For the first time since he showed up on the roof, Derek smiles. “Should I be insulted that you lumped me in with those other two things?”
Groaning, I run a hand down my face. “That’sthe thing you focus on? The wrong part is not knowing if it’s true.”
“Hmm.” He glances at his phone again, but whatever he was doing doesn’t seem as important now as he locks his phone and gives me his full attention. “You’re really in love with her?” He asks that question carefully, but I’m not sensing any of the malice that I expected after theway Freya’s other friends treated me. Neither does he sound happy, but I’ll take what I can get.
I shrug. “Sure feels like it, but this is a first for me. You’ve been in love before; what does it feel like?”
He chuckles and stretches out his legs, relaxing as well as he can on a stone bench. “What makes you think I’ve been in love?”
Is he serious? I gesture a hand over him, hoping that’s answer enough. “You’re Derek Riley. Three quarters of the world’s population is in love with you, so I figured you’d returned the favor once or twice.”
He lifts an eyebrow. “Three quarters?”
“I mean, there have to be at leastsomepeople out there who don’t find you attractive.”
“You realize that if we really are brothers,Hot Scoopwas insinuating you’re as attractive as me, right?Almost,” he adds with a smirk.
What in the world is this conversation coming to? I can’t help but laugh as the ridiculousness of what we’re saying to each other sinks in. “I’m pretty sure that ego of yours comes from your dad’s side of the family, Riley.”
He kicks his foot into mine. “That’s your side too, Reid.”
Oh. Right. That’s true regardless of whether theHot Scoopclaim is accurate.
This is crazy.
“Okay,” I say with a tired sigh and slump against the wall. Gregor was right when he said I should rest. “I’ll let you handle this tabloid crap this one time because right now I’m barely handling my one job.”
“You’re doing fine, El.”
“Someone tried to shoot her.”
“They missed.”
“Because Grimstad got in the way.”
Derek nudges his elbow into my ribs, and I’m so glad my wound is on my other side, or he would have nearly hit it dead on. “So did you. Youtook a bullet for one of my best friends, Elliot, which in my eyes means you’re the right person for the job. Though, maybe don’t make a habit of it?”
I chuckle. “I’ve been shot at enough times that I can say I’m used to it, but that doesn’t mean I like it. I’m hoping no one else is stupid enough to try to hurt the best thing to ever happen to Candora.”
Pressing his lips together, he stands and leans on the wall overlooking the lake. “Do you think she’ll win the election?”
“I don’t know,” I answer honestly, joining him in taking in the view. “I think she had a solid chance, but what happened at the debate could push people in either direction. Freya survived an assassination attempt, but her opponent is the one who saved her.”
He’s also waiting for her to make a decision about his proposal, and I don’t know her mind enough to make a bet on what she’ll choose. The odds aren’t in my favor, in any sense.
“What’s your opinion on this Grimstad guy?” Derek asks. “You really think he’s perfect for Freya?”
I can feel his eyes on me, but I keep my gaze on the view, taking in the clouds reflecting on the smooth water of the lake and the green of the rolling hills beyond. Stonemere is a good-sized city, nestled at the bottom of a hill behind us, but it isn’t Invem or Windgaard. It’s quieter in this part of the country, tucked away on the west coast without any other towns nearby.
I wouldn’t mind living in a place like this.
“I tried so hard to hate Grimstad,” I mutter, ducking my head. “It drives me nuts that he’s decent. More than decent. He’s a solid choice, politically and otherwise.”
“But he isn’t you.”
“Doesn’t matter. If she becomes queen, I’m not an option anyway.”
Derek hums but says nothing, leaving me to my thoughts.
