Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 66387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
“He’s hot,” Fallon whispers so only I can hear. “I mean, my husband is the hottest man on the planet, but if I were in the market…”
“I know,” I whisper back. “And he’s really nice. Do we know any single girls?”
“Not really, but I’ll keep my eyes open.”
“Why are you whispering?” Jenna demands. “Share with the rest of the class.”
“Not a chance,” I say with a laugh as my phone pings with a return text from Ellie.
Ellie: YES!!! Of course I want to come! Mum and Father probably can’t, but I’ll see if the others are available. Will update soon! Miss you. Xo
Me: Why are you awake? Go to sleep!
Ellie: Then stop texting me!
I laugh and set my phone aside. “Looks like Ellie’s definitely coming for Sebastian’s party.”
“That’s awesome,” Jenna says. “I really like her. I liked all of them.”
“Me, too.” I shove some green leaves into the vase and frown. It just doesn’t look right. “What does one get a prince for his birthday?”
We all look over at Nick, but he just shakes his head and actually cracks a smile. “Don’t ask me.”
“Your accent doesn’t sound British,” Jenna says thoughtfully.
“No, ma’am.”
“Where are you from, Nick?” Brooke asks. Before he can answer, his phone rings.
“Yes, sir.”
His eyes shoot to mine.
“Yes, sir,” he says again, ends the call, and puts the phone into his breast pocket. “Your Royal Highness, I have instructions to take you and Miss Jenna back to your house right away.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t have any other information, ma’am.”
“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to people calling you Your Royal Highness,” Fallon says with a grin. “Go ahead and go. Keep us posted.”
“I hope everything’s okay,” Willa adds. “Text us both, okay?”
“Will do.”
Jenna and I grab our things, say our goodbyes, and then we’re in the car on the way home.
“I wonder what’s going on,” Jenna murmurs. “Christian isn’t responding to my text.”
“We’ll be home in a minute,” I murmur.
I have a bad feeling.
A second security guard, not Liam, meets us at the car, and they escort us inside.
“His Royal Highness and Christian are in the living room, ma’am.”
“Thank you.” Jenna and I hurry into the room and find our husbands sitting opposite of each other on the couches, each with a somber look on his face. “What’s going on?”
“Come here, darling.”
I cross to Sebastian and sit next to him. Jenna does the same with my brother, but Christian’s eyes are on me.
“Chris, what’s going on?”
“I got a call this evening from L.A.,” he says and swallows hard. “Mom was found earlier today, Nina. She passed away.”
I cover my mouth with my hand, my eyes wide and pinned to my brother.
“How?”
“I don’t know yet. That’s really all I know.”
Sebastian wraps his arm around my shoulders, but I don’t lean into him. I feel frozen. I feel sick to my stomach.
“It’s my fault.”
“I’m sure that’s not true,” Sebastian says quietly.
“No, it is. It’s my fault. She told me she wasn’t feeling well, and I blew it off because she was always complaining. I should have listened.”
“Nina, we don’t know what caused her death,” Jenna says strongly. “Honey, don’t do that to yourself. We don’t know anything.”
She sits on the other side of me and hugs me tightly.
I can’t look away from Christian.
His lips are pressed into a thin line. His eyes look tortured.
“I’m sorry that I interrupted your fun evening, but I wanted you to know right away.”
“This was the right thing to do,” I assure him. “Thank you. I assume we’re headed to L.A. soon?”
“Tomorrow morning,” he confirms. “I have the plane ready to go.”
“I’ve briefed my men, and they’re ready to go when we are,” Sebastian says with a nod. He takes my hand, and I squeeze his, hard. It’s like he’s the only thing grounding me right now.
“Let’s plan to meet at the plane at around eight,” Christian suggests. “It’s a relatively quick flight. That will give us most of the day to make arrangements.”
“That works for us,” Sebastian says with a nod.
I stand when the others do, out of habit more than anything, and when Christian wraps his arms around me and hugs me close, I begin to cry. It’s as if a dam has broken and I can’t hold it in anymore.
“I don’t know how to feel,” I admit.
“I know,” he whispers and kisses my forehead. “It’s going to be okay, sis. Honest.”
I’m sobbing in earnest, harder than I have since I was a small child. I feel him kiss me again, and then he moves me into Sebastian’s arms, where I’m cradled and petted. Sebastian murmurs words of encouragement and affection, and it only makes me cry harder.
I don’t deserve his kindness.
“Do you need me to stay?” Christian asks softly. I shake my head no. I’d honestly rather that he not see me like this. “Okay, then. I’ll see you in the morning. But if you need me, just call, sweetheart. I can be here in minutes, okay?”