by Holly Rayner
The images of Luca fade, and the screen fills with the talk-show set. Rhonda is seated in a white armchair. In the seat across from her, there’s a woman in a tight red dress, auburn curls piled on her head.
“Is that… our waitress from the diner?” Luca says in disbelief.
My jaw drops.
I can’t tear my eyes from the screen.
After introducing the waitress, Rhonda jumps right into questions. “Janice, I want you to tell us what the prince and Phoebe were discussing yesterday in your diner.”
“Yes,” Janice says, while straightening her dress. “I couldn’t believe it. I knew there was something familiar about him—I always remember a handsome face. I found the pictures online and showed my boss, Lou. He said, ‘yep, that’s him all right,’ and I knew that he was there with his lover.”
Rhonda nods. “Yes, yes,” she says. “Now tell us what you heard.”
“I was going to deliver their water. Everyone gets all huffy if they don’t get a nice glass of water right away, you know. Then I heard her say it, clear as day. ‘I’m pregnant.’ She seemed real upset about it, too. I don’t know what’s wrong with her. If I was that girl, I’d be jumping for joy, being pregnant with the prince’s baby.”
I gasp. “She heard us talking?” I say. I look at Luca.
He’s running a hand through his hair, and his face is red. “I can’t believe how far they’re taking this,” he says. “I never in a million years thought I’d be going through this again.”
He backs up and then plops down on the small couch facing the television. I want to say something to make him feel better, but I don’t know where to begin.
My eyes lock once again on the screen, which is showing a picture of Luca in his youth. A cigarette hangs from his mouth. His eyes are bloodshot.
I turn to Luca and see that he’s looking down at the floor. “I don’t want you to see me like that,” he says. “Those were my worst years. I’ve worked so hard to put them behind me.”
I move to the couch and sit down carefully at his side. I place my hand on his back in an attempt to offer comfort.
“You did put them behind you,” I say. “You’re not that person anymore. You help people now. You learned from your mistakes.”
I’m trying to make him feel better by reminding him of the thing he always tells me: his experiences made him into a better man.
I see immediately that my words are not helpful.
Luca swears and rakes his hand through his hair again. “What is this going to do for the centers? It was hard enough to get them off the ground, after the last media fiasco. Now my mistakes are being splashed all over the media again, for everyone to see.”
He stands, and my hand slides off of his back. As he walks away, I speak.
“Luca, I’m so sorry that this is happening. If it’s too much, and you need to go back to Westegaard, I understand. Maybe once we’re apart, they’ll leave us alone. You could look after your centers, and this will blow over.”
He turns. Looking at me, he stands still and takes a few deep breaths. I can practically see the wheels turning in his head.
After a moment, he approaches me, kneeling down in front of me. “No,” he says. “I’m not leaving you. We’re in this together, Phoebe. Being with you is not something that I want to escape from. I hope you know that.”
I nod, filled with relief.
He continues. “I think I have an idea—a way that we can turn this around.” I see the sparkle return to his eye, and I know that it must be something good.
“What is it?” I ask hopefully.
“It’s a way we can turn the tide of attention to our advantage,” Luca says. “I just have to make some phone calls. Do you trust me?”
“Absolutely,” I say.
With that, he stands. “Good, because I think I can fix this. I’ll go make those calls.”
Chapter 22
Phoebe
I hear a knock on the door.
I set down my glass of water on the countertop and hurry over to answer it. I just arrived home a few hours ago, and it feels strange to be back in my little apartment after so much time away.
Nikki stands breathless in the doorway. “I am so excited,” she says.
“Me too,” I tell her.
She bustles inside and sets her purse down. “Did it start yet? What do you think will happen?”
“I have no idea,” I tell her. “Yesterday at the cabin Luca spent all afternoon on the phone. Then he said we had to get back to the city by eight this morning. We woke up early, and he dropped me off here. You want some coffee?”
“I would love some,” Nikki says. “I woke up early, too. Andy had a book report due that we’d barely worked on last night, so we woke up at the crack of dawn to get it finished.” Nicole laughs and accepts the coffee I offer her.
Together, with mugs in hand, we walk over to my couch. The television is on. I eye the programming as I sit. Morning Buzz, which Luca told me to have on at nine o’clock, doesn’t start for another five minutes.
I sip my coffee and then say, “I am sorry I haven’t been more of a help lately. I wish I could have helped Andy with his book report. I love how excited he gets about those tree house stories.”
Nikki looks at me and arches her brow. “You seriously want to be helping us right now? Honey, you have enough on your plate. We’re doing fine. Did you know that Luca paid my mechanic’s bill? The cost of labor was through the roof. I don’t know what I would have done if Luca didn’t cover it. Andy and I would be taking a bus to his school every day, and that takes three hours, not one. So as much as I know this is a lot for you—being with Luca—I’m also grateful for it. He’s a really good guy, Phoebe.”
“I know,” I say with a soft smile. Despite my apprehension about the media scandal that’s been swirling around us, not to mention my fear about my impending trial, I still feel giddy butterflies in my stomach when I think of Luca.
“So why did you call me over here to watch Morning Buzz? Do you think the calls that Luca was making yesterday have to do with the show?”
“Must be,” I say. “Why else would he tell me to watch it?”
“Oh! It’s starting!” Nikki says, pointing excitedly to the screen. “Oh my Lord, Phoebe—there’s Luca! He’s on the show!”
My eyes are glued to the screen as I watch the camera pan over the set. Rhonda Kerman sits in her white armchair, perfectly coiffed and made-up, in a bright blue pencil skirt and blazer. Across from her, in the very same seat that the waitress sat in the day before, is Luca.
He’s in khakis and a crisp, button-up shirt. The sleeves are rolled up, and the top few buttons are undone. His hair is tousled as usual. He looks like a model. I’m sure women across the country are swooning at the sight of him.
It feels surreal to see him on the screen now that I’ve gotten to know him so well. Though he’s portraying a relaxed, calm demeanor, I can tell that he’s slightly nervous. His posture is a little stiffer than it usually is. His finger taps the arm of the chair as Rhonda introduces him and then turns the conversation over to him.
“Good morning Rhonda, and everybody,” he says. “I’m really happy to be here with you.”
“And we’re happy you’re here,” Rhonda says. “But Luca, you have some explaining to do. I think we’re all eager to hear your side of the story. Isn’t that right?” She turns to the audience, and I hear a roar of applause.
Rhonda’s face becomes more drawn. “Tell us—what were you thinking? I mean, you’ve made so many mistakes in the past, Luca. You had multiple brushes with the law.”
As the screen transitions to shots of Luca during his troubled years, Rhonda continues. “Your older brother is King Willem of Westegaard. Your younger brother is a high-ranking military official.”
Pictures of Willem and Gregor flash across the screen as Rhonda’s monologue continues. “Yet, here you are, cavorting with a woman you barely know—and now we hear that she’s ca
rrying your child.”
Of course, at this point the television audience, including Nikki and I, are treated to a close-up of Luca and I dancing barefoot in the park.
“You’ve completely gone off the rails, haven’t you Luca?” Rhonda says. “What gives?”
The audience claps, showing appreciation for her ruthless line of questioning.
Luca presses his lips together. He appears to be gathering himself. Then he opens his mouth to speak. “Rhonda, it’s hard to put into words everything that I’ve experienced over the last few months.”
“Confusion? Insanity? Have you been on drugs?” Rhonda asks.
Luca shakes his head and quickly responds. “No, not unless you could call true love insanity. Maybe it is, in some ways. It’s definitely not ‘normal.’ The way I feel about Phoebe is so beyond anything I’ve ever felt before. There’s a saying in English about being ‘crazy in love.’ That’s accurate. I’m crazy about Phoebe Miller.”
The audience erupts into applause.
“You’re saying you’re in love with this woman that you barely know?” Rhonda says.
Luca responds calmly. “It’s true that I’ve only spent a short amount of time with Phoebe, but I feel like I’ve known her my whole life. There’s a connection between us that is hard to put into words, and I just know that on some level, I’ve been waiting my entire life to meet her. When I finally did, I fell for her instantly.”
Again the audience erupts into applause.
Rhonda appears flustered. The conversation isn’t going the way she wanted it to—that much is clear.
“So you’ve been waiting your whole life for a criminal?” she asks.
Luca shakes his head, and is about to speak, but Rhonda cuts him off.
“Let’s be clear here, Luca. Phoebe is accused of stealing large sums of money from three different individuals. Is this really the kind of woman you want to spend your life with? The kind of woman you want raising your children?”
The audience claps for Rhonda.
Nikki and I are both enraptured with the events unfolding before us. Neither of us has touched our coffees since the interview started. I’m not sure if I’ve even blinked.
Rhonda throws in one last verbal punch. “Couldn’t it be true that she’s manipulating you, Luca? It looks to me like you’re throwing away your future. Or maybe you don’t care about your future, or the future of your country. Is that it?”
Having sufficiently riled up the audience, Rhonda pauses for air, and Luca finally has a chance to respond.
“Phoebe isn’t a criminal,” he says, his voice filled with conviction. “She’s being falsely accused, just like I was five years ago. I’ve been through what she’s going through now, and I was vindicated. I know that the same will happen for her.”
Rhonda hesitates, and Luca takes the opportunity to speak again. “I know beyond a doubt that she’s innocent. I love her with all of my heart. When I think of our children—we’re having quadruplets, by the way—I am filled with wonder and joy.” He smiles.
The audience goes wild at the mention of our children.
The camera zooms in on Luca, who continues. “To be honest, when I think of our future I’m filled with hope. Meeting Phoebe is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
He turns his gaze from Rhonda to the camera. “Phoebe, I know you’re out there listening to this,” he says.
I gasp. To have Luca speaking to me directly, though the television set, is so completely unexpected. I hold a hand up to my mouth and suck a breath in. I hold it as Luca continues.
“I love you, Phoebe, with all of my heart and my soul. I have since the moment I met you. And I would be honored if you would take my hand in marriage.”
At my side, Nikki shrieks and leaps up off of the couch.
I’m trembling. The television audience is going wild. My heart is hammering in my chest.
“Did he just, did he just—” I say, but I’m unable to finish the sentence because Nikki finishes it for me.
“He just proposed to you!” she cries, jumping up and down. “Oh my goodness, Phoebe! Do you know what this means? You’re going to marry a prince!”
I haven’t removed my hand from my mouth. I feel my hand trembling. It’s all I can do to keep breathing.
Is this really happening?
The sound of a honking horn fills the small apartment, and Nikki hurries over to the window and looks down.
“Whoa!” she says. “There are like five vans fighting for parking spaces out there.”
“The press,” I murmur.
I remain seated, my mind racing. I think back to the calls that Luca made the day before. He planned all of this out. This is his attempt at turning the attention in our favor. Did he propose to me just to hijack the public’s attention? Is this all a big PR scheme, or does he really want to marry me?
I can barely think straight, what with the noise of the commotion outside and the sound of commercials blaring from the television screen.
“There’s a pack of reporters forming out on the sidewalk,” Nikki informs me. “What are you going to do, honey?”
I bite my lip. I don’t know how to answer my sister, because I don’t know what I’m going to do.
Nikki keeps updating me on the state of the scene outside as I try to filter through my thoughts. I’m searching for clarity, but none comes.
After I’m not sure how long, the apartment buzzer sounds.
Do the reporters know which unit I live in? Are they asking for access to the interior of the building?
I hope not.
I stay seated as Nikki heads to the intercom system.
“It’s me. Luca,” comes the voice through the speakers. “Can I come up?”
I’ve been facing the television, but now I whirl around to look at Nikki, who is waiting for direction from me.
I nod, and she grins.
“It’s open,” she says to Luca.
She walks over to me and gives me a hug. “I’m going to head out, to give you two some privacy, okay?”
I’m still so shocked by all that is happening that all I can do is nod.
As she squeezes me tight, Nikki whispers, “Listen to your heart. Ignore everything else. Got it?”
I squeeze her back, and then she lets me go, grabs her purse, and heads out the door.
A couple minutes later, I hear another knock.
This time when I open it, I know that it will be Luca.
He’s standing at my door in exactly the same clothing that was wearing on the show. In fact, he looks like he just stepped off the set. He’s slightly out of breath.
He meets my eye with a questioning look. “Did you see?” he asks me.
I meet his question with another.
“How did you get here so fast?”
“Their set isn’t far from here,” Luca says. “I hailed a cab, and then snuck in through the apartment’s back entrance. I’m assuming there’s a hoard of them, outside?”
I step aside and lead Luca to the window. “They got here just after you proposed,” I say.
I look out the window for the first time. A dozen or more press vans are packed onto the street. A throng of reporters and videographers crowd around the apartment entrance.
I turn to Luca and see that he’s not looking out the window. Instead, he’s gazing at me.
“What do you think, Phoebe?”
As I watch, he sinks down to one knee, still holding my gaze. “Will you be my wife?”
With that, he pulls a small velvet-covered box from his trouser pocket. He holds it up and flips open the lid. I see a beautiful, teardrop-shaped diamond sparkling on a white-gold band. The diamond is surrounded by bright blue sapphires. The sight of it takes my breath away.
I want to say yes, but something is holding me back.
I hesitate and then say, “Luca, you don’t have to do this. You don’t have to marry me just to save face. If this is all a charade, I really want nothing to do w
ith it.”
I feel like I might cry as I say the words.
He stands. “Phoebe… Oh, Phoebe! It’s nothing like that. I wasn’t planning on telling the world first, like this,” he says, waving vaguely at the television set, “but everything I said was the truth. I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
The tears I’ve been holding back now begin to well up in my eyes and cascade over my cheeks. They’re no longer from sadness. Now, they’re tears of complete and utter joy.
I wipe my cheek. “Luca, that’s what I want, too,” I say. I smile, and a laugh bubbles up inside of me. I wrap my arms around Luca’s neck and press my tear-stained cheek against his. “There’s really nothing I want more.”
“Then say yes,” Luca says softly.
“Yes,” I whisper. I turn, and my mouth seeks his. As our lips touch, I feel more whole and complete than I ever have in my entire life.
As we part, Luca reaches for my hand. He slips the diamond and sapphire ring onto my left ring finger, just as a knock sounds at the door.
I glance over to the door and see it open up. Nikki pokes her head in.
“I didn’t go far,” she says with a happy smile. “I see you two have had some time to talk.”
I return Nikki’s smile and then hold my left hand up. She catches sight of the ring and gives a happy squeal before running across the apartment and sweeping me up in a big hug.
When she lets me go, she says, “This might not be what you want to hear right now, but I was just down on the first floor. The press is still out there, clamoring to know your answer.”
Both Luca and Nicole look at me, waiting to see what I want to do.
Do I want to face the press, or do I want to keep my decision to myself?
Luca speaks first. “You don’t have to talk to them, Phoebe. It’s completely up to you. You’re entitled to privacy.”
He lets that sink in and then continues. “On the other hand, a good photo op might really get the public behind you, which can’t hurt when you go to trial.”
I look down at my ring. Then I look up at Nikki, then to Luca, and grin.