Page 122 of Prince of the Palisades

My gaze dips back to the photo strip. “I needed to find people who didn’t hate me for being…me.”

“Reiss is quite the spitfire.” She nudges her elbow into my side. “Aries?”

“Scorpio, I think?”

She nods in amakes senseway. “I can see why you two work so well.”

“Worked, Mom. Past tense.” I do my best not to pout. Or cry. What for? It’s over. This is how all my stories end.

“You love him, don’t you?”

Mom’s eyebrows are raised, as if she knew a long, long time ago and I’m just now catching on. That’s the thing about moms. They’re always ten steps ahead.

“Your papa fell in love with me in aweek.”

“Who does that?” I joke.

She shrugs. “I said the same things Reiss did. I don’t want to get in the way. I have dreams. But he never quit.” There’s that fondness in her eyes again. “No matter how anyone felt about us, he was determined to make it work.Wewere determined.”

I shake my head. “I messed up.”

“That’s what love is,” she starts. “Messing up. Being unafraid to get it wrong. Trusting the other person loves you fortrying.”

“But I’m here,” I say. “He’s in America, where I’m pretty sure Papa banned me from—”

Mom holds up a finger. “We talked about that. Plans are changing.”

I lean back, stunned. Confused. Hopeful.

“And Reiss isn’t in America.” When my eyebrows start to droop, she adds, “Imight’vedelayed his flight by, like, a day. ‘Mechanical issues’ is the official cause if anyone asks. He leaves in an hour.”

I gape at her. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“Because I needed to know. That you were ready. That he was too.”

My eyes stray to the photo strip. I am ready. I want this.

I want him.

Mom bumps my shoulder. “Your name’s on the passenger list. A car’s waiting to drive you.”

I swallow a laugh.

Mom planned this. Ambitious Ava Gilbert at her finest.

Her hand cups my cheek. “If this is what you want, fight for him, Canelé. For yourself.” Every line, wrinkle, years of being what Réverie expects and who she wants, disappears when she smiles. “Go getyourprince, Jadon.”

21

IS REISS PRINCE JADON’S MISSING PIECE?

After weeks of speculation, we’ve finally identified Prince Jadon’s mystery boyfriend—Santa Monica native Reiss Hayes! While not much is known about him, we’ve learned he’s into filmmaking, uses Lux Fox’s Virgin Pink dye for gorgeous hair, and attends Willow Wood Academy, the same exclusive institution as Prince Jadon. The school has taken down unauthorized images of the pair on campus, but this SoCal romance has already stolen our hearts. Is an American happily-ever-after in Jadon’s future like it was for his father, King Simon?

I’m running.

Wind whips through my curls. My lungs are begging for relief—and a weekly cardio plan moving forward. I’m lucky airport security even let us through, considering I’m notdressedmuch like a prince right now: label-less black T-shirt, Burberry joggers, AJ1 mids with plaid accents.

But I’m not stopping until I reach him.

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