: Publicity (Rhys' POV) We sat across from each other at the table, waiting for our food and waiting for one of us to say something. It's moments like these between us that I hate the most, that I dread because the first thing she asks me just might be why I did what I did to her. "Why did you bring me here?" She lifted a brow. "For publicity." I nodded towards the reporters standing outside, taking pictures. There were only three, but three is enough in a place like Kilthorne. "Prince Rhys caught on a date with his future sister-in-law?" I rolled my eyes. "His future fiancé since her sister ran away," I corrected. She shrugged, leaning back in her seat. She took a look around the restaurant and I started thinking about what our future will end up looking like. "Are you ready to get married?" I questioned, just out of curiosity. "To you?" I resisted another eye roll. "To anybody." "Not to you." I let out a breath through my nose. "You must really enjoy getting on my nerves." "Only as much as you enjoy getting on mine," she smiled. She sighed, resting her arms on the table, and stared at me. "I'm changing my entire life for Brooke and if that means ending up with you… Well, I haven't decided yet." I frowned, "Haven't decided what?" "If I'll end up killing you or myself." I scoffed, my tongue poking the inside of my cheek as I glanced out the window. "You're marrying me for Brooke. You're really willing to change your entire future for her?" "My future?" She thought for a minute. "Well, I never knew what my future would hold, remember? But you had an idea of yours, didn't you? Why don't you tell me? Are things going your way?" My jaw ticked at her reference to the past. "Or was that just another one of your lies, Rhys?" The waiter came and placed our meals in front of us, telling us to enjoy ourselves before walking away. "I guess it was all just a lie, huh?" "It wasn't a lie," I blurted out. "Wasn't it?" She watched me carefully. "It was a dream." Her careless facade finally faltered. "I didn't know what I was talking about." "You weren't a kid. You knew exactly what you were talking about. You want to call it a dream? Fine. Then I guess our fates are twisted enough to make your dreams come true." We were lying on the grass, staring up at the sky, trying to make shapes out of the clouds. I felt her glance over at me while I squinted slightly under the sun, looking for a shape to point out while one of my hands remained locked with hers. I brought it up, resting our held hands on my chest while still staring up. "Oh, that looks like a cake." She followed my gaze, laughing, "It just looks like a cloud." "Does it? Oh," I chuckled. I looked over at her. She seemed to be in deep thought. "Rhys." "Yes?" "Do you ever think about the future?" I thought for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I do." She blinked, hesitating. "Am I in it?" "Hmm," I sighed, staring at her, pretending to be confused about my answer. She raised her eyebrows, genuinely curious and seeming a little nervous to hear my answer. "Ava." "Yeah?" "You are it." I dwelled over her words. "Just because we're getting married doesn't mean you are my future, Ava." She studied me for a minute before asking, "Are you sure about that?" I opened my mouth to reply with something but I had nothing to say. Whether I like it or not, she was right. She was going to be my future, the biggest part of it, the most important part of it. "I'm your biggest publicity stunt ever. It was going to be Brooke, but now it's me." "Is that what you think?" "Isn't it true? I'm just one more thing you need to do in order to be king. You're only marrying me so you're one step closer to being king. That's it. Otherwise, you could have married any other girl, a princess even." "That's not up to me and you know it." "It definitely is and you know it." We didn't talk for the rest of lunch and ate in silence, both of us already losing more than half our appetite. After that, I thought it would be best if I just dropped her home because we've spent more than enough time together for one day. When we got back to her place, Ashton seemed to be leaving for somewhere but stopped when he saw us. "Oh, Ava!" "Yeah?" She turned to him, standing in front of the car, the door still open. I got out of the car, watching them over the hood. "We found Brooke's ring." "What?" "Yeah. She left it on her dresser with a note." "She did?" "Yeah. The note's addressed to you. I left it on your bed." He started walking to their car. "Where are you going?" she called out after him. "To run an errand!" He got in and drove off. He's definitely not going to run an errand. I locked the car and followed her into the house, despite her complaints. "Just leave me alone, please," she groaned loudly, turning to me at the door. "I haven't said a word to you, don't you think you should take the attitude down a couple of notches?" She stared at me in disbelief as I opened the door and walked inside and up to her room, finding the ring and the note on her bed. She was right behind me and I could hear the anger in her footsteps, so I quickly grabbed the ring box and pocketed it, and grabbed the note, unfolding it. Unfortunately, before I could even read the first word, she yanked it out of my hand. But I refused to let it go, so we both were holding onto each corner. "That's for me!" "The ring is mine," I shrugged. "The note has nothing to do with the ring, let go!" "Let me read it." "The note won't have any hints as to where she is, don't bother," she scoffed. "Give me the note." "No." She pulled and I pulled harder the corner tearing. "Stop!" she yelled. "You'll rip it!" "So let go." "You let go!" she demanded. "I grabbed it first." "I don't care, it's mine!" "Stop yelling," I sighed calmly. We're polar opposites when we argue. I don't yell. I have never once in my life yelled at her. I don't like yelling in general, it makes it seem like I've lost control. Ava, on the other hand, yells as loud as she can. And I know exactly why she does it. Because she cries at everything. I don't say that to mock her, I just know that about her. Whenever she argues with someone, she tends to cry. When she's angry, sad, happy, frustrated, nervous, anything… she cries. And she yells as a defense mechanism so she doesn't start crying. But it doesn't always help. It was horrible when she was a kid, I remember seeing her cry. I was maybe ten? And she would be running around crying for her dad's attention because her mom was always too busy with Brooke and Ashton. It would annoy me but I would also feel bad. Seeing her cry has always made my heart ache and twist in the most painful, worse, torturous ways possible. And I can't afford to let that show now. "Stop taking things that are mine!" she shouted. I ground my teeth, hating the way she screamed. She's only a screamer at times like this. "Rhys, I swear to god, just-" I clamped my hand over her mouth and she shut up, staring at me wide-eyed. I slowly pulled the note away and she was too frozen to react. She tried talking behind my palm but I shot her a look and she huffed, rolling her eyes. She knows better than to pull my hand down. I started reading through the letter, skimming over it. I have no interest in anything that Brooke has to say to Ava, I'm just looking for a location so we can track Brooke down even if it means she won't marry me anymore. I just want to ask her why the fuck she thought it was a good idea to get engaged in the first place. If she would have said no right away, I would have been marrying Ava anyway. But why the humiliation? And not just that, but Mr. and Mrs. Robinson, Ashton, and Ava all seem worried. She tried talking again and I huffed, rolling my eyes and lifting my palm just enough for her to talk. "Can you at least read it out?" She blinked quickly, her eyes glossing over. I swallowed, pulling my hand down. "I'm not reading it. I'm looking for a location." I handed her the letter. "She didn't write one." She took the letter and read it quickly, her tears and look of sadness being replaced with a frown. "What the hell is this? This just says she's leaving the ring behind because she knew once she leaves, we'll get married and…" I lifted my brows. "And what?" She looked up at me hesitantly. "And she thinks it would look better on me anyway. The ring." My eyes narrowed. "This is why I think you knew she was running. Did you pick the ring for yourself?" "Don't be delusional. I told you that Brooke and I have different tastes. And you took me to pick the ring on purpose. Brooke didn't tell you she couldn't make it, you lied. Why would you take me to pick a ring for your fiancé?" "Obviously, to remind you that it's your sister I'm marrying, not you." "You're such a dick." "I know that," I sighed. She glared at me. "I don't want that stupid ring. It wasn't meant for me. And I didn't pick it for myself," she emphasized the last phrase. Her brows furrowed. "Actually, I didn't even pick it. You did and I just approved it." "I picked it because-" I cut myself short when I realized what I was about to say. I picked it because I knew you liked it. But the ring had nothing to do with Ava then. "I'm leaving," I said abruptly. "What?" she sputtered. "I'll see you when we have to meet." She shrugged. "Fine." And so I left, feeling like a complete idiot. . . . . . Chapter 12 So of course I'm going to update now no matter how late it is because nothing, not even a bitch named 'school' can stop me from writing when I fucking want to