“Lia…”
“I said out. Get lost. Leave me alone. OUT!” Her chest rises and falls quickly, her hands clenched into fists as she yells the last word. This time I respect her wish and walk away. I need to just get away.
Blindly, I hurry through the castle until I reach the royal garages. But I don’t go inside. Instead, I head to the adjacent shed where my bike is. Without thinking, I tear off my jacket, put on my motorcycle jacket, strap on my helmet, and push my bike outside.
I need to clear my head, and I can only do that by riding.
And indeed, as soon as I leave behind this suffocating castle, this confusing woman, and the streets of Harlington City, my chest feels lighter. The pressure fades, and I am speeding up.
Freedom. That’s the only place in the world where I feel it. Because most of the time, I’m trapped. Trapped between power, traditions, and the crushing feeling of never being good enough.
Clinging to the hope that tomorrow might be easier, I dragged myself into the bathroom last night, wiped off my makeup, and struggled out of that dress. Every inch of my body throbbed with pain, my mind completely drained. For the first time in ages, I took a Lorazepam. The comforting haze of numbness washed over me, pulling me swiftly into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Now, I blink groggily and let out a yawn as Lizzy’s excited voice breaks through the quiet beside me.
“Lia. Liiiaaa, damn it, wake up.”
“Go away and leave me alone, I want to sleep,” I mumble and pull the blanket over my head, hoping to shut the world out. But I hadn’t counted on Princess Elisabeth. In a flash, the blanket disappears, and she’s standing at the foot of my bed, arms crossed, waiting.
“Putting aside the fact that you scared me half to death yesterday and probably gave me ten new gray hairs, it’s time for you to get up. We have a problem.”
My sleepy brain tries to make sense of her words, and slowly the images from last night flash before my eyes. I groan andclose them again as shame from my panic attack crashes over me like a tidal wave.
Crap. I totally embarrassed myself.
“You noticed?” I ask quietly, covering my face with my hands. I try to block out any thoughts of Nicolas and what came next because I’m just not ready to face it.
“Noticed? I hauled your pretty ass out of there,” she snaps. That gets me to sit up and blink at her like an owl. I open my mouth, but before I can say anything, she raises her hand to silence me.
“Okay, Nic got you out. I just cleared the way. But still, Lia, damn it, what kind of nonsense were you up to?” she scolds, and I start getting angry. Really angry.
What’s wrong with all of them?
“Nonsense? Nonsense?! It’s not nonsense when some narrow-minded asshole calls Damien a dick-sucking sissy and then physically attacks him. That’s called having courage and standing up for your friends. Damien is my friend. He was Philipp’s friend. More than that, and you know it. So why is everyone telling me how stupid I am for standing up for someone who doesn’t deserve to be treated like that?” My voice rises, and Lizzy’s eyes widen in shock at my outburst.
“Lia, I…”
“No ‘Lia.’ Enough of that. Why is it wrong to speak up when some asshole calls me a leg-spreading title-chaser? When he has no respect for me? Yeah, that prick scared me so much I had a panic attack. So what? At least I didn’t stand by and do nothing. Call me stupid, call it nonsense. I call it friendship.”
Furious, hurt, and confused, I get up and march past a visibly uncomfortable Lizzy. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Nicolas leaning in the doorway, arms crossed, staring at me silently, expressionless. But I’m not in the mood for his attitude, so I flip him off and slam the bathroom door behind me.
They can all kiss my ass.
I take a deep breath to steady myself and rest against the sink, but when I glimpse my reflection in the mirror, I can’t help but flinch.
I look like I got hit by a train. Tired, with dark circles under my eyes, and my curls sticking out in all directions.
“Fantastic. Really, just fantastic,” I mutter to myself, starting to apply a bit of makeup and tying my hair into a high ponytail. I stay in my comfortable clothes because they make me feel good. That damn prince can think what he wants, I really don’t care right now. I haven’t even had a coffee yet and I’m already done with this day.
With a sigh, I take one last look in the mirror and decide this is the best I can manage today. As I leave the bathroom, I hear Nicolas and Lizzy arguing in the living room.
“You’re an idiot and you know it. She’s not to blame for this mess,” Lizzy snaps at her brother, and he snorts.
“Well, that’s debatable, she is…”
I walk into the living room and head straight for the door without looking at either of them.
“Present and listening to everything. Not that either of you seems to care, so go ahead and keep arguing. I’m going to get a coffee,” I tell them dryly, clearly feeling Nicolas’s stare burning into my back.
