I burst into laughter. “Did you just refer to the Crown Jewels as a ‘big hat’?”
“I saw it on TikTok and it made me laugh. It’s not wrong,” she admits with a smile.
“You are officially my favorite royal.”
Her face positively sparkles. “Theo will be so jealous.”
“What’s he been up to since the crash?” I pretend like the question’s not eating me alive.
“Skiving off his responsibilities, if you believe the press.”
I jerk away from the mascara wand. “ShouldI believe the press?” He hasn’t been photographed or seen in public once since the rescue. Some TV news stations have speculated that Theo is just busy preparing for the coronation (Graves’s handiwork, I assume), but others claim he’s missed a bunch of his scheduled meetings and isn’t returning his “We’re glad you’re alive!” phone calls from foreign leaders.
Louise’s eyes dart to Henry. “No, sorry. I was joking. I don’t know what he’s doing. I haven’t seen him.” She fixes the mascara I smudged with my sudden movement and holds up a mirror.
I’m disappointed she doesn’t know more, but I can’t deny that she’s a magician with a makeup brush. “You’re great at this. Thank you,” I say as she repacks her mini suitcase.
“I hope I get to see you again, but if not, it was really nice to meet you, Wren. And I love your dog.”
An alarm goes off on Henry’s phone. He silences it and stands up. “Shift’s over. Thanks for letting us keep you company.”
They leave, and for the second time in two days, I’m nearly speechless as Henry walks out of my hospital room.
What shift?
Either I’m still delirious, or something strange is going on with these royals.
Brooke, Naomi, and my mom are the next to arrive in my parade of visitors.
“Whoa! You look gorgeous!” Naomi says when she sees my makeup.
“We’re late because we bought you clothes,” Mom explains. “We went to Camden Market, but it might not have been the best choice.” She glances warily into the shopping bag hanging from her wrist.
“Nonsense,” Brooke says. “Every girl wants to leave the hospital in knee-high boots.” Naomi digs through the bag to reveal a pair of stacked lace-up combat boots.
“I don’t know what happened,” Mom admits. “My daughters almost die in a plane crash and suddenly I’ve forgotten how to say no.”
“The Firm is going to hate this,” I say in delight as I pull a Victorian-style corset out of the bag.
“But think how badass your stitches will look,” Naomi tells me.
“And your boobs,” Brooke adds.
Mom looks like she’s going to faint. “We also bought normal clothes. There’s a T-shirt and jeans in there.”
“And where’s the fun in that?” Naomi asks as the door opens once again and my doctor walks in with a smile on her face.
She inspects my sutures and my chart and then tells me she has good news. “Your vitals look great, your wound is healing beautifully, and the nurses tell me that you’re doing lapsaround the halls when you’re bored. Sounds like you’re ready to get out of here, Wren.”
Finally.I’m out of the bed and halfway to the door before realizing I’m still in a hospital gown. I grab the boots and the bag of clothes and shut myself in the bathroom.
“Is she healthy enough to fly home with us tomorrow?” I hear Mom ask. I know she feels guilty that they can’t stay longer, but she has a trial starting and Naomi and Brooke are both desperate to get back to school. Brooke contacted Northwesternimmediatelyupon being rescued, and they pulled some strings to let her start law school this semester.
I should tell the King that there aresomeperks to fame.
My stomach lurches at the thought of Theo, the MIA king of England. It seems weird that not even Theo’s siblings know what he’s up to. I don’t understand why Graves hasn’t kicked him in the ass and forced him to do a public appearance, especially since Henry’s already been photographed doing charity work with orphans.
I can’t help but wonder if something is wrong. Of course, as soon as I start to worry, I remember that we didn’t promise each other anything, and then I feel silly for being worried, then mad at him for making me worry, then annoyed at myself for caring.
