There are some things you can never un-see, and images of Alex in bed with another woman were on the top of that list. His bare back with sheets barely covering his hips and the look on the woman’s face would forever be etched into my psyche. There were pictures of the woman taking off her clothes while he watched from the bed. Pictures of her sitting on top of him that had to be from another day because she was wearing a different bra. It made me insanely jealous—angry enough to push my computer away and get up and pace around the room. I counted to ten. And then to twenty. I closed my eyes and scrubbed at my lids with the palms of my hands. I needed to calm down and think about this rationally. I knew he was a flirt and of course he had been with other women. It wasn’t like I hadn’t slept with guys before. Alex and I hadn’t shared anything but a couple of kisses. And yet… and yet, it still bothered me. After a few minutes I grabbed the computer off the bed and started to close all the windows, but a headline grabbed my attention.
“BETRAYED BY LOVER” was in huge letters over one of the pictures that thankfully had the more indecent parts fuzzed out. I needed to know, needed to see if this was something important. Maybe I just hoped it was important.
Prince Alex D’Lynsal of Lilaria is currently in a legal battle over pictures that were sold by an on-again, off-again ex-lover. In an official press release, the prince claimed the photographs had been taken without his permission and then used as blackmail. The royal family of Lilaria has taken a firm stance on the matter and refuses to answer any questions by the press.
It’s been speculated that the woman in the photos, Melissa Piaf, was trying to force the prince into marriage, but we’ve found no information to confirm those rumors. One thing is clear—the former model has made a name for herself. She announced on a national television show that several publishing and production companies had offered her money for her story. It remains to be seen if any of those deals come to fruition.
I sat back away from the computer and chewed on my thumbnail. If the press release from Alex was true, this Melissa woman was a real bitch. I couldn’t imagine waking up to find pictures of me with Chad or Thomas in the paper one morning. It must’ve been a terrible day—to have your personal bits flashed all over for the world to see. I checked the date on the article and sighed. Six months ago. I went back through the listings to see if there was any recent information. There wasn’t much else I could find. In fact, there were no recent images or stories about Alex until he came to the States. A few stories with pictures of us on campus or at the restaurant. It made my stomach turn. They talked about him like he wasn’t a real person, as if he shouldn’t care what they said about him. Now instead of feeling jealous, I just felt sick for Alex.
The thought of searching for my own name crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. Just the idea made me shudder. I closed the laptop and stuck it in my carry-on bag. Staring at the ceiling, I tried to turn my brain off, to stop thinking about the pictures and how terrible it was to imagine someone selling images of your intimate moments. Rolling onto my side, I punched my pillow, trying to get more comfortable.
He had told me he shouldn’t chase me. Was this what he had been talking about, not my questionable heritage? Did it matter?
I was asking myself that question a lot when it came to Alex. I still wasn’t sure of the answers.
Chapter Fourteen
No Pumpkins Here.
Cinderella Leaves for the Palace in a Shiny Gulfstream.
—Minnesota Daily
The three hours of sleep I had managed to get did not go well with my hatred for mornings. All my stuff was piled into the cars waiting outside and I was looking around my room for any last-minute items. My outfit was dressy yet casual—jeans, riding boots, and a comfortable shirt with a big chunky scarf—since I knew the press would be taking pictures. Jess was standing by the door holding my new black pea coat and looking a