Part 2 – Chapter no 23: BRIDGET

Twisted Games (Twisted, #2)

I wanted to die.

If the floor opened up and swallowed me whole, Iโ€™d be the happiest person on earth. Or under earth, as the case would be.

Sadly, I remained in the drawing room with a whiteboard covered with pictures of European bachelors, a stone-faced Rhys, and an oblivious Mikaela.

โ€œItโ€™s the event of the season,โ€ she continued. โ€œThe timing is rushed, but Elinโ€™s team is working on it around the clock and invites went out this morning. Dozens of people already RSVPโ€™d yes.โ€ She let out a dreamy sigh. โ€œAll those handsome men, all dressed up in one room. I could simply die.โ€

Yes, the big idea my grandfather had alluded to the other day in his office was a thinly veiled matchmaking gala. Iโ€™d protested, horrified at the thought of spending an entire eveningโ€”myย birthday, no lessโ€”making small talk and dancing with over-inflated egos disguised as humans.

Iโ€™d been overruled.

Apparently, my twenty-fourth birthday was a good excuse to invite every eligible bachelor in Europe to the party,ย andย it was coming up in a few weeks, which made for perfect timing, even if it was, as Mikaela had said, rushed.

โ€œI didnโ€™t realize you were looking for a husband, Your Highness,โ€ Rhys said so coldly goosebumps erupted on my arms.

The current of electricity running between us froze, turning to ice.

At the same time, indignation kindled in my stomach. He had no right to be angry.ย Heย was the one whoโ€™d left and insisted on keeping things between us professional after Costa Rica. He couldnโ€™t possibly think he could waltz in here again after six weeks because he changed his mind and expect me to have put my life on hold for him.

โ€œItโ€™s a politics and public image thing,โ€ Mikaela said before I could answer. โ€œAnyway, what were we talking about? Right.โ€ She snapped her fingers. โ€œLord Rafe and Prince Hans. Never mind about that. Prince Hans ranks higher, of course.โ€ She moved his headshot to theย yesย side of the board.

โ€œIโ€™ll leave you to it then, Your Highness. I was just checking in.โ€ Rhysโ€™s face shut down, and frustration stabbed at me, joining the cocktail of emotions coursing through my veinsโ€”excitement and giddiness at seeing him again, annoyance at his hypocrisy, lingering anger over his initial departure, and a smidge of guilt, even though we werenโ€™t dating, weโ€™d never dated, and I was free to dance with every man in Athenberg if I wanted.

If we do this, it stays here. This room, this night. We donโ€™t talk about it again.

That wasย hisย rule, so why did I feel guilty at all? โ€œMr. Larsenโ€”โ€

โ€œIโ€™ll see you tomorrow, Your Highness.โ€ Rhys left.

Before I knew what I was doing, I followed him out the door, my spine hardening with determination.

I wouldย notย get drawn into an endless cycle of what-ifs again. I had enough to worry about. If Rhys had a problem, he could tell me to my face.

โ€œWhere are you going?โ€ Mikaela called after me. โ€œWe still need to figure out the dance order!โ€

โ€œLadiesโ€™ room,โ€ I said over my shoulder. โ€œI trust you.

Order them how you wish.โ€

I quickened my steps and caught up with Rhys around the corner. โ€œMr. Larsen.โ€

This time, he stopped but didnโ€™t turn around.

โ€œThe ball was my grandfatherโ€™s idea. Not mine.โ€ I didnโ€™t owe him an explanation, but I felt compelled to give one anyway.

โ€œItโ€™s your birthday, princess. You can do whatever you want.โ€

I set my jaw even as my stomach fluttered at the wordย princess.ย โ€œSo, youโ€™re okay with me dancing with other men all night?โ€

Rhys finally turned, those inscrutable gray eyes flickering. โ€œWhy wouldnโ€™t I be? It sounds like the perfect solution. Youโ€™ll find a nice prince, marry, and rule happily ever after.โ€ A mocking inflection colored his words. โ€œThe life of a princess, exactly as it should be.โ€

Something inside me snapped, just like that.

I wasย angry.ย Angry at Nikolai for abdicating and running off to California with Sabrina afterward so they could โ€œtake some timeโ€ for themselves. Angry at not having control over my life. And most of all, angry at Rhys for turning our reunion into something ugly after weโ€™d been apart forย six weeks.

โ€œYouโ€™re right,โ€ I said. โ€œItย isย the perfect solution. I canโ€™t wait. Maybe Iโ€™ll do more than dance. Maybe Iโ€™ll find someone to kiss and take up toโ€”โ€

Two seconds later, I found myself pinned to the wall. Rhysโ€™s eyes werenโ€™t flickering anymore. They had darkened, turning gray into near-black thunderclouds like the kind drenched the city in springtime. โ€œNot a good idea to finish that sentence, princess,โ€ he said softly.

Iโ€™d provoked him on purpose, but I had to fight a shiver at the danger rolling off him.

โ€œTake your hands off me, Mr. Larsen. Weโ€™re not in the

U.S. anymore, and youโ€™re overstepping your boundaries.โ€

Rhys moved in closer, and I struggled to focus when I was so consumed byย him.ย By his scent, his breath on my skin. By memories of lingering looks and stolen laughs and sunsets in a pool halfway across the world.

โ€œFuck my boundaries.โ€ Every word came out slow and deliberate, like he wanted to etch them into my skin.

โ€œWhat a first day back on the job. Itโ€™s just like old times.โ€ I pressed my back tighter against the wall, trying to escape the searing heat from Rhysโ€™s body. โ€œWhy are you here, Mr. Larsen? You were perfectly happy to walk away when I asked you to stay.โ€

โ€œIf you think I was anything close to happy these past six weeks,โ€ he said grimly, โ€œYou couldnโ€™t be more wrong.โ€

โ€œYou were happy enough to stay away for that long.โ€ I tried and failed to hide the note of hurt in my voice.

Rhysโ€™s face softened a smidge. โ€œTrust me, princess. If I had a choice, I wouldโ€™ve been back far sooner than that.โ€

The velvety tips of butterfly wings brushed my heart.

Stop it. Stay strong.

โ€œWhich brings me back to my question,โ€ I said. โ€œWhy are you here?โ€

A muscle jumped in his jaw. He hadnโ€™t shaved that day, and thicker stubble peppered his face than I was used to.

I curled my hands into loose fists, resisting the urge to run them over the short black hairs on his cheek and the scar on his eyebrow. Just so I could reassure myself he was actually there.

Angry and infuriating, butย there.

โ€œBecause Iโ€”โ€

โ€œAm I interrupting something?โ€

Rhys moved off me so fast it took me a few seconds to process what happened. Once I did, and I saw who had

interrupted us, my stomach sank.

Because standing at the end of the hall, wearing a half curious, half smirking expression, was none other than my cousin Andreas.

โ€œI was on my way to my room when I heard something and came to investigate,โ€ he drawled. โ€œApologies if Iโ€ฆ intruded.โ€

Rhys spoke up before I could. โ€œWhat the hell are you doing here?โ€

โ€œIโ€™m Bridgetโ€™s cousin.โ€ Andreas smiled. โ€œI guess Iย will

see you around after all. Small world.โ€

My head whipped between them. โ€œYou know each other?โ€ How was that possible?

โ€œWe met at the airport,โ€ Andreas said casually. โ€œI thought he dropped his wallet but, alas, I was mistaken. We had a nice little chat, though I never caught your name.โ€ He directed the last part at Rhys, who waited a few beats before answering.

โ€œRhys Larsen.โ€

โ€œMr. Larsen is my bodyguard,โ€ I said. โ€œHe wasโ€ฆhelping me get something out of my eye.โ€

Secretly, I kicked myself for being so careless. We were in a side hallway of a quieter part of the palace, but there were eyes and ears everywhere. I shouldโ€™ve known better than to get into it with Rhys where anyone could pass by and overhear.

Judging from Rhysโ€™s expression, he thought the same thing.

โ€œReally? How considerate of him.โ€ Andreas didnโ€™t sound convinced, and I didnโ€™t like the way he was sizing us up.

I drew myself up to my full height and stared him down.

I wouldnโ€™t let him intimidate me. Not in my own home.

โ€œYou mentioned you were on your way to your room,โ€ I said pointedly. โ€œDonโ€™t let us stop you.โ€

โ€œFirst time weโ€™ve seen each other in years, and this is the greeting I get.โ€ Andreas sighed, pulling off his gloves

with deliberate slowness before slipping them in his pocket. โ€œYouโ€™re different now that youโ€™re crown princess, dear cousin.โ€

โ€œYouโ€™re right,โ€ I said. โ€œIย amย different. Iโ€™m your future queen.โ€

Andreasโ€™s smile slipped, and I saw Rhys smirk out of the corner of my eye.

โ€œIโ€™m glad you made it here safely.โ€ I extended a small olive branch, if only because I had no desire to engage in overt hostilities with my cousin for the next month or however long he planned on staying here. โ€œBut I have a meeting I need to return to. We can chat later.โ€

By later, I meant never, hopefully.

โ€œOf course.โ€ Andreas tipped his head and cast one last glance at me and Rhys before disappearing down the hall.

I waited a good two minutes before I allowed myself to relax.

โ€œYour cousin seems like a shithead,โ€ Rhys said.

I laughed, and the mood between us finally lightened.

โ€œNot seems. Heย is.ย But heโ€™s also family, so weโ€™re stuck with him.โ€ I twisted my ring around my finger, trying to find a tactful way to bring us back to our earlier conversation. โ€œAbout what happened before Andreas interruptedโ€ฆโ€

โ€œI came back because I wanted to come back,โ€ Rhys said. โ€œAndโ€ฆโ€ He paused, like he was debating whether to say what he was about to say. โ€œI didnโ€™t want you to be alone while youโ€™re dealing with all this shit.โ€ He gestured toward our lavish surroundings.

Alone.

It was the second time heโ€™d said it. First on my graduation night, and now. He was right both times.

Iโ€™d tried and failed to name the empty, gnawing feeling thatโ€™d haunted me since Rhys left. The one that crept up on me when I lay in bed at night and tried to think of something I looked forward to the next day. The one that washed through me at the oddest moments, like when I

was in the middle of an event or pretending to laugh along with everyone else.

Now, I had a name for it. Loneliness.

โ€œWell.โ€ I smiled, trying to hide how much his words had affected me. โ€œItโ€™s nice to have you back, Mr. Larsen. At least, when youโ€™re not acting like a grade-A you-know- what.โ€

He chuckled. โ€œItโ€™s nice to be back, princess.โ€

Thisย was the reunion Iโ€™d wanted. I didnโ€™t like Andreas, but at least heโ€™d broken the ice between me and Rhys.

โ€œSo, where do we go from here?โ€ No matter what we said, he wasnโ€™t just my bodyguard, and deep down, we both knew it.

โ€œWe go wherever you go,โ€ Rhys said. โ€œI keep you safe.

The end.โ€

โ€œYou make it sound so simple.โ€ย When reality is so complicated.ย Between Costa Rica, his departure, and his reappearance right when pressure to find a โ€œsuitableโ€ husband bore down on me, I felt like a bug stuck in a web of secrets and responsibilities I couldnโ€™t free myself from.

โ€œIt is simple.โ€ Rhys spoke with such quiet confidence it resonated in my bones. โ€œI made a mistake when I left, and Iโ€™m fixing it.โ€

โ€œJust like that.โ€

โ€œJust like that.โ€ The corner of his mouth tipped up. โ€œThough I imagine youโ€™ll make it as difficult for me as possible.โ€

I let out a soft laugh. โ€œWhen have things ever been easy for us?โ€

But even though I was still upset with Rhys for leaving in the first place, I realized something. The empty, gnawing feeling had disappeared.

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