Page 94 of A Royal Mistake
“We’re worried about you. We thought maybe you could use a friend,” Evie said, stepping forward and holding out the box of chocolate. “Or, you know, girl talk.”
“Girl talk?” she parroted back, pulling her knees up to her chest and resting her chin on them.
“Sure.” Lena strode across the room and toed the truffle box out of the way as she climbed up on the bed, perching on the edge. “You know, you tell us what a pendejo Henry is, we listen, and then agree with everything you say.”
“What she said.” Evie grinned as she plopped down on the bench at the foot of the bed.
Irritation skittered up Pippa’s spine and when she spoke, it was impossible to keep the bitter edge from her voice. “Right. Because I couldn’t possibly figure this out on my own. Poor little Bunny,” she said, hating the way her belly rolled with shame. “Can’t even fall in love without screwing it up.”
Another silent exchange passed between Lena and Evie.
Pippa’s temper flared.
“Would you stop looking at each other like that?” She glared at them both. “You know I can see you, right?”
Evie rolled her eyes. “Obviously.”
“Cuéntanos,” Lena said, cupping her hand and wiggling her fingers in the universal gesture for ‘out with it’. “Let it out. We know you’re not really mad at us.”
“Don’t be so sure about that,” she grumbled, giving her sister-in-law the side eye.
“You’ve been holed up in your room for three days,” Evie scoffed, arching a brow. “And you look like a Time’s Square panhandler. If that’s not heartbreak, I don’t know what is.”
Now it was Pippa’s turn to roll her eyes. “You and Xander are disgustingly happy. What would you know about heartbreak?”
“Enough to know that talking it out helps,” Evie shot back, giving her a pointed once over.
Pippa chewed her lower lip, considering. What good would talking about it do? She couldn’t change the past, couldn’t change the fact that Henry played her for a fool. But maybe Evie was right. Maybe talking about it would help. God knew she’d spent three days locked in her room, considering all the facts, and she didn’t feel a damn bit better than she had when she first read the headlines.
The weight on her chest felt as crushing as ever, making it hard to breathe.
“I just…” She sighed and closed her eyes. “I’ve worked so hard to prove I’m not some silly, naïve, crown jewel, and the first time I had to make a big decision, I fucked it up. I mean, I fell in love with a man whose name I didn’t even know.” Tears stung her eyes, and she blinked them back. No. More. Tears. “Who does that?”
“This isn’t your fault.” Evie’s determination was sweet, but completely misguided. Pippa was surely to blame. She was the one who’d fallen arse over elbow for the lie. “None of us knew the truth. Not Their Majesties. Not Xander. Certainly not us.” She paused pointing, between Lena and herself. “Do you think we’re all fools?”
“Of course not.” Because none of them had spent their lives being the punchline of a joke. “But how can I possibly lead a nonprofit and expect people to trust me whenIcan’t even trust my judgement?” she asked, voice warbling. “I literally gave my heart to a stranger.”
“Oh, sweetie, no.” Lena reached out and squeezed her knee, her touch warm and reassuring. “Do not let that tabloid trash undermine your confidence and invalidate your efforts. You’re a total boss babe.”
“We’ve all seen how hard you worked this summer to launch Stanley International,” Evie chimed in. “While juggling twelve obnoxious suitors. If that’s not a boss bitch, I don’t know what is.”
They thought she was a boss bitch?
Pride sparked in her chest.
“Trust me.” Lena grinned. “From one entrepreneur to another, you’re going to make mistakes. We all do. Literally everyone, and I can’t stress that enough. Learn from them and move on.”
“If only it were that easy.” Pippa sighed. “My entire life is one big string of mistakes.”
“Let that shit go,” Evie ordered, jabbing a finger at her. “Dwelling on the past is toxic AF.”
“Look, I get it,” Lena said, sounding diplomatic. “But you can’t let your past shape your future. Unless, of course, you enjoy being stuck in the same shitty cycle.”
“I don’t—” She snapped her mouth closed. They were right. Maybe there was a time when her screwups were a self-fulfilling prophecy, but she’d worked her arse off to put that mindset—that girl—in the past. She’d changed, and she would not let one misstep derail her progress.
She’dcreated the business plan for Stanley International.She’dsecured her first donation. And she would see it through, come hell or high water. Her love life might be a disaster, but she wouldn’t give up on her dreams.
No, she wouldn’t give up on herself.