Page 65 of A Royal Menace

“That’s true, but can any of us say we’ve never lied in the name of self-preservation?”

“What do you mean?” I ask, confused.

“For such a smart woman, you’re pretty stupid sometimes,” she mutters.

“Hey!” I shout, and she huffs out a breath.

“Sorry. Sorry. But he obviously likes you, Callie. A lot. That teacher said he’s been more like his old self since you stopped being his enemy, right? He’s found something with you, something he hasn’t felt since his fiancée died.”

Twila nods in agreement. “Yeah, it kind of makes sense that he’d panic at the thought of telling you the truth if it meant he might lose what he’s found. That it would be hard for him to find the right words that would guarantee you wouldn’t flip out and leave him, or something.”

I look at Raven for backup, and she slumps. “Shit, Cal, they’re making a lot of sense.”

I shake my head, still skeptical. “We spent three days together before he found out. There’s no way his feelings are so deep and serious that he’d panic at the thought of losing me.”

“Aren’t yours?” Joey asks.

“What?”

She gives me a sad smile. “Aren’t your feelings that deep and serious?”

“What? No. Of course, n––”

“You can lie to yourself, but you can’t lie to us,” Raven cuts in before I can finish. “Even before you started to like him, Royal evoked strong emotions in you. Your battles with him brought you to life in a way nothing else has.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” I say, but there’s no heat in the words.

“Think about it, Callie,” Raven continues like I didn’t speak. “The old Royal challenged you. Even though they might have seemed negative at the time, the sparks between you were undeniable. The post-LA-trip Royal made you feel seen. He helped bring joy and excitement to your work.Andhe gave you orgasms. And the Royal you were unknowingly texting? He brought out the softer side of you. He was a friend. He made you laugh. He was someone who made you feel like hope could emerge from even the darkest days. And I hate to say it, but the three sides of Royal Manning combined? He’s the perfect man for you, Callie.”

I stare at her for a long moment, then turn to look at the other two. They nod in agreement, their eyes soft with understanding.

“I know it’s hard to regain trust after it’s been broken, but I think in this case, it would be worth the effort,” Joey says. “You should at least talk to him. Give him a chance to explain.”

“And even if you decide not to move forward with him,” Twila adds, “you owe it to yourself to hear him out. To get closure.”

I nod, my eyes and sinuses stinging with emotion, and pull my phone from my pocket. The girls remain silent as I pull up my text thread with “Emmett” and change the contact info to Royal’s name. Then, I send him a text.

Me:Are you free tomorrow? I think I’m ready to talk.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Royal

I’m a nervous wreck.I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever been so full of anxiety in my life. And it’s all because of Callie.

I got her text last night and immediately responded that, yes, I’m free, and yes, I really want to talk this through. She replied with a request that I come over to her house around noon. I thanked her and told her I’d be there, but she didn’t respond to that.

It’s eleven-forty-five now, and I’ve been sitting in my car in the lot of her apartment building for at least ten minutes. My knee bobs erratically, tapping against the steering wheel as the minutes drag by. I’m eager to see her, but I don’t want to set this meeting off on the wrong foot by showing up too early.

This has to go well. Ithastoo.

I’ve been going crazy this week, dying to work things out with Callie. But she needed time and space, so I forced myself to give it to her. And now that she’s finally reached out to me, I’m kind of freaking out. Maybe choosing her place to do this is a goodthing. It means she still trusts me to be alone with her. Or maybe it means she’s going to break things off, officially, and doesn’t want spectators for the event. And not knowing which it is will be the death of me if I have to wait much longer.

Five more minutes. Five minutes, and I’m heading up, consequences be damned.

Flipping down the visor, I check my reflection in the attached mirror for the third time. My hair is a little wild from running agitated fingers through it, so I fix it just like I did the last two times I checked. I don’t even remember messing it up this time. Like I said, I’m a wreck.

Four minutes later, I climb from the car and lock it up behind me. Pausing to straighten my shirt, I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly before heading toward Callie’s apartment. My legs ache to run, but I force them to move at a slow, steady pace.

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