Page 31 of A Not So Prince Charming

“Oh myGod.You didn’t tell me it was him!”

“I just found out who he was this weekend. We didn’t exactly exchange names.” My face was the color of a tomato, I was sure.

“If you didn’t tell each other your names, what did you call each other?”

I looked away, mumbling under my breath, but when I looked back at her, her entire face was split in a grin.

“You’re enjoying thiswaytoo much.”

“Hell yeah I am.”

“Well, if youmustknow…” I buried the lower half of my face in my sweatshirt, keeping just my eyes out. “HecalledmePrincess.” I said the words in a rush.

“What?”

“Princess. He… That’s what he called me.”

“Ella! Stop it. That’s so cute.”

“It’s not like that.” I rejected the idea. “We’re not together. It was just a hookup. A one night thing.”

She snorted. “That’s not what it looked like today.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“You know why.” One heartbreak was enough. I didn’t need another one to sidetrack my dreams—not again. “Besides, you’ve heard the rumors, haven’t you?”

“Come on, El. You can’t put too much stock in gossiping college students.”

Maybe not. But I knew his type too well. I shrugged, stabbing my needle into my fabric, if only so I could ignore her all-knowing eyes.

“Are you telling me that if you went back and did it all over, knowing who he was… that you’d say no?”

No.That was part of the problem. I was drawn to him. To those warm brown eyes that kept catching me in their gaze.

He’d intrigued me that night, long before I’d known who he was. Charming had seemed… lonely. And I’d wanted to help make that go away. Hell, maybe I’d wanted it for myself, too.

It was a strange thing to be surrounded by people and still feel lonely. To feel like you’re just floating through life, a little piece of you missing inside.

“Ella?”

“I don’t know,” I whispered, as close to the truth as I could give.

“Mmm. I think there’s your answer, then.”

She was probably right, as much as I hated it.

It was a few minutes of concentration before she spoke again, after I’d almost stabbed myself in the thumb too many times.

“Have you talked to Sutton lately?” Ro asked, starting to painting her toenails pink.

“I can barely keep up with everything, with classes and these events, let alone everyone else.” Exhausted, I hung my head back. “I need a break.”

“Well,she invited us to come up to Vermont with her and some friends for two weeks before Christmas.”

“Oh?” That made me perk up. It sounded perfect. Not that I wanted to hit the slopes—knowing me, I’d fall on my face—but a week in a wintery paradise would help me relax.

---