34. 34

34

Bo

G o away .

It’s not possible to say go away when you’re part of a royal family. But it’s really tempting because Hettie was about to say—

I have no idea what she was about to tell me. And when she went to open the door, Abigail and Spencer were there with twin expressions on their faces.

I haven’t seen that expression in years.

When were younger, it was always Abigail who would come up with plans—to go to a party, to skinny-dip in her neighbour’s pond, to do the polar plunge on New Year’s Day. She would come up with the idea and Spencer would agree and the two of them would gang up to get me and Hettie to agree.

Still, in all the years I’ve known Spencer, I’ve never been so annoyed to see him. Even when they burst out with some idea of us going into town tonight.

“No.” It’s always been my go-to response to the option of a social evening .

“Yes,” Abigail says, always her response to my negativity. “It’ll be fun. Silas told us about the new bar that Fenella Carrington opened!”

“So?’ Fenella was one of Gunnar’s ex-girlfriends, the line of them after Kate and before Stella merging together in a blur of names and faces.

If I had a list of ex-girlfriends like Gunnar did, would I have gotten over Hettie by now?

Because I’m not over her. Not in the slightest.

I watch her and Abigail talking about Fenella’s new place—I checked it out when I was home last time and it’s pretty cool. Definitely more of a girlie place than one I would frequent, but it’s become popular in town. I look at Hettie’s excited expression and wish we’d had time for her to say what she was about to say.

Because now she seems to have forgotten all about it as the three of them chatter excitedly about who might be there tonight.

I guess we’re going.

I guess she’s not going to tell me.

Maybe I don’t want to know because if she doesn’t tell me she wants to move on without me in her life, then I can go through hours without the pain of losing her.

I can pretend there’s hope. That I have a chance.

“Okay,” I agree and jaws drop.

“Really?” Hettie asks.

“Are you serious?” Abigail demands. “That has to be the quickest you’ve ever agreed to do anything.”

“It’ll be fun,” Spencer promises .

“But what about Tema? Because I can stay here with her and you three can check it out,” I offer. I don’t think before I say it, but I have to realize it’s a great idea to get out of being social.

Spencer lifts a finger. “I’ve got a plan for that.”

“I like it,” Dad says in a hearty voice, one that shows no fear of the unknown of looking after Tema for an evening.

I have fear of looking after Tema by myself. I offered, but I still have a healthy fear.

That’s called bravery. Courage. Of offering to do something you’re afraid of.

Or maybe it should be called idiotic because I don’t have a clue what to do with a kid on my own. Still, I pushed for me to stay behind as Spencer explained how he talked to Dad and Duncan about babysitting tonight.

“Are you sure ?” Hettie asks for the eleventh time. After Tema woke up from her nap, we headed down to the dining room for a quick meal.

It’s only the five of us and Odin, along with Dad and Duncan.

“Because Tema is—”

“I’m a great babysittee,” Tema cuts in. “I’ll tell them what to do.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Hettie mutters. I can tell she’s unsure about this, not because she doesn’t want to leave Tema, but because The king of Laandia is going to watch my kid ?

Those are her words, and she said them quite a few times while we discussed it in her room.

“Mrs. Theissen will be here,” Spencer says to reassure her. “And it’s a castle—if Tema acts up, they can throw her in the dungeon for the night.” He ruffles Tema’s hair as she cheers.

“No dungeon,” I say quickly.

“No Mrs. Theissen,” Dad says just as quickly. “We don’t need her.”

“We might need her,” Duncan argues, looking intrigued at the thought. “I’ll go see where she’ll be hiding tonight.”

Duncan runs off and Spencer grins. “You know he’s got a crush on her, don’t you?” he asks Dad.

“I do. And if it keeps him away from playing matchmaker for me, I’m happy about it. Now.” He looks down the table at Tema, pretending to be serious but with a gleam in his eyes that should make Hettie very nervous. “What are we going to get up to tonight?”

Tema giggles, and the sound does something to my heart. “I think the question is, King Grandpa, is what aren’t we going to get up to tonight?”

King Grandpa , I mouth to Hettie, and she smiles.

“Are all kids that resilient?” I ask in the car as Etienne drives us into town. I refuse security when I’m at my place in Wabush, knowing my neighbours and friends would look after me just as much as a hired a security team, but Dad insists I have someone when I’m home.

Etienne is the head of the team and I like him better than the rest of them.

“I think so,” Hettie says. “At least Tema seems to be taking all of this in stride.”

“She’s a special kid,” Abigail agrees. “But yeah, she took to this princess life pretty well.”

“Who wouldn’t want to be a princess?” Spencer wonders and I lift my hand. “You’d make a horrible princess,” he scoffs. “You don’t have the legs for it.”

“What’s wrong with my legs?”

“Have you seen the size of them? And way too hairy?”

“Are you saying that princess material is judged by the size and hairlessness of one’s legs?” Abigail asks archly.

“I’m saying I remember Bo in a dress one Halloween, and it was truly scary,” he counters and Hettie laughs.

“I remember that. I think it was one of Mabel’s dresses.”

Being with the three of them like this does something to my heart as well. I’m content living alone in Wabush. I’ve told myself I didn’t need constant companionship, that I was better off by myself than dealing with personalities and opinions, but now that I’m with them, have spent the last two days with them, I can admit that I might be a bit lonely on my own.

That gets me wondering what it’s going to be like if I go back there on my own, knowing what it could be like with Hettie and Tema and not being able to have it all.

But until she tells me differently, I’m going to hope I might have a chance to have it all. Somehow .

And because of this, by the time we pull up in front of Hela’s, Fenella’s club, I’m almost excited about the evening’s events.

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