Chapter 30 You’ve Got Princess Syndrome
“I’m not acting. My legs really are shaking.”
Chloe’s cheeks were pink.
“That snake was huge. And those colors! It looked venomous. Who wouldn’t be scared?”
Ryan conceded the point. Not everyone had spent years getting used to that sort of surprise.
“Then take a minute. There’s no hurry.”
She looked toward the hilltop, only a short distance away, and stamped her feet lightly, trying to steady herself.
“I’ll hold your arm. We can sit when we get there.”
“All right.”
He cleared the way while she followed close behind, gripping his arm.
At the top, he gathered broad leaves and spread them on the grass.
“Have a seat. Nice view.”
She sat with her legs angled to one side, long and bare beneath her shorts.
“Thanks. You can be thoughtful.”
“Another good quality discovered. Careful. You might fall for me.”
“In your dreams.”
She watched the campsite for a moment, then turned back.
“Did you meet that fiancée?”
“Yes.”
Her interest sharpened.
“Well? Was she hideous?”
“Quite the opposite.”
“Seriously? You don’t have to lie. I won’t laugh.”
“She’s beautiful. A lot like you, actually.”
“Pretty and from a rich family?”
He’d meant her face, but that was true as well.
“Exactly.”
“And she didn’t look down on you?”
“Oh, she did.”
He said it without resentment.
“Not in front of her grandfather, but she told me privately that she wasn’t interested.”
Chloe laughed, then hurried to stop herself.
“Sorry. I’m not making fun of you. It just sounds… unsurprising.”
“I understand.”
She searched his expression for disappointment and found none.
“So what happens now?”
He plucked a blade of grass and held it between his lips, leaning back on his hands.
“We play husband and wife in front of her grandfather. In private, we stay out of each other’s way. Three months, then we separate.”
“Another pretend relationship?”
Ryan gave her a look.
“Now you understand why I didn’t want to keep playing your boyfriend.”
She laughed so hard she nearly tipped onto the grass.
“A wife at home, a girlfriend outside, and neither of them is real. Two beautiful women you can look at but can’t have.”
“As long as you understand.”
“I almost feel sorry for you. That’s terrible luck.”
“Keep laughing and I’ll leave. I’ll tell Jason everything on the way out.”
“No!” She caught his arm. “I’m kidding. Don’t ruin this over a joke.”
She gave him a coaxing smile.
“Besides, look how well I treat you. It’s practically real. I’ve never treated any other guy like this.”
“You’re acting. It doesn’t count.”
After a moment, he asked, “Why don’t you find a real boyfriend?”
She pulled up a blade of grass and wound it around her finger.
“It’s not that simple. They’re interested in my looks, my body, or my family’s money. I don’t want someone like that.”
Ryan scoffed.
“You have princess syndrome. You should get that looked at.”
She turned toward him.
“If you weren’t pretty or rich, Jason wouldn’t be chasing you. I probably wouldn’t have agreed to play your boyfriend, either.”
“Can’t someone love me for who I am?”
“Of course. But who is that? If you rule out your looks and your circumstances, what do you want him to fall for? The fact that you never lift a finger at home? The way you expect everyone to do what you want?”
Her face flushed.
“You think I’m that awful?”
Ryan didn’t retreat.
“Think about it. Beyond your looks and your family, what would draw someone to you? Are you kind? Dependable? Good at taking care of people? What do you bring to a relationship?”
Chloe seized his arm and bared her teeth.
“Keep making fun of me and I’ll bite you.”