NOLAN
“I am truly sorry to have to tell you this,” Luna said, in a voice that didn’t sound sorry at all. “But I am not going to wait any longer for you to get on board with my plan.”
Nolan’s face tightened. He held back from responding to her right away.
“I have already started planning a selection party,” she continued.
Nolan unclenched his jaw enough to say, “I told you I don’t have time…”
“You will make time.” Luna took a drink from her glass of red wine.
Nol
YENA“Ooh, how about this one?” Lucy asked.She passed me her copy of the course catalog and pointed to one of the class descriptions.I shrugged. “Art History around the World… I mean, sounds interesting, but maybe not totally up my alley.”“Yeah,” Lucy said. “Just sounded cool.”“Okay, between these two, what do you think?”I showed her two options for fashion workshop classes. They were almost the same class but were taught by two different professors with different specialties.“The first one sounds more like your style,” she said.I looked at the class descriptions once again. Lucy was right.“Thank you! I really needed a second opinion to help me decide.”I looked at the clock and realized it was already past mi
The drove on through the little town.This was a poor community, where only commoners lived. The paved streets were riddled with potholes, and the sidewalks were broken apart in places where overgrown tree roots erupted upwards through them.Kerr did seem reasonably committed to Adan’s plan…But Adan could still smell a trace of hesitation and fear on him.It was enough to make him worry.All along, Adan’s plan hinged on his partnership with Kerr.Without Kerr acting as his right-hand man, Adan wouldn’t be ready to make his bid for the throne. Kerr was his oldest friend, best confidant, and closest ally.But he was giving Adan just enough reason to worry if Kerr would actually come through at the critical moment.“It’s been a long time,” Adan said, “that you and I have been on the same side.”“Sure has,” Kerr agreed.
YENAIt’d been a while since I really had anywhere to go.Not that volunteering at the nursing home was anything fancy that I needed to get prettied up for. But it was nice to have an excuse to put some makeup and cute clothes on.And it was also nice to just have somewhere different to go. Something different to do.Because although my upcoming travel plans were nerve-wracking, I was also getting really, really bored at Tina’s house.I mean, I’d been working out a lot. And that was fun enough.But… princess life had certainly been more eventful.I found myself missing my date nights with Nolan. All the cool places he would take me to.I really took that for granted, back when we were together. He’d kept my life really interesting.
YENAI saw Lucy’s text as I was getting out of Evan’s car. She was cancelling on me.But I guess she had a good reason.Her mystery man just broke up with her, she said. And she wanted to be alone.Poor Lucy.I held my phone to my heart, feeling so sad for her. But also relieved, considering what she’d told me about the way this guy had been treating her.Sighing, I walked into the building alone, and checked in with the nurse at the front desk. It was the same la
EVANTina was bustling around in the kitchen when Evan got back home.“Where’ve you been?” she asked casually.“I dropped Yena off to do her volunteer thing,” he answered.“Ah. Well, you’re just in time.”She threw an apron at Evan and he caught it in one hand.“Put that on,” she said. “You’re gonna learn to cook at least one thing before you leave!”Evan tossed the apron on the kitchen counter. “Fine, Mom, but I’ll be right back, okay?”After a stop at the bathroom, Evan went into his room to change cloth
ADANAdan pressed his palm flat against the brightly lit jewelry case, making the glass fog up with his body heat.In all the photos of Yena in the news and tabloids, she was dressed to kill. Wearing her original eveningwear with sophisticated jewelry no doubt given to her by Nolan. In Adan’s own personal experience with Yena at the school campus, she’d always been wearing more casual clothes, but still she always looked stylish and undeniably beautiful.“See anything you like?” A woman with honey-blonde hair wrapped into a tight bun approached from behind the counter.“Well, maybe you can help me. The woman I’m shopping for… she’s very classy. But I don’t want anything too over-the-top. It’s a gift to congratulate her on an accomplishment. Nothing too romantic, you know?”The woman nodded her head just once. Adan offered her a charming smile, making her blush. He smel
NOLANThe prince stepped out of the limo and onto the sidewalk outside Yena’s parents’ house. Took a deep breath, crossed the path up to the front porch, and knocked on the door.It swung open seconds later and there stood Yena, her glossy pink lips parted in a big, genuine smile.“Hi,” she said. “Come on in.”“Thanks.” Despite his best efforts, Nolan’s own mouth burst into a bright, wide smile, too. “How are you?”He took a step inside and was blasted with the smell of bacon, eggs, fresh bread, and cinnamon.“And this is for Tina,” he added, holding out a bottle of red wine with an ancient-looking label.“Aw, thanks.” Yena took the bottle from him. “And I’m good. I’ve got a surprise for you, right over here.” She gestured to the dining room to his right.Nolan turned to find that the furniture in the
I pressed my lips closed tight and gulped down the saliva that was suddenly filling my mouth.Nolan licked his own lips. And for a moment I thought the magnetic force that started pulling our bodies together was something that could not be stopped. I think both of us were trying to resist it, but the space between us was just getting smaller and smaller…And then Evan’s voice came ringing out from behind me, saying, “Sorry to interrupt.”I dropped my hand from Nolan’s chest and wheeled around to see my brother, sweaty from a workout, leaning against the doorway. He had his arms folded across his chest and was wearing a sweat-drenched sleeveless t-shirt. His biceps were red and actively bulging, freshly engorged from a heavy workout.“It’s… Evan, right?” Nolan asked, smiling cordially. But I knew he was not happy to see Evan.And for his part, Evan was not even trying to conceal h