It’s the one, the one the tabloids thought he would marry. The only one I’ve ever seen him be serious with besides me.
As they pull back, I see his arm around her waist, and her hand on hip.
I’ve never felt jealousy like I feel in this instant. I don’t even remember what I say to my family, but I get up quickly, only knowing I need fresh air.
I’m not sure where I’m planning on going, all I know is I need to get away. Running around to the back of the house, I battle with the door knob, trying to open it. Tears are pooling in my eyes, making it hard for me to see. My fingers fumble again, but this time I manage to get the door open, barreling into the cold night air. The wind whips around the balcony, but there’s no snow tonight.
Below me, the ocean is calmer than normal. Ironic since it’s usually raging in turmoil, much like I am right now.
Inhaling deeply, I close my eyes, but the only thing I can see are her lips on his cheek, and his arm around her waist.
“Amelia!”
The voice of the one person I don’t want to hear right now is the voice of the man who’s going to be my husband.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Amelia
I don’t wanna talk to him. There’s not even one part of me that wants to speak with him. I move further into the darkness, hoping to get away from him.
“Amelia! Stop running away from me! What’s happening?”
I hold my dress up, running as fast as I dare, but I’m screwed as I come to a dead end. There’s no other place for me to go.
Right now I feel more trapped than I ever have. Which is saying something, since I was promised to him at a young age. Even then I didn’t feel trapped, but right now? I do.
“I don’t wanna talk to you,” I hold my hand out, hoping to stop him.
“It doesn’t matter, I wanna talk to you. What the hell happened?”
“How could you?” I wrap my arms around myself now. “How could you with her?”
“With who?”
He’s acting like he has no idea what he did, but he has to know. “How could you let her touch you? You were in love with Anastasia. She was the one woman you would have married besides me.”
I can see the recognition in his eyes. “Lia, she’s nothing to me,” he reaches out, prying my fingers off my arms, and holding them. “Yes, she and I had a relationship once, but that doesn’t mean anything now. Nothing has mattered since you came into my life.”
“But she does matter to me,” I argue. “I saw it, an article of the two of you, about how you were going to marry her. At the time, I knew I was your betrothed, I felt second best.”
“I’m sorry,” he lets go of my hand and runs his hands through his hair. “What did you expect me to do? I had no idea what was going through your head. I had no idea what was going through mine.”
“And maybe you didn’t,” I do my best to keep my lip from trembling. “But I went and threw myself at Callum, because I didn’t want to feel like second best,” I whisper.
“Lia,” he sighs, reaching out, grabbing me by the neck. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am about this.”
“You’re right though,” I wipe at my eyes. “Back then, neither one of us knew what would be happening now. If we did, I’m sure we both would have decided to do things differently.”
I do my best to contain my emotions, sniffing. “I’m sorry I ran from you.”
“I’m sorry I hurt you,” he reaches out, and I fall into his arms.
With the hope of a young girl, I choose to trust him, and I hope this is the last time we have to speak of this.
“Bad news,” Shannon tells me the next morning, throwing a newspaper on my desk. “The press picked up the argument you and Tristan had last night.”
There, in full color, is a picture of me running from the party, wiping tears from under my eyes. Along with that is a series of pictures featuring me and Tristan. You can clearly see we’re having some sort of argument, but then we can be seen embracing one another.
“How did they even get these pictures?”
“Parker is trying to figure it out,” she shakes her head. “He’s furious.”
I glance at the clock. “How do you know he’s furious? It’s early in the morning to know Parker’s furious.”
Her face goes a bright red, and I have all the answer I need. “Well I hope you had a great birthday.”
“It was,” she giggles. “A wonderful birthday. I feel bad being so happy when you and Tristan have these articles floating around about you.”
After last night, I feel more secure than I ever have. “This will happen,” I throw it over to the side. “People will make their own assumptions, and we all know what assumptions are.”
If anyone does, I do, and I promise myself I’ll never make one again.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Tristan
Weeks Later
The calendar is staring me right in the face. The time Lia and I have had here is close to coming to an end. There’s a big red circle on the pristine white paper. It’s a date, the day we’ve picked to marry one another.
We’re finally in the same month of the wedding.
It’s weird, I always assumed seeing the date would cause me to be anxious, instead I’m excited, more excited than I ever thought I would be. Running my hand through my hair, I sigh as I realize how close we are to being in charge of this country.
“What are you sighing for?” Parker asks from where he stands at the entrance to my office. “You’re three weeks from marrying your bride.”
“That’s part of the problem.” I sigh again, realizing how much responsibility we’re going to have. How much time isn’t going to ours anymore. We won’t be in our small, secluded, private piece of paradise. We’ll be in a great big ocean where people don’t care about how we feel. “We’re about to leave this place where everything’s perfect. There’s not as much pressure here as there will be at the palace with Dad. Here we don’t have paparazzi chasing us, trying to get pictures. Once we get back, they’ll be clamoring for a piece of us. I don’t know how Amelia will react.”
“I think it’s less about how Amelia will react and more about how you will.”
Sometimes I hate Parker because he’s so intuitive.
“Perhaps.”
He opens the door to my office, sticking his head out to say a few words, then he closes the door, locking it. “We need to have a real talk, without people coming in and interrupting us.”
“Bestow your wisdom upon me.”
It’s a smartass answer, but Parker takes it. He knows me well, and he realizes I have to talk this out. If I don’t, it’ll drive me insane.
“This isn’t funny, Tristan.” He walks over, having a seat in front of my desk. “Do you trust me to protect you?”
“It’s a double-edged sword, Parker. I trust you with my life. You’ve always kept me safe, and I’ve never been scared with you, but this…” I trail off. “This is different.”
“Why?”
I’m struggling to say what I need to, but it has to happen.
“Because I love her. I don’t want my life shattered if she’s injured. You and I both know she’ll be targeted. The women always are. The way to get to a man is to threaten the woman who makes his world go around. She’s become that person for me.”
“You have to have faith in me, my friend, and I am talking to you as a friend. I won’t allow anyone to hurt either of you. Easily I would take a bullet.”
I’ve become close with him, and hearing those words causes my gut to clench.
“Don’t you think I know that?”
“Then where is this anxiety coming from?”
The root of everything, where it always comes from with me. “I don’t want to end up like my father.” The words come out in a whisper. Back when I was a child, I’d looked up to him, but the man he’s become? I hate it. My biggest fear is I’ll lose Amelia and become the type of man he is now. The one who can
’t allow himself to feel, the one who pretends like he’s living the life the wants.
When the reality is he’s so unhappy, I wouldn’t be surprised if he exiled himself once I take over the throne.
“You won’t, because you aren’t him. You’re Tristan, someone completely different from him. Everything about your lives is different except for being King. Look at the family he grew up with, versus the one you grew up with. Your mother, his mother. I promise you.” He leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “You’re not your father.”
He says it like it’s just so. It can’t be this easy. If it were this easy no one would be like their family. We’d all skip over whatever horrible gene is in our line and become the best people ever. Since life isn’t like that, I have more questions to ask.
“Aren’t we the product of our parents?” I’m still not convinced.
“We’re products of our environment, and the one you were raised in was a good one. You can pass it on to your own children.”
A smirk pushes the side of my mouth up thinking of Amelia big and round with a child. “You believe I can?”
“I know you can. When you don’t have confidence in yourself, that’s what we’re here for. You have an extensive network of people who love you, Tris. Not for the King you’re going to be, but for the man you are. Don’t forget that in the craziness of what will be the next few months. You have a support system, all you need to do is call on them.”
“Thank you, Parker. Sometimes I feel like I’m in an ocean on an island all by myself. I realize it’s me who feels this way, not because anyone causes it.”
He nods. “This is overwhelming. Do you think I wasn’t nervous when I took over your patrol five years ago? I second-guessed myself all the time, but eventually I came to understand I know my job. I know my place in your life.”
I flinch when he says those last words. “I hope I’ve never made you feel like you’re the help. That’s most definitely not the place in my life you have.”
“No,” he chuckles. “That came out all wrong. My place is to make sure you’re safe, make sure you’re cared for, mentally and physically. Along the way you’ve become one of the best friends I’ve ever had, and I thank you for that.”
“Do you think I’ve changed since Amelia showed up?”
This is bothering me lately, part of me wonders if I’m the best for her. If possibly she could be engaged to another man who cherishes her more than I can.
“Oh my God, yes. You’re not as selfish. You’ve matured, and you think about her before you think about yourself. There aren’t days when I worry if you’re going to do something stupid for attention from your father.”
I chuckle. “I did do that, didn’t I?”
“All the time, but now you don’t need that attention. You have it with her. She makes you the center of your world, and I believe that’s what you’ve needed more than anything. To know someone loves you unconditionally.”
A deep breath blows out of my lungs. “Because my father’s always made love conditional. He would only show his love if I did what I was supposed to do, be the son he thought I should be.”
“You’re a natural rebel.”.”
Until he’s said the words aloud, I never really thought about it that way. I am a natural rebel. The one who automatically goes against the grain, and dares someone to tell me no. What I’ve longed for my whole life is someone to love me for me. My mom did, but she never did the way Amelia does. I finally have my partner in crime, the person who will stand next to me instead of in front or behind me.
“You’re right.”
“Of course I’m right.” He adjusts his cuff links. “You’ll be fine when we go back. I promise.”
He gets up, walking over to open the door again. But I can’t help but think maybe things won’t be as perfect as I want them to be.
“Tris.”
Amelia’s voice causes me to glance up from the document I’m reading on my laptop. A smirk tilts then right side of my face. “Lia,” I say the word in a deep tone that causes her to roll her eyes.
“They need you downstairs to try on the suit you’re wearing. You know, for the wedding.”
“What wedding?” I quirk a brow.
One of the things I love about her is how she plays along. “Some little party in a few weeks. Not a big deal at all.” She puts her hand on her hip. “I heard the bride’s not even that pretty.”
“No?” I get up from my desk. “I heard she’s gorgeous and the groom is a lucky bastard.”
Making long strides across the room, it doesn’t take me long to get to her. When I do, I scoop her up in my arms, grabbing her under the thighs. Instinctively her legs go around my waist. Hitching her up a little higher so that she looks down at me, I look up at her.
“I heard the bride’s pretty lucky.” She wraps her arms around my neck.
My eyes flutter to her lips. “We’re both pretty lucky.”
I chase her lips with mine, finally catching them, and once I do, I take control of a kiss that’s better suited for the bedroom than my office. Either way, I give her what both of us want.
“I love you,” she mumbles in between smacks of our lips.
“I love you, too.”
Turning her so that I’m holding her body against the wall, I stop, heaving a small sigh. We’re both breathing hard as we put our foreheads together.
“Not too much longer,” I tell her.
“Until what?”
“Until you’re wearing my ring and my crown.”
She smiles, one that spreads across her face.
“I can’t wait, Tris.”
The truth is? Me neither.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Amelia
Every little girl’s dream is what they’ll be wearing on their wedding day. At least for me, I’ve thought about it since I was at least four. From the time I watched the Hollywood starlets get married, other royal couples get married, I’ve thought about what my dress would look like.
When it came time for me to pick my dress, I wasn’t sure if I could trust myself. There was a part of me that wanted to look like a Princess, but there was another part of me that wanted to look like a mature woman. One the country would be proud to call their Queen.
I communicated all of those thoughts with the designer, giving her carte blanche to do what she thought was right, after speaking with me. It was a lot of trust to give someone I’d only met a handful of times, but this is it.
My heart is pounding as I wait to turn and look in the mirror. So far they’ve kept me away from one. I’m trying to decide if that’s good or bad.
“Okay, Amelia.” Shannon puts her hands on my shoulders. “You can take a look.”
As I turn to face the mirror, I’m not expecting how amazing it actually looks. An off the shoulder white number with crystal and lace details, along with the puffiest skirt I’ve ever seen. The back cinches in my waist until it’s small enough to make me look like a doll.
“What do you think?” Shannon asks as she bends down, fluffing out the ends of the skirt.
“I’m speechless,” I admit. The woman in the mirror standing back at me can’t be me. She just can’t. The reflection staring back at me shows a woman with her shoulders squared, her chin held high, and she’s beautiful. I’ve never felt beautiful before, not like this. I feel beautiful from the inside out. Is this what Tristan is doing to me? For me? There’s a glow I’m not sure I’ve ever had before.
“You’re like a fairy princess, Amelia,” she giggles as she walks around me. Her eyes are wide, her hands are held under her chin, and the smile on her face is bright enough to light up the world at night. “Like when I was little and I thought about Cinderella, this is what she looked like.”
Our eyes meet, and both of us have tears in them. We’re sharing a moment, one I never truly thought I would ever have. I’m so happy she’s here, she’s been with me through a lot of firsts in the past few months. There’s
no one else who deserves to see this through other than her. “You’re right. I can’t believe this is me.”
“It is, Amelia, it is. This is your real life.”
Immediately I wonder what Tristan looks like. I bet he’s handsome, I wonder what kind of tux he’s wearing, or if he’s wearing his military jacket. Part of me hopes it’s his tux, because I remember what he looked like that night in the limo.
That night was a turning point for us, now that I look back at it. It was where we stopped tiptoeing around each other, and started being ourselves.
Pressing my hands down the skirt, I take a deep breath, trying to get my nerves to calm. “Three weeks.”
“Three weeks,” Shannon echoes, an excited grin on her face. “Are you ready?”
Back when I first met him a few months ago, I wasn’t ready. Truth be told I was scared, scared I wouldn’t meet his expectations and half-way scared he wouldn’t meet mine. But this time here, away from the city, was the best thing we could have ever done for one another.
“Yeah, I’m ready. I’m worried,” I admit, even as I second-guess the utterance. “Worried that things will change once we get back into the city, back to the Palace. There will be a different set of rules and expectations. What if we don’t mesh as well there? What if this is one of those instances where we only get along well in a controlled environment? It’s been keeping me up at night the last few days.”
“Trust me.” Shannon winks. “I’ve heard how well the two of you mesh.”
My face burns bright. It must be the color of a tomato, but I don’t refute her claim. Tristan and I enjoy each other very much.
“You know what I mean. There will be a whole new set of rules there, ones I don’t know as well as I do here.” The logical part of my brain tells me I didn’t know the rules here either, but I got along fine after I learned them. The palace, it just seems so much bigger.
Royal Rebel: A Royal Romance (The Haldonia Monarchy Book 1) Page 14