Page 44 of Coral Prince Conundrum
“He is going back to America,” Oroy adds. He grins and says, “Where it is totally rad and cowabunga all day.”
I laugh. “It sure is.”
I stand up, but Seero furrows his brow. “But…um, what?” he asks.
“As I explained to them, I’m going to get some more of my stuff—clothes and devices. And settle my affairs back home.” I gaze around the room and button up my coat. “Then, in two weeks, I’ll be back to start planning our wedding…uh, honey.” I bounce my eyebrows at him and pray that Seero understands I’m still bluffing.
“Would you like to use my sea dragon?” Priya asks.
“That will not be necessary, sister. I will take him,” Seero says. I bid them all farewell and exit the dining area. I follow Seero upstairs, and after a minute, he whispers, “What is going on?”
“I’m leaving. Are you gonna bring me to the port? Or should I call a water taxi?”
He freezes in the living room, and I try to avoid staring at his perplexed face. Or his tight abs. “But…I thought you were staying here?”
“Until the presentation was over, and now it is. And according to your siblings, the Corali Court will be deliberating the bill for the next three days.” I shrug. “I’m not needed here anymore. It’s time to go back to my real, barista life.”
He opens and closes his mouth twice before slowly nodding in understanding. “Yes.” He shakes his head and walks to the garments on the couch. “Yes, of course, Daryl, how could I forget?”
I smile and clap my hands for no reason. He quietly puts on a tunic, and I bounce on my toes. The energy between us is so awkward, and I’m not sure why. This handsome prince got everything he wanted from me, in addition to some enjoyable sex. We’ve reached the end of our relationship, a conclusion we both saw coming. The clairvoyant must have been full of shit, because his life and mine were always meant to move in different directions. I need to ignore that gnawing feeling that wants me to beg him to let me stay.
Because, again, I’m not his soulmate.
Thirty minutes later, Seero and I stand at the private dock not far from where we entered the country. The water mystics have cleared a small path in the fog, and Drakey swims up to us.
“Hi, boy,” I coo with a grin. You don’t ride on the back of a sea stallion for hours without growing to care for him.
“Drakey has been instructed to take you back to Princedelphia. He has also been sworn to protect you with his life, and of course, not submerge.”
“I hope not. Otherwise, Layla will besuperpissed that you made me drown,” I say with a laugh. Seero, however, does not react.
“No harm will ever come to you. Shall I accompany you?”
“No, no.” I wave him off. “You have like a dozen meetings today, we both know that.”
He nods. “Right.”
“You got your princely duties…” I hop off the dock and onto the gray saddle-type structure on Drakey. “And I got coffee to make.”
I laugh, but he still gazes at me with a serious look. “I would put my duties on hold for you.”
“I’ll be okay,” I reply, shaking my head. “Plus, you need to come up with a convincing alibi as to why that Black guy you were dating disappeared!” I laugh again, and it sounds so forced, even to my ears. We were never real boyfriends, so why does this feel like a true breakup?
“I…suppose I can wait a week, then tell them that I found…another boyfriend. One of the many male suitors of our kingdom.”
My breath catches in my throat at the thought of him dating someone else, holding him, and sharing his bed—ourbed—with another dude. The very idea makes me nauseous, but I manage not to frown. “Perfect! There ya go, Seero.”
After a beat, he whistles up to the sky, then an old friend appears. “Pelly!” I say with a genuine grin. The bird flops down and lands on Drakey’s head. He bristles, then she flies back up.
“Pelly will also ensure that you get back to America.”
I nod at Seero. “Thank you.” Even a few feet above, his gaze on me seems almost upset. But why should he be? We’re just friends who hooked up a few times, that’s it.
“Don’t worry, man. We’ll be in touch. If you ever have any questions about surface life, I gave your brother my number.”
“That is good to know.”
“And, uh…thank you. For everything.”
