PRINCE CHARMING: A Stepbrother Secret Baby Romance(2)

Olivia led the way back inside and led Helen upstairs. Her mom poked her head out to wave but told them she’d be on the phone. They headed to Olivia’s room, and Helen stopped when she saw the suitcase.

“It’s real. I’m still trying to believe this.”

“You and me both.” She rummaged through the obnoxiously bright pink tissue paper in the bag and pulled out a black lace set of bra, panties, and a teddy she wasn’t even sure how she’d put on. “When am I going to wear this?”

Helen shrugged, a mischievous glint to her eyes. “You have to lose it sometime, you know. Being a princess, the men will be lining up to… ah, court you and all.”

“I’m not taking this. I’m supposed to make a good impression.”

“It’s not like I’m asking you to tell anyone what you do behind closed doors.” Helen took the bag of lingerie and shoved it inside her suitcase. “There, now you’re all packed and ready to go. You have to call me as much as you can. I need to live vicariously through you.”

Olivia’s lips thinned. Helen was a bit overdramatic. “Don’t you have an internship this summer?”

“Sure, we can call it that. Dad’s having me work beneath him at the factory. Sounds like great times.”

“Just another year and you can get a decent job,” Olivia reminded her.

Helen shrugged and had a look on her face that Olivia had seen enough times in the mirror. The feeling that she was never going to get out of this town. She hated leaving her friend behind, had even gone so far as to beg her mother to let her tag along, but it was out of the question. There was going to be too much going on for Olivia to do anything with a friend, even if she brought one.

“You’ll get out of here,” she said quietly and squeezed her friend’s arm. “Promise.”

“Not before you. You know, I won’t blame you if you don’t come back, but come kidnap me eventually.”

She hugged Helen again, holding her tightly. It was going to be hard going through this without Helen around. They’d been friends ever since Olivia and her mother had landed in Nebraska, almost ten years ago. She’d been in nearly every middle school, high school, and college class with Helen until they went separate ways for their degrees. Helen wanted to eventually go to culinary school and open a restaurant, but at the moment, it was out of the question—too much money and not what her parents wanted.

And Olivia… Well, she was an art major, paint mostly. She had a natural talent that many of her art professors were jealous of, but there wasn’t much she could do as an artist unless she made something of herself. Or had a nice stash of money to live off until she did.

“Alright, girls,” Melinda said, knocking on the doorframe. “Helen, you tell your folks ‘hey’ from me.”

Helen let go of Olivia and gave Melinda a tight hug. “I will. Let me know if Olivia fails at being a princess.”

“Oh, I will, maybe even get some good videos of her trying to curtsy.”

Olivia’s eyes went wide. “I have to curtsy? Dresses and heels, too?”

“Afraid so, sweetie. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”

Helen laughed as she gave one last goodbye and let herself out. Melinda told her daughter to grab her suitcase and help get the rest of the luggage downstairs.

“The cab will be here soon, then it’s off to paradise,” her mom said, shooting her hand up and dancing a bit as she said it. “The scenery is breathtaking. You’ll have an endless amount of inspiration for your art.”

“Will I even have time for that?”

This summer was supposed to be for getting her final portfolio sketched out and created. There was a ton of work she’d have to catch up on, especially now that she might be going to grad school.

“You will, don’t worry.”

Olivia took her suitcase downstairs and hurried back up and into her mom’s room. “Jesus, Mom, you taking your entire wardrobe?”

There were four large suitcases and two duffels stuffed full. Her mom laughed as she tried to pick one up. “I have to. I won’t be coming back here for a while. A very long while.” She glanced around her room, and Olivia saw a hint of sadness. “But don’t worry. The house will stay here for a while longer. No need to sell it until I know you’ll be alright.”

“I’ll be fine as long as I don’t die falling down the stairs,” she muttered as she dragged one of the suitcases out the door. As she straightened, she took one last long look at the house. Olivia reached out and touched the nearest wall. “Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon enough.”

She wished she believed the words she uttered, but something told her this was not going to be the summer vacation she’d always dreamed of.

***

The flight had one layover in Texas before they continued to the Caribbean. The island kingdom was wedged somewhere between Bermuda and the Bahamas. On the map, it looked tiny, but it did have its own private airport so it couldn’t be that small. The closer they got, the more nervous Olivia became until she gripped the seat so hard her knuckles hurt.

She had never met a king before, and according to her mother, King Lamont would be there to greet them, and he wasn’t the only one. His son, Prince Quincy, would be attending, too. Olivia didn’t know much about him. Her mother had only met him once on her trip down there but said he’d been the perfect gentleman. He was around twenty-three years old. Olivia knew at least that and was thankful he wasn’t any younger. Or older. She wasn’t sure which would be worse.