Page 62 of A Royal Obligation
“That’s great. I’m so happy to hear that, Jules.”
“How has everything been here?”
“It’s going well. Charlotte has been helping me with the school project and we’ve been hanging out, getting to know each other better.” At the mention of Charlotte, he averted his eyes to the grass. “Care to walk?”
Jules nodded and walked beside him, careful to not brush her arm against his.
They walked in silence. But it wasn’t an awkward silence. It was the kind that came from understanding and from being one-hundred percent comfortable with the other person. Barrett stopped when they got to the whitewashed wood pavilion. He walked inside it, sat down on the bench, and motioned to the empty space beside him for her to sit down. Once she was beside him, he angled his body toward her.
“Do you mind if I talk to you about a few things? I’ve missed you—er, I’ve missed your friendship.”
“Of course, Barrett. Any time.” She laid a hand on his forearm, and his shoulders visibly looked less tense.
“Since you’ve been gone, some new revelations have come up about my father’s illness.”
“What kind of revelations?”
“The kind that means I may be taking the throne very soon. That I will have to marry very soon.” His eyes looked off into the distance as he whispered the last part. The bags under them showed Jules how exhausted he had been in the time she’d been gone. She wished she could pull him to her and kiss him until he forgot his worries, but she refrained and offered as much support as she could through simply being there.
Jules reached out, grabbing one of his hands with hers and giving it a light squeeze. “I’m so sorry. How are you handling that? Have you … have you proposed to Charlotte yet?”
“No.” He answered in a clipped tone. “I’m not sure how to handle it yet because there’s more. He has an inflammatory disease called Sarcoidosis, and it may be genetic. There’s a chance I have it too, Jules.” His eyes glazed over with emotion.
Jules scooted closer and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, hugging him tightly so that he wouldn’t see the emotion laid plainly across her face. She bit the inside of her bottom lip, trying to keep it from trembling as tears stung the back of her eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Barrett. Are you okay? When will you find out if you or Liam have it?” Her voice turned into a whisper as she asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“We’re both getting tested the day after the school unveiling. So, we should find out a few days after that. You asked me not to contact you, and I wanted to respect your wishes.” He wrapped both arms around her and buried his head in her shoulder. “I’m so scared. How can I get married if I have it, knowing I could pass it on to a child? I don’t know what to do. Tell me what to do.”
Jules held him until he softened his grip, and she pulled her face back to look at him. “Barrett, there is no need to worry right now. Once you find out the results of your test, you can figure out what to do moving forward. For now, I think you need to do something wild and unplanned. Something to forget everything else going on right now and justlive.”
“I guess I could order some pumpkin scones tomorrow morning for breakfast rather than vanilla bean.” He shrugged.
Jules rolled her eyes and nudged him in the shoulder. “Ordering a different flavor of scone is not wild, Barrett.”
“I know. I was messing with you.” He nudged her back and sighed. “Thank you for this. I hadn’t realized how much I needed to let all of my thoughts and feelings out until now.”
“Of course. Have you talked to Charlotte about all of this?”
He paused before answering. “I haven’t. I’ve been trying to sort out my thoughts.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through it all alone up until now. And I’m sorry for leaving without saying goodbye.”
“I appreciate that.”
He stared into her eyes until a flush crept up her neck. He began to lean in, and she wanted him to kiss her more than anything. But she couldn’t let him do that, otherwise, the damage to her heart may be irreparable when she had to leave. She pulled away at the last second when his lips were only inches from hers—so close that she could feel his warm breath on her face. A shiver ran down her body, causing her shoulders to shake.
“You’re shivering. Are you cold? Come on, let’s head back to the palace and get you warmed up.” He helped her up from the bench, and they walked back to the palace.
Once Jules was back in her room, she curled up in a ball under the covers of the ornate duvet. She had been so scared to return to Wistonia and, in a matter of seconds, Barrett had taken all of her anxiety about being there away. His presence alone was so calming to her, and she dreaded the moment when she would have to leave for good. She sent up a silent prayer for him and Liam, praying that—against all odds—neither of them would carry the same illness as the king.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Barrett
JulesreturningtotheWistonian Palace had been a double-edged sword. It was wonderful seeing her again, and it brought a pep back into Barrett’s step. But he never could’ve imagined how painful it was to see her and not be able to wrap her in his arms and kiss her with all the longing and love he felt for her. It was difficult knowing she was avoiding him. Yet, that brought a small sliver of peace knowing she would only be steering clear of him if she still had feelings for him, too.
He had to hold onto the fact that maybe there was hope for them yet. Yes, there was a law in place saying that he needed to marry someone of royal standing. But rules were made to be broken, right?I never thought I would say that.But in this case that law is one I desperately want to break.