Page 21 of Fallen Crown

“Tomorrow is another day,” I agree as I stare out the window. It’s the kind of comment meant to bring someone comfort, but for me, knowing what might be on the other side of tomorrow, it no longer does. One of these tomorrows will be my father’s last.

Chapter Ten

Maren

The tea slides down my throat, and the conversation between my mother and my sisters goes on around me at my parents’ lavish oceanfront house. My enjoyment of trivial island gossip is nonexistent, especially since I’ve been the source of it more than once. Even if they were discussing something serious, I’m not sure I could follow. Enzo’s drunken phone call and Brice’s strange behavior are playing on loops in my brain.

Enzo’s actions have become normal, almost routine. He gets drunk and calls, and I end up in a thought spiral about our marriage. While I know I still feel something for Enzo, the amount of hurt between us is literally and figuratively an ocean, and I don’t know when either of us will be willing to swim across it to figure out our situation.

But Brice Summerset has got me mixed up for other reasons. After seeing him at the fundraiser in his typical jovial, everyone loves me mood, his shift in attitude during last night’s bike ride was jarring. In all the times we’ve spent together, I’ve rarely known him to be deliberately cruel or foolish. Once, in high school, and that wasn’t even toward me. Left a lasting impression that I’m starting to wonder if I need to shake.

The effort he’s put in during the other training sessions hasn’t gone unnoticed. For my money, I’d have thought the guy would walk his bike up the mountain rather than taking the ride, just to prove he could. His behavior last night made me question whether I’d been reading him wrong in the other training sessions. Maybe he really doesn’t have the grit and perseverance needed to be on the team.

Enzo has made me doubt all my instincts where men are concerned. He’s proof that I can be swayed by a pretty face, can assign men character traits they don’t possess. I can’t decide if that’s what’s happening with Brice.

“Did you hear what Mom said?” Sawyer nudges me with her arm.

I glance up from where I’ve been staring into my empty teacup and blink.

“The former king appears to be on the cusp of getting his assisted death,” Mother says. “A lawyer in Caitlin’s office is drafting the legalese to get George to sign.”

“Caitlin would never tell you that,” I say.

Ava, my younger sister who is home from Northern University on break, flicks her dark hair. “It wasn’t Caitlin. I overheard someone at the bar last night talking about it.”

“All rumor and conjecture, then,” I say.

“Except I called some of my sources and had it confirmed today,” my mother says with a sly grin. “Where the royals are concerned, one can never have too much information.”

Although the leak might not be coming directly from Caitlin’s part of the law office, I should call her later to let her know. If the king is poised to use the assisted death law, the news will spread like a wildfire across the island.

“Speaking of royals,” my mother says. “Have you made any progress with Prince Brice?”

“He’s becoming a much stronger athlete,” I say, deliberately misunderstanding her.

“Athlete,” my mother scoffs. “Only you would find that an attractive trait.”

“Not only her,” Ava says. “I like athletes too.” She grins like a Cheshire cat. “Basketball, lacrosse, swimming, football... So many talented athletes at Northern.”

“If Maren isn’t going to pursue Prince Brice, perhaps she can set up a meeting for you, Ava? He’s a bit older than you, but it might help balance you out.”

I suppress an eye roll at my mother trying to tame my youngest sister. Sawyer practically raised Ava, and any rebellion my mother senses likely has more to do with Sawyer’s do-gooder personality and drive to help people than to do with my mother. I’m not even sure my mother rates on Ava’s radar most days. But Sawyer? Ava loves to get a rise out of our older sister.

“Based on what I’ve seen, he’s got no interest in settling down. I’d be sending her into a disaster area,” I say.

“Besides,” Ava says, “I have more than enough hot men at Northern. The whole royal thing isn’t appealing.”

“That’s weird,” Sawyer says. “Didn’t your last boyfriend call you princess?”

Ava chuckles and shrugs. She takes an exaggerated sip of her tea. “No harm in role-playing. Maybe when I’m as old as you, I’ll have my boyfriends call me queen.”

Sawyer’s face scrunches up, and she shakes her head while she pours herself more tea.

“I would have suggested Sawyer for Prince Brice, but given that she wouldn’t go on that one date with King Alexander, and now she’s got this awful haircut.” Our mother gestures at Sawyer’s shorn head. “I can’t expect miracles.”

“You already are expecting a miracle,” Sawyer says, not at all offended by our mother’s behavior. We’re all used to Celia Tucker. “Trying to get Maren, who would have to get divorced, together with a royal, who appears to have no interest in commitment, is exactly that. A miracle. A really warped one since you’d be hoping for Maren’s deep unhappiness to accomplish it in the first place.”

“She’s already deeply unhappy,” my mother says, waving her hand at me as though I’m not also sitting in the room. “Enzo was never much of a man.”