Page 113 of The Promised Prince
“Too messy.” His mouth contorted into a grimace.
“Or strangled you while you were asleep in your bed?” she argued.
He raised his eyebrows. “Too intimate.”
She finally laughed, and it caught her off guard. “Okay. So now what happens?”
“Well, I overpower you and push you off the roof instead. It’s a surprise ending.”
Her face twisted in disgust. “What a gruesome story.”
His hands raised out in front of him. “I know, right? It took an evil turn somewhere, and I just had to go with it.”
They fell into an uncomfortable silence, the only sound the soft hum of the cooling unit. Neither one of them had planned on seeing the other, let alone talking to each other. Beyond make-believe, what real things could they even talk about?
She decided to leave. “I better go get ready for the wedding dinner.”
“Renna?” Trev hopped to his feet again, staring at her for a moment. “Thank you.”
She shrugged her shoulders. “For what?”
“For teaching me what it feels like to have a broken heart.”
A familiar sorrow coiled around Renna like an old friend keeping her company. “I don’t think that’s a good thing,” she whispered, trying to keep her emotions in check. She completely loved him, and yet,hehad a broken heart.
They both did.
“I’ll take anything I can get from you, even if it’s only a broken heart.” His eyes were defeated, adding to the canyon of heartache inside her. “I’ve never been so miserable in my life,” he said, half laughing. “This misery has changed me. It has taught me about myself and...” His words got quieter. “About love.”
Renna had to look away.
She couldn’t handle the seriousness of it all. She couldn’t handle the use of the wordlove,especially when he would never be hers. She swallowed hard.“I’m afraid you’ll never be satisfied again,” she said with an air of sarcastic haughtiness.
“Obviously,” he whispered.
“Obviously,” she whispered back.
Renna didn’t need to look at him. She knew from the sound of his voice what smile he gave—the sad one, full of longing.
But she did look at him.
One last time.
His blue eyes were glossed over with moisture, contradicting his charming smile. He stood there, hands in his pockets, staring back at her. Every fiber of her being swore she was meant to look at him for the rest of her life and beyond, but somehow this was goodbye.
She loved him enough to let him go.
She turned to leave, letting their story end one last time.
46
Trev
Later that night, everyone gathered in the great hall for the pre-wedding dinner. Glasses clanked together after each toast and each shout of,‘to the happy couple!’Trev’s jaw ached from all the smiling he was doing. The pretense of happiness was exhausting. Of course, nobody used the wordlovein their speech. This was an arranged marriage, a political move. Instead, they said things like,‘they make a charming couple,’ ‘Albion’s future is bright with the two of them,’or Trev’s personal favorite,‘there’s never been two people more perfect for each other.’
As if any of these well-wishers knew anything about what was perfect for Trev. What was perfect for Trev was sitting eight tables away, wearing a shiny silver dress. Her hair was down and impossibly straight—Trev had never seen it that straight before. She was sitting next to a young soldier, who seemed to be leaning into her just for the fun of it.
“To the happy couple!” Alba Folley said, finishing his speech. Trev raised his glass to Seran’s again. More cheers. More clanking glasses.
