Royal Ruse - Emma Lea Page 0,24

fake and somewhere along the line my head and my heart had disconnected. My head knew the truth while my heart was making heart eyes and mooning after my best friend.

Mom had been right after all.

I slowly slid the ring off my finger and put it back in my jewelry box, feeling bereft as I did so. The ring was ridiculous, really. Way too big for it to be practical and there was no way I could wear it to work at the bar. I’d probably even get carpal tunnel syndrome or whatever from hefting the massive diamond around everywhere.

Still…

I liked the way it looked on my finger.

I liked the way it felt on my finger.

I did not grow up dreaming about the big white wedding with a million guests and a multi-story wedding cake that could feed an entire city block. I didn’t make scrapbooks about my ideal wedding or cut out pictures of wedding gowns and bridesmaids' dresses and flower arrangements. I didn’t even think about the whole getting married part. I thought that maybe one day I would meet someone and eventually have a family, but I was more focused on working hard and playing hard. I was in no rush to settle down; there was far too much to see and do and experience to get tied down.

Not that I didn’t respect other people who got married, especially those like my parents who made it work and made it look, if not easy, then at least achievable. I wanted a life partner; I just thought I’d be further along in my career before it happened.

Not that it was happening now, no matter how much my heart tried to convince me it was.

This entire thing with Lucas was fake, and I had to keep reminding myself of that. It was too easy to get swept away by the romance of it all, to let my little crush bloom into a full-blown fantasy. Lucas was a great guy, but he and I both knew that we were too different to make something romantic between us work, even if my body had lit up like a Christmas tree when I jumped into his arms earlier tonight.

I slapped myself on the forehead. What had I been thinking?

I hadn’t been, was the simple answer. I would have done the same thing even if there was no fake engagement between us.

So why did it feel so different tonight?

That was the conundrum. This new awareness of Lucas would be a problem, and maybe it would be better if we called the entire thing off.

My gut clenched at the thought. I’d be letting Lucas down if I chickened out. He needed this, probably more than even he realized. If I pulled out, he would lose his chance to discover a life without the expectations of his parents hanging around his neck like a millstone. And despite this weird emotional attachment I was currently experiencing, I did love him. He was my best friend and I would literally do anything for him…okay, maybe not literally, but he was my ride or die and I wanted this for him. I could keep my feelings to myself for a couple of weeks—okay, maybe months, but that’s still weeks…just a few more weeks—so he could have a chance at breathing new air and maybe discovering something new about himself.

I flopped back on my bed and rolled onto my side, staring at the picture of Lucas and me that sat in a frame on my bedside. I would make this great for him because he deserved a chance to live his life without the anxiety that came with the expectations of his parents. I had no doubt in my mind that Lucas would thrive in Kalopsia and I wanted to give him that. More than anything, I wanted him to be happy and I would do whatever was in my power to give him that.

Chapter 7

Francesca

With my head down and my headphones in, I pushed through the crowd waiting in front of Drinks. I had no clue why there were so many people waiting to go in. We were a popular spot for after work drinks, but not so popular that people waited down the street to get in.

Someone blocked my way, and someone bumped into me from behind. I looked up and tugged my headphones out only to hear a chorus of voices calling my name.

“Francesca! Over here, Francesca!”

I looked toward the voice and was blinded by a