Page 69 of Royal Fling
Too bad we could never be together.
Eighteen
August
Ipatted the bed next to me before I even opened my eyes, but he wasn't there. Of course he wasn't.
After the boat ride, he’d made an excuse about needing to go home because he needed to be there for his dad and brother in the morning. I was pretty sure it had been a lie, but I couldn’t be sure. Who could blame him for lying?
Last night was supposed to be a romantic ride on the river. And it ended up being something short of heartbreaking.
I had four weeks left with Luke, and I couldn't imagine going back to a life without him.
Four weeks, and then I'd have to return home. Leave my life here in London and return home where I had to keep up appearances and be the perfect prince for my family. For my people.
I looked at the empty space beside me, imagining him there, what it’d be like to wake up next to him for the rest of my life, and took a deep breath.
There was rap on my door, and I sat up in bed. Fisayo walked in with a taut demeanor. I tensed against the headboard.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her. “Are you okay?”
She didn't respond. Instead, she came and sat by my bed like she used to do when I was younger and would read me stories to sleep.
“Nonny, what's up? You're worrying me now.”
“There's been some developments while you were asleep,” she said.
I froze. A knot formed in my throat that I couldn't swallow no matter how hard I tried.
“What kind of developments?” I asked.
“I…” she started. “I don't know how to say this.”
Her fingers smoothed a spot on the sheet beside me over and over again.
“For crying out loud, Fisayo. Out with it already.” I raised my voice, the worry building up inside.
Was Baba okay? Had something happened at the palace? Was Luke okay? Was Nonny?
She finally looked up at me and pursed her lips. “There's been some pictures that surfaced earlier this morning.”
“Pictures? What kind of pictures?”
Her nostrils flared, and her chest puffed like she was bracing herself.
“Of Luke and you on a boat, kissing,” she said.
“Fuck!” I covered my mouth and tried to remember how someone breathed.
I didn't often curse in front of Nonny, but…
“Fuck!” I said again. “How, What? Where?”
Oh great. Now I’ve forgotten how to speak, too.
“It’s all over the Daily Watch, Vivo, all the tabloids. It seems that you had a tail the last few days, and they finally got what they were looking for,” she said.
I ran my hand over my face, trying to put the shitstorm billowing inside me into some sort of order.
