Page 131 of Rags to Royals

Lindsey:

Jen: But wait…it getsbetter. He’s beenlooking forthis woman. They met almost two years ago! And suddenly he found out where she is and just had to go see her.

Lindsey: What? What do you mean he just suddenly found out where she was? They didn’t exchange numbers or anything?

Jen: Those details are a little fuzzy. I guess she moved right after they met. Anyway! He found her and immediately had to go see her. And that’s where he’s been. He hasn’t been back in Louisiana. He’s been hanging out with his new love. They call her his Cinderella.

Lindsey: Well, thatisinteresting. I guess that explains why we haven’t seen Prince Cian with any girlfriends for a while. But you’re telling me that our favorite playboy prince has been hung up on a woman for almosttwo years? Hey news flash, Prince Cian…you could haveany womanyou want! What are you doing?

Jen: No! I mean, yes, he could. Obviously. But this is so great! Pining for her. Obsessed with her. Fell in love in a weekend and then lost track of her. Isn’t thatamazing?

Lindsey: Do they have a royal therapist on staff?

Jen: Stop. I’m sure they do and I’m sure he or she would simply say this islove! You should try it!

Lindsey: Uh, I’m good. So, who is this woman? Where is she?

Jen: We don’t have all of those details. Our source is kind of a tease.

Lindsey: Well, I guess we’ll have to keep digging. We will definitely keep you updated! Just wait ’til we tell ye!

I look up and meet Scarlett’s gaze. Her eyes are wide and she has her hand covering her mouth.

Ruby jumps in. “They didn’t really say anything aboutyou. No one knows who you are. They didn’t say where you are. This is…nothing.”

“This is all true, though,” Scarlett says. She looks at me.

“I don’t know who shared this,” I assure her. “I will see if someone can find out.”

She shakes her head. “What good will that do? It’s already out there. It’s not like you can punish them or get them to take this down. People have already seen and heard it.”

I walk over to her and take her upper arms in my hands. I stroke my hands up and down her arms and lean in until she’s looking directly in my eyes. “This isn’t a big deal. No one knows your name or where you are. Besides, even if they did, what’s the big deal?”

“The big deal is, that you’rehere,” Mariah answers, clearly frustrated.

We turn to face her.

“And you’re lying to the entire town about who you are. And if they find out, that means all ofusare lying to this whole town. My friends, Greta’s parents, my teachers!” Mariah throws her arms wide. “Leah confronted me today in the lunchroom. She said obviously you are not in love with my mom because you’re off with some other woman.” She stands staring at us for a moment. “Youare supposedly Dean Brady. A professor who is teaching us history. And my mom is here. Single as always. But the podcast says that Prince Cian is somewhere with the woman he’s in love with. The woman he fell in love with two years ago and has been looking for. So to Leah, and everyone else, that is obviously not my mom which makes me a liar when I say that you two dated.”

Right.

All of that makes sense now. And Mariah is correct, if this ever comes out, wehavelied to the entire town.

“So, I am completely right. I haven’t lied about any of it. Until now.” Again, Mariah presses her lips together. “You all have turned me into what my nemesis has said I am all along.”

She turns and stomps out of the room, up the stairs, and a few seconds later we hear her bedroom door slam.

“Well…thisiskind of a shit show,” Ruby says.

Scarlett blows out a breath. “Mariah is almost always right.”

We eat dinner, discussing the women’s community and getting the foundation started, avoiding the real subject which is: we kind of fucked up.

My spontaneous move to hide my identity and stay in town has gotten complicated and it’s involved Mariah.

Scarlett had said she didn’t want the town to know she was dating a prince. So, I’d reacted. I’d taken that factor out of the equation. I’d focused onusand why we were so good together. I’d tried to make it simpler.

I hadn’t realized that could actually muddle things. I especially hadn’t realized it would affect Mariah.

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