A little while later,after Art’s finished mucking out the stall, fed Quixote, and put everything away, we slowly walk toward the end of the stall block toward Bruce, who’s probably reading a detective novel on his mobile.
“I can’t believe I missed that Bruce is your father!”
“We’ve always kept our relationship on the down low. I never wanted anyone to think that I’d gotten a spot on the security team because of who my dad is. I wanted to earn it.” Art’s fingers are laced through mine. He squeezes my hand. “Dad didn’t even know I’d been transferred to you until the day we met.”
I think back to our first meeting, recalling his stoic demeanor and one-word answers. “That explains a lot. Is that one of the reasons why you were such a grump?”
“Sort of.” He clears his throat. “Ali, I’m not proud of this, but when we met, I was determinednotto like you. I had it in my head that you were some spoiled, entitled royal.”
We stop walking. He drops my hand. I tilt my head to the side and stare at him, eyes wide.
“The more time I spent with you, however, the clearer it became to me that I couldn’t have been any more wrong about you. You’re one of the smartest, kindest, most genuine people out there. The truth is, I wasjealousof you.” He takes a deep breath. “Growing up, Dad wasalwaysworking. Mum would end up filling in for him, explaining that he wished he could be with us, but he was busy. I understand now how the nature of the job works, but back then, I resented that he spent more time with you than his own family.”
I squeeze my eyes shut and let his words wash over me. Art and his brother were those kids with the missed birthday parties, graduations, and other major milestones. I don’t blame him two bits for resenting me. I would resent me too.
I inhale sharply. “Art, I’m so sorry.”
He runs a hand softly down my arm, causing my pulse to skip a beat. “Ali, there is nothing for you to apologize for. You were just a child. My father is the one who made the decisions of when he’d work and when he’d take time off. If there’s anyone who owes my brother and me an apology,it’s him.”
He shoots a glance in Bruce’s direction. “But like I said, having walked in his shoes, I understand how the job works now. Being a bodyguard is both an honor and a privilege. Protection officers don’t just do an important job. They put their lives on the line on a daily basis to serve the country.”
“I’d add that it’s not just protection officers—there are members of the police force, fire service, military, and countless other individuals too.” My brother’s face pops into my mind.
Art nods. A few moments of comfortable silence envelop us. The anxiety I’d felt earlier has dissipated. Knowing that Art and I remain on solid ground helps quell the doubt and uncertainty of what comes next.
“Your school term begins this coming week?”
“Mm-hmm. It’s Fresher’s Week. From Wednesday on, I’ll be at Imperial most of the day.”
“Hmm, maybe I’ll see if I can trade for a shift or two out of Hyde Park.” His eyes twinkle. “There’s nothing stopping us from meeting if we just so happen to run into one another.”
“I’d like that.” I smile, already thinking about a few of the different places where Art and I can “accidentally” cross paths just outside campus.
As I watch my man’s eyes continue to twinkle, I can picture him riding onto the center of Imperial’s campus just to have lunch with me. I’m kind of excited about him scaring away all the people who will try to get to know me just because of my title. Art is as close to a real-life knight in shining armor as they come, and I’ll be counting down the days until I can officially call him my boyfriend.
Our relationship may not have started off on the best of terms, but the journey we’ve taken to reach this point was important for us to be able to get to where we are now. I suppose what they say about everything happening for a reason is true.
Epilogue
THREE AND A HALF MONTHS LATER
Amanda whistles loudly and slightly off-key as I zip up the back of her wedding dress and take a step back. “My brother is going to cry when he sees you,” I whisper, awed by how stunning my soon-to-be sister-in-law looks.
The vintage dress we found a few months ago has retained many of its original features, but Amanda has also added a few of her own touches to it. It now contains straps and a giant bow on the back.
My eyes travel up to her face. She’s used a champagne-colored eye shadow and a light layer of mascara, and offset it with some hot-pink lipstick. Her cheeks are rosy, and as she moves under the light, I notice a few sparkles. “Is that glitter?”
“Of course. It’s my wedding day. Well, my secret wedding day. When else will I get to dress up like a real-life Disney princess? Would you mind helping me sprinkle some in my hair?”
“Sure.” She hands me a brush and some white and gold glitter. I dip the end into the container and carefully brush it on the crown and ends of her hair. She’s straightened her normally wild red curls and styled her hair so it’s halfup and half down.
“Do you want me to sprinkle some in your hair too?” she asks.
“Why not? If we’re going all-out Disney, I want to be a part of it.”
A goofy grin crosses her lips. “That’s the spirit.” She begins humming “Oh I Just Can’t Wait to Be King.”
A short while later, after I’ve slipped into my own blue dress, we grab our coats and walk arm in arm from our suite to the waiting glass carriage.
