Chapter 23 #2
The sincerity in his voice caught me off guard.
In all our years together, through all the crises and conflicts, I had never heard Remy apologize with such genuine remorse.
It was enough to soften the hard knot of resentment in my chest, if only slightly.
“I don't want your apology, Remy. I want your support.
Real support, not just private acceptance.
I want you to stand beside me when I tell our parents that I won't hide anymore.
I want you to defend my right to live openly, just as I've defended yours all these years.”
Remy withdrew his hand, running it through his hair in a gesture of agitation. “Father will be furious. You know how traditional he is. And with the anniversary celebration coming up—”
“I don't care,” I interrupted, surprising myself with the vehemence in my voice.
“I couldn't care less what the country thinks, but I want, no, I need, the support of my family.
If my living openly is more disgraceful to the monarchy than your affairs, then…
perhaps the monarchy should end. I'm fine with that.”
Remy stared at me, his expression a mixture of shock and something that might have been respect. “You really mean that, don't you? You'd let it all go. The title, the privileges, everything—just to live as yourself?”
“Yes.” The answer came without hesitation, surprising me with its certainty. “I would.”
Silence stretched between us, broken only by distant sounds from the city below. Remy studied me, brow furrowed in concentration. “What's happened to you, Ricard? You've changed.”
The question caught me off guard, not because it was unexpected, but because the answer was so clear in my mind. “I've met someone. Someone extraordinary.”
Remy's eyebrows shot up, surprise giving way to curiosity. “Here? In America? Who is he?”
I hesitated, a surge of warmth spreading through my chest at the thought of him. “That's not important,” I replied, maintaining his privacy. “What matters is how he makes me feel.”
Remy whistled low, leaning back in his chair. “Well, that explains the sudden change of heart. Must be quite the individual to have you ready to upend the monarchy for them.”
“It's not like that,” I protested, though part of me wondered if it wasn't exactly like that. “He showed me what it's like to be free, Remy. To be unguarded. To be... loved.” The word slipped out before I could stop it, hanging in the air between us like a confession.
“Loved?” Remy's voice was gentle, without a trace of mockery. “Are you in love, Ricard?”
I stared into my coffee cup, watching the dark liquid ripple with my slight movements. “I don't know,” I admitted, the words barely audible. “I've never been in love before. How would I know what it feels like?”
“Trust me, little brother, when you're in love, you know.” Remy's smile was soft, almost wistful. “It's like nothing else in the world. It makes you brave. It makes you foolish. It makes you willing to risk everything for just one more moment with them.”
I looked up, meeting his gaze. “I think I might be in love with him. Or at least, I want the chance to find out.”
The admission hung in the air, transforming from tentative speculation to certainty as I heard the words in my voice. Yes, I loved him, loved his honesty, his courage, his ability to see through the carefully constructed facade I had maintained my entire life.
The realization crashed over me in waves of increasing certainty, each one more powerful than the last. I loved Theo Bennett.
Not as a diversion or an exotic experience, but as a fundamental connection to something authentic I had never experienced before.
The truth of it resonated through me, as undeniable as my heartbeat.
If I haven't ruined my chance.
Sébastien was waiting in the corridor, his posture straightening as I emerged from Remy's suite. One look at my face and his expression shifted from professional detachment to alert concern. “Your Grace? Is everything alright?”
“Everything is fine, Sébastien,” I assured him, unable to keep the excitement from my voice. “Better than fine, in fact. I need to borrow a car. I have somewhere I need to be.”
The energy radiating from me must have been palpable, the barely contained urgency of a man who had recognized what mattered most and couldn't bear to waste another moment in pursuit of it.
Sébastien's eyebrows rose fractionally, the only indication of his surprise. “Of course, Your Grace. We have several rentals available for our delegation. I shall drive you wherever you—”
I shook my head, already moving toward the elevator. “No, thank you. This is something I need to do alone.”
Sébastien fell into step beside me, his stride matching mine with the practiced precision of someone who had walked alongside me for years. “May I ask where you're going, Your Grace? In case His Highness inquires?”
I hesitated. Sébastien had been my shadow, privy to my deepest secrets. He had witnessed my carefully controlled interactions with approved companions, had coordinated countless discreet arrangements, had maintained the protective barrier between my private desires and public persona.
If there was anyone I could trust, it was him. “There's someone I need to speak with before we return to Avaline,” I said as we reached the elevator.
Understanding and concern flickered in his eyes. “Your young man?”
“Yes.” I couldn’t deny it. “I need to see him again. To tell him...” I trailed off, still unaccustomed to articulating emotions I had spent a lifetime suppressing.
“That you love him?” Sébastien's voice was gentle, devoid of judgment or surprise, as if he had recognized this truth before I had acknowledged it myself.
The words sent a jolt through me, not because they were unexpected, but because they were right. “Yes,” I admitted. “That I love him. I want a chance to see if what we have could be real.”
Sébastien's expression remained neutral, but I caught the softening around his eyes, the slight upturn of his lips. “I understand, Your Grace. I'll inform the valet to have one of our cars brought around immediately.”
“Thank you, Sébastien.” I reached out, clasping his shoulder in a gesture of gratitude. “For everything. For your loyalty, your discretion, your support. I know this isn't what you expected when you took this position.”
A rare smile broke through Sébastien's professional facade, warm and genuine. “On the contrary, Your Grace. I have always believed you deserved happiness. If this young man brings you joy, then I am pleased for you.”
In that moment, I was reminded that family wasn't always defined by blood. Sometimes it was found in the people who stood by you, who supported you unconditionally, who wanted your happiness as fervently as their own.
“I'll handle things here,” Sébastien continued as the elevator arrived with a soft ping. “Take as much time as you need.”
I stepped into the elevator, turning to face him as the doors began to close. “I won't be long. Just long enough to either win his heart or have mine broken.”
Sébastien's expression softened further, a rare tenderness in his usually composed features. “For what it's worth, Your Grace, I believe you'll find the former more likely than the latter.”
As the elevator doors shut, I stood alone with the weight of his words and the thundering of my heart.
Love. I was in love with Theo.
The realization wasn't a sudden epiphany but rather a crystallization of what had been growing within me since our first genuine conversation, a recognition of something I had never experienced before and therefore had lacked the vocabulary to name.
I loved his kindness, his courage, his honesty. He saw me not as a duke, but as a man worthy of desire and respect. I loved how he made me feel—freer, braver, more authentic than I had ever allowed myself to be.
And I was going to tell him. Today. Before I lost my nerve, before duty pulled me back into my old life. I would lay my heart bare, offer him everything, and ask for a chance to build something real together.
Pulling out my phone, I quickly texted Vincent, asking for his assistance in visiting The Ranch one last time.
By the time the elevator reached the lobby, I had the map coordinates input into my phone’s GPS.
The valet waited just outside the main entrance, a black Range Rover SUV idling at the curb.
I moved toward it with purpose, each step taking me closer to Theo and the conversation that would either begin a new chapter of my life or close the book on what might have been.
As I slid into the driver's seat, adjusting the mirrors and familiarizing myself with the controls, déjà vu washed over me.
Once again, I was behind the wheel, heading toward Dove Canyon, heart pounding with anticipation.
But this time was different. This time, I was running toward the future I wanted to build, toward the man who had shown me what freedom tasted like.
The engine roared to life beneath my touch, a powerful rumble matching my determination.
I pulled away from the curb, merging into the flow of traffic, my mind already miles ahead, already with Theo, imagining his surprised expression when he saw me, rehearsing the words I would say, preparing myself for the possibility of rejection while clinging to the hope of reconciliation.
I had no idea what would happen next, but for once in my life, the uncertainty felt exhilarating rather than terrifying.
I had a long drive ahead of me, but I didn't mind.
Each mile would bring me closer to him, to the conversation that would either begin a new chapter or close the book on what might have been.
Either way, I would know. I would have taken the risk, made the choice, reached for what I wanted instead of settling for what was expected.
And that, in itself, was a kind of freedom I had never known before.