Page 71 of A Royal Disaster
“I can explain,” he said, taking a step toward her. He hated seeing Lena this way, knowing he’d hurt her like this. It was the last thing he wanted to do.
“Don’t,” she said, slicing her hand through the air. He froze, reacting on instinct to the harsh tone of her voice. He was more accustomed to giving orders than taking them, but in that moment he would’ve done anything she asked. “I can’t think of a single thing you could say that would make this any better, and believe me, I tried to come up with a reasonable explanation for the fact that you lied to me. Manipulated me. Used me.”
A tear leaked from the corner of her eye and she wiped it away.
He wanted to argue. God, did he want to argue. But she was right. He was a bloody hypocrite. How many times had he lamented the people in his life using him to get what they wanted without regard for his feelings? Too many to count. And yet he’d done the same thing to Lena, justifying his actions with his own bullshit rationale, telling himself it was best to keep the truth from her in case she slipped up with the press. After all, it was better to be dubbed a white knight helping save a small business than a royal prick attempting to circumvent Valerian law.
He should’ve been honest with her about his motivations from the start.
Fin had tried to warn him, but he hadn’t listened. Which either made him the most narcissistic bastard on the planet or the stupidest. Possibly both.
How could he not have seen what he was doing to her?
“I’m sorry,” he rasped, the sight of her tears nearly bringing him to his knees. If she forgave him, he’d find a way to make up for each and every tear she shed. “I never meant for any of this to happen, love.”
“Don’t,” Elena said through gritted teeth, “call me that.”
“The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you.” Regret seized him, the pain as sharp as any dagger to the heart. What kind of prick made his woman cry? “You have to know that when we made the deal, I didn’t anticipate any of this,” he said, gesturing between them.
“At least now I know just how far you’re willing to go to be the perfect prince,” she said, shaking her head. “I guess I should’ve paid closer attention to your stories. Maybe I’d have figured it out sooner.”
“I care about you deeply, Lena, more than I ever thought possible.” It was true. He never imagined he’d met his match when he proposed the fake dating arrangement. Romance had been the last thing on his mind. He hadn’t even known he was capable of it. He sure as shit hadn’t seen a single healthy relationship growing up in the palace. The only thing he’d known for certain was that he didn’t want to be tied to some scheming social climber who cared only about his crown.
Lena laughed, but the sound rang hollow. “You’ve played the role to perfection, I’ll give you that. Even I fell for it, and I signed the NDA. I actually believed you when you said you cared about me. I thought what we had—what we felt for each other—went beyond the contract.”
“I do care about you.” Another tear rolled down her cheek. Christ. He was fucking this up. Why couldn’t he find the right words to tell her how he felt?
“I thought maybe… Well, it doesn’t matter now, does it? You’ve got a bride to choose and a wedding to plan.”
Frustration welled up in his gut, spilling over into his words. “It’s not like that, and you’d bloody well know it if you let me explain.”
“Really? Because I’m pretty sure it’s exactly like that.” She huffed out a breath. “Honestly, Liam. What were you going to do when our month was up? Did you even consider for one second how all of this would affect me? How I would feel when you dumped me and jumped into an engagement with another woman?”
Her words stung, but the fact that she wasn’t worried about the impact on her studio—only her feelings—spoke volumes. He could still fix this. He just had to explain, to make her understand.
“It’s not that simple. Not for me. I don’t have the luxury of marrying for love.” He raked a hand through his hair, suddenly aware of the fact that he wore no shirt or belt or even bloody socks. He was half dressed and as vulnerable as he’d ever been. “My parents believe a favorable match will inspire the nobility to help quell the unrest in Valeria, and ultimately, the call to reduce the power of the monarchy.”
“There must be another way,” she said, nostrils flaring. “This isn’t the eighteenth century, Liam. You have a choice.”
“I wish that were true. The Royal Marriages Act says otherwise.”
“Un-fucking-believable.” Her hands shook and she clenched them into fists at her side. Even from across the room he could see her nails digging into her palms. “So, what? You were just going to leave without telling me your plans? Or did you think I’d be some modern-day mistress, content to stand by in the shadows while you married someone else?”
Her words landed like a blow. Did she truly think so little of him? Everything he’d ever done was in service of his country and his people. He’d thought she understood, but it was becoming clear she didn’t understand him at all. “That’s not fair. I—”
“Fair?” She scoffed. “If you think any of this is fair then maybe you and Charlotte deserve each other after all.”
“You…met Charlotte?” Fuck. Fin had been right. What had Charlotte said to her? Whatever it was, it couldn’t have been good and it sure as shit wasn’t working in his favor now.
“It doesn’t matter.” Lena hitched her bag up on her shoulder and crossed the room so they were standing toe-to-toe. “I’m sorry I couldn’t buy you more time, Your Royal Highness, but I did warn you. Everything I touch turns to shit.”
“Don’t do this, Elena.” Bloody hell. He’d been reduced to begging, but it didn’t matter. He’d get on his knees if that’s what it took to make her stay. No one understood him like she did, and he didn’t want to lose her. Not now. Not ever.
“I have to go,” she said, nearly choking on the words as she opened the door. Jack and Ethan turned to them, doing their best to remain impassive, though it was obvious they’d heard everything. He didn’t give a damn. The only thing that mattered was fixing things with Elena.
Liam grabbed her arm and she shook off his grip. “Please don’t go. We can talk about this, sort it out.”
She squared her shoulders. “It sounds like your parents have it all figured out. I’m sure you’ll be very happy. Goodbye, Liam.”
