Page 21 of The Dauntless (Spy Girl 5)
“You know this isn’t what I want,” Daniel continues. “But we have to do this if we want our happy lives back. We have to force Lizzie’s hand by putting a ring on yours.”
I can’t even believe I’m considering this. I don’t want to hurt Lorenzo any more than I already have. And I know, by walking away, by not going to confront his mother, that I broke his heart along with my own. I could easily blame him, say that he betrayed me. But, from the depths of my heart, I know that everything he confessed was true. That his love is true. I ran away with the hope that I could save his country.
And maybe, if I did that, I could somehow save myself.
“Smile,” Daniel says, standing up and looking into my eyes. “Say you will be engaged to me. Say you will pretend to be in love with me. It’s my birthday, and this was part of my wish. Throw your arms around me, make it look real, and say yes.”
I stay still, our gazes locked. I see the pain in the depths of his baby blues, and I heard the desperation in his voice. He truly believes that this is his only option. Even though I will never love him the way I do Lorenzo, I do care deeply for him, so I wrap my arms around his neck.
“Does this mean you’re going to fight with me to get our loves back?” he asks, resting his forehead sweetly against mine.
“Yes,” I say.
Daniel pulls out a sparkling ring. One that is nothing like what he bought for Lizzie and nothing like what Lorenzo chose for me. This ring … well, I can’t help but grin at it.
“This ring is so you,” I say.
“No, it’s you. When my father was sworn in as president during a difficult time, you were right there by my side, looking adorably patriotic. When I made the Olympic team this year, you were waiting for me at the end of the pool, wearing my lucky Star-Spangled-Banner T-shirt. Even now, as I slide this ring on your finger, everything around us is red, white, and blue—from the bunting on the White House balcony railing to the trim on your dress to the fireworks in the sky. You’re already American royalty, Huntley. This ring just seals the deal.”
MISSION:DAY TEN
Lorenzo rolls into the breakfast room, looking and feeling disheveled.
“You look like something the cat dragged in,” his mother says.
“I haven’t been sleeping much lately,” he fires back, irritated.
His mother gives him her biggest of smiles. “I hope that means you and Lizzie have been burning up—”
“No,” he rudely interrupts. “Not that it is any of your business. I am not sleeping with Lizzie, for I do not love her. Regardless of if we go through with this sham of a wedding or not, do not expect heirs anytime soon.”
“Interesting you should say that, considering what happened in America last night,” his mother says, reaching for her iPad as his phone lights up with a text.
Lizzie: Please meet me in your study immediately.
“Deliver breakfast to my study,” Lorenzo instructs the steward as he stands up. “And have a good day, Mother,” he adds, although the way he says it indicates that is the last thing he wants for her to have.
He races through the palace and finds Lizzie in his office. She’s a wreck—eyes full of tears, makeup streaming down her face, and sobbing hysterically.
“What’s wrong?” he asks.
She just keeps crying and shaking her head. He sits down next to her and sweetly wraps an arm around her, instantly worried something awful has happened to one of her parents.
“I can’t fix it if you don’t tell me.”
“No one can fa-fix this,” she stutters out, her body racked with emotion. “Look.”
She shoves her phone in his direction and then cries more. Her phone shows a social media page for the First Lady of the United States. There is a triangle atop a photo of fireworks, and he knows he should press the button and watch the video, but all of a sudden, dread fills his stomach, and he feels like sobbing, too. He knows Huntley was at the White House yesterday. He’s still tracking her every move even though he knows it’s probably not healthy.
While he’s considering handing the phone back to Lizzie, his eyes fall on the caption.
It’s been more than forty years since the child of a president has been married at the White House. Time for that to change.
#SheSaidYes #Engaged #Fireworks #NationsCapital #GodBlessAmerica @DanielSpear @HuntleyVonAllister
Lorenzo’s mouth goes dry. His stomach feels sick.
But he presses play anyway.
The video is taken from the door to the balcony. You can see the beautiful fireworks going off in the sky and hear the sounds of a band playing in the background. You can’t hear what Daniel says to Huntley, but he drops to one knee and speaks to her. Huntley’s hand immediately goes to her mouth, appearing to indicate her shock, and then she starts crying. She cried when he proposed, but this looks different. Mostly because she’s slightly shaking her head—like she can’t do it. Like she’s going to say no. Lorenzo needs for her to say no. For Daniel to get up and slink away in defeat. Instead, Daniel stands up, and Huntley gazes affectionately into his eyes.
She wraps her arms around his neck and says yes.
He knows, the second he gets Lizzie out of his office, he’s going to search the internet for an alternate view, hoping someone caught the moment so that he could try to read Huntley’s face, her emotions. His heart is aching, but his brain is telling him it can’t be true. It can’t be love. That they can’t go through with it.
Probably the same things Huntley thought when his engagement to Lizzie was announced.
“Well?” Lizzie cries out. “What are we going to do?”
“What can we do?” Lorenzo asks, feeling broken.
“I’m going to have to call him. I can’t let him do this. He’s just rebounding.”
“It’s my understanding, he and Huntley were together before you met Daniel at the Queen’s Ball.”
“Sure, they might have slept together, but it wasn’t like that. They have a closeness, but it’s more friendly than serious.”
“Getting engaged seems pretty serious to me,” he challenges.
“And that’s the worst part,” she bellows as a calendar notification pops up on her phone. “We are doing this for our country. They have no such pressure. That means he proposed because he actually wants to marry her.” She looks down at her phone and rolls her eyes. “I’m supposed to have a magazine interview in thirty minutes. The press secretary is wondering where in the world I am. I can’t do it, Lorenzo. They asked you about Huntley in our interview. What if they ask me about Daniel getting engaged? I will start bawling. I … just can’t today.”
Lorenzo takes his phone out of his pocket, calling his personal assistant and telling her to clear Lizzie’s schedule while she’s grabbing the remote and turning on the TV.
That is the wrong thing to do because the engagement video is playing on the screen while the announcers are dissecting it.
“I think I’ll go to my room for the day and watch all the gossip,” she says, walking out. “I know I should avoid it, but I brought this on myself, and I need a day to wallow in it. I promise I will shape up and go back to my duties tomorrow.”
After she leaves, Lorenzo flips to a celebrity gossip channel, which is featuring photos of both Huntley and Daniel. It also interestingly shows a photo of her and Peter Prescott attending the engagement party of the daughter of the Speaker of the House the night before. Huntley is smiling, looking gorgeous in a sheer Dolce & Gabbana dress that he recognizes from her closet in DC. Lorenzo feels a pang of jealousy. Upon further inspection though, he notices Peter has his arm slung around her, but they look like good friends, not lovers. And th
at makes Lorenzo happy.
The moment quickly fades as the announcer starts dissecting the engagement footage. “Look at this. Fireworks in the sky, Marines band playing in the background, and you’re standing on the balcony of the freaking White House when the man you love gets down on one knee and starts speaking from his heart. This is my favorite part. Watch Huntley put her hand over her mouth in shock and start crying.”
He remembers when he proposed to Huntley just a few short days ago. There was no fanfare and no symphony, but the music in their hearts and the fireworks between them still trumped it. And he will carry that memory like a photo that will forever be etched into his heart, his soul, and his mind.
Lorenzo hits rewind and plays it again, wondering what it all means. Why would she agree to marry Daniel, to a White House wedding, and not to marrying him? It doesn’t add up. Part of him wonders if she has a new mission.
The announcer continues, “Watch as he stands up to be closer to her, how he leans his forehead against hers, and how they just gaze into each other’s eyes. It’s such a poignant moment. Then comes the big finale. She wraps her arms around his neck and says yes, but I’m dying to see the ring. While I appreciate the First Lady’s post, come on, Huntley, why are you not posting it all over your social media? You gotta know, girl, that we wanna see the rock!” The announcer turns her head to the side. “Oh my gosh! This just in—an official press release from the jeweler. I’m going to read this verbatim.
“‘We are pleased to announce that, last night, Olympic athlete and First Son Daniel Spear presented billionaire heiress Huntley Von Allister with a custom engagement ring designed by the future groom and created by our expert craftsmen. A six-carat pear-shaped diamond set in platinum, surrounded by a halo of rubies, wrapped in a ring of sapphires. Happy birthday to Daniel and best wishes to the happy couple.’
“Well, it sounds beautiful! Now, we just need to see it.” She squints her eyes and puts her hand up to her earpiece. “I have just received word that Daniel Spear has posted a photo. Let’s get that up on the screen!”
