Page 139 of Enchanted Kingdom
He closed his eyes and looked to his hands. “I’m sorry, Jorah. Please know that I did pull back eventually though. Maybe not fast enough. But I did stop it.”
Did I believe him? Did it even matter? “So though I did my best and playedmypart, your father still wins tonight because he also saw what I saw. He saw that I was a wreck. So tonight worked in his favor after all,” I spit. “He wanted me humiliated and, on that front, you provided him with the final blow.”
Keir’s chest heaved, his magic snaking beneath his veins. I didn’t care enough to reach out and calm it.
“Send me home,” I said as I sat back down on my bed.
“What?”
Owen turned to look at me too, concern all over his face.
“I wish to leave!” I told Keir.
“No,” Keir shook his head. “No. I can’t let you leave.” He reached again for my hand as he went to his knees before me. “What do you want me to do, Jorah? No kissing anyone? Send everyone home? I’ll do it. Just tell me what to do.”
I closed my eyes as a fresh set of tears trailed the last batch. “I wished for you to not betray me. You promised me you’d earn my trust. Just like you promised me you’d help get me out of there tonight.”
“I’ll fix this,” Keir offered. “I can send Gwen home in the morning if you’d like.
“Get out,” I snapped.
His eyes scanned mine.
“Get out of my room this minute.” I shook my head. “If you think sending Gwen home now just because I caught you is the answer to our problems, you’re an even bigger fool than I thought.”
Keir moved to stand. “I want to fix this, Jorah. I’ll figure out a way. I meant what I said when I said at the end of all this I wanted it to be you. Yeah, I may have been pissed at my father tonight and made a wrong move with Gwen.” His voice cracked. “But I still want that.”
“Well I don’t.”
He closed his eyes. “Sleep on it, please. I don’t want to lose you. I know I messed up. And I’m so sorry I hurt you.” His eyes were watery when he opened them to look at me. “I never meant to betray you like that.”
I wiped at my eyes and nose as soon as he left and turned to Owen. “Sorry you had to sit through all that. I mostly just needed you here in case I tried to murder a prince.”
A small smile graced his lips. “No problem.”
“You can go now,” I offered.
He shook his head. “Nope.”
I pointed at my bed. “I’m going to cry myself to sleep, so please, go.”
“Nope. I’m staying.” He stood and kicked his boots off.
“What?”
“I’m sleeping in your chair tonight. Because I’m worried as hell about you, and I won’t sleep even if I do leave.”
I groaned. “Fine. You can just listen to me sob all night then.”
He wrapped an arm around me and brought me in for a hug. “That’s fine. Cry all you want. I won’t be able to hear it over my snoring anyway.”
CHAPTER38
Iawoke to Owen placing another bouquet of flowers on my nightstand, which matched the other two that had since been smashed into my garbage can. I hadn’t even bothered to open the notes attached to the flowers on either of the first two bouquets and I didn’t feel the urge to open this one either.
Keir had sent me flowers and tried to talk with me every morning since our argument. And every time, I shrugged him off and told him I needed time.
Time to figure out if I could ever forgive him or if I was just done.
