Page 122 of Spearcrest Prince

“This must be why art is so much more truthful than photography,” I reply, “because you look exactly like Anaïs’s drawings of you.”

He laughs and extends his hand out to me. “Noël.”

I take it and grip it firmly. “Sev.”

“So, you love my sister?” he asks.

“Noël!” Anaïs exclaims. But I don’t know why she’s so surprised; Noël is just as blunt as she is.

I nod. “Yes. How could I not?”

“Good answer. She is easy to love—even though she can be very stubborn sometimes.”

Anaïs laughs. “That’s rich coming from you!”

She looks radiant. Not just because of the beautiful gown, the flush in her cheeks. She looks happy, joy radiating from her smile, her eyes. She looks like one of her paintings, bursting with life and beauty.

“I love youbecauseyou’re so stubborn,petite étoile,” Noël says. His expression becomes more earnest as he turns back to me. “So—Sev. Ever thought about visiting Japan?”

I’m surprised, but I answer him truthfully. “I’ve never been, but I would love to.”

“Well, you should come spend the summer. Summers are beautiful in Japan, and there’s a lot to see. And Anaïs will be there.”

A lump rises in my throat. Anaïs hasn’t yet asked me to come with her, and I don’t dare ask her. I know she wants to escape; I know she wants her freedom. What if I’m not part of that?

I answer in as light a tone as I can muster. “Maybe.”

“Well, do you already have plans for the summer?”

Anaïs glares at Noël. “Maybe he doesn’t want to go to Japan, Noël.”

“I would love to go to Japan,” I say quickly, meeting her eyes.

We stare at one another. My lips tremble, but I don’t dare say anything more. I will her to open her mouth, to ask me to come with her. Noël stares between us and sighs.

“If you two like each other so much and want to be together, then why not?”

“Because Japan is far away,” Anaïs says, answering his question but looking at me. “Because it might be too far for Sev to follow.”

“Because Anaïs might want to go to Japan alone and be free to do what she wants,” I say, holding her gaze. “And she might not want her fiancé to follow her like a lovesick puppy.”

“I’m starting to understand why you two have taken so long to get anywhere,” Noël says, rolling his eyes.

He lays one hand on my shoulder and one hand on Anaïs’s shoulder.

“Petite étoile,do you want yourRoi Soleilto come with us?”

“Oui.”

Noël grins and turns to me. “Roi Soleil,you want to come with yourpetite étoile?”

“Oui.”

“En ben voila.”

Noël smiles and moves suddenly, kissing Anaïs’s cheek, then mine.

“Allez, les jeunes. It’s sorted, so let’s go enjoy the rest of our night.”

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