our uncle, leaving all four of us kids to fend for ourselves with an angry father and a ruthless pack of reporters.
I shake my head. “I never understood how you could forgive Mother. And then Cara…” I trail off, not wanting to open old wounds for my brother.
To my surprise, Luca smiles. “You can choose to be guarded and lonely, or you can take life as it comes. I spent a few years angry and bitter about Cara’s betrayal, but when I think about it now, it’s what brought Ivy into my life. It’s what will make me a father. I could never be bitter about that.”
Moving to Farcliff Castle happens quickly. Prince Damon sends a car for us that same evening, and Luca, Ivy, Margot, and I move to the luxury of the royal estate. As soon as we cross the gates into the royal grounds, the air changes.
I no longer feel the ever-present eye of the reporters, but instead, the pressure of court life. Farcliff is much more formal than Argyle, and I immediately want Margot to take up my offer to show her what my home Kingdom is like.
With winter now in full swing in Farcliff, I’m craving some warm weather and palm trees.
The four of us are led to our own guest wing of the castle. Luca is given the same room he was in before, and I’m housed next door. The two girls are across the hall from us.
I glance around the room at the affluence, sighing. A massive four-poster bed dominates the room, with big double doors leading to an ensuite bathroom. The taps in the bathroom are gold, with little gold accents all around the room. Everything is ornate, opulent, over-the top.
A quiet knock sounds on the door. I open it to see Margot staring back at me with a soft smile on her face.
“Hi,” she says.
“Hi, gorgeous.”
“Thank you for organizing this. It’s nice to not have to worry about cameras being shoved in my face.”
“It was all Luca,” I say, opening the door wider for her to come in.
I wrap my arms around Margot, once again feeling the warmth seep into my heart. She leans her head against my chest, sighing.
“You smell good,” she says, her voice muffled against my shirt.
“So do you,” I grin.
We fall into bed together, and for the first time in a couple of weeks, I’m not worried about her safety. I let go of the fears of being watched, and the anxiety that has crept into my heart over the past month.
I just make love to a beautiful woman, and let my feelings for her grow.
We lay tangled in each other’s arms, and I feel happy.
The next day, I slip my hand into Margot’s and bring her outside. As we walk through the well-manicured gardens, I let my shoulders relax. It’s been many weeks since we were able to walk together without looking over our shoulder. Even the thought of someone attacking Luca fades from my mind, and I let myself be quiet, happy, and calm.
We walk into the lush forest that surrounds the castle, eventually walking to the edge of Farcliff Lake. We stand on the shore, silent. She leans her head against my shoulder and I wrap my arm around her waist.
I’ve never felt so comfortable with someone else, ever. I always felt like being around other people was an effort. It was draining. I had to try hard, and then once I was alone, I had to recharge my energy until l was ready to speak to people again.
I thought people were exhausting. I thought I was destined to spend my life mostly in isolation.
Not with Margot.
When she’s with me, it feels better than being alone.
She glances at me, her eyes shining. “I’d like to go to Argyle,” she finally says.
“Yeah? What made you change your mind?”
“Ivy doesn’t need me here. She has Luca. I think, maybe, moving out of my comfort zone would be a good thing.” She glances back the way we came, toward the castle. “Plus, being at the castle is a little bit too stuffy for me. I never know how I’m supposed to act.”
I laugh, nodding. “Trust me, that feeling never goes away.”
20
Margot
Life can change directions on a dime.
I went from being a miserable, self-destructive mess, to realizing that I need to change. I spent months trying to work on myself, only to be thrown head-first into a vat of bubbling feelings for a man I hadn’t even known