Page 77 of A Royal Arrangement
“I’m not sure where we go from here.”
Rosalie bit back tears. She had thought everything was going well. She’d thought they were finally on the same page and that everything was starting to click for them. Her walls had come crumbling down after that kiss, but maybe they shouldn’t have. Maybe she was only opening herself up to get hurt yet again when her husband obviously wasn’t feeling the same things she was.
Their conversation was interrupted by the chef coming back to their table to serve their dessert: mini lemon cheesecakes with a blueberry compote and fresh whipped cream. She focused on the plate in front of her, avoiding Colin’s gaze.
Rosalie ate every last bite—she honestly would’ve licked her plate clean if no one else had been there. The cheesecake was absolutely divine, and the lemon flavor was refreshing and light on her palate.
No matter how much she’d enjoyed her meal, her stomach felt like it was filled with lead from Colin’s words. She didn’t know how she was supposed to handle being married to someone whom she loved who didn’t love her back.
She wanted her happily-ever-after. She wanted to love and be loved in return. She wanted to be the first thing on his mind when he woke up and his last thought before bed. She wanted to sleep beside him every night and have him hold her like he had a few nights ago. She wanted to be his everything.
But she was starting to worry she was going to be someone who never got what they wanted.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Colin
The light that usually radiated from Rosalie had left, and Colin knew he was the one to blame for it. He hadn’t been truly honest with Rosalie on their boat outing when she’d asked what the kiss they’d shared meant for them.
He could have told her how confused it had made him feel. He could’ve told her how it had made his heart feel things he hadn’t felt since losing Isabella. He could have told her how whenever he spent time with her, he enjoyed it and wanted to spend more time with her. He could have told her how she was the sunshine lighting up his entire world.
Instead, Colin had been an idiot who’d only said, “I’m not sure where we go from here.”
It was probably better for her, in the end, to not get close to him. If he had been vulnerable and shared how he truly was feeling with her, it would’ve only set her up to be let down.
Rosalie was amazing. She was one hundred percent out of his league—out of hishemisphere.
She deserves so much more than what I can give her.
Now Colin had to figure out what he was supposed to do when he cared deeply for someone, even though he didn’t feel like he would ever be enough for her.
He had texted Wes and asked him if they could meet down at the beach this morning to talk, and his friend had responded almost immediately with an emphatic yes.
Right on time, Wes strode across the sand toward him with a confident gait.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” Wes asked with a dramatic bow.
“I need your advice about my situation with Rosalie.”
“You want my advice twice in one week?” His friend held his hand to his chest, aghast. “I’m flattered.”
Colin rolled his eyes, but the hint of a smile pulled at his lips. “You’re ridiculous.”
Wes pulled an apple out of his pocket and tossed it into the air before smoothly catching it.
“I see you finally decided to find your own apple to eat instead of always stealing mine.”
“Nah.” Wes shook his head and took a giant bite out of it. “I swiped this from the palace kitchens before coming out here.”
“Of course you did.”
“Now, what do you need? I thought everything was better after the kiss.”
Colin rubbed his chin. “I might have made a mess of things again.” He explained what had happened when he’d taken her out on the boat, about their conversation over dinner, and how Rosalie had been acting dejected ever since.
Wes sat and listened intently while Colin got everything off his chest. When he was done sharing, Wes asked, “Why didn’t you tell her how you really feel?”
“And confuse her even more? What’s the point?”
