“What’s gotten into you?” she half-mumbled, half-hissed.
“I’m merely practicing,” he said innocently, “for tonight’s opening waltz.”
“Yeah right.”
He offered his hand. “Shall we go down? Everyone’s waiting for us below.”
She shook her head, looking even more bewildered. “You know I can’t hold your hand. The place’s crawling with council members, have you forgotten?” When he didn’t answer, her brows furrowed, and she asked, “Is something wrong?”
Everything was wrong.
But he couldn’t make himself say it.
Looking at her, all the prince could think of was, I need more time with her.
A month, a week, a day—-
Even an eternity felt too short.
And yet, it was what life asked of him.
“Prince?” Concern underlined her soft tone.
Before the prince could answer, the door opened, Keanne poking her head inside and exclaiming, “There you are!” Pushing the door wide open, she gestured to them, saying, “We’ve been looking all over for you two. The waltz’s about to start, and we need you guys to be in position.” Winking at Fawn, she asked teasingly, “Are you excited about getting to dance with Reid?”
Fawn turned red. “Of c-course not.”
Keanne released a tinkling laugh. “C’est mignon!”
Her cheeks reddening even more at Keanne’s obvious amusement, Fawn moved away from the prince, mumbling, “I mean it. I’m not excited at all.” At the other girl’s knowing stare, Fawn couldn’t stop herself.
She started to babble.
“It’s true. I think it’s yucky—-”
The prince jerked, and Keanne gaped.
“He’s too, err, elegant, he’s probably going to be too stiff when we dance—-”
Fawn caught sight of the prince’s murderous glance.
Eep.
Shutting up, she started backing away from the prince, but when he took a threatening step towards her, she panicked and hurriedly hid herself behind a laughing Keanne. “Umm, I think I need to go look for Grant—-”
The prince growled, prompting her to babble mindlessly again.
“For work,” she stammered. “I need to talk to Grant because of work and not because, you know, he’s a real macho man—-”
The prince said coldly, “I’m going to kill you.”
“I, uh, really have to, uh, bye!”
Keanne doubled over in her laughter as she watched Fawn scurry away without looking back. As the prince stepped outside the room, Keanne remarked lightly, “Elle t’aime, oui?” She loves you, yes?
When Reid didn’t answer, she continued in a softer tone, “I know how much you’re helping us. And Jason told me what you’re willing to sacrifice, but—-” She took a deep breath. “I don’t agree with it. I’d rather Jason and I face kidnap attempts every day than—-”
“I appreciate the sentiments—-” The prince turned to Keanne, a corner of his lip turning up in a faint smile, saying very, very gently, “But it’s not your decision to make.”
Hearing it, Keanne knew there was nothing she or anyone else could say or do to change Reid’s mind.
Or at least anyone else but Fawn, Keanne thought.
And for both their sakes, she hoped, she prayed that the other girl would be able to change Reid’s mind.
****
As the prince joined the frantic rush behind the scenes, he caught a glimpse of Grant Bennett talking to Fawn, their heads bent, just before the two started to walk away.
Ah.
An ironic smile touched his lips. Why would you do something like this, Fawn? Didn’t she know that she was giving him an opportunity to dump her?
It would be so easy, the prince mused, to go there, make a scene, and tell her that he no longer wanted to be with her. Jealousy might have made him unreasonable, but it made him neither blind nor stupid. He had noticed the changes in Bennett, had known the moment the other man started seeing Fawn with eyes that loved.
He had known, but he had pretended, and he had let her and Bennett pretend, too.
Because it wasn’t love that made his world go round, the prince thought, but pretensions.
Slipping away from the organizers, the prince made a subtle motion to his security, commanding to keep everyone away as he made his way towards Bennett and Fawn. Derek Christopoulos caught sight of him, the grim look on his friend’s face telling the prince that he knew where he was going.
Are you really going to dump her here? The question blazed in Derek’s eyes.
The prince’s broad shoulders moved in a careless shrug. He would cross that bridge when he got there.
Turning around the corner, he caught sight of the two entering the room reserved for Bennett’s private use, and the prince’s steps slowed. Selfishness had won, and he gave the couple all the time in the world to air out their differences without him hearing a word.
Don’t give me a reason to make you leave, Fawn.
But as he came to stand outside the room, the thin walls weren’t enough to mask the sound of their voices. Their words reached him so easily—-
“What do you mean you’re leaving after this?” he heard Fawn whisper in a stricken tone.
“I t-tried for y-your sake,” the prince heard Grant stutter. “I k-knew I owed it to you, but I just can’t.” Grant’s voice broke. “I can’t forget what he did to me—-”
“Who?” Fawn demanded, fear over Grant evident in her tone.
“It d-doesn’t matter,” Grant muttered feverishly. “I j-just thought I should—-”
It was as if fate was mocking the prince, telling him that no matter how much he dragged his feet about this—-
He would never have an eternity with Fawn.
He would never have another month—-
Another week—-
Not even another night.
The prince leaned against the wall, his eyes closing.
I just wanted another day, God.
Just one more fucking day.
But the more he heard from Fawn and Bennett, the more he knew he wouldn’t be able to afford such selfishness.
He heard Fawn whisper, “It’s okay, Grant, it’s okay.” A soothing voice, and he could easily imagine Fawn taking the other guy in her arms, comforting the man who had once done his very best to hurt her.
Idiot.
You are the most lovable idiot in the world.
The prince heard Grant laugh bitterly. “You d-don’t even k-know what’s wrong.”
“But I know you’re hurting,
