Page 41 of Redemption of a Prince

A few minutes later, they’d left her luggage outside the elevator then reached Zeke’s suite on the other side of the ballroom.

Nikki wandered around the outer room while Zeke went to the bedroom to pack his clothes.

When he returned to the living area, Nikki stood with a picture frame in her hand, her head bowed as she looked at it.

Was it his imagination or did she stifle a sob?

She looked up, tears shimmering in her eyes. “Is this her?”

* * *

The picturein the frame brought up emotions Nikki had no idea how to deal with.

Based on the view out the windows, she thought the photo had been taken in this house. A teenaged Ezekiel sat in an overstuffed chair with his feet up on an ottoman.

In his arms sat a toddler, snuggled up against him, clearly quite comfortable with the crown prince.

“That’s her,” he confirmed.

“Did she sit like that with you often?”

He shook his head. “Not really. Sometimes.” He stood next to her, his shirt brushing against her arm. “Whenever she did, I wished you could be there to experience it, too.”

“She looks comfortable. So do you.”

“I wish you could have been there for those moments.” He slid an arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. “I wish things could have been different.”

“Would you have wanted to marry me at sixteen and raise her ourselves?”

She sniffed in an effort to stem the tears that threatened to overflow.

His hand rubbed up and down her back. “Sometimes, I wonder if we could have made it work. If we could have been a family.”

“Would you still be eligible...?” Her voice trailed off, hating that she was bringing up something that clearly caused him a lot of pain.

“As long as we married before she was born, I believe I would be.”

A hot tear slid out of one eye and streaked its way down her cheek. “I’m sorry.”

He pulled her more tightly to his side. “It’s not your fault. We were both there. We both made those choices, more than once. We both knew better. If anything, it’s more my responsibility than yours. I knew the consequences, but I didn’t care. I loved you, or thought I did.”

Nikki froze. “Thought you did?”

He leaned his cheek against the top of her head. “I believed I did at the time. Now that I’m older and possibly wiser, I wonder if I knew what real love is.”

That made her feel a little better. “I know what you mean. I think I’m the same way. I know I loved you then, but I don’t know if it was the kind of love that would have lasted for a lifetime.” She sucked in a deep breath and blew it out. “I guess we’ll never know.”

He chuckled, and she could feel it against her cheek. “You know, technically, we never broke up.”

A half-smile crossed Nikki’s face. She’d taken the funds given to her after giving birth, truly altruistic funds meant to help her get on her feet, and never called Ezekiel again. “I guess we missed our ten- and fifteen-year anniversaries then.”

“We did. I probably owe you about two hundred dozen roses and a whole bunch of jewelry.”

“I’d rather have the jewelry.” A shiver ran through her.

“Come on. Let’s get you downstairs where it’s warm.” He kissed her head and released her.

She set the picture back down on the end table. Through the years, she knew Ezekiel likely had moments like those with their daughter, but she’d never seen pictures like that before.

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