Page 81 of That Prince is Mine
She closed her eyes and pressed her body closer to his. She was drowning in the realization of love, but she couldn’t tell him that. What if he told her he loved her, too? She wanted that with such desperation that it terrified her. Would she perish from heartbreak if he didn’t love her back?
But what difference did it make if they loved each other? It would never last. It didn’t seem possible right now, but her love for Michel would eventually fade, and there would be nothing left to hold them together. Besides, he had to go back to rule a country and her life was here—her dad, her godmother, her work—everything she loved was here. Well, not everything. Not anymore.
“I’m just a little tired.” She had to say something. “It’s been a long day.”
“Shall I take you home?” He tried to pull back to look at her, but she held fast, afraid of what he’d see on her face.
“No. Let’s just…” She sighed. “Let’s just dance.”
Emma breathed in the windswept, woodsy scent of him and let herself be. She’d spent her life trying to cultivate the perfect home, and she had found it in this man’s arms at last. It didn’t need to have just the right wall color and furniture arrangement. It didn’t need to be filled with beautiful, delicious food at every meal. Being with Michel was home. Her feet stopped moving, weighed down by all that she had to lose. It was so unfair.
“You know what?” She abruptly stepped back from Michel. “I think I’d like to go home.”
Surprise flashed across his face, but concern swiftly replaced it. “Of course. Let me drive you home.”
“I drove here, remember?” She was already hurrying toward the exit.
“I could ask Sophie to follow us with my car…”
“Don’t be silly,” she snapped, and Michel’s steps faltered beside her. Eyes round with regret, she reached out to squeeze his hand. “I don’t want to bother her. I’ll be fine going home on my own.”
A shadow of a frown darkened his face before he shook his head. “As you wish. I’ll just walk you to your car.”
“Thank you,” she said with a distracted smile.
The cool evening air greeted them as they stepped out of the Town and Gown, and she took a deep breath. The USC campus looked beautiful after sunset, with elegant streetlamps casting a warm glow on the tree-lined walkways and cardinal brick buildings.
“I… I haven’t thanked you. For what you did for Sarah,” she said suddenly. She’d forgotten all about it when he took her in his arms on the dance floor. “She has—or had—a crush on your TA, Jeannie, and it suddenly became clear that she didn’t reciprocate Sarah’s feelings…”
“Yes.” Michel scratched the back of his head with a rueful smile. “I saw Jeannie on the dance floor being very… affectionate with someone else. Is that why Sarah asked Gabriel to dance?”
“That’s my guess. I think Sarah was humiliated—even though Jeannie had no idea about her crush—and wanted to seem totally unaffected by the… scene.” Emma’s temper flashed red at the reminder. “Then Gabriel had to go and humiliate her further. What is wrong with him?”
“It wasn’t his best moment, but… he had his reasons,” Michel said diplomatically.
“What reasons?” Emma stopped in her tracks and spun to face him. “Are you defending him?”
“No, not exactly.” His eyebrows rose. “I agree that his conduct cannot be excused, but there are extenuating circumstances.”
“I can’t believe you.” She was overreacting because her love for Michel terrified her, but she couldn’t seem to stop. “I’m glad Sophie won’t be risking her heart for that jerk.”
Michel grew unnervingly still next to her. “What do you mean? Did you tell Sophie to shut Gabriel out?”
“She’s my friend, and I wanted to help. I couldn’t just sit by and watch her twist herself into a knot.” Emma crossed her arms, annoyed at how defensive she felt. She’d done the right thing. “I have never met two people more unlike each other. And they live on different continents. Besides, he broke her heart. It’d be foolish of her to give him the opportunity to break it a second time.”
“He is a good man.” Michel didn’t raise his voice, but Emma suddenly realized how big he was.
He’d become cold and hard in his anger—someone she didn’t know—and she wanted her Michel back. All her anger drained out of her. They only had four weeks left with each other. They couldn’t waste their time fighting.
“Why are we arguing?” Emma touched his arm, but Michel stepped away from her to pace with short, clipped turns. “This isn’t our fight to have.”
“You made it our fight when you interfered in my cousin and my friend’s relationship,” he bit out. “I’ve known them all my life. You’ve known them for… What? A few weeks?”
“Yes… as long as I’ve known you.” She let her words hang between them. What did she really know about Michel? He makes you happy. He feels like home. You love him. She bit the inside of her cheek. He is leaving.
“That’s not what I… Emma…” He stopped in front of her and searched her face. His voice was haggard but softer when he said, “What I meant was that they are good people. They deserve a chance at happiness.”
“I know Sophie and Gabriel are good people, but they’re incompatible.” Just like us. She couldn’t let herself forget that. Things would never work out between them even if he didn’t have to leave. She wouldn’t be able to stand watching Michel turn into a stranger when their love inevitably faded. It would destroy her. It was for the best that he was leaving… but her soul still railed against it. “They won’t be happy together in the long run, so why invite heartache?”
