Page 130 of Tabloid Princess

“Oh my god. I knew you hadn’t just gone out for air.”

“I did…”

The tears sprung again. This hurt. So bad.

I wanted to die, but I knew I couldn’t. I had Daisy to worry about.

“How am I going to deal with this, Molly? How can I get our lives back?”

She hesitated, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. “I think you have two choices.”

“You can see two?”

“Yeah. You stop it now. Or, you accept it for what it is and take the shit that comes with it.”

I turned for Daisy who sat with Nana in the lounge. A bodyguard hovered in the hallway.

Only a few days ago, I’d let a man stay over for the first time. Now our home was at the mercy of strangers.

Molly’s phone pinged and we both saw the Sky News notification flash up. Palace denies royal romance.

I guess that made my mind up for me.

“Everyone out!” I leapt from my chair. Sheer rage split what little remained of the area around my chest.

“Leia.” Nana leapt from the sofa.

“Mummy.” Daisy’s shock paused my storming pathway of destruction.

“It’s okay, sweetie. I’m going to get everything back to normal.”

“Leia, I don’t think this is right.” Molly tried to grab my arm.

“It’s the only way. The only way for me to protect Daisy.”

I pulled the small phone out of my bag, ignoring the thousands of messages that all came from the only contact on there. I dialled as I ran up the stairs.

From Daisy’s bedroom window I could see the press still crowding at the end of the street. Sharks eager for blood, they waited for a move like they were in a life and death game of chess.

The palace had spoken. Now they needed to hear it from the prince.

“Leia.” Relief rushed through his tone, but I hardened my heart against it. “My love, I am so sorry. Sorry I’m not there, sorry for all the shit they are saying.”

I held in a wild sob. “Oliver, you have to stop them. Tell them the Palace statement is true and that there is no romance.”

“Leia, don’t be silly. You’re overreacting.”

I walked to the corner of my room where I found the scrunched headline about Daisy. “They say Daisy will threaten the throne. That I’m going to destroy the monarchy.”

“They’re just headlines. Remember what I told you my father taught me. It’s just tomorrow’s fish and chip wrappings.”

“It’s not just that.” I fought deep within myself to find the reasons I could to end this. My soul fractured as I said, “You paid to see me. You paid to visit me, just like those men paid to visit my mother.”

“That is not what I did at all.” I held the phone away from my ear as his answer roared down the line.

I swallowed and steeled my heart. “That’s what it feels like to me. I won’t have Daisy ever made to feel the way I did.”

“Leia. I’ll be home tomorrow. Please, just wait until I’m there.”