Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
LEO
Leo stalked down the castle corridor with his laptop in hand.
Fatigue clung to him like a winter coat.
He hadn’t slept a wink the night before and instead spent the night pacing his suite, marveling at how horrifically everything had spiraled out of control.
Emma had left, and she hated him. By the time he had come to his senses and pounded on her apartment door, she and Cooper were already gone.
And of course his family wasn’t about to console him. His sister had concealed who she really was. John was a certified wanker who had slept with the woman who degraded Emma. And his parents were probably on the brink of disowning him.
The community project was the only thing he had left. There were people counting on him. He couldn’t let it die without trying.
The drawing room door squeaked as he opened it. He made half a mental note to grab the spray lubricant, then decided it wasn’t his problem. He was greeted by the smell of sausage and a nasty look from his mother.
“I know you’re angry at me,” Leo said before his mother could speak. “But I need you to hear me.”
“How—” the queen began.
“If any part of you has ever loved me, please listen to me now. This isn’t about last night. This is about the people of our kingdom. They need us. They need you.”
His parents exchanged a look, and he took the opportunity to open his laptop.
A 3D picture of the new community center loaded, rotating on the screen.
There were dozens of slides, but he had a feeling they weren’t going to give him time to go through them.
He needed to hit them with as much as possible, as quickly as possible.
“The domestic violence shelters in the city are woefully outdated. Peeling paint, flimsy doors, ancient wiring and plumbing. Women and children who are fleeing deserve to have a safe, welcoming space. Just like they deserve a new library, a community garden. A safe place to play. This village is our home, and we owe it to our citizens to invest in them. I have an architect, a contractor, a crew. All we need is the land and some support from the philanthropy fund.”
“What land?” his mother asked icily.
“The lot off of Willow Street.”
There was a pause.
The queen took a sip of tea and set the cup down. “We can’t. Even if we wanted to, we can’t.”
“What do you mean, you can’t? You’re the monarch.”
“The land is already under agreement, Leo.”
“Under agreement? By whom?” he sputtered.
“A ski resort. We signed the documents last week. The lease starts in January. It’ll do wonders for tourism. It’ll bring a much-needed boost to the local economy. The village will benefit. More foot traffic to the restaurants, bookings at the inns.”
Leo’s mouth fell open. It couldn’t be. The land was gone? This was worse than the worst-case scenario.
“We don’t need another ski resort, Mother.
You know what happened in Southbridge after the last resort was built.
People—working-class people—got priced out of their own homes and had to leave in droves.
Gentrification isn’t going to help the village.
Our people need our help. A shelter. A community garden.
A library with books and toys from this century. ”
“The land is gone, Leopold. I need you to accept that.” Her eyes were dark and cold, almost robotic.
His hands tightened into fists. This couldn’t be happening. What now? Did he scout for a new location? Accept that the village was about to face its doom? Everything had hinged on that green space. Now they were on the cusp of destruction.
“Incidentally, since you’re here,” she continued, “your father and I do have something we need to discuss with you.”
“It can wait,” Leo said, picking up his laptop and storming off in the direction of the door.
“You’ll want to hear this.”
He stopped in his tracks. That didn’t sound good.
“Your father and I have talked. Since you’re unwilling to do what’s required of you as a member of this family, we’re cutting you off.”
His heart dropped. He used his access to royal funds for repair work and community needs. He was the circumnavigator, bypassing things that could take weeks or months to repair or replace. If he lost access, it was their neighborhood that was going to suffer the most. Again.
He still had a trust, but it was structured to pay out only at the beginning of the month. He had investments, but nothing liquid. There had never been a need for a personal bank account.
In an instant, most of his money had been stripped away. He was powerless. And he hadn’t even been allowed to make his presentation.
“Well, I guess it’s time I moved out then. Merry Christmas.”
He slammed the door behind him, then almost ran headlong into Ruby. Her hair was still sleep-tousled, and she yawned loudly.
“Watch where you’re going, buttface,” she said to him.
He took a second to breathe so he didn’t snap at his baby sister.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Leo asked before he could think better of it.
Ruby’s eyes darted left and right. “Not so loud.”
“You don’t trust me? You think I’m some kind of prejudiced asshole?” he asked.
“No, I know you marched in the Pride parade last year. It’s not that.”
“Okay, then what?”
She took a deep breath. “Telling you would make it real. And if I told you, then I have to tell the rest of them.”
His anger deflated a centimeter.
“How do you think Mom’s going to react when she finds out her precious princess likes girls? And what a scandal it’s going to cause when the world finds out there’s a gay princess in Lynoria?”
Leo stared at the drawing room door. Emma had been right. It was no wonder she didn’t tell him. His mother had just disowned him merely for having a connection with an American. What would she do to her favorite child for not fitting the mold? He rubbed his temples.
“I’m sorry, kid. I understand why you didn’t say anything.
And I’m sorry you’ve been struggling with this secret.
” He turned to her and grabbed both her hands.
“I love you, and I’m so proud of you for embracing who you are.
The road ahead might be…challenging, but you’ll always have me. No matter what.”
Ruby’s lip quivered, and she ran in for a hug. He squeezed her tight, wishing he could bottle up this moment while she was still his baby sister. Soon, she’d be in college an ocean away.
“And when or if you do decide to tell them, I’ll be there.”
“Thank you. You better not have been mean to Emma,” Ruby said when she pulled back. “She only found out about it by accident. I blabbed while I was drunk.”
Fuck.
“I…messed things up with Emma,” he muttered. “Oh, and I’m moving out.”
“What?” she looked confused.
“It’s time. I’m leaving.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Does this have something to do with Emma?”
“No. Well, inadvertently.”
Ruby straightened. “Let me guess. Mom flipped out on you for what happened at the ball last night because now that’s all anyone wants to talk about instead of what an amazing and royal triumph her ball was.”
“Are the press really talking about it?”
She pulled out her phone and then scrolled through a series of videos of the altercation at the ball.
“Worse. It’s all over TikTok. No wonder she’s pissed.”
Fuck. It was only a matter of time before someone identified Emma. Then her reputation really might be ruined.
“So you’re really leaving?” Ruby asked.
“Yes.”
“But what about Thursdays? Who’s going to watch Stepwives of Seacacus with me?” Her voice was small.
“I’ll still come. Or you can visit me at my new place.”
“Which is where?” she asked.
“Great question. Haven’t figured that out yet.”
He had better check in with Sal to see if he could stay there for a few days.
“So you didn’t get to make your pitch?” She gestured at his laptop.
Leo sighed. “It didn’t matter. They’re leasing the land to a ski resort.”
The thought twisted his stomach. People were going to suffer, and it was largely his fault.
“Maybe I could bring it up to them?”
He shook his head. “This isn’t your fight. I’ll find a way.”
“I know you will.”
She gave him another hug.
“Your Christmas gift is in my room under the tree,” he told her. “I need to go.”
“Where are you going?”
“I don’t know, but I can’t…be here. I love you, kid.”
“Love you back.”
With a final squeeze, he released her and went back to his room.
The Christmas lights were still up, a dizzyingly cheerful display for such a melancholy morning.
Where could he go from here? He had squandered an opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of people in this community.
But he didn’t regret dancing with Emma. Making love to Emma. He had seen firsthand what she knew to be true all along—his mother was immovable as marble. She never would have given Emma the money back.
He owed Emma a gigantic apology. And more than anything, he just wanted to see her again. Even if she slammed the door in his face.
With no real plan, he lugged a suitcase out of the closet and began checking flights.