Page 20 of American Royals II: Majesty
Nina didn’t dignify that with a response—but she didn’t look away, either. She held Ethan’s gaze, her eyes blazing, until he was so discomfited that he glanced down at his lap.
“Sorry. That was out of line.”
“It was,” she said flatly.
“It’s just that I’m worried about Jeff. And he won’t talk about your breakup with me. He won’t talk about anything, really, since…”
Nina tried to grab hold of her anger again, but it had warped and mutated beneath a sudden wave of sympathy. When she thought of Jeff, her mind no longer went automatically to the night they’d broken up. Now all she saw was the look on his face at the Royal Potomac Races: a bewildered, searching look that had quickly faded, as if he’d been about to smile at her, then remembered that he’d lost her, too—on top of losing his dad.
The truth was, Nina had been longing to talk about Jeff for weeks, but there was no one she could really discuss him with. She didn’t want to worry her parents; they were still shaken after that whole paparazzi nightmare. Rachel had only met Jeff once, so she didn’t have any real insight into the situation. As for Sam—it had been hard enough to begin with, talking to Sam about her own brother. Now it seemed the height of selfishness, to bring this up while Sam was grieving. Nina’s romantic dramas felt small and unimportant next to everything her best friend had been through.
It felt a little strange, talking about this with Ethan, but hedidknow Jeff better than anyone. Maybe he would understand the strange paradox of Nina’s feelings.
“Things were never simple with me and Jeff after the news of our relationship got out,” Nina began. “It was fine when it was just us. But once everyone knew, so many things kept getting in the way.”Primarily, Jeff’s ex-girlfriend.
“The media really put you through hell, didn’t they.”
The usual sarcasm had evaporated from Ethan’s tone, and to Nina’s surprise, he seemed the handsomer for it. A bit of earnestness added depth to his brown eyes, smoothed away his careless smile.
“The thing is, I didn’t realize how much our breakup would impact my relationship with Sam, too.” Nina sighed. “I should have known better than to date my best friend’s brother. Clearlyyouknow better,” she added, glancing back toward Ethan. “You never made a move on Sam, all these years.”
He scoffed at that. “Trust me, Sam isn’t my type.”
“Whatisyour type?”
The question had come out oddly flirtatious, but to her relief, Ethan didn’t seem to notice. “It’s complicated enough being Jeff’s best friend. I don’t need to add another Washington relationship to the mix.”
“I know what you mean,” Nina admitted. “Honestly…sometimes I wonder why Sam and I are still friends.”
She felt a stab of disloyalty, saying this to Ethan. But then, who elsecouldshe talk about it with? Ethan was the only person who understood how it felt, being inextricably bound to the royal family without actually being one of them.
“Why do you say that?” Ethan asked. Not judgmental, but simply curious.
“We just don’t makesenseas best friends.” She paused, searching for the right words to explain. Nina’s parents had taught her to be skeptical, and practical, whereas Sam hurtled forward without ever asking questions. Nina hardly dared to want things, and Sam always seemed to want enough for two people.
“We have next to nothing in common, except the fact that we’ve known each other since we were six.”
“But that’s just it—you’ve known each other since you were six,” Ethan argued. “You don’t need tobesimilar toyour friends, not when you have so many years of shared history. Besides, your friendship is probably stronger because of all the ways you’re different. Jeff and I aren’t all that like each other, either.”
“Really? You seem pretty similar to me.”
“In some ways, sure.” Ethan shrugged. “But Jeff isactuallyas easygoing as he seems, while I’m just pretending. Also”—he lowered his voice conspiratorially—“I secretly hate the way the royals travel.”
Nina raised an eyebrow skeptically. “You don’t like staying at five-star resorts, with a small army of staff?”
“I’ll admit there are perks.” Ethan waved away her words. “But I’d rather travel without the royal press pack, without even an itinerary. Just wander around with a backpack and a passport.”
“Is that why you’re taking Intro to Journalism? To be a travel writer?” Nina asked, curious.
“I thought we’d agreed that I took Intro to Journalism so I could hang out withyou.”
Nina laughed and took another bite of her sandwich, wondering why she’d always been so irritated by Ethan’s sarcasm in the past. She was beginning to sense that Ethan wasn’t the type of person you could get to know at first glance. You needed a second glance, and then a third.
Which she had never given him. Because he’d always been standing next to Jeff, and when Jeff was around, she’d never had eyes for anyone else.
Nina winced at the realization that she’d treated Ethan as dismissively as everyone had always treated her—when they’d stared through her as if she were a pane of glass, to focus on Sam.
She held out the bag of M&M’s as a peace offering. “Want some?”
