Page 83 of Tall, Royal and Grumpy

Somewhere during that kiss, the metal hinges on the door whined behind Kai. We pulled apart, both glancing over, and my heart slammed against my ribcage.

Kareem stood in the open doorway having abandoned his jacket. “I apologise for interrupting like this,” he said quietly. “I just wanted to see how you were doing.”

Kai looked down at me, an uncertain question in his eyes. I smiled at him, giving his hand by my knee a reassuring squeeze, though honestly, I didn’t know how I felt about the situation.

Now that the scavenger hunt was over, I had no idea where Kareem and I sat.

Kai understood, albeit reluctantly, and leaned down to press a kiss to my temple. “I’ll wait at the end of the corridor for you.”

Kai and Kareem exchanged bows on his way out. Then my brother faced me.

The relaxed atmosphere between us from before? Gone. Now it was just bloody awkward.

With a capital A.

The hairs on my skin stood on end as he came towards me, and I didn’t know where to look. I couldn’t tell how this was going to go and that scared me so much. At least before I had known Kareem would try to condemn me at every chance he got. I’d always been able to brace myself for the known, but it was harder to prepare for the unknown, and I had no idea who this Kareem was, what he was thinking or why he’d hugged me. Not that I wanted him to take it back.

“Did Pierre examine you?” Kareem asked, his voice quiet and tentative.

“Hmm, he did,” I mumbled, only able to meet his eyes for bursts of a few quick second.

“And your hand?”

“It’s fine.” I turned my left palm up, brushing my thumb over my skin. “There were just a few light scratches, but he cleaned it with antibacterial wipes.”

Kareem cleared his throat. “May I see?”

I hesitated, but I lifted my palm up for him. I just didn’t expect him to take my hand in both of his and gently rotate it, looking intently over my skin.

“Does it hurt?” he asked, pressing the pads of his thumbs into the base of my palm.

My hand? No. My heart? Yes. So much.

Like it was being beaten by a hundred different emotions. And none of them were relenting.

I shook my head, swallowing around the growing lump in my throat. “No.”

“Okay.” He let go of my hand and I missed the rough warmth of his skin immediately. “I know there’s still the Cannon Ceremony but try to take it easy. And—if at any point you feel any pain, make sure you say something to Shehryar…or me.”

“Even if it means people will notice something is wrong and ask question?” I asked once I found my voice. It was part accusation, but I supposed I was also testing this unknown version of him. I needed to know, whatever his answer was.

He grimaced but it was such a quick twitch of his mouth that I would have missed it if I hadn’t been watching him so closely. “Your health is more important, Esmeralda.”

My ears were so used to hearing how other people’s thoughts and opinions mattered more than I did that it took them a while to register his words. But there was no hiding that he meant what he said. I felt it in my gut.

The tears came fast and hot and so did the ache of relief in my chest. But I blinked rapidly down at my hands, refusing to cry.

That was all I had ever wanted. To know that I was still somewhat important to him. That he still cared just a bit about his little sister even if—

“Esmeralda, I—”

My attention soared to the tight scrunch on his expression, his eyes appearing glazed and uneasy. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Then he closed it again and with a resigned sigh, he swayed back. “I’m—I’m sure Prince Kai is waiting for you and I’m sure you need to get ready for the ceremony, as do I, so I’ll leave now. Remember what I said about taking it easy.”

It was obvious that wasn’t what he had wanted to say but I didn’t push him to tell me. I just nodded and watched him leave with one last glance over his shoulder.

It was going to take a lot more than one scavenger hunt and an awkward conversation to fix eight—no, eleven years of a broken relationship no matter what either of us said. Too much damage had been done, putting miles of distance and hurt between us.

Even if I wished one hug and a smile could fix it all as if it had never even happened.

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