Page 44 of A Royal Arrangement
Sienna:I miss your faces!
After a chorus of yesses, Sienna sent a video chat request. Rosalie answered, propping the phone on her knee. Tears started pooling in the corners of her eyes as her friends popped up on the screen. Sometimes a girl just needed her friends.
“I miss you all so much.” A smile pulled at her lips as she swiped away her happy tears.
“Same.” Charlotte used a tissue to blot the corners of her eyes.
“It’s been too long,” Bridgette added while Sienna nodded along in agreement.
Charlotte moved her face closer to the screen. “Okay, now what do you need advice about, Ro? How is the situation with Colin?”
Rosalie shared with Bridgette and Sienna what she had told Charlotte at the ball about the reality of her relationship with Colin. She told them how she had tried to up the ante like Liam had suggested.
“I think that idea backfired, though. I tried to be bold, but I think I read the situation wrong…” She trailed off, pulling her lips to the side and biting the inside of her cheek.
“What happened?” Charlotte asked.
“I thought things had been going in a positive direction with Colin. We had a few moments when I believed he was changing, maybe even coming to care for me, so I decided to make a small move to test the waters.”
Rosalie told her friends about the water fight she’d had with Addie and Colin and how she had playfully hugged him at the end.
“He practically sprinted away. A few days later, we talked on the beach. He really opened up to me about his late wife, but then he overreacted when I tried to relate to his loss. He said, ‘You couldn’t possibly understand what it means to lose someone that close to you.’ I just don’t know where to go from here.”
“Hold up.” Sienna held her hand up, a fiercely loyal expression on her face. “How does he not know about…your loss? Does he not keep up with royal news in other countries? He should never have said that to you.”
Rosalie shrugged. “I don’t think he would’ve said something like that if he’d known what my family has been through.”
Charlotte had a sad smile on her face. “I’m so sorry, Ro. I’m not justifying what he said at all, because that’s not okay, and I know it had to have hurt. But I think his loss is very fresh for him, and he’s still hurting at some level, whether he likes to show it. And you know how the saying goes…hurt people hurt people. Maybe you need to figure out how to help him move forward.”
“I totally agree, Char. I’ve already forgiven what he said.” Rosalie sank back into the couch, her hair splaying out around her. “But where do I go from here? How do I show Colin I want this marriage to work—that I want to fall in love and go on dates and be in this together instead of basically living separate lives?”
“I know you’ve already done some big things, but maybe you need to go bigger. You could do something wild to express that you’re all in, like sending him one of those singing telegrams,” Bridgette suggested.
“You need to get a video if you do that.” Charlotte chortled. “You could also do some obvious flirting…complimenthim, brush your hand up against his…those sorts of things. Continue doing the little things that show him the caring person you are. Help him to really see the wonderful woman right in front of him. Show him you care about his daughter, his country, andhim. That’s how I caught Liam’s attention romantically—well, minus the daughter part.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder with a wink.
“Yeah, you did!” Liam shouted from the background, and they all burst into laughter.
Charlotte stepped away and shooed Liam out of the room before returning to the screen.
“You could step up and help with some queenly duties and pitch in wherever he needs you. Or you could slow down and stop making moves, make Colin come to you. That’s working for me. Maybe you could try it out?” Sienna suggested.
“Wait, wait, wait.Workingfor you? Miss ma’am, is there something you need to tell us?” Rosalie practically screamed into the phone.
A flush covered Sienna’s face and neck. “It’s possible I’m seeing Spencer again.”
They all started asking her questions at the same time.
“What?”
“When did this happen?”
“We need more details. How did he win you over again?”
“He came to visit after seeing me onRoyally Yours. Apparently, when he went to my father to get his blessing to propose to me, my father threatened to cut me off if Spencer proposed.” Sienna sighed. “My dad was never pleased about my decision to date someone who wasn’t titled. That’s why Spencer ended things last Christmas. He didn’t want me to have to choose between my title and family or him.”
“Oh, my goodness.” Bridgette’s hands flew to her mouth to cover her shock.
“That’s awful. I’m so sorry.” Rosalie gave her a sympathetic look.
