The Girl Who Loved Two Princes: You, Me, Her and Him

2020, February 14th

(Capital City, Warlanda)

Emily walked through the doors of the candlelit restaurant and Aaron's fear that he'd made a mistake was confirmed. What kind of dumbass had Aaron been for letting Aria talk him into this?

"Troy sends his regards," said Emily, taking the seat across from Aaron.

Emily put the ring box down in front of Aaron, who just looked at it. The bloody thing was obviously cursed.

"Aria really did want to come Ron, but Troy's just not—"

"Since when are you and Aria such besties?" Aaron asked, draining the glass of champagne in front of him.

"I guess things are better now that you're not in the picture. I'm even allowed to come to the wedding now."

"Well whoop de doo for you."

He got up, threw a few bills down onto the table and was about to walk out when she took his hand and stopped him.

"What part of not friends did you not get?" he snapped.

"I'm not sorry about Aria, or what I did," she said after thinking about the words for a moment.

If she half-assed some apology he would just see right through her. Doing this meant putting all her cards on the table. Aaron Condor had always been all or nothing.

Aaron didn't know why he sat back down, only that he couldn't quite help it. Maybe some part of him wasn't done tearing into her yet. Maybe part of him would never be done with Emily Maine.

"I'm not sorry about James and Zoey either," she continued.

Why wasn't he saying anything? Walking out the door? Why did it still matter what a bitch she was being?

He wanted to be anywhere but there and yet his legs failed to move.

"Pick another day, Em. I don't have it in me to go ten rounds with you tonight only to end up nowhere, like always."

He picked up the ring box and forced himself back up.

"Then let's go somewhere this time," she murmured.

It had been a while since the last time he'd heard that vulnerable voice, the pleading in it. Emily wasn't still supposed to be able to do this. To make him stay.

"Another 'no strings' offer from the woman who cost me not one but two women? I think I'm going to—"

"No," she said, determination flashing in her eyes. "This time the offer is me, all of me, Aaron."

He looked into her eyes and there it was again. Her grey silver orbs brimmed with the same anguish they held when she looked at him while planning to marry another man.

"I know you're hurting right now, that you've been hurt before because of me, but you need to know why. I need to tell you why."

Run. Whatever she's about to say, it's a trick, a lie, some sort of deception.

Everything with her was just an illusion.

They grieved a man that wasn't dead together. That was the extent of their friendship. Only that look, it was unearthing things long buried.

After the month he'd had, Aaron needed someone to matter to. Just not her. Can't be her.

"I'm in love with you, Ronnie."

With those words she blew up his world. He just stared at her. He didn't love her. There had been other women. He had let go. Bloody hell, man, why aren't you moving?!

"I know how it sounds, believe me I do. When James left, I was prepared to be broken up about it forever. But he's not the one that stayed with me, Ron. He's not the one I couldn't quite get away from. Still can't get away from. Even back then, seeing you with Aria in ways you so obviously couldn't be with me, hurt so badly. I didn't get it then. I do now. I hate what I did, hate that I ever hurt you, but I'm not sorry."

Once the shock wore off, the anger hit hard. It was too late. All those lonely nights she spent swearing up and down that it could only ever be James. That all she wanted was James, James, James. How many times had he let her rip out his heart? How many times was he sure that she'd choose him? He didn't want to hear it anymore. How could she trigger him like that, like she was some switch in his head?

"There's nothing here but pain, Emily," he said, swallowing hard, desperate for air to flow normally through him again, raw emotion in his eyes. "You're just pain. Everything is just pain."

"I know," she said, getting up, reaching out for his face. "After all these years spent watching you with women that weren't me because I couldn't admit what you were to me, believe me I know. I don't want to lie to myself or you anymore. So when you're ready, come and find me. This time I'll be whatever, whomever you need me to be, Ron. This time I want to make the pain stop for both of us."

Seated on the other side of the restaurant by the window, Lady Keira Dormer was having a rough time. Her ex-fiancé's killer was finally dead and his child was safe. Suddenly, there was no action to take and the walls closed in on her hard. Ethan was really gone. It was set to be another night wallowing in her grief until she saw him.

Subtle shift in the atmosphere. The piercing, rugged, good looks of The Casanova of Caines had her taking notice.

Keira had watched him through the slightly ajar partition that separated his dark, secluded corner from the rest of the restaurant for about an hour before Emily Maine showed up. As she watched them exchange heated words, the memory of Ethan took a backseat to Aaron's tortured face. He stirred unfamiliar sensations in her. Just like the first time she laid eyes on him in Sartis Est.

These chicks needed to get their heads checked. Aaron Condor was devastatingly, take me now, hot. Eyes bluer than the ocean, bi