Once she was on the plane she felt somehow safer. It was almost like the past week had been some kind of a weird dream. Life was starting to make sense again. She felt like she was actually doing what she was supposed to. It would be so good to see her family, her friends, her students, to get back to her life again.
But she missed Cort. Already she missed him. She wanted so badly to wake up in his bed, to be in his arms, to have breakfast with him every day. The tears did not stop rolling down her face the entire trip back home. If she was doing the right thing then why was she crying so much? Life just did not make any sense to her anymore. What was she doing?
As she got closer to home she began to miss Cort more and more. Teegan was questioning her decision. Why did she leave so abruptly? Cort would be crushed. She knew that and the thought of hurting him felt like a large dagger being jammed into her heart and twisted around inside of her chest. She couldn’t breathe. Every single gasp of air was deliberate and labored.
She felt sick as a dog. She wanted to run back to Cort and be in his arms. When she landed she would have to call him and apologize. He had to know what she was thinking and that she loved him.
But when she landed she could not bring herself to make a call, text, or even send an email to the only man she’d ever loved.
He might be the only man she ever loved.
And she’d left him.
What had she done?
20
Cort
She was gone.
There was not a note left, a word of goodbye—nothing. Teegan left him in the middle of the night and he had no idea where she went.
When Cort woke up he was surprised to discover that he was alone in bed. At first he figured Teegan was in the bathroom or that she might have even decided to try out the gym and get a good workout in before breakfast, but her clothes and everything was completely gone.
Cort called her hotel, but they said she checked out already. She wasn’t answering her cell phone. He even tried email and social media but she was not responsive their either.
Was it something he’d done? Did he come on too strong? Or was it just time for her to go home and she decided he was not important enough for her to stick around for? Surely that wasn’t it. They had something going, didn’t they? They had something important starting.
“Oh, God… she is really gone…” Cort muttered to himself. He was standing in the shower where no one could hear him trying to clear his head when the realization hit him. The love of his life decided that she didn’t feel the same way after all and she was gone. She didn’t even say goodbye.
Why? Did she feel it was easier that way? How could she just do that to him? Surely she realized that doing this was going to rip his heart right out of his chest. It had to be something else. Something he did or didn’t do… or maybe it was the situation.
Cort calmed himself down standing under the water, letting the waves of hot water just wash over his body. It felt good, relaxing, calming. He was going to figure this out. He just had to place himself in Teegan’s shoes. What was she thinking?
She was a smart woman. Surely she knew that in the back of his mind and hers if she stayed with him then she would inevitably become Queen of his nation, if they married before his thirtieth birthday anyway. Which he was thinking they might as well.
But hadn’t he made it abundantly clear to her that he was not going to marry someone just for that reason?
“That’s still a big thing to think about,” Markus said when Cort filled him in on anything. Markus was the closest friend he had in the world. Cort considered him a brother in all ways but biological which meant nothing to him. That had never been the definition of family in his eyes. Family was love, it was support, and it was recognizing a kinship between two people that was unexplainable. They’d been best friends since childhood.
“I know,” Cort said. “I just wished she’d talked to me about it. I could have set her head on straight.”
“You would have said all the right things, but in her mind she is thinking that she is going to become Queen of a country she knows almost nothing about. She is going to leave her entire life behind. Think about it man; she isn’t one of us. That is a scary thing to go through. It’s a lot to ask. I understand why she got scared.”
Cort looked at his friend and groaned. “Ugh, why do you always have the level head around here?”
Markus laughed. “Because that is my job as your right hand man and your best friend.”
Cort nodded. “Right you are. But what do I do now?”
“Well, you need to give her a bit of space. And you need to contact her one way or another. I think she will listen if you tell her what is really on your heart.”
Cort smiled. “Ok. That’s what I have to do.”
Just then his phone rang. It was his senior advisor.
“Prince, there are some new developments. I think the Parliament is about to crack under pressure from the people! They might amend that law after all. We have a meeting today at four in Parliament’s Chambers. Don’t be late!”
Markus gave Cort a high five.
21
Teegan
“Are you going to just continue moping?”
Teegan looked up at Ellie. She wiped her eyes and leaned back against the couch. It had been two days and she wasn’t sure if she had stopped crying once since returning home. She didn’t understand anything anymore.
“I thought I was doing the right thing,” Teegan said.
“Well, I hear where you’re coming from, but you clearly did the wrong thing because now you are completely miserable. I’ve never seen you this bad. I’m starting to get worried,” Ellie said.
“I just want to be with him. I miss him so much, but I know that I can’t be Queen of some other country. I’m American and this is where I belong. Oh, why couldn’t he have been a normal American guy?”
“You are seriously the most twisted person I know. Do you know how many women would love to trade places with you? You just had a passionate affair with a prince who is about to become king of an entire country. Do you not see how awesome that is?”
Ellie stuffed a big bite of ice cream into her face and then offered Teegan some. She declined.
“I guess it does sound ridiculous but I don’t care about any of that. I don’t care that he is prince. I don’t care that he might become King. I just want him. But I know if I am with him that I’m going to become Queen. Queen! Do you get what that means?” Teegan pleaded with Ellie to understand, but Ellie was fantasizing gazing off into thin air.
“Wow, I could have been best friends with the Queen. How sweet would that have been?” Ellie fantasized.
“Ugh! Are you messed up? Being Queen is a lot of work. It’s a lot of responsibility. You are in part responsible for an entire nation of people’s well-being. Does that not compute?” Teegan asked.
Ellie thought a moment. “Yeah, that does kind of suck…”
Teegan couldn't help but laugh. Ellie was so clueless sometimes.
“I never should have left,” Teegan said. “Why am I so torn? I don’t know what to do.”
“I can only tell you what I would do, but this is something you really have to decide for yourself,” Ellie said.
“Ok, what would you do?”
“I’d call him up and say I’m sorry,” Ellie said.
Teegan looked at her. She was serious and Teegan knew that she was right.
She had to talk to Cort. Otherwise she was going to regret it for the rest of her life.
22
Cort
“After much debate and deliberation, based on the feedback we have received the Parliament has agreed to the amendment of the rule of secession.”
Cort could hardly contain his excitement as Maricle delivered the verdict of the new ruling. It was insane how quickly the Parliament had changed its mind after the people took to social media and staged several protests throughout the country. They did not want anyone but
Cort to take over as King. They loved his father and they knew that he would continue many of his father’s beliefs and rulings. He would even progress things farther along and the country would continue to prosper. This would not happen under the rule of his uncle. The people knew what he was like and they were not about to stand for it.
So the Parliament had wisely reconsidered.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Cort said.
Miracle ignored his interruption. It was obvious the old geezer hated saying every word that was coming out of his mouth, but it was beautiful, sweet music to Cort’s ears. He could hardly believe that this was happening.
“With the new amendment the Parliament nominates you, Prince Cort Monreau to secede King Monreau as the new King. Your coronation will be precisely one month from this date.”
Cort thanked them all kindly and left the chambers. Markus and his advisors were all there to greet him. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He didn’t know how this had happened. He was in shock, his skin crawling, his body trembling. It was clear now exactly how much stress and strain this had actually caused to his body. He was not sleeping well; he couldn’t concentrate on his duties, his workouts and diet had suffered, he’d been drinking too much, and he’d lost the best thing that had ever happened to him in Teegan.
He had to get her back.
And he had an idea of just how to do it.
23
Teegan
“That’s it class. You really want to sink down into your knees and feel that squat position as we shift from Warrior One to Warrior Two. I know it burns but that is the signs from your body that the muscle is working. You have to give that muscle a test and force it to submit.”
Teegan squatted further into her pose showing the class how it was done, remembering the new things she’d learned from Siri during the retreat. If she could help at least one of her students attain a higher level then she felt that her job was really worthwhile.
She was excited to get back to teaching, thankful to be back in her normal life, and back to her normal routing. It had been almost a week since she’d left Cort and come back. She was starting to feel like everything was going to be ok.
Ellie had actually done a great job filling in with the class and adhering to her instructions. Teegan knew she could count on he friend, but even still she’d been nervous. But there was no way she was about to turn down that once in a lifetime opportunity that had turned out to be life changing.
But she missed Cort terribly. Every waking moment was spent thinking about him, even when she was doing something else. She kept imagining he was right with her, holding her, talking to her. Oh, she could hear his sweet, masculine voice whispering in her ear and telling her how much she meant to him.
She’d blown it. Teegan reminded herself constantly that she’d left the best thing that had ever happened to her because she was afraid. She should have realized that as long as she was with Cort then nothing else mattered and there was nothing she couldn’t accomplish.
He’d emailed her a few times, but she’d been too scared, too embarrassed maybe to even write back. It was pathetic behavior and she felt deep shame about it. What in the world was wrong with her?
“Ok, class. I want to thank you all for you hard work today. I think we made some real progress and I will see you next time.”
Teegan watched her class pack up their things and start to head out. She’d just noticed it was time to wrap things up and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Another couple of minutes of feeling sorry for herself and the whole class might have watched her have a bit of a meltdown.
She hadn’t really thought about Cort that intensely for a few days. She had to speak with him. He had to know how she felt.
Teegan was grabbing her water bottle and her coat off her desk when she saw a figure in the back who was not moving. He was just standing there with a smile on his handsome face and watching her.
She had to do a double take to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. But she wasn’t. It was really him.
Cort was standing in the back of the classroom.
It was like a dream but he was right there in the flesh. Her last student waved goodbye to her but Teegan barely registered it. It was just she and Cort standing in the empty classroom now and she was walking towards him. It felt like she was floating, her legs barely moving.
“Hey, there,” Cort said. “I was in the neighborhood, so I thought I’d drop by.”
Teegan let the tears roll from her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him. Cort planted his lips on hers, holding her closely, mingling his warmth with hers.
“Are you really here?” Teegan sobbed.
“Yes. Baby I’m right here,” Cort said.
“I can’t believe it,” she said. “How…?”
“I had to see you. Listen, the Parliament reconsidered. They ruled on everything again. I’m going to be King. No matter what I am going to be King. As soon as they told me that I realized the one person in all the world I want to share this celebration with was in San Diego. So I hopped on a plane immediately and here I am.”
Teegan kissed him hard on the mouth as he lifted her up in the air. She had never been happier for another person than she was right at that instant. It was like everything she’d been worried about with them and becoming Queen—it was all gone. It all seemed so silly now. All that mattered was the two of them being together.
“Well, I guess we have to celebrate properly,” Teegan said.
She quickly ran to the door, locked it and walked back towards the center of the room stripping her clothes off all the way.
“I guess it’s time for my second Yoga lesson,” Cort said. “Let’s see if I’ve improved.”
Teegan ran to him.
Epilogue
One year later
“Wow, this is the most beautiful day!” Teegan exclaimed as she plopped down on the sand beside Cort.
Cort looked at her and smiled. God, she could never get enough of that smile.
Looking out over the ocean she wondered how it had all happened. How did she end up here in Rovenia living, working, and totally in love with the King of all people? It had been almost a year since she’d taken the plunge and moved to Rovenia to teach Yoga under the guidance of Suri. He’d been so impressed with her that he’d asked her to come and work with him. She was now second only to him and she was key in selecting recruits for the retreats and she was head teacher in three of his yoga studios in Rovenia. He chose to lead the studios in Paris and Florence, traveling between the two.
Cort was enjoying his duties as King of Rovenia and the people loved him. Teegan was getting used to the paparazzi and the attention of being the King’s girlfriend. She loved the ring of that. The King’s girlfriend. It just had that sweet ring to it.
“You just spilled sand on my book,” Cort said with a smirk.
“Well, I only sprinkled sand on the dull parts,” Teegan replied.
“Hey, there are no dull parts in Charles Bukowski.”
Teegan stuck her tongue out. Cort quickly wrapped his lips around it and sucked her face to his with a deep kiss.
“Wow, that was cool,” Teegan said. “You are in a frisky mood today.”
“Aren’t I always? You bring it out of me.”
“I do, don’t I?” Teegan joked.
The waiter came by just then with a delivery of drinks.
Teegan grabbed her martini while Cort picked up his whiskey. She’d no sooner started to take a sip of her martini when she noticed something floating in the glass. It was sitting on top of the rim of the glass, stuck there almost as if by magic.
It was a ring.
As she looked closer it was the biggest, most beautiful diamond ring she’d ever seen in her life.
It was an engagement ring.
Her eyes began to tear up as she looked at Cort. Was this really happening.
It was. Cort was down on one knee. He grabbed the ring and looked
deeply into Teegan’s eyes.
“Teegan Norton, you’ve made me the happiest man in the world already but I believe you could make paradise on Earth appear before me if you would do me the honor of becoming my wife.”
Teegan heard the beautiful words repeating over and over in her mind. She tried to speak but her voice was stuck. After several seconds she managed to blurt out the words “Yes! Absolutely yes!”
Cort smiled and placed the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. It was by far the most beautiful thing she had ever laid her eyes on.
Cort kissed her softly and pulled her closely.
“I love you, so much,” Cort said.
“I love you!” Teegan cried. “Oh, I love you so much!”
Off in the distance she saw several people begin to clap.
The people of Rovenia were about to get a new Queen.
Haven’t started the Bad Disciples MC yet? Turn the page for the first book, Gunner!
Gunner
1
Gunner
I could feel the stickiness of sweat pasted to my forehead, dripping in fat drops down my temples. We had been trained to resist the urge to wipe sweat off our faces, unless it was hindering our vision. Just that little motion was a distraction, a split-second action between life and death.
Instead, I adjusted the angle on my M2010. Perfect. Click. We all heard the zing as the bullet cracked the rock open. The men behind me cheered.
I’d picked this spot for our training exercise because it was secluded, and just like the rest of Afghanistan’s terrain, there was sand everywhere and the sun was blazing down on us with a vengeance.
Tank (The Bad Disciples MC Book 3) Page 24