Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97633 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97633 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
“I do not even know who you are. And yet you are the first one to tell me my brother is dead,” I said to the balding man with a gray mustache and brown glasses in front me.
“I am Dennis Parlevliet, International Liaison Officer for the Ersovian government.”
“I was under the impression that all international liaison officers were stationed in Washington, DC, with the ambassador, not Washington state? I am rusty on my American geography, but that is on the other side of this country, is it not?”
“We were notified when you came, and I was sent to make sure no incident—”
“So, you have been spying on me? Was that at my brother’s request or the government’s?”
He stood straighter. “I did not spy. I was simply to be around should there be any incident that could affect—”
“That was not my question. And I am not seeking to have you fired or investigated. I am merely trying to understand, Mr. Parlevliet, so answer my question,” I repeated, beyond tired.
“Prince Arthur. He said that should the press find out you were here, you would need help returning, and I was to be on standby for you. He did not, however, tell me the nature of your visit,” he answered, and his eyes shifted to Odette behind me.
That was Arthur.
He had a plan, then a backup, and two more backups just to be safe.
“I assume arrangements have been made for me to go home?”
He nodded, pushing the glasses back up his nose. “We have arranged for you to fly back. It will not be the royal plane, of course, but not to worry, you will have space as we rebooked the other—”
“Do not cancel anyone’s flights,” I said.
“Sir?”
“If you did cancel, then reinstate them. They deserve to go home, too. When everything is ready, come get me, and we will go.”
“All of us, sir?” His eyes shifted back to Odette.
“Just me.”
He nodded.
When he walked away, I looked to Iskandar, who stood like the soldier he was, waiting for orders, too.
“Sir, if you get on that plane, people will know it is you and that you were here.”
“Eventually, they will know anyway and wonder why I hid that I was here.” I no longer had a place to hide.
Turning back, I saw Odette, and I wanted to go back just a few hours to when I thought I would never stop laughing. Now I was scared I would never laugh again.
This hurt. This hurt so much.
There was no long goodbye. There was barely one at all.
One moment he was here.
The next, I watched his plane take off from the private lounge, and I was alone. The mass of people who had first surrounded us had disappeared. It took me five minutes just to figure out how to get out. And when I did, the car they had parked had most likely been towed away, by bomb squad or something. I had to take a taxi back home, and thank God I had cash because my card was still declined. Everything felt colder now...and so much quieter. It was almost like he had never existed now that he wasn’t near me anymore. Like I’d finally woken up from a precious dream.
But when I got back into my penthouse, I saw evidence that he had, in fact, been here. The pillows were still all over the floor. One of his hats—he hadn’t been able to decide which would be the better one to go out with—was still on the corner of the couch.
“You’re back. Thank God!”
Turning around, I saw my mother, dressed in jeans and a casual shirt, which was not normal for her at all. Her short blonde hair looked frizzy and dry. She rushed down the stairs and gave me a hug.
“Do you know how worried I was about you? You haven’t been answering your phone!” she hollered.
“My phone!” I looked into my bag. Wolfgang had taken it and never gave it back. “I completely forgot!”
“That is not important. I was so worried you had left with him!” she said.
“So, you know.” Of course, she did. I bet it was all over the news.
“Yeah, it is horrible.” She frowned. “And to think he has to get on a plane right after that—”
“Why do you say that?” It hadn’t even occurred to me.
Plus, Gale had a fear of heights. His brother just died, and he had to get on a plane, too? Jesus Christ.
“Odette, calm down—”
“Mom, he must be feeling so bad right now.”
“Odette, sweetheart, that is no longer any of your concern,” she said, putting her hands on her shoulder.
“What does that mean?”
“Odette, I know you like him...I like him, too.”
“Why? Are we never seeing him again?” I asked, shrugging out of her arms.
“Because we are not,” she said sternly.
“No, he said—”
“Odette”—she sighed—“you are so naïve sometimes, and it really frustrates me. But I love that about you, too.”