The Princess and the Principal (The Rebel Royals 5)

Oh no. He knew about Jason. She wasn’t sure how, but she was sure of it.

“Let me explain,” Kylee began.

Ron closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. She remembered him doing that when he was met with a particularly tough problem that he couldn’t work out. She stood then and took a step toward him. But he stepped back.

“You were just using me to get the account?” he said.

>

Kylee’s advance halted. “Wait? What?”

“Am I so blind?” He squinted at her. “Have you changed so much?”

Kylee looked from Ron to her co-workers looking down at papers or at computer screens pretending they weren’t paying attention to the scene playing out.

“You actually think I was using you to get points at work?” Kylee said. “You can’t believe I’d do something like that?”

The tightness in his jaw loosened for just a second. But almost in the same instance, it stiffened again. “I wouldn’t have believed you’d run off with Jason Romano a decade ago. Or that he’d spend the night with you after I left you the other night.”

“No,” Kylee held up her hands. “That is not what happened. He showed up out of nowhere, without calling.”

“And you let him in, late at night?”

“He wasn’t there for me. He claimed he wanted to see his daughter.”

“But that’s not true?”

People were starting to openly stare. As much as Kylee wanted to believe she didn’t care what others thought of her, she had to admit that wasn’t exactly true.

She was making a good decision by choosing Ron. The best decision of her life had been kissing him. She had never cared about a crown, or connections. But she had always cared about this man.

She wanted everyone to know that she’d picked him. But she also wanted everyone to know that he picked her. Please let him still pick her.

“Ron, can we just go somewhere and talk?”

Kylee reached out to him. But Ron pulled away from her. The look of hurt and betrayal on his face brought back a memory. It was of the day she’d decided to run away with Jason.

Ron had talked until he was blue in the face. He’d debated her logic, attacked her reasoning, he’d even drawn a chart. But Kylee wouldn’t be dissuaded. Again, she hadn’t cared about any scandal her choice might led to. She’d been in love. Or so she’d thought.

When Kylee had walked away, this was exactly how Ron had looked at her. His eyes had been slits, as though it hurt to look at her. His mouth had been turned down in a frown of utter disbelief. And his shoulders had hunched in defeat.

Kylee hadn’t thought about that moment again for nearly a year after she’d left. It had taken that long to realize that her best friend had been right. But she’d been too determined to make her relationship work. She’d tossed everything she had at the problem that was her marriage. But no single answer stuck until she’d decided to leave.

Ron had been right that day. He was wrong now. And now she had to make him see.

“Principal Kidd, we’re so delighted to have you in our offices,” said Syd Rowen.

Her boss approached the two of them with his hand out. Ron turned from Kylee and took the proffered hand.

“I hear you were impressed with Kylee’s pitch.”

“She made a very convincing argument.” Ron didn’t look at her as he spoke about her.

“She’s a rising star here at Thrive. With the work she’s done on the elementary school pitch, we’re considering her for advancement.”

“Well, it looks like we all have a decision to make,” said Ron. “If you’ll excuse me.”

And with that, he turned and walked out, closing the Thrive office door behind him.