I can see in her face how much this means to her, and it makes me feel good to bring her here.
Not for me or my reputation. Not for the royal family.
Simply for Cara.
When we leave, Prudence gives Cara her personal phone number. The two women hug each other again, and we leave the old Argylian singer in her studio as we step out into the sunshine again.
“Oh, Theo,” Cara says, hooking her elbow around mine and leaning her head against my shoulder. “That was incredible.”
“You have a beautiful voice.” My voice is tight, and it’s hard to speak past the lump in my throat. I want to say so much more. I wish I could tell her how moved I was, listening to them, or how much joy it brought me to see her happy.
Instead, I say nothing. We just walk, arm in arm, back toward the pier.
“Thank you,” Cara says, pausing to look at me.
I turn to face her. My heart stutters as I see the sun shining on her skin. She’s glowing. Her long, brown hair frames her face so perfectly, she looks almost ethereal. An angel sent here to show me what really matters in life. Her eyes glimmer in the sunlight, and emotion threatens to knock me back.
In that moment, standing in a narrow street on one of Argyle’s smaller islands, I know that Cara means more to me than I realized.
I want to see her look this happy all the time. It matters to me that she’s happy. Not as a friend. Not as a citizen of Argyle. Not because it’s my duty to care, as King. I care about her. Deeply. Unconditionally.
More than I realized.
“It was nothing,” I finally manage to say. “I wanted to do something you’d enjoy on this tour. I know the official events are boring.”
“Nothing is boring with you,” she smiles. “But no one’s ever done anything like that for me. Mother wouldn’t even let me have voice lessons. She said it was beneath our family’s station.”
“Prudence seemed to think you did well.”
“She was amazing, wasn’t she?” Cara’s face breaks into a smile as her eyes get a faraway look in them. “It was like every note she sang was just dripping with emotion. She could convey so much with her voice.” Cara shakes her head. “I’ve never felt so excited about singing. Even though I’ve always loved it, I… I don’t know. That was incredible.”
“There are lots of good singers in Argyle,” I smile, tucking a strand of hair behind Cara’s ear. “You’re one of them.”
A blush reddens her cheeks and the emotion inside me swells.
This is what I want. That shine in Cara’s eyes. The life and happiness bubbling up inside her. The inspiration in her voice.
I want to make Cara Shoal happy.
Even though we’re out on the street and anyone could see us, I can’t help myself. I lean forward and brush my lips against Cara’s, kissing her in the middle of this colorful, narrow street. She melts into me, placing her hands on my chest as I deepen our kiss—and I feel whole.
It’s not fake. It’s not temporary.
What I feel for Cara is real, and it’s not going away…
…I just hope she feels it, too.
16
Cara
Being on tour with Theo is like living in a dream. I’m waited on hand and foot as we fly from beautiful royal villa to beautiful royal villa. The people of Argyle are adoring and happy, and I get to experience a new side of the Kingdom that I haven’t had a chance to see before.
I’ve lived a sheltered life. Even though my upbringing was comfortable, I realize that I haven’t really seen much of my own home Kingdom.
I haven’t seen the crowded markets and the hidden beaches. I haven’t seen the rich history that unites every island.
Maybe that’s why I’ve been wanting to run away—because as the days pass, I realize that’s what I’ve been doing. Running away. Packing my bags and jumping ship, so I don’t have to deal with the oppressive weight of my family’s expectations.
I don’t feel like running away anymore, because for the first time, my family’s expectations are aligning with what I want—Theo.
We spend a week tangled in bedsheets together when we’re in private. During the day, we visit all corners of the Kingdom and connect with the people that Theo will one day rule.
One day soon. I see the weight of Theo’s duties carried on his broad shoulders. Sometimes, when no one is looking,