Dating the Prince(39)

"I'm fine," Alex said. A total lie, but his mother wasn't really the nurturing type.

"Well, at least we don't have to come up with a way to get that American  tart out of the picture. Obviously I would've chosen a less explosive  end to the relationship, but from the very beginning I never felt  comfortable with the whole charade. Now the worst has happened and we  can all move on. Personally, I have half a mind to go after Liberty for  the money we've paid her, but your father says it's pointless. No doubt  she's already spent every dime and it's not worth the press catching  wind of what actually happened."

Anger rose in Alex, fast and furious. "Don't you dare go after her for that money."

Nicolette's eyes widened at his tone. "Obviously I wouldn't really-"

"You have no idea what Libby is going through," Alex continued. "Did you  know her family is drowning in medical bills and that's why she took  the job? Her parents are on the brink of divorce from the financial  stress."

"Alex, I-"

"She's a good woman," he pressed on. How he longed to hold Libby just  one more time. To protect her from the cruel world and spend the rest of  his life making her laugh. "And we will not ruin her life any more than  we already have. She earned that money, fair and square. It's the least  we can do for her."

Nicolette stared at Alex for a moment. He glanced away, unable to withstand her intense gaze.

"Oh, Alex," she said, her voice soft. "You love her, don't you?"

He swallowed hard, then hung his head and nodded. "Yes, I do. And that's why I've got to let her go."





CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX



Libby wrapped her coat more tightly around her and stared out across the  choppy ocean waters. She'd been home from Durham nearly a month, and  Thanksgiving was right around the corner. But lately she had a hard time  feeling thankful for much of anything.

Living back home with her parents felt unnatural now. They'd both been  kind and done their best to get Libby's mind off the media circus  happening both in Durham and in the United States. Their relationship  seemed to be slowly improving, as though Libby's heartbreak-or maybe the  paid off medical debts-had drawn the pair together once more. At least  something positive had come out of her misery. Libby hadn't told them  that the financial reprieve might only be temporary. She wouldn't put it  past Nicolette to sue her for the ten million.

Libby felt awful about abandoning Connie, but she assured her that  spending more time with Kenzie was a dream come true. Connie hadn't  hired a new nanny but instead adjusted her hours to fit around Kenzie's  nap schedule. The two of them seemed to be doing alright without Libby.

Life had continued to roll forward, despite her shattered heart. She was  so grateful for Ocean Meadow's sheltered existence. Her one trip into  town since coming home had ended in tears. It only took reporters three  minutes to swarm her at the grocery story, and she'd ended up leaving  without a single item on her list. She hadn't been back since, not  willing to risk a repeat occurrence. The reminders of Alex were too  painful.

A gust of wind made the waves churn and cut right through her heavy  winter coat. Libby folded her arms tightly as her nose and cheeks burned  with the chilly air. Reluctantly, she headed back to her parents' small  house. The days were so long now. She knew she needed a plan for her  life. Needed to get a job. Maybe even move away from Ocean Meadow and  get a place of her own. But right now, even thinking about the future  felt too overwhelming.

She tromped back across the mossy meadow toward the cluster of houses on  the far end of the property. The large garden that overflowed with  vegetables in the summer months lay dormant now, the last harvest long  ago brought in. She stumbled across the frozen dirt. A bird swooped  down, plucking a worm from the ground and rising back into the air.  Silly bird. Didn't it know winter was nearly here and it should've  migrated south long ago?         

     



 

Libby swallowed hard. The small bird with bright blue feathers looked  nothing like a duck, but it still reminded her of her first official  date with Alex in Castlebridge Park. She'd been so furious with him that  day. A sob caught in her throat. She missed Alex with an intensity she  hadn't know was possible. Her feelings for Cedric had been a pathetic  shadow of what she felt for Alex. No, less than a shadow.

She broke into a jog, her coat flying open behind her as she sprinted  across the gardens, trying to outrun the memories. During the day it was  easy enough to keep busy-there was always work to do at Ocean  Meadow-and she could almost forget about Alex. But at night she tossed  and turned, unable to fall asleep and missing him with a ferocity that  made it hard to breathe.

Maybe leaving had been a mistake. But then again, it wasn't like Alex  had chased after her. Connie assured her that by all accounts Isla and  Alex were definitely not back together. The press had been following a  gloating Isla all month and hadn't caught a single sighting of her with  Alex. In fact, no one had gotten a picture of the crown prince since the  breakup. He'd completely disappeared from the public eye. Was he  mourning the loss of their relationship as much as Libby was? Or just  unwilling to face the press once more?

She'd been paid to clean up a mess, not to fall in love. Maybe their  brief relationship had just been a rebound for Alex, and now he was  ready to move on.

Libby opened the front door and hung her coat on a peg, shivering in the  cold entryway. The home was equipped with a central heating system, but  her parents only used it on the coldest of days and usually warmed the  small home with the wood-burning stove. It mostly kept things cozy, but  didn't quite reach this part of the house.

"I'm home, Mama," Libby called. "Did you need help making the bread? I can do it if you want to paint-"

She stumbled to a halt just inside the living room. The cheerful yellow  drapes were drawn back by ties and sunlight streamed weakly through the  front window, casting shadows across the wood floor that Libby had  helped install. Her mother sat on the worn floral couch, her eyes wide  with stress. On the coffee table sat two empty teacups.

And sitting in the chair across from Autumn was Queen Nicolette of  Durham. Her blonde hair was carefully pulled back in a twist. She sat  with a stiff spine, her ankles crossed and tucked primly to one side.

"Hello, Libby," Nicolette said, not bothering to stand.

Libby stared in shock. She glanced outside, noticing for the first time  the black SUV parked on the side of the house. She crossed her arms,  fury rising with a swiftness that surprised her. "What are you doing  here?"

"Libby!" Autumn reprimanded. She flicked her gaze to Nicolette. "I'm so sorry, Your Majesty. She hasn't been herself lately."

Nicolette raised a hand, staring at Libby with unblinking eyes. "It's fine, Autumn. I deserved that."

"Well, at least you can admit that much," Libby snapped. "I always  imagined that if I ever met a queen, she would have impeccable manners.  But you treated me horribly while I was in Durham. And after asking for  my help! I upended my life because you asked me to."

Nicolette sniffed. "Let's not kid ourselves, Libby. You didn't help us  out of the goodness of your heart. It was a job, plain and simple."

Libby clenched her fists and swallowed back a scream. "Then as my employer you should've been kinder."

Mother's hands fluttered uncertainly in her lap. "Libby-"

Nicolette rose gracefully, her heels giving her the height advantage.  But Libby wasn't about to back down. Now that Nicolette was here, the  word vomit she'd held back so often for Alex's sake threatened to  explode.

"Autumn, I wonder if I could be so bold as to ask to speak to your  daughter alone?" Nicolette said, her tone polite. "We have a lot to  discuss."

Autumn's mouth opened and closed like a fish's and she glanced back and forth between Nicolette and Libby.

"It's fine, Mama," Libby said.

"Okay." Autumn rose, her own movement much less graceful than the  queen's. She grabbed her coat off the peg near the door and slipped it  on. "I'll be up at the community house if you need me, Libby."

The glare Autumn shot in Nicolette's direction was so mama bear that Libby couldn't resist giving her a quick hug. "Thanks."

Autumn nodded and slipped out the door.

Libby waited until the latch clicked shut before turning back to the  queen, ready to do battle. "Okay, we're alone now. Say whatever it is  you came here to say, then do me a favor and leave so I can move on with  my life." If such a thing was even possible.         

     



 

She imagined Alex moving on with his own life-seeing magazine covers of  him with other women. Watching from afar through the eyes of the media  as he met, dated, and eventually married another woman. She'd left the  cell phone Maggie gave her back in Durham, but had bought a new one and  kept an unlimited data plan on it. Service was spotty in Ocean Meadow,  but she trekked to the far corner of the meadow, just outside the copse  of trees, several times a day to search the internet for mentions of  Alex. Probably not the healthiest way to get over him.