Page 80 of Royals
“I definitely feel very royal now that I’ve witnessed punching and paparazzi,” I reply, then look around.
“Is Seb still here?” I ask, and Alex’s grin fades.
“No, I think he’s nursing his wounds and his pride at his club with the rest of his friends.”
That makes sense, and I’m glad I’m not going to have to run the risk of bumping into him for a little bit.
And then, from behind Alex, I see Miles coming down the back stairs, hands in his pockets.
Glancing over his shoulder, Alex clears his throat and takes Ellie’s hand. “We’ll let you two chat, shall we?”
Ellie gives my arm a last squeeze, and then she and Alex are gone, heading down the narrow hall off the main foyer, leaving me and Miles standing there.
“Are you getting beheaded?” I ask him, and he laughs, shaking his head.
“No, so far my neck seems to be in the clear,” he says as he reaches up to loosen his tie. He’s still smiling, but I can see how tense his shoulders are, and I remember that for all the joking, Miles could be in real trouble with the royal family here. His apartment, his school, even medical stuff... that’s all been on the Baird family dime, and what if this one stupid thing with me today put all that at risk?
It’s not worth it.I’mnot worth it.
Ellie and I have made things right, so there’s really only one thing left to do here.
“Look, Miles,” I say, stepping back from him. “I really appreciate what you did today. Standing up for me, not letting Glynnis use... whatever this is.” I gesture between the two of us. “Oh, and also the kiss, that part was definitely A-plus, well done, you,” I add, giving him a thumbs-up.
The tips of his ears turn pink, and a dimple appears in onecheek as he tries not to smile, which is really very unfair right now.
Which is why I have to rip this Band-Aid off, and fast.
“But it’s not like there’s any chance of this actually going anywhere.”
That hurts to say more than I thought it would, and when he looks up at me, his brows drawn together over those green eyes, I feel like something is squeezing my chest.
“I’m going back to America and regular high school,” I hurry on. “And you’re going to, I don’t know, some university where people wear striped ties and spit at poor people.”
“That place actually rejected me,” Miles says, and I give a slightly forced laugh, shaking my head.
“Ugh, don’t do that,” I say. “Don’t be funny when I’m trying to—”
What am I trying to do? Break up with him? We were never really a couple, and one kiss doesn’t change that.
I move closer and lift my face, brushing the quickest of kisses on his cheek. Just over his shoulder, I can see the bust of one of Alex’s ancestors, and in the distance, I hear the steady tick-tick of the grandfather clock in the hall.
“It was never real,” I tell Miles, backing away. “It was just... part of summer in this bizarre-o world. And it’s messed up enough for you already, so let’s just call it a day, okay?”
Miles watches me, and it’s like I can see that invisible suit of armor he wears half the time building itself back up. All the warmth slips out of his eyes, his jaw tight, his shoulders stiff.
“If that’s what you want,” he finally says.
It’s not, not really, but what can I say? One kiss and a weirdsummer of fake dating is not worth screwing up his whole life for. And it’s not like there’s a future for us anyway. For all I know, we both got carried away faking a romance and just tricked ourselves into thinking it was the real thing.
But when he turns and walks back up the stairs, never looking back, the sudden pain in my heart feels pretty freaking real.
Chapter 35
It’s so hot back in Florida.
There’s a part of me that loves it, that wants to soak in the sun, the vaguely salty air, the bright colors. And for the first couple of days, I do. I shake off my jet lag lying on a blanket in our backyard, watching tiny lizards run over the palm fronds. I slather myself in sunblock and let the smell of coconut remind me that I’m home now, and that everything that happened in Scotland is in the past.
Of course, it can’t really stay in the past—the wedding is still very much on and will be in Scotland in December. Then I’ll have to go back and face everything I left behind. Ellie and I are fine, so at least that’s good, but I’ll still have to deal with Alex’s family. With Seb.
