Chapter 303

Veronica and I waited until cocktails after dinner that evening to enact our plan. The instructions toward each prince’s treasure were handed out only a few minutes before. The instructions were written on notecards, and given discretely to each candidate.

Veronica, when given hers, ripped hers up and threw it in the garbage. I folded mine and tucked it into my pocket.

We waited until Bridget was on her second glass of white wine, and the cameras turned elsewhere, interviewing the princes, before we made our way over to her.

“Hi, Bridget!” I said, forcing myself to be happy to see her. My part of the plan Veronica and I had hastily pulled together was clear: distraction. “What are you drinking?”

Bridget’s returning smile was friendly enough, but a hint of curiosity darkened her eyes. Perhaps I had overplayed my hand. I was no actress after all. Veronica was much more talented at deception than me.

But Veronica had a different role to play in this plan, and hers was not one I could even fumble my way through. She meant to teleport the instructions away from Bridget’s hand. Only Veronica was capable of that.

“Chardonnay,” Bridget said. She tilted her head toward a nearby bottle, sitting atop the same railing she was leaning against. “Do you care to join me?”

“I’d love to,” I said.

Bridget slid her glance to Veronica, standing just beside her. “And you, Veronica?”

“I prefer red wine,” Veronica said.

“I’m sure we can get you a glass of that, too.” Bridget waved at a servant with the same hand in which she held the instructions. I noticed but tried not to stare overmuch. “An empty glass for Piper, and for Veronica…”

“Merlot,” Veronica said.

“Merlot,” Bridget said. She lowered her hand to her side, which placed the notecard at her hip near Veronica. Veronica’s eyes flitted down to it. Bridget didn’t seem to notice.

The servant nodded, and made her exit.

“Are you excited for the challenge tomorrow?” I asked Bridget, hoping to fulfill my role in distracting her, so that Veronica could make her move.

“I am,” Bridget said. “Confident too. I’m certain I have the best chance of winning the date with Nicholas. Ah, a romantic boat cruise. It will be so romantic. I can’t wait!”

“Right,” I said. I had to grit my teeth a little, trying to maintain my smile. “Do you think the cruise will be during the day? Or at night? Which would be more romantic?”

She hummed as she sipped at her wine. Veronica inched closer on her other side, eyes locked on the notecard of instructions.

“Nighttime, of course.” Bridget flashed me a grin. “There’s something about the night air that makes people feel… liberated. Wouldn’t you agree, Piper?”

A rush of panic surged through me. Surely she didn’t know about Julian and my kiss? Although, even if she did, it wouldn’t matter, right? Julian and I were supposed to be dating. I needed to get my heart under control.

But once the panic had taken root, it was hard to get myself back under control. My concentration slipped, and I hesitated in replying. In my hesitation, Bridget had time to notice Veronica’s closeness, just as Veronica was reaching out her hand toward the notecard.

“Something I can help you with, Veronica?” Bridget asked. She lifted the notecard and held it closer to her chest. She was aware of its presence now, and our attention on it. No way would Veronica be able to get close enough now to whisk it away without notice.

Veronica lowered her hand without explanation. “No.”

The servant who had taken our drink order returned with Veronica’s merlot and my empty glass. Veronica accepted her red wine and sipped deeply. I turned my empty glass away.

“I’m not thirsty anymore,” I said.

Bridget’s smile lifted higher on one side. “Pity.”

She turned away from us then, toward the railing instead. She looked out over the water with a wine glass in one hand and the other up against her chest, tucking the notecard safely out of our reach.

Veronica tilted her head, and I followed her away. Together we retreated inside and toward the wicker seating area near the front door. Along the way, Veronica plucked a notepad and a pencil from a serving tray. She wrote as we walked.

When we reached the seating area, she placed down her wine.

“I’m so sorry, Veronica,” I said at once. “I totally botched it.”

“It’s fine,” Veronica said.

“But I ruined our plan. We won’t even know where to start now.”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

Veronica finished writing. Then she turned the notepad to me and I saw her detailed, and well-penned, scribblings. Her handwriting, even when writing quickly, was fantastic.

I read the first couple lines. “This is…”

“I was able to quickly memorize some of what was on the notecard,” Veronica said. “Unfortunately, I was unable to see the last two instructions because of her thumb in the way, but this should give us a starting place.”

“Veronica, you’re incredible!” I said, and pulled her into a quick hug. “With this, we’ll find Nicholas’s treasure in no time!”

“My treasure?” said Nicholas, suddenly behind me. How long had he been there? Veronica did not seem surprised.

I turned toward him. “I… uh…”

He looked at me curiously.

Veronica was the one who answered. “Neither of us currently care to spend a romantic date with Julian, so we thought to spare you from Bridget instead.”

Nicholas smiled a little as he exhaled. He was sighing, but it thankfully sounded endeared. “That’s not in the rules.”

“No one said anything against it,” Veronica said. “We can apologize once it’s done.”

Nicholas made a soft humming noise, not an agreement, but not a disagreement either.

“You don’t happen to know the last two steps of the instructions?” Veronica asked.

Nicholas lightly shook his head. “I’m not privy to the instructions. I don’t even know what they are using as my supposed treasure.”

“I see.” Veronica dipped her head. “If you’ll excuse me.” She tucked the notepad paper into her pocket, grabbed her wine, and moved toward the kitchen. This left Nicholas and I alone.

His disposition slowly changed, standing there alone beside me. His good mood dissipated, and he seemed ill at ease.

“Are you alright?” I asked him.

He inched closer to me. Not close enough to touch, but near enough for me to feel the warmth radiating off of his strong body. He was still shirtless, as I was still in my swimsuit. I swallowed thickly, suddenly possessing a lump in my throat.

“I’m worried,” he said, which stopped my lusty thoughts in their tracks.

“Worried?”

“The island they are sending you to contains dense jungle,” he said. I knew it! “They want you to go there in your swimsuits, without equipment, and expect you to return happy and healthy. A jungle, even a small one, can be dangerous.”

He moved closer still. His arm brushed alongside mine.

“I don’t care about the date, I just want you to come back to me unharmed.”

I closed my eyes and softly inhaled, soaking in his scent, mixed with the salty sea air. Both brought me comfort here.

“Please be careful.”

“I will,” I said. “I’ll come back to you, I promise.”

His hand brushed across mine. His fingers interlaced with my own. It was brazen and dangerous, holding hands in this hallway where anyone could stumble upon us and see.

That was how I knew the true danger of what lied before me.

Nicholas was willing to risk it all for a chance to hold my hand.

“I’ll be careful,” I said.