Page 14 of The Prince and the Double Shot (Runaway Prince Hotel #2)

ZANE

“ S heena wants to see you,” Daryl slapped me on the shoulder before heading into the back.

“Now?” I shouted, making a couple of customers turn their heads. “Where is she?”

“She’s in the ballroom. That’s what Layla said, anyway. Sorry, I didn’t actually talk to her, so don’t shoot the messenger! I’m just relaying the info, man!”

I took my apron off and balled it up before throwing it into the bin. It was almost my time to clock out anyway.

“Alright! I’m outie!”

“See you later,” Mateo grinned as he wiped down the counter.

“Later, dude.”

I walked all the way to the ballroom and was quite shocked at how nice everything had looked. The renovations on the old wing had taken a long time to complete – or that’s how it seemed anyway. Hell, I barely remembered what it used to look like.

I walked down the hallway and marveled at the new flooring.

It looked so nice and new. I had been here a long time, hadn’t I?

Maybe it was time to move on? I stayed here longer than I intended, but Layla and Sheena made it hard to want to leave.

The friends I had made in the café were the same.

When I left home, I didn’t think I would ever find a family again, but here I was surrounded by people who actually gave a fuck. That meant something.

But if I stayed too long, they might find me.

When Phil left, maybe it would be my turn to leave, too?

Right under their fucking noses, and they had yet to find me. I had been lucky. Coming here was a risk, but it felt like the last place they would ever look. They knew I was smart. Princedelphia had been safe – but staying here was asking for too much.

This is what freedom meant, right? To stay free, I had to be free.

“What do you think?”

“Why should you care what I think? You’ve seen my torn t-shirts.”

“I need you to cover a pool shift tomorrow. I’ve asked Di to come in to take your place in the café. You’re fine with that, I assume.” Sheena pursed her lips.

“Yeah. I’ve been waiting. Thanks, Sheena. I won’t let you down.”

“You’ve never let me down, kid. I don’t expect you to start now.”

“Is that all?”

“You haven’t sent in a response to the ball. I’m just putting you down, and I expect you to be here. Got it?”

“Crystal clear. The place looks amazing.”

“How’s our friend Phil doing? It seems that the two of you have hit it off.”

“Yeah, we’re… hanging out.”

“Good. I’m glad to hear it. That boy is special, and with everything that he went through… I’m just glad that he has a friend .”

“Yeah, we’re totally friends .”

“Has he confided in you?”

I stiffened.

“I’m not trying to get information out of you, Zane. I know everything. His mother and I used to be friends many years ago.”

“Oh, that’s… You’re friends with a queen?”

“Sure. I have lots of friends. Didn’t the gossip of my former life ever reach you?”

“I mean, you hear a lot of things,” I shrugged.

“It’s true. I was a princess, but I left that life for another.” She looked at me, and I couldn’t pull my eyes away from her. “ You know the story, Zane. It’s one as old as time, isn’t it?”

“I’m…”

“Foolish to think that a secret can be safe. That’s the problem with secrets.

There is always something that happens – they want to be exposed.

You keep yours well. Too well, in my opinion.

But isn’t it lonely? Don’t you ever get tired of looking over your shoulder and wondering if today is the day that it will all crash and burn?

It’s not the kind of life you deserve, kiddo. ”

I looked down at the floor. “How long have you known who I am?”

“How long have you worked here?”

“Do they know where I am?”

“If they do, it’s not because of us. We don’t share other people’s secrets, Zane. That belongs to you and no one else.”

“Does anyone else know?”

“Only Layla and I. You did a good job of hiding. Why?”

“The family wanted to use me as capital. I was nothing more to them than something to give away. They always thought of me as broken and I… So I ran, and I’ve never looked back. We weren’t a very… loving family. I had always been a disappointment to them so much that they hid me away.”

“That’s not fair to either them or yourself. I don’t know them, not really – but maybe you didn’t have all the information before you left.”

“I had all I needed. Don’t worry, I will figure something out and get out of here sometime soon. I just need to figure out where I’ll go.”

“ Don’t . There’s no need for you to run away, Zane. That’s silly. Nothing has changed, has it?”

“I don’t know. I have to admit that I’m kind of shocked right now. I thought I’d been very careful.”

“You have. Not everyone is like me, my friend. Stay , Zane. I think you’re supposed to. This is home to you now. Do you hear me?”

“I… do… I’m just… I need to think.”

“Maybe that’s what you shouldn’t do. Look, I don’t know everything that you’ve gone through, and I wouldn’t pretend to. But you’re safer here than you can be anywhere else in the world, and do you know why?”

“No.”

“Because you have us on your side. Do you hear me?”

I nodded.

“Why did you tell me this?”

“I keep other people’s secrets, hon. But when you love someone, a secret is never good. It just builds into something else, and I saw no reason for you not to know. It was time. Are you ok?”

“I haven’t been ok in a long time.”

“I think that’s why I wanted you to know. Your future is bright, but hiding in the shadows is not healthy. You deserve better than that. You deserve to live a life fully without fear and reservations. Aren’t you tired, Zane? Don’t you want to be able to live?”

“How can I?”

“Stop running away. There are things that you can do, and the only thing that’s stopping you is yourself. You don’t have to be scared.”

“I was so afraid that you and Layla would discover that I’ve been lying to you this entire time and fire me.”

“We all have secrets. But sometimes the secrets we keep would fare better in the light of day. Understand?”

“I do. You’ve… I need to think.”

“I’m here if you need me.”

I nodded and walked out of the ballroom. My lie was over. Now I had to figure out what I needed to do.