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“Good for you.”He lifts his bottle of sparkling water toward me.“To charting your own course.”
“Thanks, mate.”I clink my bottle against his.
“So what do you think you’ll do once you’re free?”
“Truthfully, I’m not even sure.I never thought I’d retire from the guard at only thirty-six and have the rest of my life to make my own choices.Considering this is the only life I’ve ever known, it’s petrifying.At the same time, it’s also liberating.I can do whatever I want.Whatever makes me happy.”
I take another sip of my beer, thinking about what Iwilldo.I could go work for my friend’s private security company.But is that something I want to do?
“And Esme?”
His question catches me off guard, and I cough, beer shooting out of my nose.“What about Esme?”I ask once my coughing subsides.
“You’ll no longer be in the royal guard, Creed.Meaning in just a few months, there won’t be anything standing in your way.”He rolls his eyes.“Not like that stopped you two before,” he adds under his breath.“But come August, you’ll be free to be with her.”
“I’m aware,” I respond as I bring my bottle back to my lips and take a long sip, hoping he can’t read too much into my expression.That my big motivating factor for finally taking this leap and making these changesisEsme.
“I’m not going to tell you how to live your life,” he says with a long sigh, stretching his legs out in front of him.“Lord knows, you’ve had enough people doing that for you.”
“You’ve got that right.”
“I just think that if you’re finally ready to make these positive changes in your professional and family life that maybe you’re ready to make a positive change in your love life, as well.”He pauses as a knowing smirk crosses his mouth.“Unless you already have.”
“What do you—”
“It’s okay.”He winks.“You don’t have to tell me anything.It’s probably better if you don’t, considering sheismy sister.Just know that whatever you two are, whatever you will be, you’ll always have my support.”
I meet his gaze.“Thanks, mate.”
“I adore you both.And I want you both to be happy.I’m thrilled you’re finally able to find that happiness in each other?”His voice raises at the end as he arches a brow in question.
Instead of insisting that we’re not technically together, I flash him a smile.“We certainly have.”
“Good.”
“It really is.”
I relax back into the cushion, allowing the sun to warm my face.Everything feels so…perfect.So right.Especially after spending the morning with Esme at the gym.Knowing we’ll have more mornings like that will make the next few months easier to endure.
Still, I’m trying not to get my hopes up.Not yet anyway.
In my experience, for every up, there’s an even bigger down.
And I can’t shake the feeling that when things do turn down, it’ll be with so much force that everything will shatter into pieces.
ChapterEight
Esme
The bottomof my gown swishes with my steps as I make my way up the grand staircase of the National Opera House, all eyes on me.I hate to admit it, but this sort of thing was much easier with Tristan at my side.He had an uncanny ability to make me forget where I was.
And who I was.
But that wasn’t reason enough to stay with him.Not when I didn’t love him like he deserved.
Regardless, I’d give anything to have someone at my side during public events these days, especially with the fate of the monarchy making headlines every day.This life can be extremely isolating.The only thing that makes it suck a little less is knowing this strange sort of purgatory I find myself in won’t last forever.Hell, it’s already been a month since Creed showed up at my apartment and everything changed for us.I only hope the next few months go by just as quickly.
“Your Highness.”The men standing guard outside the royal box greet me with a bow before opening the double doors.
