Royal Heir (Westerly Billionaire #3)(13)

And he has every right to be.

I have to find him and apologize.

Magnus touched her arm, but she shook his hand off. “Don’t.” She walked away. Although the area was crowded, people stepped aside for her as she made her way to the main door. She had to get out of there.

A man in a dark suit opened the door before she reached it. She stepped through it and was temporarily blinded by the number of flashes going off. It was only then that she realized Magnus was still at her side. She lengthened her stride and texted her driver to come for her.

Several men in dark suits flanked them as Magnus joined Rachelle near the street. “He’s not worth your tears, Rachelle.”

“He’s my brother,” she growled back, wiping away a stray tear with the back of her hand. “He’s the reason I’m here. The only reason. And tonight I probably embarrassed him in front of everyone. I don’t blame him for not answering me.”

“Do not put this on you, Rachelle.”

She spun and waved a finger at the man who had her insides tied up in confusing knots. “You’re right. It’s your fault. You and your big perfect smile I let make me stupid. You don’t care about me. You don’t care about Eric. Tonight was some kind of game to you, and I went along with it. Well, I’m done. I’m worried about my brother. Maybe it’s hard for someone as self-absorbed as you to understand, but my family is more important to me than anything else. So go. Go find some woman who is impressed with your title and your big muscles and all that I’m-so-good-in-bed talk. And just leave me alone.”

Her car pulled up to the curb, and the driver rushed around to open the back passenger door for her. “Rachelle, your brother is fine. He’s not in danger. He just—”

She slid inside. “You don’t know that. Goodbye.” With that, she closed the door.

As soon as the driver was behind the wheel, she instructed him to take her home. She refused to look back to see if Magnus was still there. “Where does Eric go after premieres?” she asked the driver.

“I have no idea, ma’am.”

“Could you call and ask someone?” Rachelle’s radar was up and overheating. Something wasn’t right. Eric was in some kind of trouble.

“Who would you suggest I ask?”

“I don’t know. Someone has to know where he is. Does he go home? No one just disappears into thin air.”

The driver didn’t have a response.

Am I overreacting? It wouldn’t be my first or even my biggest mistake today. Rachelle sat back and covered her face with her hands. She hated that when she closed her eyes, she could still see Magnus. She felt guilty she’d let how good he made her feel influence how she behaved at the premiere.

I don’t even have a good defense. I’m not a silly teenager. I have found men attractive before without making a complete ass out of myself.

In reality, what is a prince except someone who was born into a job rather than having to work for it? No wonder he speaks the way he does. He’s probably had everything he’s ever wanted handed to him.

She remembered how little he thought of Eric and regretted not standing up right in the middle of that conversation and moving away from him. Alisha says I’m the loyal one in the family. I sure didn’t live up to that tonight.

A short time later, she was back at Eric’s house—alone. The army of staff was absent from the main hall. Rachelle stood at the bottom of the elaborate stairway, hugging herself.

I’m not the woman Magnus thought I was.

Even though it felt good to be her for an evening.

For just a few hours she’d felt young, sexy, and confident. Gone was the daughter who had failed to protect her mother. She wasn’t the smothering, overopinionated sister Nicolette accused her of being.

Every moment with Magnus had been one when she wasn’t the misguided woman who had traveled halfway across the world to stay in the house of a brother who wouldn’t even return her texts.

I traded that feeling for my chance to show Eric how family makes everything better.

God, I really am arrogant.

For all I know, Eric is perfectly happy without us. He couldn’t be more clear about not wanting me in his life. Maybe what I should really do is go home and figure myself out instead of thinking I need to fix other people.

“Would you like the cook to make you anything before you retire?” Reggie asked, appearing from seemingly nowhere.

Rachelle muffled her scream with a hand. “Sorry, I thought I was alone.”

“Never. Mr. Westerly asked me to look after you. I’m always around, even if you don’t see me.”

Who is Reggie to Eric? “I shouldn’t have gone to the premiere, Reggie. I embarrassed him. Could you arrange for a car to take me to the airport tomorrow? I think it’s time for me to go home.”

“Wow, you give up easily.”

“Excuse me?”

Reggie shrugged. “Earlier you went on and on about how much your family matters to you. You get ditched on television by a prince, and you’re running back to your mommy and daddy. I hope my children have more spine than that.”

Rachelle waved her hand in the air in clarification. “I did not get ditched by a prince. I walked away from him. And, hang on, you have children?”

In response, Reggie took out his phone and turned it so she could see a GIF on his social media feed. It was of her and Magnus at her car. It looked as if she’d spoken to him, but he turned away from her. She took the phone and played it again. The caption read: “Be a prince, say no to American trash.”