The Playboy's Princess

by Joy Fulcher

The boy shrugged his shoulders. “It’s okay. We just wanted him to be there because he trained us so well. We won the Regionals.”

  The boy’s face shone with pride as his chest puffed out.

  “Congratulations.”

  “Can you tell Drew when you see him? We just want to say thanks for turning us into a strong team. And tell him we miss him.”

  “All right.”

  The boy, whose name she didn’t even know, ran back to the school and disappeared inside.

  Jade’s face flushed with heat. That boy was so sweet and all he wanted was for his coach to watch him win a game. That wasn’t too much to ask, and Drew had let his team down.

  In a burst of fury, she forgot her promise not to call him and pulled out her phone. She called his number and tapped her foot on the sidewalk as she waited for him to pick up.

  His voice mail answered.

  “Oh, this is just great! You’ve been calling me constantly, and then, when I want to talk to you, you don’t answer?” she said into the phone. “Well, good, actually. I don’t want to talk to you either. All I’m calling to say is that you’re an asshole. Those kids you coached won their regional championship game, and you weren’t even there to watch them play. I guess you really do only care about yourself, you selfish bastard.”

  She hung up the phone and felt like throwing it, but knew she’d regret that later. She just wished she could see the look on his face when he listened to her message.

  Chapter Twenty

  More Than Words

  “HAVE YOU HEARD from Drew?” Clare asked.

  “Not since I left that nasty message for him.” Jade sighed. “I guess he finally got the hint.”

  “But you’re still married to him. Don’t you think you should talk?”

  “I don’t know. What’s the point? Can anything he says change the situation?”

  Clare chewed her lip. “Well, no.”

  “Exactly. So, what do you think?” Jade moved through her new apartment, showing Clare how she’d added her personal touches since moving in six weeks earlier. It was a nice place, she thought—lots of light with good air circulation. The furniture was much better quality than what she’d had in her old apartment. She felt she could be happy here.

  “I like it. And it’s close to me and Stuart, so we can visit all the time.”

  “I like it too. It suits the new me.”

  Six weeks, she thought again. That’s how long it had been since she’d last heard from Drew. It had served as a time of healing for her, and she was starting to feel like her old self. She’d started work as Princess Ariel again and enjoyed being back at on the job and working with the kids.

  Drew’s lawyer had send a curt email to acknowledge that they’d received the money she’d sent back, but not one word from Drew himself. She missed him terribly but was relieved that he seemed to have accepted that she needed to move on.

  She’d had a long day at work so she grabbed a pizza for dinner and settled in on the couch for a night at home. Unfortunately, there was nothing good on TV, and without realizing it, she found herself watching the entertainment news.

  “Drew Malik, son of Academy Award winner Aaron Malik, has been seen out and about for the first time since his four-week stint in rehab. Connor spoke to Drew at last night’s Young Hollywood party.”

  The image cut from the young woman sitting in front of a picture of Drew to a red carpet outside a party with people swarming everywhere. Drew’s smiling face came onto the screen, and Jade leaned forward. He looked good.

  “How are you feeling?” Connor asked.

  “Great. I’m great. It was just time to grow up and make some adult choices in my life.”

  “Jade’s not with you tonight?”

  “No.”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you attend a party without a date. Is this the new you?”

  Drew laughed. “It is. There isn’t anyone else I’d want to spend my time with. I love my wife.”

  Connor turned to the camera. “You have it right here, ladies. Drew Malik has grown up. Jade is one lucky lady.”

  The show cut back to the newsroom, but Jade lost interest. Drew had been to rehab? That was news to her. And it would explain the lack of phone calls over the past few weeks.

  “Well, good for him,” she said out loud.

  She was glad he was making some positive changes in his life. The declaration of love and not taking a date to the party was all for show, though, she was convinced. Technically they were still married, and there’d been no formal announcement that they’d separated. Until the divorce went through in a few months, he’d probably still be saying things like that.

  A little voice in the back of her head reminded her that he’d told her the same things on the phone, and that wasn’t for show. She’d told him she didn’t believe the words, that she needed more than that…Was this action? Going to rehab? Not dating anyone else even though she’d been absent from his life for weeks? She didn’t know. She really needed to know his motives.

  She chewed her bottom lip and tapped her phone against her leg as she thought. Maybe she could call him. Maybe that would be okay. She had missed him. It didn’t mean anything would happen. She’d just say she’d seen the news and was happy that his life was moving in a positive direction. She certainly didn’t hate him, and they’d started off as friends, so she could be friendly.

  With her mind made up, and before she lost her nerve, she dialed his number.

  “Jade?” he asked, surprise in his voice.

  “You didn’t call me Ariel,” she said.

  Her face flushed at the sound of his voice. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed him until she heard him speak. Tears welled in her eyes, and she clutched the phone tightly to her ear, trying to be close to him, as if she could hug him though the phone.

  “Yeah, well, that’s not your fucking name,” he said, reminding her of the last words she’d said to him.

  “I’m sorry about that. I was emotional and I shouldn’t have—”

  “No, I was the jerk, Jade. You have no idea how happy I am that you called…Why did you call?”

  “Oh, right. I just saw you on the news. They said you were in rehab.”

  “I left you a voice message about it.”

  “Oh.” She hung her head in shame.

  “You didn’t listen to any of the messages, did you?”

  “No,” she admitted.

  “Jade, can we meet up? There are some things I really want to talk to you about, but I want to say them in person.”

  “I don’t know, Drew. I just wanted to call and say I’m happy your life is going well now. I think seeing you in person might be a mistake.”

  “I just miss you.” His voice sounded so soft and sincere that her resolve melted. She’d missed him too, and she wanted to see him very much.

  “All right. Do you want to have dinner?”

  “Being in public might be hard right now. We’d need to act all loved up, and I don’t think we’re in a good place for that. How about you come to the house?”

  “Uh, no.” She couldn’t bring herself to go back there. It felt like home to her after living there for so many months, and she needed to make sure she kept her guard up. She needed to be in control. “Why don’t you come to my new place?”

  “All right.”

  She gave him the address, and half an hour later, he knocked on the door. She’d quickly showered and put on fresh makeup, wanting to look nice and hating herself for caring what he thought of her.

  She opened the door and invited him in. He looked around the living room, and his brow creased.

  “This furniture all looks secondhand.”

  “It came with the apartment when I rented it,” she said.

  “Rented? I thought you would have bought something.”

  Jade paused. “I gave you back the money, Drew.”

  “You did?” He genuinely looked shocked.

  “Yes. I sent i
t to your lawyer weeks ago. All I have left is the car.”

  Drew kicked at the edge of the frayed rug. “You didn’t have to do that. You earned the money. I’ll get it transferred back to you tomorrow.”

  “Thank you, but I don’t want it.”

  An awkward silence filled the room.

  “Okay. Well, that’s not what I came here to talk about anyway.”

  Jade’s heart rate sped up. She wasn’t ready to hear what he wanted to say.

  “Are you hungry?” she blurted out. “I could cook something.”

  “No. I’m fine.”

  “Thirsty? I have soda.”

  Drew smirked. He knew her well enough to know what she was doing.

  “Jade, just come and sit with me.” He sat on the couch and patted the cushion next to him.

  “My name sounds weird coming from your lips. I’m not used to it.”

  “I thought that’s what you wanted.”

  “I…I don’t know what I want.”

  His hair fell into his eyes as he smiled at her. It had grown longer since she’d last seen him, and she liked how it hung around his face, giving him a sexy, messy look.

  “Well, I know exactly what I want. That’s what I came to talk to you about.”

  She let out a sigh. He obviously wasn’t going to be distracted.

  “I’d like a drink. You sure you don’t want one?”

  “Jade.”

  “No, I’m not avoiding. I’ll be right back.”

  She ducked into the kitchen and leaned on the counter, breathing deeply. She whispered to herself to get it together. She wished he didn’t look so sexy with his long eyelashes and messy hair.

  She poured a glass of diet cola and listened to the bubbles popping as she carried the glass into the living room. Drew was waiting, tapping his hands on his crossed leg.

  Jade sat on the couch and took a long sip of her drink.

  “Okay,” she said, turning the glass in her hands.

  “You said you didn’t want to hear me say I loved you because you’d heard it before and it was a lie.”

  She nodded, her leg bouncing from nerves.

  “Well, that’s true. When we got married, I said I loved you, and I didn’t. But you need to know that I genuinely developed real feelings for you. When I called you the night you left and said I loved you, I honestly meant it with my whole heart.”

  “I believe you.”

  “Good.” He relaxed into the couch. “But it’s more than that. You make me want to be a better person, Jade. Before you, I was living a selfish life. I did what I wanted, when I wanted, and expected everyone to cater to me. Suddenly, I was thrust into living like an adult. I had a wife when I’d never even had a girlfriend. I was developing real feelings for a girl who refused to even talk about us being together…Why was that? Has this always been about the money for you? Sometimes I thought you might care about me, but your wall was so strong I couldn’t break through it.”

  “It was never about the money for me,” she admitted. “Well, maybe the first week. I originally agreed to the contract because I needed money, but I wouldn’t have gone through with it if I didn’t like you.”

  “So, you do like me.”

  She laughed and then bit her lip. She looked up at him through her eyelashes. “Yes. Very much.”

  “How much? Enough not to call it like?”

  “Then what would we call it?”

  “Maybe another word that starts with L?” He gave her a sheepish grin. It felt right to be flirty and playful together. It was a role they both played well. And that’s where Jade’s fear came from…Was this still an act?

  No. There was no one to act for in her living room. It was just them.

  “Lust?” she asked.

  Drew laughed. “That wasn’t what I was thinking, but lust certainly works for me.” He shifted on the couch so he was a few inches closer to her. “I was thinking about another L word.”

  She tried her best to think of another word that started with L, but he must have known she was stalling because he said her name with a playful, warning tone.

  She giggled. “Yes, Drew. I loved you.”

  “In the past tense only?” He slid closer on the couch again.

  “Does that matter?”

  “It does to me.”

  “You’re the only one here,” she said, both in response to his statement, but also to remind herself that this was real. He wasn’t acting for anyone.

  His arms slipped around her, and he held her close to his chest.

  “I grew up for you, Jade. I wouldn’t have done it for anyone else. You wanted more than the words. You wanted proof of how I feel…Well, there it is. I haven’t had a drink for ninety-six days. And if you need more convincing, then here’s an action to prove my feelings. No words needed.”

  He pulled her in and kissed her. It wasn’t like any of the other kisses they’d shared. She could feel the difference. Drew wasn’t putting on an act, or holding his own feelings in check. He was loving her with his hands on her waist. He was loving her with his lips on hers. He was loving her with every breath he took.

  And she believed him.

  When they broke apart, he looked at her with a worried expression, and she knew why. He’d played his ace card and was waiting to see if it was enough.

  “Present tense,” she said.

  The grin that spread over his face was luminous. He pulled her in for another kiss and whispered in her ear, “I love you, Ariel.”

  Epilogue

  Coming Clean

  “ARE YOU SURE you want to tell your parents tonight?” Jade asked from the passenger seat. Her leg bounced idly, and she gripped the seat when Drew took the corner a little too quickly.

  “I think it’s better to just get it over and done with, don’t you?” He glanced away from the road and frowned at her bouncing leg. “Please don’t tell me you’re still nervous around my parents.”

  “Well, they’re not exactly going to be happy when we tell them.”

  Drew rolled his eyes as he pulled up in his parents’ driveway.

  “Look,” he said. “We both know this isn’t working the way it is. It’s better for everyone if we’re just honest about it. Then we can all move on and forget this whole mess ever happened. We need a fresh start without all the baggage.”

  Jade sighed. “You’re right. I just don’t want to see the disappointment on their faces.”

  Drew nodded and got out of the car. During their fake marriage, he’d always made a show of opening her car door. He didn’t do that anymore. She followed him inside and looked around the now familiar entryway. If she’d tried to tell herself a year ago that she’d be relaxed in Aaron Malik’s home, she’d have committed herself to the nearest psychiatric institution. How things change.

  “Drew!” Laura appeared in the doorway and hugged her son. She smiled at Jade over his shoulder.

  Jade’s stomach churned. She really didn’t want to upset Laura, even if it was the right thing to do for her and Drew.

  “Come on in, you two. Dinner’s on the table.” Laura pulled Drew by the hand into the dining room, and Jade followed.

  “Hello, Caroline,” Drew said, giving the housekeeper a wave as they passed the kitchen.

  The smell of roasted meat and freshly baked bread would normally have had Jade salivating, but she was too nervous to eat. She’d been nauseous all day.

  “Where’s Aaron?” she asked.

  Laura gave a dismissive wave of her hand. “He’s stuck on set. Something about bad lighting and needing to do reshoots. Hopefully he’ll be home before you leave.”

  Drew shot Jade a questioning look that she interpreted as Do we still do this? She gave a small nod. Giving bad news was always best done quickly. Drew frowned.

  “Mom, do you mind if Jade and I talk in private for a moment?”

  “Of course, dear.” Laura disappeared into the kitchen, speaking to Caroline about lumps in the gravy.

  “
Maybe we should wait.” Drew ran his right hand over the scruff on his chin. Jade hated when he didn’t shave. Looking disheveled only reminded her of the alcoholic playboy he’d been when they’d first met.

  “There’s never going to be a good time to tell her we’re getting divorced, Drew.”

  “What?” Laura screeched from the kitchen. She ran into the dining room and stared at them both with wide eyes. “You’re getting divorced?”

  Drew shot Jade an annoyed look and moved across the room to pull his mother into a hug. “Mom, please just let us explain.”

  “What did you do, Andrew? Are you drinking again?”

  “Laura,” Jade said, keeping her voice even. “Why don’t we go into the living room and sit down? We’ll explain everything to you.”

  Laura shook her head sadly and began to cry as they all went to sit on the sofa.

  “Mom, it’s not that Jade and I don’t love each other—”

  “I’m home!” Aaron roared from the front door. “I made it. You haven’t started eating, have you?”

  “We’re in the living room, Dad,” Drew called, loud enough to be heard over his mother’s cries.

  Aaron appeared in the doorway and froze. He looked at the blubbering mess that was his wife and a huge grin spread across his face. “You’re having a baby!” He moved quickly through the room and pulled Jade up into a bear hug, swinging her legs off the ground.

  Laura wailed even louder and began stuttering. “Th-They’re…divor—breaking up…”

  Aaron put Jade down and looked at her, confusion clouding his features.

  “You’re getting divorced?”

  “Have a seat, please, Aaron,” Jade said.

  It took over an hour for Drew and Jade to explain their situation. Aaron kept interrupting with questions, and Laura sniffled and kept wiping her eyes. They started at the beginning, describing how they met, their contract, and the reasons for the fake marriage.

  Jade had hoped that knowing that the marriage wasn’t real would soften the blow of the divorce, but it appeared to hurt them more.

  “So, let me get this straight,” Aaron said, cutting them off for what felt like the hundredth time. “You only got married to get around the clause in the will about your trust fund?”