Twisted Games (Twisted, #2)(82)

What was the penalty for punching a prince in the face? Whatever it was, it might be worth it.

My phone rang, and I answered it without glancing at the caller ID. “What?” I barked. It was probably Christian again, calling to throw me deeper into a shitty mood.

“Did I catch you at a bad time?” Bridget’s amused voice flowed over the line.

My muscles relaxed, and I blew out a breath. “Thought you were someone else, princess.” I leaned against the wall. “Aren’t you supposed to be at the bridesmaid thing?”

“Yes. I snuck into the bathroom. I can’t talk for long, but the wedding’s tomorrow and…” Bridget’s voice lowered. “I miss you.”

We saw each other every day, but I knew what she meant. I missed the moments that belonged only to us.

“I miss you too, princess.” I smiled a real smile this time. “Any chance I can convince you to sneak out the bathroom window so we can end the night with a bang? So to speak.”

She snorted out a laugh, which she cut off halfway with a gasp.

I broke into a laugh of my own. “Did you just snort?”

“No.”

“Not very princess-like of you.”

“I did not snort.” I could practically see her face glowing red on the other end of the line. She was so fucking adorable. “Anyway, I can’t sneak out the window. We’re on the third floor.”

“Third floor’s not that high.”

Bridget huffed. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one at risk of dying.”

“Trust me, princess. I would rather end my own life than ask you to do anything that might hurt you.”

I hadn’t meant to say those words. They just fell out, like they’d been there all along and were waiting for the right moment to make themselves known.

Funny thing was, I wasn’t upset or embarrassed, even though they came too close to a confession for comfort. They just felt right.

Everything with Bridget felt right.

“I know,” she said, so soft and warm she might as well be right there next to me, caressing me. “I trust you.”

A charged silence stretched over the line, filled with other, unspoken words waiting for their moment, and my heart thudded like it was warning me not to screw up.

“We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?” I drawled, finally breaking the tension before I did—or said—something I would regret. Something neither of us was ready to acknowledge. “From fighting like cats and dogs to fucking like—”

“Rhys.”

“What? You let me eat you out on the throne but I can’t say the word fucking?”

“You’re impossible.” Amusement softened her admonishing tone. “I—” I heard a knock in the background, followed by muffled voices. Bridget must’ve covered the phone with her hand. “Sorry, that was Sabrina,” she said, her voice clearer. “I have to go, but I’ll see you tomorrow.” Her voice softened further. “Good night, Mr. Larsen.”

“Good night, princess.”

I waited until she hung up before I ended the call.

I stood there for a long while, my mind filled with images of a certain blonde as I stared around my royal guesthouse in Eldorra and wondered how the hell I got where I was.





34





Bridget





“Is everything okay?” Sabrina asked after I exited the bathroom. She’d knocked to check on me, and I realized I’d been gone for almost half an hour.

“Yes. I just had to deal with some last-minute prep for an event next week,” I said, ashamed of how easily the lie rolled off my tongue. “Apologies.”

“No need to apologize.” Sabrina gestured to her sister and best friend, who’d passed out on the couch while The Devil Wears Prada played on-screen. “At least you’re awake.”

I let out a small laugh. “We should go to sleep soon. You have a big day tomorrow.”

“You’re probably right. I can’t believe it’s almost here.” Sabrina fiddled with her engagement ring, looking overwhelmed and a little lost. “It feels surreal. I wanted a small wedding, but…”

“You got a three-ring circus?” I sank onto the couch next to her. “Welcome to the royal life. Even if Nik abdicated, he’s still a royal by blood, and everything he does is a reflection of the crown.”

“I know. I just hope I don’t embarrass myself.” Sabrina gave me a nervous smile before her expression grew serious. “Bridget, I know we don’t know each other that well, but I wanted to thank you for agreeing to be part of my bridal party. Truly. It means a lot to me.”

“Of course. You’re going to be my sister-in-law.”

When Nikolai first told me about his abdication, I resented her. It wasn’t something I was proud of, but it was true. If he hadn’t met Sabrina, he’d still be Crown Prince, and I’d be living my life in New York.

But as I stared at her now, I realized I wouldn’t go back to my life in the U.S. even if I could. It had been an illusion of freedom, nothing else. I’d been trapped in the same day in, day out monotony of fake smiles and mind-numbing events. Being crown princess came with more rules and a smaller cage, but it also came with more purpose, and that was the one thing that’d always been missing in my life.