gently on the doorframe, I wait for my father’s deep voice to call out.
“Come in,” he says, and I step through the door.
2
Cara
My father is a tall, broad man with a shock of shoulder-length white hair. His barrel chest barely fits into shirts, and often he opts not to wear any at all. I’ve gotten used to seeing the wiry, white chest hair sticking out of his dark skin.
Tristan Shoal doesn’t need to wear a shirt. In Argyle, he’s the King of the Sea.
He’s the only Argylian to ever win an Olympic gold medal. Not only that, but he’s the only person—from Argyle or otherwise—to hold the world record for longest unassisted ocean swim.
We used to joke that our family was descended from fish. All of us—my six sisters and I—learned to swim at the same time we learned to walk. My father runs a swimming school here on Argyle’s main island and if he’s not in the library, he’s in the water.
When he sees me, my father stands up. A smile splits his face and he spreads his arms wide.
“Darling daughter,” he says, stepping around his desk to wrap his thick swimmer’s arms around me. “To what do I owe the honor?”
“Just wanted to let you know that I’m heading out with Prince Theo for the solstice sailing trip.”
My father’s eyebrows move up a fraction of an inch. The movement isn’t lost on me.
“Prince Theo?” he repeats.
I nod. “He’s waiting for me outside.”
“After everything Luca put you through, you still want to spend time with the royal family?”
I smile sadly, offering the only explanation I have: “It’s tradition.”
My father sighs, cupping the side of my head with his broad hand. “You’re better than them, Cara. No matter what your mother says. Luca never deserved you.”
Tears prickle at my eyes.
Why would he say that now? After three whole years of torture, he finally tells me what I’ve been dying to hear?
A lump forms in my throat. I haven’t told my father I’m leaving. I haven’t even told him I applied to music schools. I got an interview at The Juilliard School, in New York, and I had to pretend to go visit one of our distant cousins just to attend the interview and audition.
I never heard back, so I assumed I didn’t get in.
Words don’t come. I need to tell him that I’m planning on going, but I don’t know how to say it.
I don’t know where I’m going, or when I’ll be back. I’m leaving the safety of my childhood home to see what else the world has to offer. I have no plan and only a little bit of money.
I know he won’t approve.
“It’s just a sailing trip, Dad,” I finally manage to say. My voice is small, and the lump in my throat grows bigger. “I’ll be back in two days.”
What I really want to say is, I’ll be back soon. Maybe two weeks. Two months. Two years. Who knows? I need to see what else is out there in the world, without living under the shadow of the King of the Sea. I need to pursue my own dreams, instead of re-living my father’s. I need to be someone other than Tristan Shoal’s youngest daughter.
I need to go.
“Be careful,” he says. “Respect the ocean.”
“I know, Dad,” I smile. “You taught me to swim. I’ll be okay. I learned from the best.”
“Listen to the ship’s captain and crew. Don’t let the Prince convince you to do anything silly. Not too much drinking, and no swimming if you’ve had a few drinks. And—”
“Dad!” I interrupt, laughing. “I’ll be fine.”
His brow creases as he lets out a sigh. “I know. I know. I just worry when you leave my sight.”
My heart squeezes. He’s worried about me going on a sailing trip on the royal yacht, with world-class sailors and all the comforts of the royal family. How will he react when I tell him I’m leaving to explore the world, with no plan and no safety net?
“When you get back, we can talk about the business. Have you given any more thought to taking over the Shoal Swim School? You know I’m getting older and your sisters haven’t shown much interest. I want you to step up, Cara.”
My heart squeezes. We’ve talked about this so many times, and he’s never accepted my refusal. I let out a sigh and shrug my shoulders. “I don’t want to run the school, Dad. I told you this.”