He was talking to himself.
She stifled a laugh at the drunk prince giving himself a pep talk to walk home. “Teddy?”
He whipped his head around, his expression morphing from confusion to annoyance. “Of course you’re here. You’re everywhere. No escaping you—like a fucking haunting.” He waved his arms in a wide, graceless circle.
“Are you drunk,Your Grace?”
It was a cruel jab to use his title like that when he was clearly drunk, but she was as angry at him for not holding on to Grace as she was at Grace for finally realizing Arden’s potential when Stella had loved him for so long.
Teddy stared at her for a long moment and a strange grief slid into her chest. It took her a moment to realize it was his.
“Do you think they’ll be happy together?” he asked.
The vulnerability on his face unnerved her. Stella had no right to it. Whatever their bond did that made them both feel this way was uncomfortable, and he was drunk on top of it. Sober Teddy would never ask her something like that.
She licked her lips, uncertain why her mouth was suddenly so dry. “I think it’s easier to be idealistic about a possibility. Grace andArden will have to see if they can reckon with the reality of a long-term commitment. I think it’s natural to stare down your future and feel like running. Haven’t we all felt the tug of oblivion from time to time?”
When she met Teddy’s gaze, she only found confusion. “No, Stella. Can’t say I have.”
She cocked her head. “You’ve never stood at the top of a cliff and thought for just a second about jumping into the sea? You’ve never wanted to take a swing at someone bigger just to see what would happen? You’ve never been close to someone and thought about kissing them?”
He stared at her, and then his gaze almost imperceptibly dropped to her lips before he looked away. “I guess I know what you mean. I’ve just never been able to indulge that.”
They began to walk, and Teddy stumbled. Stella caught his arm, but he had already righted himself.
“Why?” she asked.
“Because the heir to the throne must be impeccable all the time. Never reckless. Never temperamental. And never drunk in public.”
“I suppose two out of three isn’t bad,” Stella teased. “Care to share why you’re breaking your sacred, boring rules?”
“I don’t want her to feel stuck with me. But what if it’s easier to be with him? Arden has always been so easy-going. What if she likes him better? I can’t bear to say no to her, but I also hate feeling like I’m losing the only woman I’d ever loved. Worse, I feel like I’ve done an awful job loving her. How can I be surrounded by people so wonderful and supportive and yet I have missed the mark with the one person I most wanted to please? I…” He trailed off, staring down at his boots.
Stella was torn between shock and relief. He had always been stoic, but this version of him was disarming. He had never seemed capable of any type of softness, but perhaps this was the version of him that had captured Grace.
The tension released from her shoulders. It was nice to talk tosomeone who understood her plight, even if Teddy was a spoiled, uptight prince.
Stella didn’t want Grace and Arden to spend time together, but since they’d been bonded, Stella couldn’t get over the persistent fear that, if they didn’t see this through, she would always worry that Arden was secretly pining for Grace. As painful as the thought of them spending time together was, she knew her parents’ story, how they’d needed the clarity of distance. Perhaps that was exactly what Arden needed, too.
“Let’s get you safely back to the castle,” Stella said. She wrapped an arm around Teddy’s waist, trying to ignore the citrus and cedar scent of him. “At least she spoke to you about it,” she whispered bitterly. “At least she checked on you after the challenge. Gods, at least she checked onme.”
Teddy drew away. “Your injury. I forgot.” He narrowed his eyes at her stomach as if the healed wound would start bleeding again at his remembrance.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Just sore.”
He nodded, holding her gaze longer than he ever did sober. “Alex said you were good. She said you shoot from the heart, so your aim is always true.” He shook his head. “Arden didn’t check on you? At all?”
Stella shrugged casually. “He’s been taking over a lot of new responsibilities. He sent flowers.”
“Your favorite flowers?” Teddy asked.
Stella stared at him. “What?”
“Did he send yourfavoriteflowers? Does he evenknowwhat your favorite flowers are?”
The cruel jab was a relief. This was the Teddy she knew, and it was better to be back in familiar territory. She’d had all she could take for one day.
“Why do you care what flowers he sent me?”
