Page 155 of The Unlikely Heir
“I guess miracles do happen,” I say.
I glance at the headlines.
Unprecedented Bravery: PM Saves Prince of Wales from Death
Assassination Plot Against Prince of Wales Thwarted by Prime Minister
The Romance that Shocked the World: Inside Prince Callum and Oliver Hartwell’s Secret Love Affair.
When I read the last one, my eyes fly to his.
“How…?”
Callum grimaces. “When you were dying in front of me, I may have displayed slightly more emotion than a Prince of Wales would normally have in the situation. I’m pretty sure the fact I was yelling ‘I loveyou’ over and over tipped off the press.”
A flare of happiness blooms inside me, so sharp it’s almost painful.
I make my voice light. “You mean to say the whole world heard you say those words before I did?”
Callum’s mouth quirks. “I was trying to tell you. You just happened to be unconscious. That’s not my fault.”
I gaze down at the headlines about our relationship. There’s a lot of surprise and shock, but nothing seems to have a negative slant. That will come later, I’m sure. When the ramifications of what it actually means for the Prince of Wales and the prime minister to be in a relationship are realized. When people remember that the royal family is supposed to be politically neutral and the crown and the government need to operate independently of each other.
When I look back up, Callum is staring at me.
“Thank you,” he says, his voice shaky. “Thank you for saving me.”
“You don’t need to thank me,” I say hoarsely.
A muscle works in his jaw. “Well, you did call a referendum that will potentially get my family and me kicked out of our jobs. But then you literally took a bullet for me, so I guess those things cancel each other out.”
I try to rummage a smile but don’t manage more than a slight upturn of my lips.
We simply stare at each other for a few heartbeats.
“I’ll give up my place in succession,” he says quietly. I can see how much these words are costing him, how they’re being chipped off his soul.
“Callum.” My throat is so thick I can hardly force the word out.
“You were prepared to die for me. The very least I can do is give up my crown for you.”
“I don’t want you to do that.”
He studies my blankets. “When it boils down to it, I realized that my titles, your job, they are all just distractions from the thing that matters. We’re in love. And that’s most important of all.”
I let out a shuddering breath and force my words out.
“You don’t have to step down. I’ll resign.”
His eyes fly to mine. “You can’t. You love your job.”
“I do love my job,” I say. “But I love you more.”
It’s such a basic truth. There’s nothing in this world I love more than Callum.
Callum shakes his head. “I can’t let you do that. I can’t let you resign for me. You’ve got so much you want to achieve.”
“You’ve taught me there are other ways to do good in the world,” I say. “My job was always going to be temporary, there are other people who can do it. Yours is for life.”
