Page 55 of The Prince Falls First
“Would you like the same room? Or a different one?”
She frowned. “Your room. Aren’t we…I mean, never mind. That’s fine.” She didn’t want to be alone, but maybe she hadn’t told him that. Maybe he didn’t want her anymore because she’d just killed?—
NO. She wasn’t thinking about it. She wasn’t thinking about it. She wasn’t thinking about it.
Gabriel hugged her and she let him, not returning it at first. Then she slowly wrapped her arms loosely around him in return.
He pressed his lips to her hair. “I’ll stay with you wherever you are. I’m not leaving you. I would love it if you stayed in my rooms, but you might be angry about it in the morning, so I wanted to double check in case you changed your mind since the hospital.”
Don’t be afraid to love him, Gen. Promise me.
SHE WASN’T THINKING ABOUT IT!
“I’ll stay with you, in your rooms.”
“All right, my dear.” He kissed the top of her head and slowly separated.
They separated but he grasped her hand and led her to a different part of the Royal Wing. They passed areas she hadn’t seen before, not that she saw much last time. Eventually he led her to another long hallway of rooms, protection agents stationed at the far ends.
When they entered, she noticed it wasn’t all that different from the suite she’d seen, simply bigger and with more rooms. He gave her a brief tour, then led her to his bedroom, where she finally put down the purses, and he showed her his bathroom. “I’m going to call Agnes from the other room, get some clothing for you. Do you need anything else? Something to eat or drink?”
She frowned as she considered the last thing she ate, then remembered the diner. Her last meal with her best?—
SHE. WASN’T. THINKING. ABOUT. IT.
“No.” Her voice sounded so…small. She hated it but she didn’t know how to fix it.
Gabriel kissed her forehead. “Shall I run you a bath then?”
She shook her head, even though that massive tub looked welcoming. “Shower.”
He nodded. “I’ll leave you to it then. There are towels just there and there,” he pointed to a towel warmer, then a cabinet. “I won’t come in unless you ask me to, all right? You’ll have your privacy. I’ll let you know once Agnes has brought some things over.”
She nodded, then went into the bathroom. He closed the door behind her.
It was as you’d expect the bathroom of a country’s heir to look: opulent. Marble countertops, warm lighting, gilding, even heated floors she realized as toed off her tennis shoes. Well, not her shoes, but?—
NO.
She rubbed her hands over her face. As they fell away she found herself staring into the mirror. That’s when she saw it.
Blood.
Not hers. Sam’s.
She didn’t care about her incredibly messy hair or bruises and cuts. She didn’t care that her face was too pale or that her eyes looked haunted. She only cared about the blood.
The last things she had of her best friend was a battered purse and these clothes with her blood.
A few gasping breaths quickly turned to sobs and she fell to the floor. She scrunched up parts of her top, still on her body, and fisted it tightly. As if the tighter she held it, the closer Sam would be. If only she held on to it, she wouldn’t have to let it—orher—go.
A few gentle knocks and a soft female voice. “Miss Ruffin? Genevieve? May I come in? It’s Agnes.”
She couldn’t stop sobbing long enough to answer but shook her head and laid down on the floor, curling into a ball, and letting go of the shirt to bury her face in her hands.
The door clicked open, then shut, and soft clacks of female shoes echoed in the room. She sensed Agnes sit down next to her, her gentle hand resting on her upper arm. She didn’t say anything further, simply sat there, gently rubbing her arm until she sobbed herself out.
Her eyes were a mess and her nose was running, so Gen didn’t want the princess to see but she also didn’t care if she did in that moment. So she blinked her eyes open and lowered her hands.
