled and that luxury ended?

Would she still be the same?

Or would she realize that her mother was right all along?

“You’re comparing her to Megan, which isn’t fair. When someone shows you who they are, you need to trust them… unlike you, who’s hiding yourself for some reason,” Rachel advised, telling me the hard truth.

My heart began to race. I would never get over Ivy Jade. And if I told her everything that I did, if I lost her, I don’t think I could ever survive that.

“Either Ivy Jade enjoys the fantasy you two created, or she enjoys the real person that you are. Regardless, you need to tell her the truth sooner rather than later, because you’re running out of time, and your world at the chateau is coming to an end,” Rachel said, and though it felt harsh, she said it in the sweetest way she could.

And she was right.

I knew Ivy Jade would be back at the Scare Park tonight, and I knew that was when I had to come clean. I was finally going to tell her the truth, because above my own feelings, what she deserved was honesty.

“I’m gonna do it,” I told Rachel, accepting my fate. “I’m gonna stop being a coward, and I’m going to own up to everything I did,” I said, standing up from my chair.

That’s when someone knocked on my bedroom door.

“Ro?” I heard Ivy Jade’s voice, followed by three sharp taps.

She was on the other side waiting for me, and I froze.

This was it—the beginning of our end.

CHAPTER 30

Ivy Jade

After the pumpkin carving, I walked the entire chateau to find Romeo. He was nowhere to be found. I asked around, and nothing.

By the time I got back to the tables, everyone was scattered amongst the grounds, the pumpkins gone. The coordinators were prepping for the dinner rehearsal in a couple of hours.

I was at a crossroads. On the one hand, I needed to find Romeo because he was the best man and we’d probably be walking down the aisle together during the rehearsal, but I desperately needed to see how he was doing before that happened.

He looked so hurt when I had to leave earlier. Admittedly, I didn’t want to leave his side either, but Mami’s priorities were mine. And on the other hand… the wedding would be so botched if the rings were missing; I couldn’t do that to Tallulah. If I didn’t find them tonight, I’d have to figure out a plan B—the wedding’s tomorrow.