Page 60 of Until the Stars Fall

“But she loves him,” the old fae noted. “And you know she’s the optimistic sort. She was holding onto hope, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We could all use a little more hope these days.”

Marin scoffed. “Nothing wrong with that? Her broken heart would say otherwise. Look where it got her.”

Broken heart?Marin could tell? I’d spent all this time trying to hide it, attempting to do my best to move on, but apparently I’d failed.

“And what would you have her do exactly, Marin?”

I shifted uneasily at my perch by the door, suddenly feeling bad for eavesdropping—even if they were discussing me and my broken heart.

Marin sighed loudly, and I could picture her shoulders slumping dramatically. “I don’t know. It’s not like I want her to leave. I just want her to be happy.”

My heart swelled, and I pressed my hand against my sternum. She actually cared? All these years, I’d felt so alone. Brennan had been my only friend, and then I’d lost him. Again. I made a mental note to be kind to Marin.

“If that’s true,” Mrs. Bishop said, “then you will not breathe a word about the engagement. Let me tell her. She doesn’t need to hear it blurted out insensitively.”

Engagement.

He’d proposed to her.

My heart plummeted into my stomach, landing with a frozen, dull thud.

No,I told myself.You knew this was going to happen. You expected this.

This will not break you.

Smile, Lieke.

Drawing in a steadying breath, I pushed open the door with as much confidence as I could muster. Marin and Mrs. Bishop both whirled around to face me, their eyes growing wide.

“Good morning,” I said, forcing my lips to curl into a half-smile. After grabbing my apron off the hook beside the door, I tied it around my waist and joined them at the worktable. They stared at me in silence as I began to collect the ingredients to make the croissants the king had requested this morning.

“Oh, come now, both of you,” I said. “I’ve already heard. There’s no need to pussyfoot around me. I’m fine.”

Marin leaned forward and whispered, “What have you heard?”

I waved a hand casually in the air. “The proposal? Brennan and Calla?” I swallowed past the discomfort of having their names together on my tongue. “It’s not as if it’s any big secret. We’ve been expecting it all week.”

Mrs. Bishop inched closer to me until her hip nearly touched mine. “And you’re fine.”

Nodding, I returned my attention to the butter and flour as I answered, “Yes. I’m fine. It’s fine.”

“Say it one more time and we’ll know you’re lying,” Marin said, pointing a finger at me.

“If I was lying, she’d already know.” I nodded to Mrs. Bishop, whose eyes narrowed briefly.

She didn’t break her stare as she said to Marin, “Leave her be, girl. She’s fine.”

Marin straightened and smiled widely. Mischief sparked in her eyes as she studied me. “Great! Then you’ll come with me?”

Confusion pulled my brow low over my eyes. When a quick glance at Mrs. Bishop yielded no answers, I asked, “Come with you where?”

“The engagement announcement dinner tomorrow night, of course.” She said it as if it should have been obvious.

“We aren’t allowed, Marin,” I said, not mentioning how it was the last place I wanted to be.

She scoffed and looked up to the ceiling. “Not the actual dinner, dummy. I just want to check out the decorations once they’re ready. I hear this is to be the most elaborate banquet King Durand has ever held. Even grander than the queen’s were!”

“I don’t know,” I muttered, glancing down at the rolling pin in my hands.

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