Page 44 of Powerful Prince
I glanced at Ryder and wished he was more positive. For now, I folded my napkin on my lap, though I wasn’t hungry, and took a sip of my wine.
I glanced at his eyes and wished he had more faith. Marrying Ryder was a chance of a lifetime, but I’d never lived my life without my social media outlets. I didn’t think I could. So my skin buzzed with my own fears as I finished my sip and said, “I’ll let you know tomorrow, once Ryder and I have a chance to talk.”
The waiters brought us salmon dishes, and the lemony smell normally would have made my mouth water. Today, my lips were dry, and I wasn’t sure what I’d do. I ignored the plate.
“That bad, then,” my little sister, Olivia, said. “I was hoping you’d get what you wanted. I still do.”
“Thanks, Olivia.” My lips curved in a faint smile. I needed hope. It was the missing jewel to my world at the moment. I let out a sigh and said, “I’m just happy Frank could come on short notice. He’s still negotiating with them.”
Stephanie brushed against my arm and motioned for me to eat as she said, “See? So there is hope. Ridley said Frank set her up wonderfully.”
Ryder finished his bite. His face was white. “My father is a king. Negotiation isn’t his style.”
There it was. His negative energy was like a weight of bricks that made me think “no”.
Olivia finished her salmon quickly. She must have loved it, as her face was brighter as she said, “Well, you and my sister seem happy and in love.”
My entire body grew hot and I glanced at Ryder. But his stoic face gave me no hints about his feelings and my heart thumped. Love? It couldn’t possibly be true for us. I sighed.
Stephanie said, “Tomorrow you’ll meet Indigo, Ridley and Georgie and their husbands. They are all great guys, like you, your highness.”
This time Ryder blinked, and he shook his head. “Ryder is fine,” he said. “I’m not a great guy, but please, call me by my name.”
They smiled, but Stephanie took Olivia’s hand and jumped up from the table. “We will,” she said, “We’ll see you tomorrow. Olivia and I need to check into our room.”
Olivia bounced but hugged me as Ryder and I said, “Bye Olivia, bye Stephanie.”
They left and I forced myself to bite into my food. This fish was fresh and practically melted off the fork. I wished my taste buds were in alignment, but it was as if nothing mattered.
I took a few bites anyway, and the sustenance helped settle me. The moment I put my fork down, Ryder folded his hands on the table and said, “Your family loves you.”
I washed down the fish with wine that also didn’t do anything. Once I put my glass down, I smiled. Ryder made me ache in ways I hadn’t known possible. I let out a deep breath and said, “And, I love my sisters and my cousins. When my parents died, all we had was each other. It brought us closer than ever.”
He finished his glass. Then, he said, “That’s clear.”
I crossed my legs under my seat. We needed to be smart. I needed to be, anyhow. I wasn’t sure what I’d do if I didn’t have my life work. I nursed the last bit of my own wine and said, “It’s comforting.”
His shoulders slumped and, for a moment, his eyes glistened. He shut that down, though, as he said, “I can’t imagine. My sister and brother … we weren’t close after my mom died.”
I reached for his hand and a spark rushed in my veins as I said, “Emily seems interested in being close to you.”
That small laugh of his made my veins race a little more and I ached to hug him. “She was good to you, which was nice to see.”
I bit my lower lip. I didn’t want to ask the next question, but then the words came spilling out of me. “What happened with you and your brother?”
He sat back and let my hand go. His muscles seemed hard, like he was holding back his anger. “He’s been an asshole. I didn’t like how he spoke to you.”
I tugged my ear and refilled our glasses with the remnants of the bottle. There wasn’t much for either of us, but it gave me time to think. I said, “Yeah, I saw that. Any reason he’s like that with you?”
He shook his head. “Not that I know of. I’ve never even blinked at any of his girlfriends.”
Good. The last thing I needed in my brain was some sort of jealous streak to complicate how I felt. I was already confused. I sipped my wine, then my phone rang. I grabbed it and showed him my screen. “Frank is calling.”
Ryder picked up his own glass. “I’ll let you talk.”
I put the phone to my ear and glanced at the clouds in the distance over the water as Frank said, “The talks have been shut down. No progress, and I’m told not to expect any more meetings tomorrow.”
My stomach turned to stone. Ryder had predicted this. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to understand. I had given up so much already. I rocked in my seat a little as I asked, “Seriously? He won’t budge?”
