Page 53 of Royally Knocked Up
I’m sorry that I lied to you. I know you might find that hard to understand and harder to forgive, and I know I have to live with that fact. From the moment I began to fall for you, I knew I would come face-to-face with a moment in which I’d have to admit who I really was and what I had done. I knew it wouldn’t be easy.
I didn’t know how much it would hurt when the truth finally came out.
But I want you to know that if I had known, I would have done it anyway. I would have done everything just the same. I regret that I lied to you, but I couldn’t have known before I met you that you would be so much more than just another job to me.
I don’t regret falling in love with you.
I never could.
I will always love you. I know that might be hard for you to believe under the circumstances. I hope that someday you will be able to believe it. Until that day comes, I’ll keep on hoping.
Love always,
Hailey.
She folded the paper in half quickly, not wanting to give herself time to reread and second-guess her words. She didn’t want to spend any more time than was absolutely necessary thinking about what she had decided to say. It would never be perfect. She would have to settle for good enough.
She went to the door and opened it.
Romano was waiting for her. “Ready?”
She nodded and handed him the paper. “Just see that he gets it,” she said. “I know you can’t make him read it.”
“I can’t,” Romano agreed. “But you have my word that it will get to him.”
“Thank you,” Hailey said again. “Your help has meant everything to me.”
Romano smiled sadly. “I’ll be here in the morning to take you to the airport, all right?”
“You don’t have to take me. I can find my own way.”
His gaze dropped.
“Oh,” she realized. “You do have to take me.”
“I do. I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be,” she said. “I’m glad. It means I’ll get to see you one last time before I go.”
She waved him off, went over to her bed, and collapsed with a sigh.
How could it be that everything had gone so wrong so fast?
CHAPTER 21
ENZO
Enzo woke up in his bedroom at the palace.
His head was foggy, and he felt as if he had been sick for days.Hangover, he thought woozily, trying to put the pieces of the night before into place. He knew he had been out with Luca, and that there had been drinks — a lot of drinks. What had happened after that?
Had he had his picture taken?
He decided he didn’t care if he had. What difference could that possibly make now? So what if he brought more shame to his father? His father had never bothered to consider or to care for what would make Enzo’s life better, so why should Enzo give him any consideration?
He didn’t remember having made the decision to come to the palace, but it occurred to him that if he had been drunk enough, Luca might have told a driver to take him here so that he wouldn’t be alone. That made sense. There were servants here.
And suddenly — though it was the last thing he would have expected — hedidfeel shame.
