“If I tell you, you’ll only get upset.”
“If you don’t tell me, I promiseyou’llbe the upset one.” I wait a few beats. “Chloe Florence Thorne!”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Leave my middle name out of this!”
“Then spill.”
“Fine!Jesus. You really would benefit from popping one of those white pills.” She sits up, sighing dramatically. “I overheard Octavia talking to her new assistant. It sounded like she was…”
My brows lift. “Yes?”
“Like she was setting up more dates for you.”
“More?! I’ve already been on three of her bloody set-ups…” I groan and press my palms into my eyes, as if I might shut out the horror of my own reality. “God, just kill me now. If I have to go out with one more man whose idea of scintillating conversation involves a discussion of winning chess strategies, I’m going to gouge my own eyes out with a salad fork.”
“I don’t know,” Chloe murmurs. “I think you’d be better off using a spoon. Kind of just pop the eye right out of the socket, you know? Like balling a melon. Way less bloody than a salad fork.”
“You’ve really thought this through.”
“I have a lot of free time.” She grins. “What were we talking about, again?”
“Bad dates.”
“No, before that.”
“Alden.”
“Ah. Right. Don’t worry, you’re safe from my attempts to set you up with him for at least another few days.”
“Why?”
“He’s on a snowboarding trip in the Alps with Carter.”
“Oh.” My stomach flips at the mere mention of that name. A name I no longer allow myself say aloud or even think, because doing so generally leads to puffy eyes and an aching heart.
“Some other guys from their old boarding school went as well. Remember Westley Egerton, the Baron of Frenberg?”
I nod, though I’m barely paying attention.
“Tall. Attractive. You danced with him at your coronation. Is any of this ringing a bell?”
“Vaguely,” I murmur.
“Why do you look so weird right now?”
“I don’t look weird.”
“You’re all squirmy.”
“I am not!”
Chloe squints at me. “Don’t tell me you didn’t notice Carter’s been gone all week?”
Oh, trust me… I noticed. I just figured he wasn’t coming home at night because he’s been sleeping his way through the roster of the women’s National Gymnastics Team… and I decided it was better for my overall mental health not to confirm said suspicion.
“Hello?” Chloe waves a hand in front of my face. “Are you even listening to me?”
“Sorry.” I force myself to focus. “I guess I didn’t notice he was gone. We don’t cross paths much.”