I roll onto my side and pull the blankets up to my chin. The boat rolls in the waves, and I try to ignore the cracking of the thunder and the flashes of lightning outside. I force myself to sleep, hoping I won’t dream of Theo.
We dock early in the morning. Captain Withers looks haggard and tired, with big blueish-black circles under his eyes. The lines on his face are deep-set, and he nods at me as he helps me off the yacht.
“Thank you for yesterday,” I say.
He grunts in response, turning back to the boat as soon as I’m safely off the yacht.
Prince Theo waits for me at the end of the pier. I have my overnight bag slung over my shoulder, and I walk over to stand beside him. We watch the first rays of sun peek over the horizon as dawn breaks, and a shiver courses through his body.
“Guess I’d better get you home.” When his gaze swings toward me, it sends a jolt of heat straight down my spine. Regret roars inside me at the thought of what could have happened last night.
My throat is tight. I gulp, nodding. “Yeah.”
Theo turns away from me to head back down the pier, and I reach out to grab his hand. He pauses, turning to look at me with unreadable eyes.
“Thank you,” I say. “Even with the storm, it was nice to spend time with you again. And… good luck. You’ll be a great king.”
Prince Theo’s lips flatten, and he turns away from me without answering. Pain pierces through my chest, and I wonder if I’ve done something wrong.
Maybe I shouldn’t have left his bed last night. Maybe I should have stayed and acted on my impulses.
But where would that leave me? What future is there between us? What kind of person does it make me if I jump from one brother to the next?
We drive without speaking. Both of us ride in the back seat, and one of the royal chauffeurs ferries us back toward my parents’ house. Theo can’t drive with his injured shoulder.
When the car pulls up outside, Theo finally breaks the silence. “Thank you for saving my life.”
“Twice,” I add.
For the first time all morning, Theo cracks a smile. “Twice.”
“Don’t be a stranger, okay? I…” I hesitate, and then suck in a breath to gather my courage. “I missed you.”
Theo holds my gaze as he nods. “Me too.”
Leaving him is hard. It feels final, like even though we spent our childhoods together, even though we had traditions and good times, it’s all coming to an end. There’s no space in my life for him, and there’s no place in his life for me.
I watch the royal vehicle drive away, and then trudge up the wide, slate staircase to the big double doors of my parents’ home. When I step inside, I hear voices coming from the library.
My mother and father are arguing.
With drooping shoulders, I try to tiptoe toward the staircase. I don’t have the energy to deal with any fights right now. I can’t face my mother and her eagle-eyed stare. I can’t look at my father’s face. Everything feels like a lie when he doesn’t know I intend to leave next week.
But as I near the staircase, my parents’ words become clearer.
“You should be happy I did this, Tristan,” my mother says. “After the ordeal with Prince Luca, we almost lost our chance to be part of the royal family.”
“I don’t care about being part of the royal family!” my father booms.
I freeze with my foot on the bottom stair.
“You got your Olympic gold medal nearly twenty years ago, Tristan. Your sponsorships have all dried up, and you insist on running that charity for underprivileged swimmers that you call a business. We have seven daughters to take care of! Charity isn’t paying the bills. We need something else. Cara is our best hope.”
“Six of our daughters are already married. Why can’t you just let Cara be? Why does she have to be thrown into a marriage that she doesn’t want?”
“She would be lucky if we were able to pull this off. The King seemed receptive, but we have to act fast. I’ve heard rumors of an abdication. Who knows if he has another woman planned for Theo?”
My blood ices. I creep closer to the voices, hugging the wall as I make my way toward the library.
My mother continues. “Besides, who said she doesn’t want