They didn’t seem to mind the camera crew at all, for which I was grateful. In the past the king had preferred not to be photographed, but I had convinced one of the press secretaries that it would be better for him to come forward on his own terms before private pictures were taken of him that he would have no say over (because that had almost happened when a paparazzo had tried to bribe Kat). For the last few weeks the king had started making appearances near his home, and the people had responded with so much love and adoration that he had increased his activities.
We all went into the dining room, and I got my old spot back between Rafe and Dante, and across from Kat.
It was like nothing had changed.
But everything had.
After dinner, we went up to the family’s lounge and played board games and talked until Serafina started nodding off. We said our good-nights, and I could feel Dante watching me as I returned my mike pack to the crew, and Kat and I walked off arm in arm.
I threw one last glance over my shoulder before we left the room, and he was still watching me with a smoldering look.
It made all the air evaporate out of my lungs.
Kat convinced me to change into my pajamas and come to her room to talk. The other girls would be flown out at the end of the evening, but because the family knew me and my job, the show had agreed to let me stay overnight.
We had so much to say to each other that the hours really did just fly by. There was a knock at her bedroom door.
“That’s for me!” she said as she ran over to open it. She came back with a tray. “My moonflowers and gelato,” she said. I smiled, loving that she had that daily romantic gift from Nico.
There were two bowls this time, and I took the second. “Do you ever think it’s weird that the royal family just took us in and liked us?”
“Why wouldn’t they?” she responded. “We’re awesome.”
“Seriously.”
She paused, holding her spoon in her mouth. She removed it and said, “I think with me it was because Nico just seemed to like me a lot right away, and that had never happened to him before. And I bonded with the girls. And I think part of what royals do is be nice and make everyone feel comfortable. So basically I suck at that part of trying to be royal, but I’m working on it.”
I took another bite. “That still doesn’t explain why they’ve always been so kind to me. Because I’m your friend?”
“Duh, because Dante’s in love with you.”
I started choking.
She reached around to hit me on the back. “You’re an important part of his life, which makes you an important part of their lives. You know how tight-knit they are.”
I knew it was one of Kat’s favorite things about being in Monterra. She had pretty much raised herself, and she absolutely loved being an almost-daughter and sister to Nico’s family.
Although I think she loved being his fiancée the most.
“So tell me. Do you love Dante too?”
Chapter 23
If the truth is out there, I think it’s playing hard to get.
“Dante told me this legend about his family,” I responded, and filled her in on the gypsy magic and promise, hoping I might distract her. I didn’t want to tell her the truth about Dante yet. Because if I told Kat, it would make everything real. It would limit all my choices. As it was now, I could still decide how things would go.
“So what you’re saying is Nico fell in love with me because of magic. Huh. That actually explains a lot.”
“Stop it,” I said, pushing her shoulder. “That’s not true.”
“Cool story, but you didn’t answer my question. Are you in love with Dante?”
“I’m not sure of anything right now,” was my evasive reply.
“Let’s put it this way. What would your relationship status on Facebook be?” She finished her gelato and put the bowl back on the tray.
“I don’t think there’s a ‘romantically confused with disagreement over who I should end up with’ as a possible status.” I put my bowl next to hers.
“You said romantically! So there is romance!”
“I don’t know,” I sighed as I lay down on her bed. “What I do know is that I do not like being stuck in this Bermuda Love Triangle.”