I didn’t even try to find Jon. No part of me wanted to discover him sleeping in my sister’s bed again, and it wan’t his shift anyway. He could get pissed at me later for fucking up our original plans. I needed out of there as soon as possible.
Once I was airborne on the private jet with Arthur and the skeleton crew of guards, I thanked my lucky stars I wasn’t the king yet. I could still manage to pull off a move like my midnight escape without it being a massive strategic endeavor. As it was, several royal guards had been scrambled to see to my sudden change of plans, and the pilots had been summoned from a dead sleep to move the flight up several hours.
Throughout all of it, Arthur didn’t said a word. From the look on his face, I could tell he knew exactly what was going on.
I’d needed off the island before I could grab on to Felix’s ankle and beg.
According to the pilot, we had just passed over northern Liorland, the area between the Netherlands and Denmark, when a call came in from Henriette.
“Good morning,” I said and tried to cut her off before the ranting and lecturing could begin. “Sorry to leave without you, but I—”
“It’s no problem,” she said in a calm voice. “Everything’s fine.”
“Wh-what?” Maybe she hadn’t realized yet that I’d ducked out without saying a proper goodbye to Felix.
“It’s fine. Felix and I had an early breakfast, and I just wanted to let you know I’ll be staying a couple more days. I want to stay away from the paparazzi a little longer till the heat dies down.”
“Wh-what?” I repeated, only having heard the part about Felix.
“Close your mouth lest the flies get in,” she admonished.
I realized my jaw was hanging open. “What… I mean how…” I cleared my throat. “How was Felix?”
“Fine.”
I waited for her to elaborate, but nothing came.
“Did he make it to the airport on time?” I was the stupidest idiot who ever spouted bullshit questions.
“I’m sure you’ll be in touch with him at some point and you can ask him yourself.” And there was the familiar holier-than-thou tone in my sister’s voice. Stupid fucking sisters.
“But how did he seem? Okay? Upset?” I wanted to kick myself for sounding so desperate.
“Enough about Felix. Mother called late last night and told me they’re preparing the big announcement the day after tomorrow,” Hen said. “So the next couple of days are going to be crazy for you, not to mention Mother’s big New Year’s do.”
I’d forgotten today was New Year’s Eve. A day normally celebrated the world over for fresh starts and hope for a better life.
Fat fucking chance.
“Okay. Happy New Year, Hen,” I muttered.
“You too, big brother. I have a feeling it’s going to be a doozy.”
I had a feeling she was right. The moment I touched down, my assistant, Lucas was on hand to notify me of all my upcoming obligations, including an official date with my mother’s first-choice princess pick.
The woman had been foisted upon me several times previously by my meddling family. The daughter of a highly placed minister in my father’s first cabinet, she was currently a professor of art history at a university in Paris. I hadn’t seen her in many months due to her teaching schedule, but I assumed she was in town visiting family over the holiday.
I didn’t have much time to worry about that, and I assumed it was just one of many official events I’d be dragged to against my will in the coming days and weeks. With the Felixmoon slipping too quickly into the past, all I was left with was a laser focus on what I had to do to take over the throne.
When Lucas said go, I went. When my mother said put this on, I put it on. When my father said read this, I read it. Arthur was the only person who saw how I really was because it was only when I fell into bed at night, exhausted and hollow, that I allowed myself to remember the comforting touch of the man who’d somehow grown roots around my heart.
But that man quickly became the man of my dreams only—not someone real. Not someone I’d ever be able to hold again in this life. My real life had no room for Felix Wilde in it. I had other more important things I needed to focus on.
I was to be king.
Chapter 26
Felix
I knew before even falling asleep in Lio’s bed that he’d chicken out of sticking around for the goodbye. And, honestly, I was relieved as all hell.
Neither one of us could handle it. Not with the way things had progressed so quickly between us. It wasn’t normal. It was some aberration born of the singular situation from being practically stranded on a deserted island with each other. It wasn’t real.