Page 114 of Uncrowned

She let out a deep sigh, holding on tighter.

“I wish more than anything that I could. I mean, you could try, but you wouldn’t get out. Trust me, it’s impossible. The only way you could stay with Theo was if I took you and put guards on you.”

I pulled back, searching her face. “Would you do that for me?”

She was silent for so long that I could barely breathe.

“I could break the rules, but if I did, you may not even make it there. They may never let you come back here. They may take you somewhere else. Let me ask them. I can give my word to them that me and my guards will protect you. But there’s no guarantee, and from where they stand now, I don’t see them allowing it.”

My mind raced, and I let go of her, turning to ease back to the bench.

“So I go back to being trapped.”

“They may change their mind⁠—”

“They won’t.”

I wiped the wetness from my face.

“Go eat, Marian. I’m going to keep going in here for a while.”

Marian hesitated, finally turning to ease from the room. I laid back on the bench, staring up to the ceiling.

I’d been so sure my plans of meeting with others in my circle would kill time. That it would help me discover the evidence to prove Vaughn’s family innocent. I’d been so naïve and wrong. Time was dragging, and with it, my time was running out.

I picked up my phone, texting Vaughn.

Me: Theo, I’m in need of your legal services. My hope to see others to advance our future has failed. Months of requests have been denied. I need to know my rights. I want to leave.

I stared at the message. Did I delete it? Did I send?

I hadn’t told Vaughn or Theodore how fruitless my efforts were. I was embarrassed that I couldn’t do the simplest thing. I didn’t want them to know how bad this was, but it wasn’t just bad. It was scary.

My eyes closed and when I opened my lids, I did what I felt was right in my gut. I hit send.

Seconds didn’t pass before an alert sounded.

My Love: We’re on our way.

Me: It’s not an emergency! I said legal. I am not in danger. I just can’t leave. Find a way to LEGALLY get me out of this.

My Love: Do you not think I haven’t been looking? That I haven’t reached out to connections? I’m at the end of my patience. I have an idea—a last resort. I think we’ll see some sort of difference by morning.

Me: Really? You think so! I miss you.

The world could have imploded in my chest for the hole that ached for Vaughn.

My Love: I miss you more. I can’t be without you for much longer.

Me: I want you.

Time stretched as I bit against my bottom lip and waited.

My Love: You’re fucking killing me. I want to marry you, Penelope. To not be able to speak those vows… You know I mean them right now, right? Not just when we say ‘I do’.

Me: I mean them too. To have and to hold…

My Love: from this day forward