Amy followed me into my bedroom, where I flopped down on the bed. Groaning, I asked her, “Did I imagine what he said down there? Like I didn’t make enough of a fool of myself, he had to kick me while I was down?”
Her green eyes were full of pity. “It was a douche move, but I could see it for what it was. If it makes you feel any better, it made the men visibly uncomfortable, and Liam looked like he wanted to kill him.”
I groaned. “No, it doesn’t make it any better. They think I’m some hormonal woman when they’ve planned out my whole life without asking me. I’m allowed to be emotional.”
Grabbing my computer from the nightstand, she sat beside me on the bed before opening it. I typed in the password, and she went to work setting up a video call. Seeing my face in the screen preview, I looked terrible—my usually bright blue eyes looked tired and dull, my hair a total mess—and I couldn’t summon the energy to care.
A digital ringing sound filled the room before two boxes lit up with faces I knew. The sight of Natalie and Hannah had tears springing to my eyes. The events of the past thirty-six hours finally caught up to me, and I couldn’t hold it back anymore.
From an ocean away, Natalie went right into mom mode. “Oh, Lucy. What happened?”
Sniffling as tears streamed down my face, I opened my mouth to explain, but only a sob came out.
Amy threw her arm around my shoulder and spoke for me. “We’ve got a little situation over here.”
Through blurry eyes, I could see Hannah waving her fists in the air. “Whose ass do we need to kick?” A shaky laugh rose from my chest. Hannah was a hockey coach’s daughter and had no filter. Don’t tell my sisters-in-law, but she might be my favorite of their friend trio.
“Fucking Preston,” I muttered.
Natalie’s brows drew down through the screen. “Preston? Why does that name sound familiar?” There was a pause, then recognition lit up her face. “Wait. Isn’t that Liam’s friend?”
“Well, if he’s still friends with him after tonight, I’m disowning him as my brother.”
If Natalie was the mom of the group, Amy was the rational one. Calmly, she explained my predicament. “King Victor offered Lucy a deal yesterday. If she marries Preston, she can step away from her royal duties and focus on her fashion full-time.”
Hannah was the first to react, blurting, “That’s fucked up! At least tell me he’s hot.”
“Hannah!” Natalie chastised.
“What? I feel like that should be part of the consideration. Amy, is he hot?”
Amy answered slowly, “He’s not bad-looking . . .”
“That means he’s hot,” Hannah declared.
Natalie looked at me with her kind chocolate brown eyes, showcasing a hint of sadness. “Lucy, honey, if you don’t want to marry him, don’t marry him. You don’t want to wake up in ten years and realize you should have trusted your gut.”
I knew she was talking about her marriage to Leo. She had doubts about their marriage—she was barely eighteen when they wed—but had pushed through at her parents’ insistence. My brother was so controlling that he broke her spirit, and I could tell she was concerned the same would happen to me if I allowed myself to be pressured into a marriage I didn’t want.
Sighing, I laid it all on the table. “How can I give up what I love? This is my one chance to chase my dream. More than anything, I want to get out of this fishbowl and live my life.” Scoffing, I added, “But it looks like they’re letting me free, letting me think I can fly, only to find out they merely clipped my wings. You should have heard them at dinner, planning when I would pop out my first baby.”
“Whoa, back the fuck up!” Hannah called out. “Babies?”
“Yeah, they hit me with that bomb today. In front of an audience,” I grumbled.
Amy jumped in, “No matter what they said, they can’t force that on you. Invest in good birth control, and there’s nothing they can do about it.”
“Pro tip: steer clear of whatever Natalie uses,” Hannah interjected.
Natalie rolled her eyes. “Ha ha. Very funny.” There was a running joke about Natalie and her failed birth control—not one of her four children had been planned. Steering the conversation back on track, she asked, “How does Preston feel about all of this?”
I snorted. “He’s too busy pressing every button I never knew I had to care about much else. Do you know what he did to me tonight?”
Sensing how agitated I was becoming, she winced but took the bait. “What did he do?”
“I was mid-meltdown when that arrogant prick excused my behavior by telling everyone at the table that I was getting myperiod! I’m pretty sure my grandfather and dad will never look at me the same way again.”
Hannah was trying and failing to hold back a smile. “Just asking for the record. Are you getting your period?”
