Page 58 of A Royal Obligation

“Not as much as I’ll miss you,” Jules sighed, zipping up another. “I’ll be back before you know it.”

Jules shot a quick text to Charlotte, letting her know the situation and then slipped her phone into her purse. She took a few minutes to write a note for Barrett as well.

Rory helped her take her luggage to the front door where Wadsworth already had a car waiting to take her to the bus station.

“Oh, I can call a cab.”

“I insist.” Wadsworth gently set a hand on her shoulder.

“Thank you.” Jules pulled him in for a quick hug. “Will you give the king my apologies?”

“Of course, Miss Smith.” Wadsworth said, opening the backseat door for her.

Jules scooted into the car. “Wadsworth, would you also be able to give this to Prince Barrett?” She extended the letter in her hand out to him.

“With my utmost discretion.” He bowed to her.

Does he know how I feel, too? Is it that obvious?

Wadsworth shut the car door once she was safely inside. She looked out the rear window. As the palace got smaller the further away they drove, the feelings in her heart for Barrett grew.

She wished he could go to the hospital with her. She wished she could fall into his arms and have him hold her and tell her everything was going to be okay. She wished she could tell him that she was falling completely and madly in love with him. But this wasn’t a fairytale. There wasn’t a magic lamp with a genie that could grant her wishes or a fairy godmother that could turn her into a princess. This was real life, and she would have to learn to live with the fact that she would never be able to have the one thing she wanted most in the world.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Barrett

Barrettlaidonthecouch in the men’s sitting room and rubbed his temples, trying to shut out his thoughts and the emotions he was feeling for Jules. No matter how hard he rubbed them, he couldn’t seem to wipe away the thoughts that sat at the forefront of his mind.

He was undoubtedly falling for Jules. She had taken up residence in his heart the moment she threw her purse at him in the school, and she had only taken a stronger hold on his heart in every moment since.

He had been stupid to kiss her. He was caught up in the moment and it simply happened, and he hadn’t been able to think about anything since then except for her. How kissing her and holding her felt like home. He could live a million years and never forget the sensation of kissing her. But that one kiss was all he was ever going to have to remember her by because he could never have her.

She wasn’t a lady of royal standing, so he could never have both her and the Crown. And his duty was first and foremost to his country. Wistonia was his true home and his father was counting on him. The people were counting on him. And he would make them all proud and do his duty and marry someone like Lady Charlotte.

Even if it will break my heart every day for the rest of my life.

How was it that he had made it twenty-eight years without falling for anyone and then the one person he had to go and fall for was someone he could never be with? He knew that everyone had always said it would happen when you least expected it, and now he truly understood that saying. He had never planned on falling for Jules. But there was no going back now. She would forever have his heart and he would spend the rest of his days knowing what he was missing out on.

“Your Highness?” Wadsworth’s words brought Barrett out of his deep thoughts. He opened his eyes and looked up at him, pulling himself to a sitting position. “This is for you.” Wadsworth extended an envelope to him.

He quickly opened the envelope, not caring that Wadsworth was still there. Even though he knew he shouldn’t, he craved Jules’s words like he needed his next breath.

Your Highness,

Thank you for saving my life. I know you would have saved anyone, because that’s who you are. But thank you for saving me nonetheless. Also, thank you for the floral arrangement. The flowers were simply stunning.

You have thrown my life for a complete loop and have made me a better person, too. I think of you often, as well. I think that kiss showed us where we both stand. Every moment with you has been so real—so perfect—and that’s why I have to leave.

My dad had an accident and broke his hip, so I’m going to go stay with him and my mom for a while. I will come back and finish my work with the opening of the school renovations. But I can’t stay here and pretend that I don’t have feelings for you. I know we can’t be together because of who I am and who you are, and I don’t want to make this any more difficult for you.

I wish you the best of luck in your time with Charlotte while I’m gone. Just continue to be you. Because you are a wonderful man, and anyone who can see the real you will know that. You deserve love, and I want you to be happy.

Please don’t text or write me while I’m gone. I don’t want this to be more difficult than it already is.

Sincerely,

Jules Smith