Page 63 of The Prince Falls First
Genevieve nodded, and they all parted for their respective cars. After they were inside and off to her house, he pulled her close. “How are you? I’ve been worried about you.”
She gave him a small smile, then kissed him softly. “Much better now that you’re here, and that I’m finally leaving my mother behind.”
“I’m very happy you’re moving in, but I hope it’s because you’re going towards a future, not running from a past.”
She shook her head. “I’m not running. Well, I am, but that’s not the only reason.” She paused and looked out the window. “After the accident…” She cleared her throat. “After the accident, or I suppose during it, Sam was conscious for a while. That’s what I was talking to her parents about, her f-final words.”
He took hold of one of her hands and pressed his lips to her palm, encouraging her to go on.
“She said something to me, about you. That’s why we’d gone to the diner, to talk about our love lives. She didn’t want me to give up on you. ‘Don’t be afraid to love him, Gen. Promise me.’That’s what she said and, of course, I promised her. I couldn’tdo anything else with her getting weaker and the car on fire and trying to decide if I should leave her to get help or…”
She sniffled but didn’t cry. “She also talked about her parents, and those were the words I shared with them. But I couldn’t forget the words she’d told me.”
He tread carefully with his next words. “My dear, I’m so sorry you have to live through this, and that your closest friend is gone. However, I do not want to be an obligation to anyone. My life holds a lot of obligations already, and I want someone who loves me by my side. Not someone who feels beholden to a friend.”
She sat up, an indignant expression on her face. “Of course I love you! I wouldn’t move in with a man for any less reason. Maybe I’m not good at expressing myself, but I haven’t exactly had a lot of opportunity. I mean, I’ve only really told Sam and Diana I loved them, but they’re sisters and I’ve never a boyfriend-mmmgh!”
He kissed her hard and pulled back. “You love me?”
She sagged against him. “I was going to say it in a more romantic way but you annoyed me so it’s your fault.”
He chuckled. “As long as you said it, my dear Genevieve, I don’t fucking care. Blame me all you want.”
“Don’t think I won’t.” She sighed. “Turthfully, I had wondered at one point if I was choosing you now only because Sam had asked me to, or because my grief was pushing me more than my heart. But when I took time to look at it objectively, and made a list of all my feelings and what caused them, I realized I cared deeply for you even before the accident, even if I couldn’t admit to myself at the time.”
A part of him relaxed; he’d been worried she’d made this decision rashly, but he was glad that wasn’t the case. “Thank you for sharing that with me.” He kissed her again, and they kept kissing until the car pulled through the gate at her house.
When she remained still and only stared at her house instead of leaving the car and going inside, he said, “You can still change your mind, you know. I won’t stop loving you because you want to take things slower.”
She shook her head. “No. No, I’m ready. Let’s go.”
Unlike previous times when he usually snuck in through a window, this time they walked through the front door. Almost immediately, a face peeked out from the top landing.
“Oh thank fuck it’s you.” Diana moved into view. “I was worried mother or Henrietta had come home early.”
“I left mother at the Kaurs but we had a disagreement so she might come home sooner once she realizes I left.”
“Let’s hurry then.” She looked over at him with a broad smile. “Oh, hi, Gabe.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Gabe?”
“You’ll be my brother eventually, right? You don’t mind ‘Gabe’ do you?”
He chuckled. “I certainly don’t mind you calling me by my first name, but Gabe I can do without. Gabriel, please. You’ll still have to refer to me as Your Highness in public.”
Genevieve gave him a gentle elbow nudge in the gut.
“What?”
“Lecturing her on protocol? Really? And you didn’t react at all to her implying we’ll get married.”
“Of course we’ll get married. At your pace, of course. But you’re not naive enough to think that moving in with me wouldn’t lead to marriage at some point.”
Genevieve shook her head. “No, I’m not. But that doesn’t mean I’m ready to talk about it yet.”
“Understood.” He kissed her, then gestured for the stairs. “You first, my dear.”
He followed her up and into her room. On the surface it looked generally the same, but he could tell certain things hadbeen moved or removed. She probably hadn’t wanted to move too much in case her mother became suspicious.
