Page 114 of Definitely Not Him

“You’re just like your mother,” he said. “Foolish enough to believe that your life is your own, and silly enough to try and do something about it.”

I blinked, wondering if he could hear how ridiculous he sounded.

“She told me she felt trapped all the time,” he said. “That she didn’t like people photographing her every moment, writing about her life as if she was an object, but…” He paused for several moments. “I loved and still love everything about it.”

I said nothing.

“I kept trying to convince her she was delusional about being miserable as a royal.” He looked into my eyes. “Ungrateful, even. It’s honestly my fault she was miserable; I never even tried to make adjustments for her… I should’ve made them for you long ago.”

I crossed my arms. I’d never heard him apologize for anything in life, and I refused to believe that he was heading anywhere near that conclusion.

“I can’t take back the things I’ve done or said, and just because I’ve always been happy with my position in the royal family, it didn’t mean you had to be happy with yours. I understand why you left, but our rift aside, I don’t want to lose you. The rest of the family doesn’t either. I’m sorry.”

I stared at him, ready to say, “Apology unaccepted,” but he pulled a small box from his breast pocket and handed it to me.

“This is the real ring I gave to your mother when I proposed,” he said. “She wore a different one for the press because she wanted to keep something for herself, her own slice of privacy, perhaps.”

I flipped the box open, seeing a massive princess-cut diamond with tiny pink diamonds along its band. I stared at it, seeing how similar it was to the one I’d purchased for Chloe weeks ago.

“I’m sure Priscilla or Charlie will appreciate this.”

“It’s not for them to have,” he said. “You mother made me promise I would give it to you whenever you were ready to marry. She was very adamant about that.”

I ran my finger along the band several times before shutting the box.

“After all I’ve done, you have no reason to want me in your life, but I have every reason to fight for you being a part of mine,” he said. “I’ll do whatever I can to show you I mean it, and I’ll find a way to make up for things. The rest of the family, too.”

“Rest of the family?”

“They’re here on the plane, but they don’t want to get off unless you’re willing to speak to them.”

“There’s only one person I want to talk to right now.”

“Chloe?”

“Clearly.”

“I can tell you where she’ll be at noon tomorrow,” he said.

“Via a lucky guess?”

“A former invitation…”

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