“Aye.”
“I’m quite certain she left out more details than she shared.” At Tristan’s shrug, Jamie continued, “Ele used to be the fearless one of the two of us. I think it vexed the hell out of my father. But that’s neither here nor there. It was supposed to be me on that trip. Not her.
“Everyone around here was mourning the loss of the future king, and I just wanted my sister back. When they found her and rescued her, I was so relieved. But of course, she wasn’t the same. My Ele, the other half of me, the brave one who had propped me up and made me more than I really was, she didn’t come back.” Jamie looked away, his face contorted with pain and sorrow.
“She had nightmares for two straight years. When she conquered those—on her own, of course—the panic attacks started. She’s been a virtual prisoner for years. And Robert, it’s like his fate was tied to hers. Neither one of them could move forward because part of moving forward would mean letting each other go.”
Things began to click in Tristan’s mind; things he didn’t want to know or acknowledge tried to fit themselves together like an amorphous shape. He wasn’t sure what had tipped him off, but he knew, absolutely, that Jamie was involved. “You orchestrated the whole thing.”
Jamie’s lips compressed into a hard line. The sorrow Tristan had glimpsed earlier disappeared. There was a hardness there instead, a force of will Tristan thought befitting of a future king but not quite the thing for a doting brother.
“That’s cold, Your Highness,” Tristan said.
The prince’s shoulders moved up, a half-shrug of indifference. “A means to an end.”
“Messing with people’s lives—there’s no excuse.”
“Do you think anything would have changed? Did you actually imagine Ele would be with you, in public?”
Inwardly, Tristan flinched, remembering his last conversation with Ele. The hurt and frustration he’d experienced when she suggested secretly dating still simmered. Jamie couldn’t have known the direction of their conversation, but her twin definitely knew Ele pretty well.
“She needs to move forward. She needs to heal, and she wouldn’t have done that here, with Robert around, always protecting her.”
“You underestimate your sister.”
“I have never underestimated her. Not when she was missing, not when she came home, not the times she was curled up in a ball after a bad panic attack. I might have miscalculated, but I have never thought her weak.”
Tristan’s head tilted in interest. “Miscalculated? You mean, you thought she would forgive you for getting rid of Robert and then do what you had deemed fit for her to ‘get better’?” He made sure to use finger quotes, taking perverse pleasure in seeing Jamie squirm a bit.
“Maybe.”
“So, where is she? How is she?”
Jamie cleared his throat and blinked. Pushing his hand through his hair, he said, “She’s safe.”
“You don’t know how to contact her and Robert isn’t with her and you’re worried,” Tristan surmised.
Jamie’s bravado faded a tiny bit. “Millie knows how to contact her, and if I wanted to, I could force the issue.”
“Your motivation might have been pure, but your execution sucked. Ele will be fine; I have no doubt of that. But don’t be surprised if she doesn’t forgive you.”
“I don’t need her to forgive me. I just need for her to get better, to live.” The earnestness in his expression eased some of Tristan’s discomfort. “And what do you need, Mr. Davenport? What is it you want from my sister?”
Gulp.
He wanted all sorts of things. Time with her. Safety for her. Kissing. Coffee. Holding hands. Coming home to her afte
r a game. Laughing with her. Hanging out with her and Sheena. Introducing her to his friends. Forever.
“More importantly, what are you willing to give up for her?” Jamie asked into the silence.
“What do you mean?”
Jamie pushed away from the wall. As if sensing it was time, the elevator door magically opened. “What I mean is, I understand your concern. I even admire your tactics. But let’s be honest; you are no ordinary boy, and she is no ordinary girl. If you decide to reach out to Ele, make sure you know what you want and, more importantly, what you are willing to give up to be with her. If you’re not sure or if this is some whim, I beg you to let her go.”
Will appeared at the opening, and Jamie ambled out. Just as he crossed the threshold, he flicked something in Tristan’s direction. Snatching it out of the air, Tristan held it in front of his face. A phone number was engraved in gold on a thick parchment business card.
Momentarily elated, Tristan took note of the ten digits. American.