Page 96 of Until the Stars Fall

Could Lieke and I keep this charade up for that long? Would she agree to it?

What choice did she have? What choice did either of us have?

I watched her spear a piece of squash with her fork, place it gingerly on her tongue, and chew slowly. She didn’t look up from her plate, remaining quiet and seeming to have no desire to engage in the discussion. Not that I could blame her.

“And have you set a date?” Calla asked, waving her empty fork from Lieke to me.

I set my fork down, then glanced at Lieke, who was still focused on her food. Under the table, I tapped her foot with mine, caught her eye, and nodded to the princess across from us as discreetly as possible.

Clearly flustered, Lieke apologized. “The food is so delicious I must have gotten lost in it.”

“This is true,” King Vael agreed. “Your chef truly has a magic touch.”

Calla ignored her father’s interjection. “I was just asking if you two had set a wedding date yet.”

I couldn’t help but notice how sweet and genial this female was—certainly better than anyone Brennan had been with over the years, and perhaps better than he deserved.

“Oh, no, we haven’t yet,” Lieke said. She patted my arm lightly. “Wolfie here didn’t want to detract from your celebration.”

Brennan’s head jolted up. He’d been quietly stewing most of the night, though no one else seemed to have noticed. Now he chose to speak up. “He’s Wolfie now?”

Rolling my eyes, I opened my mouth to answer him, but Lieke beat me to it.

“Has been for a while actually,” she said, laying her fork down on her now empty plate.

“I don’t believe this,” he grumbled, pushing away from the table and stomping out of the room.

Our guests stared after him in silent shock.

Clearing my throat, I looked from Lieke to Calla and smiled sympathetically. “You’ll have to excuse my brother,” I said. “He’s still a little hurt that I…that we”—I grasped Lieke’s hand in mine—“kept this from him for as long as we did.”

Lieke nodded along as I spoke, adding in, “I’m sure he’ll be fine. He’s always been rather passionate, hasn’t he?”

“Indeed,” my father said, donning a smile that barely masked his ire.

“Should I go after him?” Calla searched each face around the table, but it was my father who finally offered her a shake of his head.

“No, Your Highness, he just needs some time to think. I’m sure he will come back soon.”

But Brennan never returned.

CHAPTER 46

Lieke

By the time dinner was over, I couldn’t wait to slip into a hot bath and ease away the tension I’d carried all evening. Connor escorted me back to my room in a pleasant silence, loosely holding my hand in his until we turned down our hallway. At my door, I offered him a quick goodnight before turning my back on him to open it, but Connor’s hand landed on my arm. As he pulled me around to face him, I kept my eyes lowered.

“I’m tired, Connor,” I said, not wanting to acknowledge how my stomach fluttered again at his touch.

His hand fell away, and he shoved it into his pocket. “I just wanted to say thank you. You did well.”

My throat pinched closed, making a verbal response impossible, so I nodded. He let me turn from him this time, and as I stepped inside, he whispered, “Goodnight, Sapphire.”

Once I closed the door behind me, I pressed my back against it, letting my eyes fall closed. Seven months. I’d have to pretend I loved Connor for the next seven months. Could I do this? While I had full confidence I could convincingly act the part, I was more nervous that I would one day reach the point where I didn’t need to fake it, just as he had originally planned.

This was temporary.

This wasn’t real.

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