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Niko’s eyes widened and, for a moment, Xander was sure his brother was going to explode with anger. But instead, Niko burst into laughter. “Wow. I would not have guessed that. I can’t believe I’m not the only one with a star-crossed love.”
“You’re not angry?”
“Why would I be? I told you, I don’t love Maisy. I consider her a friend. Agnes is the woman I love.”
“Man.” Xander shook his head slowly. “I can’t believe this. I never heard about Agnes. And I never told you about Maisy. I always thought we were honest with each other, but it turns out we’re pretty rubbish at communicating.”
“We’ll do better from now on. Xander, does Maisy love you, too?”
Xander sighed. “I don’t know. When we left Kanalea, she told me that it was better not to continue our relationship. She was resigned to marrying you.”
“Did she seem happy about it?”
Xander thought back to Maisy’s words. “No. If anything, she seemed… sad. But if she didn’t want to be with me, I didn’t want to push her. And now it’s too late.”
“It certainly does feel that way.” Niko rocked on his heels. “Unless…”
“Unless?” Hope surged in Xander.
“Well, I’m not saying it would be easy, but if Maisy doesn’t want to be queen anyway… Agnes really would be a wonderful queen. Aeniceans would talk, but they would get over it eventually. Would you be willing to face a few whispers from the populace?”
“Of course. I would face anything for Maisy. But I think you’re forgetting something. The Aenicean public aren’t the people we’d need to convince. The people in question are our parents, and Maisy’s, and none of us have successfully stood up to them. They would never allow you to be with Agnes or me to be with Maisy.”
“It’s true.” Niko reached for the bourbon glass. “I just hate the thought of both of us, and the women we love, all being miserable.”
Xander thought of Maisy. Where was she now? What was she doing? Was she thinking of him, too?
Then he thought back to their time together in Kanalea. He thought of her arms around him on the ATV. Her excitement when she’d spotted a turtle. Her green eyes sparkling under the tropical sun. Her bare feet on the terrace. That bikini that made his head spin. The feeling of her in his arms as he leaned down to kiss her. Xander loved Maisy. He loved her more than anything. Maybe, if he showed her a way around their duties, she would feel the same way about him.
“I know.” Xander took the glass from Niko. “Maybe there is something we can do.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“I wouldn’t call it a plan exactly, but I do have an idea.” The threads were coming together in Xander’s mind. Maybe, just maybe, he and Niko could make things right. Maybe there was a chance for them all to be happy. “We just need to talk to Maisy — and Agnes — first.”
“That can be arranged.” Niko leaned forward. “Tell me, Xander. What’s your idea?”
CHAPTER 18
MAISY
Maisy woke up in her familiar bed in her rooms in Aenicea long before her alarm. She didn’t get up, though. Instead, she just lay there beneath the sheets, feeling heavier and sadder than she had known was possible.
On her first wedding day, Maisy had been worried and anxious, but she’d also been hopeful. She’d known that Niko was going to stand her up and that she would finally have the freedom to make her own choices and live her own life. It had been stressful, but it had felt right.
Today didn’t feel right at all. Instead of stepping into a future of independence, Maisy would be binding herself, forever, to a man she didn’t love and who didn’t love her. At the same time, she’d be giving up any chance of happiness with the man she did love.
If only Xander loved her back. If he’d given her even a single sign that he cared about her more than about his duties, she would have been ready to fight for him. He hadn’t, though. Because he didn’t love her.
“Maise?”
Maisy looked up and saw her sister standing in the doorway. Contrary to Maisy’s first wedding day, Lily had a subdued posture and was messing with a strand of her hair. She was still wearing her pajamas with little cats on them that Maisy had gotten her for her last birthday.
“Hey, Lil.”
Lily crossed the room and climbed onto the bed.
“How are you feeling?”
