Chapter 58

First thing in the box was a card, sitting atop glittery gold tissue paper.

It was an invitation to go out to a romantic dinner with Nolan the next night. I smiled.

He could’ve just asked me tonight. But the formal invite, written out in beautiful cursive, was a nice touch.

I lifted a sheet of gold paper and found an elegant black dress folded neatly underneath. I lifted it up and Rafaela went, “Ooh.” She took it from me and hung it on one of my dressmaking dummies.

There was something else in the box, too. I pulled out one more layer of gold tissue paper, just as the deaconess was walking back over for a peek.

I lifted the garment by its thin, silky straps. And discovered it was a transparent black lace negligee.

It was super sexy.

Rafaela looked upon it in silent horror.

I folded it neatly back into its box. I had to look away from Rafaela to keep myself from laughing at her reaction. She mumbled something I couldn’t make out, and then vanished out the door.

It was a welcome change of pace to wake up the next day and return to some of our normal routines. Nolan had to work. And Lucy was coming over in the afternoon.

Not that everything was normal now. Or would be.

Things had changed this week.

Things that couldn’t ever change back.

Nolan and I hadn’t talked yet about what the coming war with Adan really meant. We hadn’t even acknowledged out loud to each other that it was happening. But I knew it was true and I knew that he did, too.

We still never talked about the other things, too.

The having kids thing. Or my studying abroad.

Lucy arrived a little late. Just the sight of her smiling face felt like a warm hug. And then she also gave me an actual warm hug.

It was really good to see a friend.

She asked me a lot of questions about what was going on at the palace. About the interview I gave at the orphanage, and how that whole thing came to be.

I know she meant well, but I couldn’t bring myself to keep talking about everything. So I asked her if we could just focus on the fun stuff today, with the clothing line. And I wanted to hear what she had been up to.

I sort of got the feeling that Lucy was dodging my questions, too. Since I was holding back some stuff myself, it didn’t feel right to press her about it.

I sent Lucy home with a present. It was just a box of chocolate covered strawberries. But she acted like it was the best gift she’d ever gotten, and gave me another big hug.

A few hours before my date with Nolan, I soaked in a lavender scented bath. Did all my hot girl shit. Got beautiful for him.

I tried on the gown early to make sure it fit.

It was a simple, floor-length bodycon gown, with a high slit up the side of one leg.

It fit me like a glove.

NOLAN

Yena looked even better in the black dress than Nolan had been imagining.

He took her to a new restaurant on the ground floor of a big luxury hotel in the capitol, wanting to surprise her with a new experience. The restaurant specialized in international cuisine.

He did not think the whole thing through, though. The busy city might not have been the best place for them to go. Not while the whole country was still obsessing over their supposed relationship woes.

The second their limo pulled up to the curb in front of the hotel, they were swarmed by paparazzi.

The Gamma warriors kept the crowd at bay. But it was a total circus. And every little movement of Nolan’s face and body had to be perfectly controlled right now.

He helped Yena out of the car and breathed a sigh of relief when they made it into the restaurant. Still, the eyes of all the staff and patrons were glued to the prince and princess as they moved through the dining room. But at least the shouting, photo-snapping reporters had been stopped at the door.

Nolan and Yena were seated in a private dining room.

A curtain swung closed behind the hostess and they were finally alone again.

Yena let out a big exhale and said, “I will never get used to that.”

“Me neither,” Nolan replied.

She reached out and stroked Nolan’s smooth cheek and jaw. He had gotten himself a good shave this afternoon, glad to get rid of the thick beard that had grown quickly during his three days in confinement.

He knew Yena liked the beard though.

He winked at her. She responded with a coy, closed-mouth smile.

Then she told him about her visit with her friend Lucy, and the work she helped Yena with. Nolan liked listening to Yena talk about her designs. The passion and confidence in her voice was sexy.

“I just don’t know how we’re going to get everything… organized,” she said. “I know what kind of clothes I want to design. But I don’t know the first thing about the selling side of the business.”

“We’ll hire a business manager,” Nolan said simply.

“Oh.” Yena looked thoughtful. “That makes sense.”

“Is that something we should do soon?” Nolan asked. “Or do you need more time to prepare your ideas first?”

“Hmm.” She took a tiny sip of wine. “Maybe not quite yet.”

“We can find someone good. We’ll interview candidates.”

Yena smiled and said, “Okay. Well, that’s one problem solved. I guess I forget sometimes that I don’t have to do everything myself.”

Nolan gave her an encouraging smile. He put his hand on her knee under the table and gave it a little squeeze. She narrowed her eyes at him and arched an eyebrow.

He really wasn’t thinking dirty thoughts when he put his hand on her leg.

But now he was.

He retracted his hand from her lap before he could get carried away feeling her up under the table.

It was a good thing, too, because ten seconds later the waiter was back with their meals.

Yena waited until they were nearly finished eating before she brought up another subject.

“What’s going to happen, Nolan?” she asked. Her voice was serious. “With Adan?”

“I wish I knew,” he replied. “I have some ideas about what he might do next, but that’s all I have right now. Ideas.”

Yena nodded. “He’s going to fight you, though, isn’t he? To try to take the throne?”

“Yes.” Nolan was positive of this fact. “And soon, I think.”

“Why’s that?”

“Well, as much as you helped the situation this week. It doesn’t change the fact that there was a seed of doubt about me planted in the minds of the public. Adan will still want to capitalize on that, before people forget about the whole thing.”

“What are you going to do?”

Nolan told her the truth. There were two parts to it.

“I have no idea,” he said. “But I am not going to let him win.”

ADAN

“What do you think about all this craziness?” Lucy asked, taking a sip of sparkling wine.

“With Yena and Nolan?” Adan asked. As if he didn’t know what she was talking about.

“Yeah. Did you see that interview she did on the news? That was so crazy, everything about Nolan doing undercover volunteer work with orphans and old people.”

“I saw it,” Adan said, keeping his voice even. “Yena did a great job. Really made her husband sound like a hero.”

“I know!” Lucy exclaimed. She was on her third glass and getting tipsy. “She is really incredible, Yena.”

Adan nodded. “Did you get to see her today? I remember you were trying to get together to help with her whole clothing line thing.”

“Oh yeah,” Lucy said. “It was so good to see her. I went over to the palace and looked at designs she’d drawn and helped her pick out some fabric for samples she was going to start sewing together.”

“Sounds fun,” Adan said, trying to sound only vaguely interested. “And how is Nolan doing? Did she say anything about him?”

“Actually, no. She said she didn’t want to talk about all the drama with him and the media and everything. I don’t blame her.”

Adan frowned. “I feel bad for him.”

“I know,” Lucy said. “You really think the two of you will never be able to patch things up? Make nice, be friends?”

Adan smiled and stroked Lucy’s hair.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Nolan has this crazy idea right now that I have feelings for Yena.”

Lucy’s eyes changed. This statement stung her.

Adan let her sit with the discomfort for a moment.

“You know that I don’t, right?” he finally asked.

Lucy smiled weakly in response.

Adan leaned in and gave her a quick, soft kiss on the lips. He lifted her chin lightly with his fingertips as he pulled away.

Lucy looked stunned. Happy, but stunned.

“I’m sorry,” Adan said. “I just couldn’t wait any longer to do that.”

“It’s okay.” Lucy smiled at him. “You could do it again, if you want.”

He gave her another kiss.

A long, slow, intense kiss.

Lucy slipped her hands around his neck. Adan’s hands went down her sides, feeling up her curves.

She put her hands on his and stopped their roving path across her body.

“Not yet,” she whispered. She met his eyes and he nodded.

“Of course,” he said, giving her his sweet half-smile. “I’m sorry, I’m getting ahead of myself.”

Lucy blushed.

“Dinner’s probably on the table anyway,” Adan said. He stood and offered Lucy his hand to help her up from the couch.