Page 25 of Royal Crush

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t catch your name before.”

She cleared her throat as she stepped closer. “Mellie.”

“Pretty name. I’m sorry for being kind of an ass earlier.”

She shook her head. “It’s fine. You weren’t.”

That was a lie, but if she was willing to forgive me for it, I’d take it. “Can you do me a huge favor?”

“That’s kind of my job,” she pointed out.

I couldn’t help a small laugh. “Right. Well, can you see if you can run and catch Prince Camillo before he leaves? I doubt he wants to come back, but ask him if he’ll meet me in my trailer—” I cut myself off. “Shit. Well, yes. Ask him if he will, then go find someone in props and see if they can fix a ramp up into my trailer for him.”

“Um…okay,” she said slowly.

“If he doesn’t want to, it’s fine. Just tell him that—actually, never mind, you don’t need to be my messenger.”

She quickly shook her head. “No, really. You’re all good. This is not the weirdest thing someone’s asked me to do.”

“Do I want to know?”

She laughed, looking a little less nervous now. “Probably not.”

I didn’t want to think about what that might imply. Luckily, she didn’t look traumatized, so it was probably buying giant bags of mixed Trolli sour worms and picking out only the blue and pink ones or some shit. “Just tell him that I was being a festering asshole, and I’d like a chance to apologize.”

She paled again. “I don’t think I can say festering asshole to the prince.”

“He’ll appreciate it if it’s directed at me,” I promised. “And I really appreciate you. Remind me to make sure you get a bonus.”

“No, no, really, it’s fine. I don’t need?—”

“Trust me, I know you need any sort of raise you can get. I’ve been in this business too long.”

“Aleric!”

Someone shouting my name in that tone was never a good sign.

“I’m so sorry, I have to run. Thank you for helping, and I swear I won’t be angry if he tells you to tell me to go fuck myselfwith a pitchfork.” I turned on my heel before she could say anything else and ran toward wardrobe like my inner demons had manifested and were now nipping at my heels.

Eight

ALERIC

“Cut!That’s it for the day. Thank you, everyone.”

I let out a tiny breath of relief, but it was followed by a rush of anxiety because I’d expected this scene to go on for maybe an hour or two. It was less than three minutes of screen time, but no one had their shit together, the left wheel on my chair fell off and I fell so hard I bit through my cheek, and then the queen’s throne lost an arm.

By the time we were finished, four and a half hours had gone by.

It was an absolutely shit day, and I couldn’t help but wonder if somehow I’d cursed it. Not to mention, if Camillohadagreed to meet me in my trailer, there was a snowball’s chance in hell he was still waiting after this long. I felt my stomach twisting as I made my way to wardrobe to change and wipe all the thick foundation off my face, and by the time I was heading to my trailer, I’d lost all hope.

Only…there was a ramp there. It was a black metal thing on wheels, and it was sitting right in front of my door, which was tightly closed. It didn’t mean anything, of course. It was possible Mellie had managed to get someone to put it there before Camillo told her to tell me to go fuck myself.

Or maybe he’d shown up for a minute, changed his mind, and left.

My breath was heavy in my chest, refusing to leave my lungs as I tested the stability of the ramp. It was solid. I turned the handle on the door and pulled, stepping inside as my heart attempted to beat through my ribs.

He was there.

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