“They’ll have me trying to walk soon. I’ve been able to move my toes for a couple of months now. Feeling’s coming back to my legs. I’ve got pins and needles all the time, but I’m too weak to move them. Sick of rolling around in a wheelchair, though.”
“Three years is a long time.”
Luca grunts in response, and silence settles between us.
“I sent you a card,” Luca says after a pause.
“You did?”
“It’s not much, just a card and a small gift. You’re our new King, after all. Thought I should congratulate you.”
“I haven’t received it yet.”
“I sent it to the P.O. box. Didn’t want anyone else getting my address. Can’t stand the thought of a surprise visit from Father.”
Nodding, I grunt. I’m pacing back and forth in my father’s—no, my—study. Images of all of Argyle’s kings stare back at me, with a bare spot on the wall where my face will soon be hung.
“Haven’t checked the P.O. box in months. And you’re probably safe on the visit-from-Father front. He’s weak.”
“How weak?”
“Weak enough to make me King.”
Luca lets out a dry snort. He sounds flat. Nothing like the vibrant man I used to know. “Check the P.O. box if you want a lame card, then. I don’t know why I was expecting you to get it already. I guess you haven’t had any reason to look for mail in that P.O. box,” he says. “Not since Cara stopped talking to me.”
I frown. Luca’s voice is bitter. The way he worded that sounds like he partially blames her for the demise of their relationship.
That’s not how I see it at all. I witnessed Cara try and try and try to call him, to go visit him, to reach out to him. I saw my brother push her away, and I saw how much it broke her.
I realized too late how much she was suffering. That I hadn’t been there for her, either.
Now, she’s gone.
Both Luca and I let her go.
It’s for the best. I keep telling myself that, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less.
“Have you seen Cara lately?” Luca sounds tense.
My heart thuds, and I’m not sure how to answer. Should I tell him what happened between me and Cara? Or would telling him only hurt more? Has he seen the rumors online about me and her?
I take a deep breath and settle on a half-truth. “Not for a couple of weeks. She’s left to study singing in New York City.”
Luca grunts in response, and a bitter taste coats my mouth. We say our goodbyes, and I let out a deep breath.
That felt wrong, but what am I supposed to say? Cara’s gone. She’s pursuing her dreams. I’m King of Argyle, and I have responsibilities. Telling Luca about my affair with Cara would only cause more pain. There’s no point.
We say goodbye, and I let out a sigh. That felt wrong. I was lying to my brother and to myself.
I square my shoulders and head out the door. The P.O. box is located on the lesser populated side of the island a fifteen-minute walk away. I nod to my personal bodyguard, waving him away, then dodge through the hallways. When I get to my chambers, I grab the tiny key that opens the P.O. box lock, and then head out the door again, praying I won’t meet anyone who will have a thousand and one things for me to deal with.
When I get outside, I suck in a deep breath. Fresh air reminds me of being with Cara. It reminds me of feeling the wind in our hair and hearing her laughter skip across the waves toward me. It reminds me of being happy.
I walk quickly, ducking through a side gate of the palace grounds towards the post office box.
This is a fresh start for me and Luca. He’s talking to me now. He’s asking about Cara. Soon, he’ll try walking again. Maybe he’s ready to let us in. Maybe, I’ll have my brother back and we’ll be able to be a family once more.
Cara left, but maybe Luca will come back. It’s cold comfort, but it’s something.
The post office box stands on the side of the street, out of view of the nearest house. My key slides in the lock, and I open it up. Frowning, I see not one, but two items inside. Luca’s package is a small box wrapped in brown paper.
The other envelope is the one that catches my attention. It’s from