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“He nearly kissed me,” I moan, and my stomach is one big knot. “And I nearly let him. You need to get back hereright now.”
“Okay, okay.” The man’s voice mutters something else on the other end of the line, but Olympia snaps at him, more impatient this time. Fabric rustles. There’s the distant snap of a door. “We’re coming back right now. Gerond is starting the engine. Hear that?”
There’s a distant splutter and rumble. I swipe my wet cheeks with my forearm. “Hurry.”
“We will. And Bea?”
“Uh-huh?” I sniffle, such a pathetic pile of limbs in the grass.
“If the handsome prince wants to kiss you, you should totally let him. Get it, girl.”
Uh. What? “That’s your fiance,” I say flatly. “He’ll be your husband.”
“Yeah, but it won’t be like apropermarriage. It’s a political arrangement. We’ll both still date.”
They will? Does Alden know that?
“I’m not sure the prince will agree—”
“Gotta go. I’ll be there soon, okay? Only a few more hours of being me. You can do that, right?”
…I guess so.
A few more hours of this charade to save Prince Alden from public embarrassment. To preserve the ties between our nations, and to protect my foolhardy twin.
“Hurry,” I tell her again. “I’m serious, Olympia. If you’re not back by morning, I’ll confess everything. And the second you get here, the first thing you need to do is tell Prince Alden about Gerond. He deserves to know what kind of marriage you’re planning.”
“Yeah, of course.” She’s so airy. So unbothered. But it’s settled now, at least, and I sag on my knees in the grass. This nightmare is nearly over.
The lies will stop.
The prince will know everything.
And I’ll go back to being invisible, just like every other day.
Alden
“Ameltdown.”
Danika nods, her lips pursed. “The gardeners saw her scream at a tree.”
I pace up and down my study, chest tight. Olympia was fine when I found her on the jetty. The only thing that upset her wasme, leaning in for that stupid kiss.
“Thank you for telling me. That will be all.”
“Of course, Your Highness.” The door closes behind Danika, and then I let out a slow breath.
What was I thinking, trying to kiss her like that? We may be betrothed, but that doesn’t mean she wants me pawing at her. Not until we get to know each other better. I let myself get muddled, reading into signs that weren’t there.
So she blushes when I speak to her… so what? She could be intimidated. She could beafraidof me.
Fuck. I’d hate that.
My heart is drumming, thumping in my chest, urging me togoto her. To ease her fears. But what if I’m not welcome? What if I make things worse again?
I growl, pacing up and down the priceless rug.
No. No, this can’t be how we begin: awkward and out of sync, second-guessing each other from afar. Now that I’ve met my fiance, I want so much more than that for our marriage. I want more than political ties and good PR.
