stairs.
“Yes, sir.”
“Did she say why?”
“No, sir, and you’re fidgeting.”
I turned to glare at him, and he stared back. Ignoring him, I inhaled deeply as I made it outside with only seconds to spare. Her car entered through the private side of the palace, and as it grew closer, I felt my stomach drop. I felt like I was going to be sick but forced myself to remain composed.
No matter the reason. I thought as the car came to a stop in front of me. Thelma stepped out and opened the door for Odette. And when she did, I stopped breathing. Like always, she was a vision of visions, the most beautiful of the most beautiful as her brown eyes stared into mine, and I could not move.
We both stood there for a moment, like kids, and I opened my mouth to speak, but she stepped forward, then forward again until we were face-to-face, so close that I could smell the vanilla and honey scent rising off her. So close, I wanted to touch her to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. But instead, always beating me to the punch, she reached up and wrapped her arms around my neck. It was like the heavens opening or air filling deprived lungs. Wrapping my arms around her, too, I hugged her tightly.
“Welcome home, bevilën.”
—FORTY MINUTES EARLIER—
“You aren’t coming, are you?” my mother asked when I didn’t step farther from the car, a frown on her face. “I could see it on your face the moment you stepped out of the hospital room, but I hoped for once, I was wrong.”
“I’m not strong enough to leave him,” I whispered with a half-hearted smile. “It could all go very wrong, and some other horrible thing might happen to me. I’m scared, and I want to run away, but I can’t because I’m also scared of not being with him. I want to go, but I don’t want to. Aren’t I mess?”
“Yes.” She walked up to place her hands onto my cheeks. “But you are my mess. And even though I dislike this place and what they say about you, I love you.”
“I’m sorry, Mom.”
“Don’t be.” She smiled. “When I went to go be Miss USA, my mom said not to go and that they’d never chose me. I went anyway, and I made them choose me. You’re my daughter, so I know you can do it too. I just don’t want you to suffer for anything or anyone. But that’s not possible, is it? What did your dad always say?”
I grinned. “If it were easy, you wouldn’t be first.”
“Go. Show them why you can’t mess with a Wyntor.” She kissed my cheek.
“Come back with me.”
She shook her head, laughing. “Don’t you know me? I can’t be around and not cause a scene. I might pull a Naomi and throw a cell phone at one of those nasty reporters.”
I flinched, which caused her to laugh more.
“See you at your wedding, sweetheart. I mean, Your Future Majesty.” She curtsied, then twirled and walked up the stairs of the jet. Before going in, she turned and pointed at me, a serious expression on her face. “Don’t let them pick an ugly matron of honor dress for me. No ruffles!”
“Matron of honor? Don’t you mean the mother of the bride?”
“As if you have any other best friend but me.”
“Bye, Mom!” I snapped, and she laughed, waving.
I waited until her jet took off before turning to see Wolfgang and Thelma smiling. The sizes of their smiles were different, but the meaning was the same.
“Miss,” Thelma said as she held open the door.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll call the palace—”
“Wolfgang, wait!” I reached up, touching his shoulder to stop him. He looked at me, confused. “Start driving. But—but I don’t want the whole palace waiting for me.”
“Okay,” he replied, putting down his phone, and I sat back.
I didn’t want anyone waiting because I wanted time to talk to Gale. We hadn’t talked in so long that I was actually anxious to see what was going to happen. What was I going to say to him? How was I going to explain all the things that were racing through my mind and heart? For some reason, the return trip felt so much faster than it did when I was leaving. I still hadn’t come up with what to say. And what if he didn’t want to see me now?
Shit.
I hadn’t really thought about that.
What if he was tired of chasing after me? He didn’t