Page 22 of The Cinderella Prince

“B-but you can’t be,” I said. And it wasn’t even that I assumed he was completely gay, but the abrupt possessiveness that poured into me. I wasn’t letting her have him. He wasn’t livestock to be sold for some kind of profit. “That’s outrageous.” I tried to cover myself up and hide just how jealous I suddenly was.

“That’s what I said,” Cedric replied. “But the thing about my family is that they’re very loyal to traditions, Tristan. It’s all they are. It’s allweare. Without them, my family has no place in the world.”

“So you’re marrying some girl? Do you love her?” The demand was strong in my tone, stronger than I’d meant.

Cedric’s snort was pure contempt. “And I don’t believe she loves me, either. Which, if you ask my parents, has never been a problem in the history of our dynasty.”

I heard myself laugh bitterly and shook my head. “This is fucked-up, Cedric.” After he gave me an agreeing look, I added, “I guess I see why you would want to keep low, then.”

Cedric put a hand on the bar next to mine. I felt as though he had meant to touch my hand and changed his mind at the last second, but I couldn’t swear on it. Helooked into my eyes, though. “And you see why I couldn’t let us do anything more after that kiss.”

My throat tightened. I shook my head like it was nothing. “Of course. N-no big deal.”

Cedric pressed his lips into a tight line and pulled away from me. “I’m sorry it went so far, Tristan.”

Don’t, I wanted to say.Don’t regret it when it was the most beautiful thing that happened to me.

“I was…taken by my feelings. The night was magical. I felt like anything was possible. And kissing you made it all real.” There was a heavy tone of apology in there, but I could have sworn I heard some whimsy, too.

“It’s fine,” I croaked and cleared my throat. “I wouldn’t hold that against you.”

He nodded thankfully.

Mama Viv barged through the door, fanning herself dramatically, and spotted me sitting at the bar. “Now, do my eyes deceive me, or has the runaway chick returned to his mama hen?”

Cedric appeared very busy very quickly, and I couldn’t blame him. Not that Mama Viv would remind him to do more when the hours were so slow. Oh no. Mama Viv would, in complete secrecy, confide in half of Hudson Burrow and ask everyone to keep the truth to themselves. Gossip would spread like wildfire, and Cedric would be outed within two days.

Mama Viv hugged me, and I kissed her cheek. “It’s good to see you.”

“And you, my darling,” she said. “Tell me everything. What’s kept you away from your home all these days?”

So I went on to recount all I had been doing in the pastfew days. It was true that I had been avoiding the bar and Cedric, but I was pretty sure that was over now. Careful not to spill any of the beans that didn’t belong to me, I told Mama Viv I would be here more often.

The truth was there was a lot more to talk about. And Cedric was still in the same mess he had been in an hour ago. But at least I knew the truth. And I could help.

CHAPTER 7

Knight In Shining Armor

Cedric

The very firstnight I told Tristan the truth, I learned how heavy the burden I had lived with was. Its absence allowed me to fill my lungs with air, to lift my head high, to smile without feeling like I deceived him.

The very next day, Tristan came around while I helped Bradley behind the bar. He asked me when I would be off and then told me to wait for him after the shift. I wasn’t in the habit of being told what to do or to wait on people, but I had been making allowances for work all these days, so I figured I might as well include Tristan in my growing list of exceptions.

“I’ve been thinking about your, ah, situation all night,” Tristan said when he came around at three in the afternoon. His skin had absorbed the August sunshine and tanned in such a smooth way, whereas mine needed layers of SPF to save me from burning like a crab. I avoided the sunshine in New York like a vampire.

We carried a round of beers to the terrace under the canopy of lightbulbs that were off at this hour. The shadows cast by the buildings closing around us were thick and as close to cool as could be expected this deep into the summer. “Oh?”

“Yeah,” Tristan confirmed.

We sat down in the furthest corner, with cool brick walls extending to two sides. My back faced the buildings that met in this corner, and I had a full view of the terrace and the door to Neon Nights. Nobody could walk out here without me seeing them.

Tristan leaned in conspiratorially and looked at me. “I decided I believe you.”

I arched my eyebrows. “Decided?” And hadn’t that already been resolved?

He shrugged innocently. “Decided.”

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