I didn’t even know existed before this moment. I let go of the fears that have held me back from loving Luca like he should be loved, and I open my heart to him completely.
The Prince lets out a sigh, and our souls melt together. He pulls away from me, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
“I love you, Ivy.”
Blinking back tears, I nod. “I love you, too.”
It doesn’t feel like enough. How can the word ‘love’ encompass everything I feel for him? I want to tell him that he makes everything brighter. Now that he’s here, I’m not afraid. I felt strong before, but he makes me feel invincible.
Instead, I just squeeze his hand and stare into his eyes. A thousand unsaid words fly between us in that gaze, and my heart beats with his.
Behind him, Margot clears her throat in the doorway.
I stiffen. “Margot.”
“Hi, Ivy,” she says, her eyebrows arching uncertainly. “Can I come in?”
I gulp, nodding.
She takes a hesitant step forward. Her face is drawn, and she wrings her hands in front of her stomach. Her chest rises and falls quickly as her breaths become more staggered.
“Ivy…”
I shake my head. “It’s okay, Margot.”
“It’s not.”
“It is. You’re my sister. Always will be.”
“I was an ass.”
“So was I.”
Margot laughs, shaking her head. “Stop it. You’ve always been a saint.”
“You don’t know the thoughts that have crossed my mind,” I smile. A tear rolls down my cheek. “They’ve been far from saintly.”
Guilt crosses Margot’s face. She glances at Luca, and then takes a deep breath. “It was Hunter.” Her voice cracks when she says his name. “The bacteria in your pastries. Hunter planted it. He thought…” She chokes on the words, shaking her head. “I didn’t know. I swear, I didn’t know. I’m sorry, Ivy. I would never…”
Shock freezes me for a moment, but my sister’s tears make me spread my arms toward her. She buries her head next to mine and sobs, apologizing over and over again.
I pat her head and whisper comforting words until she pulls away.
“I fired him, Ivy.” My sister stares into my eyes and lets out a heavy sigh. “I would never…”
“I know.”
Luca squeezes my hand, and I reach my other hand toward my sister. She sits on the edge of the bed, staring out of the window as she holds my hand.
With a deep breath, she swings her eyes over to me. “I’ve always been jealous of you, Ivy.”
That makes me laugh. “Me? You’re the one who has it all.”
She shakes her head. “You’re just like Mama. You got her eyes, and her soul. She was the kindest, most thoughtful person in the world. And I’m just like Dad. Selfish, self-absorbed, short-sighted.” She sighs. “Except for one thing, I guess,” she adds, mostly to herself.
“Don’t say that.”
My sister gulps. “It’s true.” She looks at the Prince and then back at me. “I should never have gotten between you two. I can see how much you care about each other. I was scared of being alone.”
“It was a weird situation,” I smile. “Takes some getting used to.”
Margot nods, and tears fill her eyes.
She opens her mouth, but before she can speak, I clear my throat. I glance at Luca, and he gives me the slightest nod.
He knows that I want to tell her about the baby. With just one glance, he understands everything that’s happening inside my heart, and is there to support me. It’s micro-moments like this that make me appreciate him even more. My love for him multiplies in an instant. I take a deep breath, bracing myself to deliver the next bombshell that will rock Margot’s world.
“Margot,” I say softly, forcing myself to look her in the eyes, “I’m pregnant.”
My sister’s eyes widen. She glances from me, to the Prince, and back to me again. She swallows thickly.
I’m not sure what I expect her to say. Congratulations, maybe. Or some platitude that comes to her head. The last thing that I expect her to say are the words that eventually come out of her mouth.
Margot takes a deep breath, blowing it out and then biting her lower lip. She drags her gaze up to mine, her eyes wide and full of fear.
“Me too.”
Wicked Prince
An Accidental Pregnancy Romance
Royally Unexpected: Book 5
1
Margot
Atonement.
That’s what I’m doing when I haul another tray of baked goods into a cooling rack at my sister’s bakery. I move to sweep flour off the floor and smile as my sister comes through the door.