Page 19 of A Royal Disaster
“That’s awful,” Elena said, taking a step forward and laying a hand on his chest. It was an intimate gesture, the kind he wasn’t used to receiving—especially when it was sincere—and his skin heated at her touch. “No one should have to grow up like that, not knowing who they can trust.”
“It’s one of the less glamorous aspects of a royal heritage.” Possibly the worst part, but he’d already revealed too much. The problem was Elena was easy to talk to. He’d have to watch himself more carefully in the future, NDA or not. He felt like a bastard for even thinking it. She seemed trustworthy, but that was always the way of it. “I shouldn’t complain. My brother Xander? Let’s just say he’s a magnet for bad press.”
Elena pressed her lips flat. “I’m sorry I’ve gotten you into this mess.” She gestured helplessly. “You’ve worked so hard to keep your image clean, and I just keep mucking it up.”
“It’s not your fault. None of this would’ve happened if I hadn’t been trespassing on your property,” he said quietly. He was the one who’d drawn the paps to her studio. He was the one who’d shimmied through the fence and interrupted…whatever it was she was doing. He’d be the one to fix it, too. And if he managed to solve his own problems in the process, so much the better. “Besides, give it another few days and there’s a good chance my brother will steal the headlines and take the heat off us.”
Lena gave a weak smile. “We should be so lucky.”
Mad Eyes Murphy Strikes Again
Elena “Mad Eyes” Murphy strikes again. Sources say Murphy was spotted dining with none other than His Royal Hotness, Prince William Stanley, Duke of Carlyle, last night. And honestly, we just can’t figure it out. After the purple paintsplosion, why would the prince get within fifty yards of Murphy?
Frankly, we think HRH has grounds for a restraining order.
The pair was spotted getting cozy at a swanky steakhouse on Beaver Street last night and at first blush, it looked like maybe the East Village artist was trying to make amends for running the prince down with her crazy train last week. That is, until she went full Hulk and shoved HRH—we’re talking full on, two palms to the chest action—on her way out the door, spilling food, breaking dishes, and creating general chaos.
Reports on Murphy’s nuclear meltdown have been mixed, but a little bird told us she was jealous of the attention the World’s Most Eligible Bachelor was giving a certain sexy server. Clearly Mad Eyes doesn’t know a goodwill gesture when she sees it, but hey, props to HRH for being so forgiving. We always knew he was the perfect royal.
If you’re reading this, Prince William, just remember… Attack me once, shame on you. Attack me twice? Well, we’re not in the business of shaming royalty, but maybe we should be. Looks like it could be a lucrative business as long as Murphy is in the picture!
Chapter Six
Lena picked up her pace as she scrolled through the tabloids on her phone. She was still half a block from Sweet Celebrations and she needed the sugary, carby goodness of a double chocolate sprinkled donut more than she needed her next breath. If only to fortify herself before she melted into a puddle of despair. She’d made headlines in all the major gossip rags and even a few legitimate news sites.Again. And it was even worse than the first time.
Mierda.It was worse than the time she’d had to borrow a jacket from her math teacher Mr. Bennett to cover up the giant red stain on her pants when she got her first period.
Still, she couldn’t tear herself away. She had to know what was being said about her, even if it was savage.
Lena huffed out a breath and willed her legs to move faster, weaving around early morning commuters and students who flooded the sidewalks, briefcases and backpacks in tow. Was it her imagination or were people scowling at her? No. She shook her head and cast the thought aside. Not everything was about her. It was just the freaking news making her paranoid.
Then again, perhaps she hadn’t been paranoid enough, given the way she’d been blindsided by this morning’s headlines.
The date had ended in disaster and she’d known there was a chance word would leak out about it, but she hadn’t expected people to accuse her of trying to assassinate the prince. Or the pictures. God, there were. So. Many. Pictures. They were all over the web, the most popular being one of her standing over the food-splattered prince with a look on her face the press had dubbed pure malice.
It was a tragedy of epic proportions. This farce was supposed to redeem her, not further cement her position as the Most Hated Woman in America. Lena cursed herself for being so foolish. She should’ve known things would go wrong.
After all, #disaster was the story of her life.
And now Liam knew it, too. Oh, he’d been skeptical at first, but there was nothing like a sautéed shrimp to the head to set a man straight. Lena sighed. All things considered, he’d been pretty understanding about the whole thing. She honestly couldn’t say she’d have handled the situation with as much grace and charm had their situations been reversed. Hell, he’d tried to make her feel better despite being the one covered in food.
It proved that her initial perception of him had been…skewed. He might be polished, but he wasn’t the cocky and arrogant celeb she’d imagined. He was actually kind of…sweet.
Which was definitelynota thought she should be having about her fake boyfriend.
Lena’s spirits lifted as she approached Sweet Celebrations, her mouth watering at the prospect of a giant, fluffy donut melting on her tongue. Today was a new day. She’d grab her breakfast and pick up a banana chocolate chip donut for Nia, who’d insisted on coming in to work, despite the lack of actual clients. All she had to do was stay off social media and avoid Liam.
Mamey.
The door to the shop swung open, releasing the familiar aroma of fresh baked bread, and Lena slipped inside, offering a hurried thanks to the older gentleman who’d held the door. Obviously, her imagination had gotten away with her earlier. No one was scowling at her or silently cursing her. She was a just another face in the bustling crowd.
Exactly how she liked it.
The bakery was more crowded than usual, and the employees were scrambling behind the counter, working swiftly to fill white boxes and bags with delectable treats. Lena made a beeline for the queue, doing a quick headcount to estimate the wait time. Not that she was in a hurry, exactly. It was more like force of habit from days when the studio had actual bookings. Lena had nearly reached the end of the line when she bumped into a girl wearing a sparkly pink Future Mrs. William Stanley T-shirt.
Because of course she’d run into one of His Royal Hotness’s stans. It was all she could do not to roll her eyes at the absurdity of a tween wanting to marry a man twice her age. Then again, her teen crush had been an undead vampire, so maybe she didn’t have room to talk.
“Sorry.” Lena gestured toward the counter. “I was thinking about double chocolate with sprinkles.”
