A Royal Internship | Complete

Chapter Fifty-Five

"He was cheating on me?" I shouted, pacing the floor. "With that bimbo who 'had to escort me out of the building for security purposes'?"

Janet tried to get a word in, but I was livid. "And," I pointed at her as I spoke, "he had the nerve to not even tell me about it. That jerk broke up with me so he didn't have to tell me he took another summer on the internship I was supposed to get. I'm going to kill him."

"Okay, calm down there, Genevieve," Janet put her hands on my shoulders. "It's really not a good look to kill people. We're trying to improve the way the public sees you."

I shook with rage, unable to control myself. "But I can't believe he could... when I ... how could he--?"

"I know," Janet said, putting her hands on my shoulders and pushing me down into the chaise. "I know. He sucks, but you have to focus."

I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. You don't need him anymore. You don't care about him anymore. You have Clarence now.

"But, he said it was my fault! He made me think I was the one who broke us up and now you ... and he--"

"Genevieve. I know. But please focus. You have to figure out how to sell this. Getting enraged about an ex probably isn't going to make you look like you love Clarence. To anyone. And you've barely arrived. No one has had time to meet you or get to know you. This could blow up your reputation to the point where it takes years to get it back. We can't have that."

The way she said it was to remind me that a palace has ears and I was being loud enough that it could get back to people I didn't want it to get back to. "I know." I sighed. "I know. I'm just angry. I'm angry I put all that time in and he just dumped me for it."

Janet started to talk but I interrupted her. "Actually, I'm mostly angry that he didn't leave me alone after he dumped me for it." I took a deep breath and stood up. "I need to take some time to think, okay?"

"Umm, yeah," she replied. "Supper isn't for another couple hours. Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, thank you." I'm going to be fine on my own.

I made my way down the grand staircase, past the ballroom, and down a maze of hallways I knew better than the back of my hand until I came to the doors that opened into Clarence's courtyard. I reached my hand out for the door handle and pushed before I stopped to think if what I was doing was okay.

"We had the same idea." I heard Clarence speak from behind me.

"I'm sorry," I turned around. "I needed some place to think and I didn't realize until I got here that you might not want to share this place with me and--"

He laughed and put his hand over mine, pushing the door wide open. "I showed it to you for a reason," he said, taking my hand and leading me through the door. "I wouldn't have shown you if I didn't want you here."

My face grew warm at the compliment and I turned my eyes to the sky in order to avoid looking at him.

"So, what are you doing here?" I asked him.

"You first," he sighed, sitting down on the bench and leaning his head back.

"Okay," I slipped my heels off and felt the cold grass squish between my feet as I sat on the bench beside him. "I am avoiding Janet and dreading my meeting with your mother, and desperately trying to get enough evidence to discredit an ex who has already taken quite enough from me." I stopped short of telling him the whole story. That felt like too much all at once.

"Your turn."

"Ah," he ran his hand over his hair. "I'm also avoiding my mother and..." He looked straight into my eyes and held my hand in his. "I don't want you to go."

I hope he can't hear my heart racing. I smiled and slid my hand along my skirt, pretending to uncrease a wrinkle on the soft knit fabric. "I don't want to go either." I looked away. "I'm sure I'll figure it out."

"We will figure it out," he corrected me, emphasizing the first word.

"Well, if we are going to figure it out," I took a deep breath. Please don't hate me.

"Yes?" He sat up straighter, if that was possible, and leaned towards me, waiting for my response.

The seconds ticked past and I took a shaky breath. "I need to tell you something about Josh. And about what I'm trying to do to fix this. And then, I need to tell your mom."

He winced slightly and I wasn't sure which part was causing him such distress: Josh or his mother. But if he was anything like me, the answer was both.

I explained the whole thing to him about what Janet found and why he had left me and what he had tried to say about us. I detailed all of my evidence I was finding to discredit his story.

I expected him to tell me we needed more, or we had to be careful how we released it or something, but instead, his hands balled up into fists and his jaw tensed.

"He said what?"

"I'd rather not repeat it," I looked at my shoes, counting the small diamonds that adorned the upper edge.

"Consider it dropped," he said, though I could see the tension still raging in every muscle on his body. "So what made him let this out now after keeping quiet all this time?"

"We can't be sure," I shrugged. "Josh was never known for his consistency. But so far as we can tell, the girl he was cheating on me with--"

"Wait, he was cheating on you, too?"

Oh, right. I forgot I didn't mention that.

"Yeah, but anyways, she broke up with him so I guess he maybe wanted to get back at me. I really don't know."

His jaw clenched and his arm twitched, but he remained otherwise calm. "It's a good thing he's so far away because the thought of him doing that to you is--"

"Over and done with," I put a hand on his shoulder. "He dumped me, remember? I can prove I didn't two-time him with you and I can prove he was two-timing me with her. I will figure this out."

"We," he corrected, his body relaxing under my touch.

"Yes, we will figure this out," I put my head on his shoulder and he kissed the top of it. "But first, I have to face your mother." I sighed.

"Me, too," he chuckled. "But I think I'm first." He looked at his watch. "Actually, I'm late. I will see you at dinner." He placed a quick kiss on my forehead and ran back into the palace.

Nothing like the prince you love looking handsome to give you that extra energy to crush your ex, right? I stood up and went back inside. I had to prepare this plan and I had to do it before dinner.