Page 75 of The Promised Prince
“Exactly!” Trev stepped in front of a stranger, an older woman with a scarf tied on her head. He bowed in front of her, then grabbed her hands swinging her in and out, like they were dancing in a ballroom.
Seran gave Renna a sideways look, amusement brimming in her eyes. “Now we’ve really pushed him too far.”
Trev put his arm around the woman’s waist, dropping her backward into a dip. His free arm went into the air above his head forming a dramatic final pose. The audience around them clapped and cheered as Trev raised the woman up and kissed her hand.
He turned to Renna with his big smile and expressive eyes. “See? I’m a catch.”
Renna’s heart fluttered. She was totally falling for Trev, even though she knew she would get burned in a crash landing. Then she saw the mischievous smile and wink he gave Seran and the flutters in her heart went up in flames. Suddenly she wished she was anywhere but here with the two of them. She was the third wheel. The friend.
She’d always known that would be her place, but the knowledge didn’t make the reality hurt less.
She moved toward a booth selling pre-Desolation relics. This was Renna’s chance to escape them. Her fingers grazed over several items: a cracked pair of sunglasses, a twisted aluminum can with the wordsDiet Cokewritten on the side,a rusted screwdriver.
“Miss Renna, you came to visit me!” a small voice said, bubbling with excitement.
Renna turned to see Colter and his toothless grin beaming at her. He was almost unrecognizable. His clean clothes were gone, replaced by torn brown rags. His sunken face was smeared with dirt and grime.
“Colter?” Renna looked around for his parents. “What are you doing here?”
“I told you. My papa sells vegetables.”
“Hey, Colter!” Trev said, waving at the boy.
Colter rolled his eyes. “Why are you always with the prince?”
Renna exchanged an awkward glance with Seran.
“Because I’m the host.” Trev’s answer eased the tension in Renna’s chest. “Have you met Princess Seran?”
Renna noticed the way his hand went to the small of Seran’s back as he introduced her. A small gesture that left a big hole in her already aching heart.
Colter gazed at Seran. “You’re pretty.”
Even a seven-year-old was taken by Seran’s beauty.
Seran smiled. “You’re very handsome yourself.”
Colter’s eyes lit up at the compliment. “Do you want to see our booth?” His dirty hand grabbed Renna’s. “Come on.”
Renna let the boy weave them in and out of the crowd. At the end of the far row was a broken-down wood table with a stack of rotting vegetables scattered on top—vegetables that only a desperate person would eat.
“See!” Colter said proudly. “Here’s our booth.”
A short man with hollow cheekbones came out from behind a tattered curtain.
“This is my papa,” Colter said.
“Hello.” Trev gave a warm smile to the man.
“What’s this about, boy?”
“Miss Renna came to see us, Papa. I told you she was like us. Her papa used to sell vegetables too.” Colter smiled up at his father with childlike innocence.
The man looked Renna up and down with disgust. Her clean, mint green dress suddenly felt overdone and out of place.
“She ain’t anything like us.” The man spat a seed out of his mouth onto the ground by Renna’s foot. It was all she could do not to jerk her foot back.
“And who are you?” The man nodded at Trev and Seran.
