Stealing Cinderella(61)

I’m wrecked, and I can’t hide it. Thorsen doesn’t know what to do, and that’s painstakingly obvious when he tries to comfort me. His palm comes to rest on my lower back, and it only makes it worse because I should be comforting him.

“I lied,” he says again. “It isn’t true.”

“It is true.” I touch his beautiful face. “I heard you. I’ve been listening all along, so don’t deny it. Not to me.”

He buries his face in my neck and nods against me, and for the longest time, we just sit there, wrapped up in each other. His confession feels significant because he opened up to me, and I don’t think Thorsen has opened up to anyone in a very long time. But the war isn’t over, and in many ways, I sense it’s just beginning.

“Let’s go to bed,” he murmurs, rising to his feet as I cling to his body.

He pulls up his pants and covers me with my robe, and then carries me through the house to his bedroom. After he drapes my body onto the center of the bed, he kicks off his shoes and crawls in behind me, tucking me against him.

“Just for tonight,” he whispers into my hair.

“Tonight,” I whisper back. And every day for the rest of our lives, if I have anything to say about it.





27





Thorsen





“How is she?” I ask.

Calder takes a sip of his coffee and nods upstairs. “She’s awake now and well aware of her surroundings. She asked about you twenty minutes ago.”

“You should go get some sleep,” I tell him.

“I’ll stay a while longer if that’s okay with you.”

I nod, and we walk together to our mother’s suite. I’m not sure what to expect, but when we enter, she’s propped up in her bed, and it appears she’s rebounded dramatically from yesterday.

“Thorsen,” she rasps. “There you are.”

I take a seat beside her, and Calder pulls another chair from across the room to join us.

“How are you feeling?” I examine her with blurry eyes.

“Better today,” she says. “These medications make me so loopy it’s difficult to know what’s going on anymore. I told Astrid I didn’t want to take anything until you came today.”

“You should take your meds. I’m not going anywhere for a while.”

“Did you clear your schedule?” She frowns.

“Yes.” Much to my secretary’s annoyance. I don’t doubt the king will have something to say about it as well.

“Aunt Runa is on the way,” Calder informs us. “She’ll be here this afternoon.”

A bleak acceptance passes over our mother’s face. She’s aware that we’re assembling the troops for a reason.

“You boys have always been so protective of me,” she whispers. “Are you afraid for me, my dear sons? Is that why you’re standing guard at my bedside?”

Calder and I glance at each other, and Mother laughs.

“It’s okay. I may have brain cancer, but I’m not brain dead. Not yet, anyway. I know what’s going on here.”

“You do?” Calder stiffens beside me.

“Your father has always been a restless man. He doesn’t have the patience to deal with something like this. He’s found comfort where he can, I suppose, as he has many times over the years. I’ve made peace with that.”

“We didn’t think you knew,” Calder says quietly.

“I know more than you give me credit for.” She smiles, but it fades when she looks at me. “There are only a few things that have eluded me over the years.”

The door to the suite slams open, startling all of us, and when I turn, my father is standing on the threshold, his expression furious.

“Thorsen!” he roars. “What have you done this time?”

“Why don’t you tell me.” I sigh.

He spills into the room with Lavinia, Magnolia, and Narcissa hot on his heels. When I lay eyes on Lavinia, my stomach sours. She has a bruised face that certainly wasn’t there when I left her last night, but I suspect I already know where this is going.

“Did you get drunk and rough her up last night?” the king demands.

“It’s okay, Your Highness.” Lavinia smirks at me before she bows her head. “He was having a difficult time, and things just got out of control in the bedroom.”

Calder jumps up to defend me, but my mother cuts him off.

“Thorsen?”

When I see the alarm on her face, tiredness seeps into my bones, and I just know I can’t fucking lie to her anymore. I can’t play the villain in this scenario even if that’s what would be best.

“It isn’t true, Mor.”

“Bullshit.” My father stomps toward me, shaking his finger while the vein in his forehead throbs. “I should cast you out of this family! I should have sent you away as a child. You have always been trouble. You worthless, pathetic excuse of a man. You aren’t fit to be king!”

“Then take your crown and shove it up your ass.” I hurl my chair back and step toward him in challenge. “I don’t fucking want it. Give it to Calder.”

“I don’t want it either.” My brother joins me at my side. “Let the family name die with us.”