Caught Between Two Princes

2019, March 4th

Zoey tossed and turned in her bed. Bart had retired to his room for the night, leaving Zoey alone to watch the clock count down.

In 20 minutes, James' deadline would be up. She went through her phone, which Bart had returned to her after much debate and warning, and groaned. The missed calls from Aaron were racking up. Her inbox was full. Zoey's mom had called and left a few messages too. How would she tell her mom what had happened?

That was a problem for tomorrow. Tonight, she had bigger fish to fry. She texted her mom to let her know that she was okay and that she would call in the morning. 15 minutes left. It would take at least 10 to get to the place where she had met the duke/prince earlier that night.

It was bizarre. Less so that Duke Beaumont turned out to be a prince. More so that Zoey would have married Aaron at the end of the month without even knowing he had a brother. What else would fall through the cracks about Aaron that his fiancée didn't know?

Zoey quietly crawled out of bed. Fortune smiled upon her. Bart had left the car keys on the kitchen table of the pretty little cottage. She grabbed them, tiptoed out the front door and made her way to the black SUV parked out front on the street.

"Sorry Bart," she said as she started the car, "but I need some answers."

She hunched her shoulders, praying that the noise of the engine would not wake Bart up.

James was parked on the side of the road where he had cut Bart off two hours ago. He looked back at the suitcase in the backseat. Why wasn't he already headed to the airport?

It was a ridiculous notion, marrying someone who proposed to you in the middle of the road in a fit of rage. Coming back here was a mistake.

The engine of his black Mercedes roared to life just as a black SUV pulled up. This time Zoey cut him off.

"Hi" was all she could manage.

There was a look of expectation on her face. Surely she wasn't here to agree to his obscene proposal.

"Get in," he said, unlocking the doors of the car.

Zoey hesitated before sliding out of the driver's seat and pocketing the keys of the SUV. She locked the doors before getting into James' car.

"Why are you here?" he asked, looking out the window.

"You don't waste any time," she muttered, staring at the side of his face.

The full weight of James' looks struck her. Finally, she understood why he felt so familiar. His cheekbones, that strong jawline, the shape of his eyes and the way his lips came together. They were so different in nature that it was easy to miss the marked resemblance. These men were the kind of handsome that would make a girl lose her wits just by laying eyes on them.

"Are you going to answer the question or are you going to stare at me all night?"

Startled, she looked away. The blush on her cheeks earned her the smallest of smiles. He was more subtle than she was, stealing glimpses of her pretty face framed by messy golden curls.

She seemed too nervous for words, so James tried again.

"Emily Maine."

This got her attention.

"Excuse me?"

"The woman in the photo. Her name is Emily Maine. She's our childhood friend. We did everything together, the three of us. It's a bit cliche, but we both liked her. She's kind of the one that got away for him."

Back to the silence. Zoey's tongue felt frozen. His robotic demeanour gave her chills.

Losing patience, James gave up on words and started the car. Zoey's face scrunched up in a panic.

"Relax," he said, reversing away from the SUV. "I'm not dragging you to the altar or anything."

Five minutes later, he pulled up to a skyscraper. Above the glass double doors in bold cursive letters stood the words Eleganter Ludo. Zoey was wearing an old sweatshirt and jeans without so much as eyeliner on. Her blonde curls were shooting off in every direction. Complete with a doorman, this hotel was not for someone who looked like she had tumbled out of a laundry basket.

James got out of the car. The drive had not calmed her in the least. He went over to her side of the car, opened the door and held out a hand to her. She took it, her own somewhat shaky.

"Let's have a drink," he said, as he pulled an old cap over her head.

A drink? Who comes to a place like this to have a drink? Three months into living with nobles and Zoey still felt out of place.

Looking around, James took off his jacket and pulled it over her shoulders. His cheek grazed hers as he adjusted it. He was so close that she could smell the scent of damp earth after rain and something else. Something so unique to him that she struggled to name it.

The voids of blackness that were his eyes caught the light and she could not help but stare. Looking into his eyes was like seeing the heart of nature on a refreshing summer day.

James caught the look in her eyes. He felt her shoulders relax under his hands as she looked at his face up close. It surprised him that this gallant woman was the same one he had been sitting next to a minute ago. Curious to know how long she would last, he looked away as her eyes probed his face.

They took turns, stealing glimpses at each other until their eyes met. The feeling of familiarity settled between them again. Whatever this back and forth was, it felt inappropriate. James pulled away.

He gestured to the jacket and cap.

"It's so people don't recognize you," he said, walking ahead of her.

As soon as James moved away, Aaron's name popped into Zoey's mind and everything came flooding back. The photograph. Aaron's betrayal. Bart rushing her out of the house like some thief in the night. The soul-crushing pain and buckets of tears that followed.

James looked back to find Zoey had not moved. She was staring down at her feet, fresh tears streaking her cheeks. With a sigh, he walked back to her and held out his arm. She gripped his arm tighter than he would have liked, but at least they were moving again.

Zoey was escorted up to the penthouse suite with instructions to change. James had invited her to dinner.

Everything about the suite announced that you were not at home. From the mints on the pillow to the silk sheets, everything was premium. The bathtub was big enough to seat a dozen people comfortably. The cream carpet was soft and thick and the couch hugged you as you sank into the cushions. Even the warm shades of pastel green seemed to draw you in.

After taking in the room, Zoey slipped into the dress selected for her by James. He'd paired a rose-red dress with red stilettos that complemented her natural beauty. She drew a quick brush through her hair and hoped the natural curl look would not fail her.

Zoey found herself questioning her choice to come here tonight. What Aaron did was wrong, but this wasn't right either. The notion both excited and alarmed her.

The restaurants on her dates with Aaron were usually empty, giving it a much more intimate feel. Still, here she was, about to have dinner with a man who wanted to marry her. Said man was Aaron's brother, who was technically still her fiance.

Zoey's eyes darted around nervously as she entered the restaurant.

James took her in as Zoey was shown to their table. He saw her in ball gowns and at CC's show, done up more prettily than a princess. His eyes never lingered too long on her though, as they always sought out another. Tonight he didn't have this feeble excuse for not looking.

He took in every curve the dress draped. Her long eyelashes drew you to her big, hazel-brown eyes. Her lips shimmered as she licked them nervously. The Cascades of blonde curls flowed down her shoulders, giving her a lazy day look. Stripped of the usual adornments, she was still beautiful.

She took the seat across from him and turned her nervousness into a smile.

"Sorry I'm such a mess, I didn't think it through when I left," she said, biting her lip.

He swallowed a chuckle. They had very different thoughts about her appearance.

"You look lovely, Lady Zoey," he flattered.

She frowned in disbelief, then corrected herself and pasted a smile on her face. This time he did laugh. It was a short one, but it slipped out. Her eyes warmed to the sound of his laughter. She returned it with a more genuine smile.

"Good evening, Your Grace. My Lady. Would My Lady like something to drink?" the waiter asked, stepping forward.

"A glass of red wine, please," she answered.

"No," James retorted.

"Weren't you the one that wanted to have a drink?"

James was starting to lose patience with himself. Never had he hesitated so much in his life as he had tonight, because of this woman.

"I changed my mind," he said, picking up a menu.

She glanced at the double shot of whiskey to the right of his hand and muttered, "Obviously."

"How about some dinner?" James offered, refusing to acknowledge her sarcasm.

"Already ate," she said tightly.

"Dessert then," he persisted.

"Oh, ice cream!" she said, hyped up like a little child as she sat upright.

She corrected again and pursed her lips into a thin line.

James' eyes sparkled in amusement.

He turned to the waiter and said, "The lady will have some of all the ice cream flavours that you have available."

Her eyes widened.

"James," she began.

She blew up her cheeks and corrected again.

"Your Grace, that's not-"

"James is fine."

Then he turned to the waiter again, who bowed and said, "Right away, Your Grace."

She sank back into her seat and let out a sigh, uncertain she should trust herself to speak anymore. Where was her weariness of the man with nothing in his eyes? Better still, where was that man?

She looked him over. The darkness in his eyes was gone, but the warmth in them that replaced it now was worse. What was she doing, playing pretend like everything hadn't come crashing down? She needed to ask her questions and be on her way before Bart discovered she was gone.

A few minutes later, half a dozen waiters laid the ice cream out on their table. Her eyes turned into saucers as she lost count of the bowls. They were neatly packed next to each other. Each contained two perfect scoops of ice cream.

"Dig in," he said, picking up a spoon.

"Do you think they're in love?" Zoey asked.

James' spoon hovered over a bowl of Black Walnut. He snickered.

"Yesterday I was getting my royal attire fitted for the wedding. Yesterday I knew the answer to your question. Today, your guess is as good as mine." He spat the words out and shoved the ice cream into his mouth. "You don't need to worry about any of this. Tell Bart you want to go home and have a good, normal life."

Zoey wasn't satisfied. She wanted a real answer. It dawned on her that she was sitting down with the wrong man, for fear of sitting down with the right one.

"Are you unproposing right now?" she asked, blocking his spoon with her own as he headed for a new bowl of ice cream.

It was Fudge Ripple. Zoey wanted that Fudge Ripple all to herself.

"It was a crazy idea, likely born from the insanity that follows a broken heart," James answered with a shrug.

"What if I wanted to stay and marry him anyway?"

Zoey was getting desperate now as the heavy feeling returned to her chest. The more questions she asked, the worse it got. Yet, she couldn't help herself.

He ran his fingers through his hair and looked straight into her tear-filled eyes.

"Believe me, I've been where you are. It will never be just you and him. There will always be her."

Zoey didn't like this answer. The heaviness on her chest was now all-consuming. Who was he to say that? How could he know that for sure? Next came the loneliness. He was Aaron's brother, that's who. That's how. She gripped her spoon with gusto and shuffled the ice cream down her throat. All he could do was watch her fall apart right in front of him.

One hour later, the pair found themselves on Height of Caines, a popular spot on a mountain where kids went to park. From Height of Caines you could see the entire city lit up in all its glory. James wasn't sure why he had let her bring him here. She was hitting the whiskey pretty hard and it was clear she did not hold her liquor well.

"Damn thish sffut is bittrer," she slurred.

He unfolded his arms and went to take the bottle from her.

"No!" she yelled, ducking and dodging him.

"It's time to go home Zoey," he said, watching her with glazed-over eyes.

He put his arm around her, restrained both her arms and took the bottle from her easily.

"He proposed right here! He said, 'Zoey, marry me already!'" she yelled out into the night.

James thought back to Emily's smile when he went down on one knee. He felt so content when she said yes. Dismay clouded his judgement. The whiskey in his hand was smooth, rich, would burn in the right way and was very expensive. He took a swig.

A few mouthfuls of whiskey ago his eyes were open. But that couldn't be, because the sun was already high up in the sky. The suite was completely trashed like he'd hosted a bachelor party. James' head weighed a ton.

He let out a groan as he bent down to pick up his shirt. About halfway down, he spotted the dress Zoey wore last night. It stopped him dead in his tracks.

"Shit," he said, letting out a groan as he searched the suite.