Page 26 of Fake Dating the Prince

“It’s wonderful and occasionally mortifying, isn’t it?”

“That’s an accurate assessment.” Brayden stood and retrieved the bag. The light on his phone was flashing with just about every possible notification, and as he stared at it, it began to ring. Lina’s face popped up on the call display. He sighed. “I might as well do this now, if you don’t mind…?”

Flip shook his head and gestured to the bedroom. “Please, be my guest.”

Brayden took the call sitting on Flip’s obscenely luxurious bed. He didn’t think his legs could stand the scolding. And he was right, sort of.

“Oh my God,” Lina almost yelled in his ear. “I’ve been calling you for two hours!”

That was hardly Brayden’s fault. “Stop getting out of bed so early.”

“Me? Tell that toGrandma, she’s the one who woke me up. ‘Brayden is dancing on my YouTube suggested videos,’ she says.” Oh hell. He wasn’t looking forward to that conversation either. “Are you seriously telling me you neglected to mention your mystery sugar daddy is a legit prince?A legit prince you’re actually dating?”

“I…,” Brayden said and then stopped. He and Flip hadn’t officially broken up as far as anyone knew. Not that there had been anything realtobreak up, officially, but—he glanced at the window. How good was spy technology these days? Was someone eavesdropping on his cell phone conversation through the glass with some kind of fancy laser listening device? “Sorry.”

“Sorry? Good Lord.” There was a thump. Brayden imagined Lina flopped over dramatically on her bed. “Tell me everything.”

“What? No. I just got up. I’m starving. We’re doing lunch in like ten minutes.”

And didn’t that sound incriminating. He held the phone away from his ear as Lina shrieked. “Where are you right now?”

“Uh. In Flip’s apartment at the palace.”

“Flip?”

“That’s his name. I mean, his name is His Royal Highness Prince Antoine-Philippe, but that’s a mouthful.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. You are the worst brother ever.”

“Hey!”

“Details,” Lina persisted. “This is the guy who’s got you dating again after ten years of slutty denial.Andyou lied to me about it. I demand compensation. What’s he like?”

Sighing, Brayden crawled farther back on the bed and stared up at the hammered tin ceiling. The problem, he suspected, with telling Lina that Flip was kind and compassionate and warm and funny and generous and charming was that Brayden would have to acknowledge, at least to himself, that the primary problem with their relationship was that it was fake. “Handsome. Charming. Good dancer. Good with kids.” He remembered how Clara looked at him like he hung the moon, and how obviously he adored her. “He loves his family, and he’d do anything for his people.”

Yep. There they were—feelings. The worst.

“God, you have it bad, huh?”

Brayden swallowed. He recognized the truth, even if he didn’t know what to do about it. “Would I be here if I didn’t?”

“Bro.” Lina’s voice broke. Oh no, she was going to cry. “I know… I know things weren’t easy for you after Thomas died. I know we don’t talk about what he meant to you. And we don’t have to. But I just… I’m so glad that you want to stop punishing yourself for something that wasn’t your fault.”

Shit, nowBraydenwanted to cry—partly because Lina was right, and partly because she wasn’t. He wasn’t really dating Flip, and he hadn’t stopped punishing himself, even though he desperately wanted to. He didn’t know how. “I, ah… thanks,” he said, voice thick.

“Uh-huh.” She sniffled and then inhaled audibly in an obvious attempt to rally. “So, what’s he like in bed?”

Brayden laughed in spite of himself, swiping at the single tear that had escaped. “A perfect gentleman,” he said, which was true. Flip had let him have the entire bedroom to himself. “And that’s all I’m saying.”

“I hope he gets over that if he wants to keep you around.”

She knew him way too well, but if he said anything else, she’d figure out they hadn’t slept together at all, and then she’dreallyget suspicious. “I have to go. Twenty bucks says Grandma sent me a ten-page critique on our dance via text message, and I should probably call Mom and Dad. And have lunch. Seriously, I am starving.”

Lina let him go, and he took a few deep breaths before thumbing open his texts.

Grandma had restrained herself to only four texts. His mother had sent seven.

Brayden went easy on himself and opened Grandma’s first.

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