Victoria's declaration of love had speared a knife through his heart sharper and deeper than anything. Victoria Dane, the woman who'd captured his attention as a teen and quickly turned into his best friend, the woman who saved him time and time again with her selfless ways and her kind heart, and the woman who would've graciously helped him work on clearing his family's reputation, had walked out of his life. And there was no one to blame but himself.
He missed hearing her voice, missed knowing her smile would be waiting for him at the end of the day. Missed her body lying next to his. He missed everything from her friendship to their intimacy.
Every time he walked into their closet he saw her standing there in her silky lingerie trying to decide what to wear. When he lay in bed at night, his hand reached to her side as if she'd magically appear. And when he'd tried to take a stroll on the beach, he recalled the day he'd kissed her by the ocean, when he felt that something was turning in their relationship. He'd known then something was different, but he hadn't wanted to identify it.
He was going to go mad if he didn't concentrate on something else. Unfortunately, no matter what he did, all thoughts circled back to Victoria.
Stefan shoved off the rail and marched to his room. Maybe if he tried to rid their room of reminders, that would help. After all, he was still hanging on to her doodles and sketches. He yanked open the drawer on his desk and pulled out the random drawings from Victoria's late-night dress designs.
Something slid beneath his hand as he picked up the sketches. An SD card. And not just any SD card, but the one he'd taken from the intruder that day at the beach.
Obviously he felt the need to torture himself further because he found himself popping it into the computer. In actuality, he wanted to look at Victoria when she was happier, before he'd filled her life with anguish.
He rested his palms on the desk, waiting for the images to load. In no time several small pictures appeared on the screen, and Stefan sank into his office chair. He clicked on the first one, maximizing the image.
Click after click he saw the same thing over and over: Victoria smiling at him, hope and love swimming in her eyes, her hair dancing around in the ocean breeze and the sunset in the distance.
But the last image was different. The final picture was like a knife through his already damaged heart.
Victoria sat with her back to the camera, her face to the ocean as he looked at her. There was no smile on his lips, but it was the expression in his eyes. The image smacked him in the face. No man looked at a woman with such adoration, such passion, like nothing else mattered in the world, if he didn't love her. How could he not have realized that all this time, everything he'd felt, every twinge in his chest, had been love? All those times she'd smiled at him and he felt a flutter and each moment he wanted to just hold her near...damn, how could he have missed what was right in front of him?
Stefan fell against the back of his seat as the picture stared him in the face, mocking everything he'd had in his grasp and had let go.
The ache he'd felt for days intensified to a level he never knew existed. Pain consumed him, and he knew he had to take action or face a lifetime of loneliness because no woman could or would ever replace his Tori.
There was no way he would give her up without a fight. No way in hell. If he had to recruit her brothers, her mother, even God himself, Stefan had to win her back.
He would make her see that she did mean everything to him. She was his best friend, and he seriously didn't think he could get through life without her.
With his mind working in overtime, he started plotting how he would get his wife back.
Sixteen
Against her family's wishes and best attempts to talk her out of it, Victoria wasn't about to miss the coronation. Stefan may not have gone about their relationship the right way, but he did deserve to be king.
After all, his country was the one thing in life he actually loved. At one time she would've given anything to hear him say those words about her, too.
No matter the months that had passed, the pain was just as fresh, just as raw. Even though her bridal line had launched with great success, she couldn't enjoy the overwhelming attention and adoration her designs were getting.
Victoria smoothed a hand down the royal-blue gown she'd designed for the coronation. She'd wanted to match Stefan's bright sash that stretched from his shoulder to his hip. Though why she tried so hard was beyond her.
No, she had to be honest, at least with herself. She wanted him to shine. Wanted them to put up a united front for the public. If anyone knew about pretenses, it was her. Having come from the prestigious Dane family, she was all too aware of what could happen if the right image wasn't portrayed, and this was Stefan's final step into the role of king.
As she glanced in the mirror, she couldn't help but have a sense of déjà vu. This was the exact room she stood in six months ago when she'd married. Only this time she'd traveled alone. Her mother wasn't supportive and her brothers weren't too happy, either. Her sisters-in-law, well, they totally understood the stupid things women did for love.
And yes, after all she'd been through, she loved the man. Dammit, she couldn't help herself. Stupid female hormones. She wanted to hate him for the pain he'd caused, wanted to despise him for making her fall in love. But she only had herself to blame. How long had she known him? How many times had she seen a broken heart lying at his feet?
She smoothed her hair back and glanced from side to side to make sure her chignon was in place. A soft knock at her door had her cringing.
Showtime.
"My lady," one of the guards called through the door. "I'm ready to escort you down to the ballroom."
The ballroom would be transformed into a vibrant display of royal-blue silk draped over every stationary item. The bold color symbolized the country, and the crest would be hung from banners surrounding the room. After all, this was a celebration of the next reign.
Too bad she didn't feel like celebrating. She hadn't seen Stefan since he'd walked out of her office three months ago. She'd seen pictures of him via the internet rock climbing and surfing, always alone. All the tabloids were speculating a separation between them. Both she and Stefan had issued press releases stating they were each busy working on various projects, but they were very much still married and looking forward to the coronation ceremony.
Which wasn't a total lie. She was looking forward to it because after this day was over, she could divorce him and move on with her battered heart. But she still hadn't gotten the nerve to contact her attorney. She just couldn't. The thought of closing the door on their relationship brought on a whole new layer of pain she just wasn't ready to deal with. Because she knew there was no way in hell they could go back to being just friends.
Victoria crossed the room, her full silk skirt swishing against her legs. She opened the door with a smile on her face and looped her hand around the arm of the guard. Time to get her last duty as royalty over with.
"You look stunning, Your Highness."
She swallowed the lump of guilt over the pretense. "Thank you. I'm a bit nervous."
His soft chuckle sounded through the marble hallway. "Nothing to be nervous about. All you have to do is smile and take the crown."
The crown, the one that symbolized leadership and loyalty. And in a few short months, she'd give it up because she couldn't remain queen of this country. She couldn't stay with Stefan, no matter how she loved him or how much he claimed to care for her. Wasn't there a song about sometimes love not being enough?
Victoria descended the steps, ready to get this day over with. A day most women in her shoes would want to savor, relish, remember. Unfortunately, Victoria was too busy trying to erect a steel wall around her heart for when she saw her husband again.
* * *
Stefan stood outside the grand ballroom and watched as one of the palace guards escorted Victoria toward him. Her beauty had been in his dreams every night. That flawless elegance from her golden hair to her sweet smile to her delicate frame.
And every night he'd lain in bed alone, wishing he could have her by his side, wishing he could hear those very unladylike snores coming from the other side of the bed.
He knew he had it bad when he missed Victoria's snoring.
But it was the epiphany brought about by those images that prompted him to make the biggest decision of his life. One that was life-altering, but there was no other choice. Not if he wanted to have any type of peace and happiness. And not if he wanted to keep the woman he loved.