CARLY
“Thank you for doing this,” I told Linden, who seemed not so thrilled to pick me up from the private airport.
This was my one last chance, or I would lose Rome forever because of what? My stupidity for believing that my father forced him to propose to me.
And here I was, back in the States, trying to win back my man.
“Oh, don’t take it personally. I’m doing this for Rome.” He was glaring outside the window of the sedan.
“I know. And I know you’re mad at me, but I’m here to make things right between Rome and me.”
“Yeah, after almost a month. Way to go, Princess.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Save it. You need a lot of that.”
I knew I ruined our friendship, and regretting would not bring back that strained relationship. I pressed my lips together before I spoke again. “I know, and I’m willing to do everything to win him back.”
“Langston has a heart of gold, but he’s fragile despite his cranky, broody, and alpha persona. He’s not a terrible person. He’s just in a terrible situation right now, thanks to you.”
“Are you trying to make me feel guilty?” I looked at him, sitting beside me.
“Yeah. Is it working?” Wow. He was so mad at me that all I could see was anger and rage brewing in his eyes. “He’d never been distracted with women filling in line to sleep with him. He just smiled and looked at them. Then you came crashing into his office, and everything fell apart like a fuck- domino. Then you broke his heart, thank you very much. So, yeah, I want to hate you.”
I nodded, blinking off the tears that began filling my eyes, but Linden never backed down. He never tried hiding his emotions or feeling sorry for his outburst.
“I can see it. And I’m still apologizing for dragging you into this.”
“I am doing this, betraying my friend for helping you, because I thought I was going to help him. And seeing him so miserable was hard enough, even though he tried hard to mask his pain. I still saw it. We still saw it. And it’s all because you didn’t trust him enough-”
“That’s not true.”
“Please, Princess. You don’t have to defend yourself. You never trusted your feelings and relationship enough and doubted his love for you. I hope you fixed your trust issue first before you came here. You might need that, too.”
Guilt crushed my heart and twisted my stomach. What he had been telling me seemed all true. I never thought I doubted Rome until Linden made me realize it.
“Just don’t hurt him again, and this is the last time I’m doing this shit. I feel guilty enough for lying to him. I hope you have enough courage because I am telling you, he won’t make it easy on you.”
“I will beg if it is necessary.”
“You may need that too.” He scoffed. “He gave up the job that his father trusted in him. He sacrificed something he never thought he would do because he fucking loved you. I mean, I’ve never seen him so happy before until you. He chose to be with you, and he was willing to live in your country so that he could spend his time with you and help you with your cause. And then it all came down to that tipping point, and you blew it away in a- heartbeat.” A thin smile appeared on his lips before he looked at me.
“Good thing I am not Langston. I would have never given you another chance if I were him. You already broke that important foundation in a relationship. But yeah, It’s not up to me. Thank God. Just don’t make another mistake because the next time it happens, you will be on your own.”
“Bro, I think that’s enough,” Zee interrupted us from the passenger’s seat while Sax focused on driving. Kye was driving the SUV. My bodyguards were with him.
“It’s alright. I understand.”
“Oh, I’m not done. I have one more thing to say,” he said to Zee before he faced me, glaring. “I don’t think you do, Princess. I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but forgive me for saying this. For me, you are just a spoiled-brat princess who seeks attention and always wants to get what she wants in the snap of her fingers. You don’t deserve my brother. He’s too good for your rebellious heart.”
I looked down as I sniffed, ashamed and broken.
“He loves you. Langston still loves you. That’s the fact, but don’t let your hopes up. He may accept your apology, but he may not take you back. Or if he may, your relationship wouldn’t be the same again. My best friend may not propose again.”
“The fireworks didn’t fire. I wasted my time,” Sax finally said something. “What a waste.”
“Rome might not believe in marriage anymore,” Zee said.
“At least he still makes millions,” Sax added.
“Tell you what, Princess. You broke my brother, and I’m not sure he can ever get back from that path, or it may take a while. And it’s all because of you, Carly.”
“I get it, okay? I failed him. I already hate myself for that. What else do you wanna say that I haven’t heard from my father and my brother? And I just hurt my mother because I am stupid.” I swallowed hard and prepared myself to voice it out loud because no one ever seemed to understand my situation. All they saw was a princess in a pretty dress. “Since I was a kid, I’ve always been a disappointment to my family. I’m rebellious, a spoiled brat, a walking royal humiliation, and a self-centered waste of life. I know that. I’m an attention-seeker bitch!”
“Whoa! Easy, Princess.” Sax looked at me through the rearview.
“That’s the truth. That’s what I have been feeling all my life. Do you know what it’s like to be a female in the family? I am useless. My brother got all the attention and praise. I worked my ass all my life, and nobody appreciated the job and all the advocacies I’d done because I was just me, and I couldn’t be in line. Because I was born with a vagina!”
Finally, they listened and seemed to understand why I was this way.
“I am the fourth in line to the throne. Well, including the unborn child of my brother. If they have another baby, then do the math. I don’t exist to see the list, yet the restrictions and the protocols still apply to me because I carry the blood of Gattewarde-Braynburd. I was the wallflower in the family. You all don’t know how I badly wanted to be just an ordinary woman, has a job, fall in love, get married, live on a white picket fence, and build a family. But that was impossible when you were born into a royal family. It would just be a dream. And I know what you all are thinking right now. I should be lucky I have this privilege. Tell you what, it’s also a curse.” I shifted in my seat and looked outside the window.