Page 73 of Royal Rising

Eloise: I thought you had this morning off?

I love my sisters and how we’re so close, but sometimes… I stop halfway through making my bed to sit down and get the recap out of the way.

I’m not changing the sheets—these ones will be on for a while because now they smell like Kalle. The pillow where he laid his head, the sheet that covered some of his body.

His body…

Hugging my phone, I close my eyes and picture his bare chest. Those abs. His arms.

How he didn’t kiss me, despite having the perfect opportunity.

I growl under my breath.

Me: there will be no second date with Mathias

Ella: what???

Enid: Why?

Eloise: whathappened? R U ok?

Me: nothing there. He’s leaving today, will leave it as friends

Enid: like you and Kalle friends?

What am I supposed to say to that? Enid is the worst of them, always trying to get me to push through thejust friendsbarrier to see what might happen with Kalle.

It’s like she knew something I don’t.

Didn’t. Something I didn’t know, because now I know more. Not everything, but enough to… get excited?

Be scared? Hopeful? Resigned that it’s not going to work out and it’s going to hurt really bad, not to mention destroy our friendship? Over the moon with happiness.

I feel like a ping pong ball.

Ella: good thing Mom gave up the dream

Eloise: did she really? Did you not see the princess outfit she gave Emery for her bday?

My sister has carried on the family tradition of the “E” names.

I’ve always thought the England family was a bit like the Bennets in Pride and Prejudice. I, of course, would be Lizzy, Eloise the sweet sister, Jane. Enid would be Mary, and Ella, the scatterbrained Kitty.

Thankfully, we don’t have a Lydia.

But it was our mother with her over-the-top dreams of her daughters marrying into the royal family that reminded me of Mrs. Bennet. And now, like never before, I can relate to the part in the book where Mrs. Bennet says if Elizabeth refuses Mr. Collins,she’ll never talk to her again, and Mr. Bennet says if she does marry him, he would never talk to her again. I feel like that.

My mother would be beyond excited to know that there may besomethingbetween me and Kalle, and my father would hate it.

Would my father hate it? If he knew I was happy with the son of his former boss, would he accept it?

I really hope so.

But there’s no way I’m giving up that little tidbit to my sisters. I will report back on Kalle when there is something concrete, not justmaybe we should give it a tryand thennothing happened!

I’d never hear the end of it from Enid. From Ella: “Why didn’t you kisshim?

Why didn’t I?

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