Page 136 of Royally In Trouble
She smiles softly. “You still being here is thanks enough.” She pats my blankets. “Now get some good sleep. You have another date with Evan tomorrow, and you’re going to want to get some good shut-eye.”
“Are you saying I need sleep to be charming?”
“You need sleep to avoid saying something ridiculous.”
“I don’t care for what you’re implying,” I tease her.
She smiles and moves to the end of my bed, fluffing the blankets. “I believe I know you very well at this point and sleep is vital to your mood.”
“If you know that, then why would you let Lara barge in here for early morning workouts?”
“Because those are good for your health.”
I roll my eyes. “Who knew you were going to police every aspect of my life.”
“More like make sure you’re taking care of yourself the best you can so in return you can take care of us as a country.”
I sigh. “Ugh, Runa, why do you always say the right things?”
“I’m wise of course. Now good night, Princess Lilly.”
She starts walking toward the door, and because I truly want to know her opinion, I ask, “What do you think of Evan?”
Hands clasped together, she turns toward me and says, “I think he’s a well-respected man who could offer you a safe, easy future.”
“And why do I feel like that was the easy answer for you? What are you not saying?”
She glances to the side. “Keller was a challenge for you. He pushed you to be more, and I truly believe that was good for you.”
“Probably, but Keller walked out. At least Evan has no problem acknowledging who I am and the role I’ll play in this country. Evan wouldn’t leave me on our wedding night with only a note explaining his reasoning.”
Runa nods slowly. “Well, we don’t know that. Your future with Evan would be an easy one. But that’s a bridge you can cross when you get there. Now get some sleep.”
Runa turns out my light, casting my room in darkness, and when the door clicks shut, I stare up at the shadowy ceiling.
Runa has a point about Keller, he did push me to be better. He was always challenging me while protecting me at the same time. He made me a better leader, a better person in general, but he also left me. He pushed me to be greater, but he didn’t push himself.
Evan is different, and maybe when the time comes—
Creak.
I pause in my thoughts, my ears perking back. What was that? Was that a floorboard?
No, probably my bed. The damn thing became quite squeaky thanks to Keller and his unruly hips that would pound into me night after night. The age-old bed wasn’t built for that kind of force.
Which reminds me, I think I need to ask for a new bed. Too many memories—
Creak.
Okay . . . okay, everyone, calm down. That certainly wasn’t the bed. I know this because the first creak made me practically catatonic. That was a classic floorboard creak.
And now my anxiety is ratcheting up as my eyes fly from one side of the room to the other. Checking all the dark crevices for any goblins or monsters that might be lurking. When I see nothing, I question my sanity.
Am I hearing things?
God, it feels like the first night in Harrogate all over again. The wind blowing, a distant pounding in the background. But this time, it’s a floor squeaking. In Harrogate, it was just Keller, maybe this is just . . . someone else.
It probably came from the hallway.
