I scoffed. “I hardly think Clarissa broke his heart,” I said.
“He asked her to marry him,” Dad said cautiously.
“Pfft. He only asked her because he thought it was the next step in their relationship. I asked him if he loved her and he couldn’t give me a straight answer. You know how Lucas is, he’s always doing ‘the right thing’ or rather, the right thing for everyone else. I think this time he’s actually doing something for himself and if he needs me to make that happen then I’m more than happy to do it. Besides, he’s not the only one benefiting here. You know how hard it’s been for me to come up with a topic for my dissertation. What could be better than spending a few weeks on a Mediterranean island doing research while staying at the palace and having access to the king?”
Mom sighed and looked at Dad, who shrugged.
“We’re just worried,” Dad said, looking back at me. “We know how you feel about Lucas and we don’t want you getting hurt.”
“What?” I asked. “What do you mean, ‘the way I feel about Lucas?’ We’re friends.”
Mom reached over the table and squeezed my hand. “It’s okay, honey, we know you feel more for him than just friends.”
“What?” I spluttered. “I had a crush on Lucas, but that is in the past. We’re just friends, Mom. That’s all.”
“Mm-hmm,” she hummed, turning her attention back to her food, not believing me for a minute.
“Did you ask him over for dinner tonight?” Dad asked.
“Oops, I forgot,” I said, pulling out my phone and shooting off a quick text.
“So when do you leave?” Mom asked, and I was thankful she’d moved on from the previous topic of conversation.
“Next month,” I replied, taking a bite of my burrito. “Oh, and I got this enormous bunch of flowers from the king this morning,” I mumbled around the food in my mouth. Classy, I know.
“What?” Mom asked, her eyebrows popping up into her hairline.
I nodded. “It’s massive. He must have seen the TikTok thing. He sent it with a card saying congratulations and he can’t wait to meet me.”
Mom and Dad did that silent communication thing that only two people who had been together forever could do, and I sighed.
“It’s fine,” I said. “I know we’re basically lying to the king and to Lucas’ parents, but no one will get hurt. Lucas gets to escape from his family for a few months and I get to write an amazing dissertation for my doctorate. This is a win-win situation.”
“If you say so, honey,” Dad said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.
Mom stayed suspiciously quiet.
Chapter 6
Lucas
What was I doing?
I had been asking myself this same question repeatedly all day.
I’d avoided Effie as much as I could because if there was anyone who could tell I was lying, then it would be her. I didn’t think she would tell our parents, but she would probably tell me to stop lying to them and just stand up to them for once.
That was easier said than done.
Standing up to my parents was above my pay grade. Effie did that. She was the one who’d always pushed the boundaries and didn’t let my parents get away with anything. Me, on the other hand, I was happy in my peacemaker role. I had no desire to rock the boat or grow a spine or any other euphemism for indulging in selfish conflict. Besides, I was achieving the same goal with a little bit of subterfuge and no one would get hurt. I would get to go to Kalopsia, Frankie would get her research for her dissertation, and my mother had a little bit of drama to keep her happy. Why ruin that?
“Lucas,” Olivia said, opening the door.
“Good evening, Olivia,” I said, leaning forward to brush a kiss on Frankie’s mom’s cheek. “I brought these for you,” I said, handing over a box of truffles from a new chocolaterie in town. Ashby Chocolates was an Australian company which had just opened a store in Boston and judging by the number of customers in the store when I bought the truffles, they were popular.
Olivia took the chocolates and smiled before looking back at me and narrowing her eyes. I swallowed. I loved Olivia and Adam and may have fantasized that they were my parents a few times over the years. I would hate to do anything to earn their disappointment.
“Frankie told you?” I asked, but I already knew the answer.
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Olivia asked, rather than answer.
“I can’t see another way,” I answered honestly. “Going to Kalopsia is really important to me.”
“And you don’t think your parents will see how important it is to you if you’re honest with them?”
I snorted inelegantly. “You’ve met my parents, Olivia, can you honestly think they would do anything for me just because I want them to? They would be more likely to dig their heels in further if they knew just how much I wanted to go.”
Olivia sighed and pulled me into a hug. I soaked in the mom-moment; I didn’t receive them from my own mother very often…or ever—this morning had been an anomaly, and an awkward one at that.
“I just don’t want anyone to get hurt,” she said as she drew back and looked me square in the eye.
I smiled. “No one will get hurt,” I reassured her. “Frankie and I are on the same page, here. This is a mutually beneficial arrangement for us.”
Olivia rolled her lips together and continued to stare at me until I began to fidget.
“Just be honest with each other…always,” she said.
“We are,” I replied.
“Mom, stop giving Lucas the third degree,” Frankie said coming down the stairs and rolling her eyes at Olivia.
“I have a right to know what a man’s intentions are for my daughter,” Olivia replied with a sniff.
“Ha,” Frankie barked. “Lucas’ intentions are to get as far away from his parents as he can, right Lucas?” she asked as she slid her arm through my mine and grinned up at me.
“Right,” I replied, grinning down at her.
Why had I never noticed those gold flecks in her dark eyes before? Maybe it was just a reflection from the chandelier above us.
“Come on,” Olivia said. “Dinner’s just about ready.”
I let Frankie lead me down the hall toward the dining room.
“Mother wants to invite you and your parents over for dinner before we leave,” I said.
“Oh, that should be fun,” Frankie replied sarcastically.
“It was either that or a full society-page-worthy engagement party.”
Frankie groaned. “Okay, you win. Dinner with the parents. I suppose it will be a black-tie event?” Frankie looked up at me with a cocked eyebrow and a crooked grin, and I had the overwhelming desire to lower my mouth to hers.
I jerked my head back and forced a chuckle. “Cocktails,” I said and then cleared the roughness from my throat. “It will be a small, intimate cocktail party at the estate. Early next month before we leave.”
“What’s happening next month?” Olivia asked as we stepped through the archway into the dining room.