“They hatedthat I wouldn’t be coming back with them. I do too, I mean, Julian, I need to be able to go home sometimes. At least to get my things. I have my best friend Seth there too, he doesn’t know anything that’s been going on here.” Wynn and I were getting ready for bed, and he was going on and on about his conversation with his friends.
“Of course you can see them, and they can see you. You’re not a prisoner. But until things calm down here, you must stay.”
“Yeah…” He dried his face and walked out of the bathroom.
“Wynn.” I followed after him. “I’ll give you an amazing life.”
His smile was sad. “I had an amazing life, Julian, and I’m not saying this won’t be great. I just don’t feel like it was my choice, and I need to be okay with that.”
He slid under the covers, and I waited for him to settle before shutting off the lights and joining him.
He was turned away from me. That wouldn’t do, so I slid one arm under him and flipped him to face me with the other.
He squawked. “Jesus, Julian. You could have asked me to turn around.”
“Listen to me, Wynn.” I rested a hand on his cheek. “You’re my world. I can’t explain it or make you understand what you just breathing does for and to me. No one has ever had the power over me that you do. I’d destroy empires for you simply because you asked, and I’d never question it.”
“But why?” His voice was a whisper, and it didn’t escape me that there were tears in his eyes.
“You’re asking me, someone who rarely understands emotions—let alone feels them—why it is a person has burrowed their way inside my mind and body?”
He chuckled. “When you put it like that, I guess it would be hard for you to explain to me. Can I ask, was it instantaneous?”
“Yes. The moment I saw you in the café, I knew my whole life had changed. I didn’t understand it, and it confused me, but I was able to push that aside. And whenever I’m with you, it’s so quiet, calm, everything in my head goes numb. On the other hand, I know you have the power to make me feel everything.”
“But you don’t feel emotions like others, right?”
“Not like others, no. But anger is one I am married to for sure.”
He placed his hand atop mine on his cheek. “Maybe we can work on you not being angry anymore.”
He was adorable. I knew it would mean the world to him if that worked.
“We can try.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Wynn
The following day was insane.From the moment I woke up it was, go, go, go. I was told what to wear, what to say if asked questions, and got a crash course on Lamdera Islands history. I knew my family wouldn’t hear about this news from where they lived, but I had to make time to call them today. Seth, too—he’d be so upset I wasn’t coming back…Ugh, and my job.
“Wynn?” My internal tornado dissipated at the sound of Hannah’s voice.
“Hey.”
“How are you doing?”
“Crazy. I mean, why do I need speaking points. It’s the king who will be talking, right?”
She shrugged and sat on the love seat in the bedroom and patted the cushion. “Come sit.”
“Sure, something up?” I got comfortable—well, as comfortable as one could in a suit.
“First, they gave you speaking points because you’re going to be present when the king talks to his people, so to speak. They want you prepared.”
I sighed. “Yeah, that makes sense.”
“Next thing. Mark and I have to fly home the day after tomorrow. Our vacation is over, and we don’t have a prince swooping in and giving us a fairy tale.”
