Chapter 362

Nicholas continued to hold me, even as the ship neared the dock of the familiar island. By this point, Julian had also joined us and was pacing back and forth in the small space in front of us. Veronica sat quietly nearby, observing all with watchful eyes. Jessica was still laying down, clutching her stomach.

The crew worked to tie off the ship to the dock. I was ready to be on dry land again. Truthfully, I was ready to leave this island. I didn’t think I’d avoid water for the rest of my life, but as it was at this moment, I didn’t even want to visit a large pool for a while. Forget the ocean.

Nicholas words were still echoing inside my head. He wasn’t going to let me go anywhere alone. I didn’t know if he meant while we were on the island or for much longer. Just while we were on the island, I could understand. For much longer, I was secretly hoping.

My paranoia had not ebbed. For now, I was simply relieved that Prince Ronan did not jump out of the shadows at any point and murder me. Having Nicholas helped keep those wild fears under control, at least in part. I still thought them, but now, I knew Nicholas would protect me and that gave me peace.

As we were waiting for the crew to give us the all clear so that we could go ashore, Bridget approached us. She walked right behind Julian’s back as he was pacing, moving closer to me.

When Julian turned, he spotted her, and then rushed to intercept. He held up his arm, blocking her path, keeping her from going farther.

“Where do you think you are going?” Julian snapped. Any sympathy Julian had shown for Bridget was long gone now. He doesn’t even attempt to feign niceties for diplomacy’s sake. His voice now was as harsh and cold as I had ever heard it.

It was strange to hear Julian’s voice, usually so full of life and teasing, bereft of emotion.

Bridget looked at him. She smiled but her eyes were narrowed. The mismatched gave her an unnerving expression.

“I merely wish to apologize once more to Piper,” she said. Funny, I don’t remember her apologizing at all. When we had been in the water, she had shouted and accused me of ruining her hair and makeup. “I want to clear the air before things get serious.”

Things were already serious.

“There’s no reason for us to all hold onto our hard feelings,” she said.

“No,” Julian said. “Absolutely not.”

Bridget clucked her tongue. “This isn’t about you, Julian. This is solely between Piper and me. Don’t stand in my way.”

“You lost your right to speak privately with her the moment you pushed her into the water,” Julian said. “At this point you’d be lucky if she doesn’t press charges on you.”

“I committed no crime.”

“Assault at best. Attempted murder at worst,” Julian said.

“Ridiculous,” Bridget snapped.

“Bridget,” Nicholas said. I felt his words vibrate through his chest under my ear. “If you are truly sorry, you can wait and formally apologize when we have all returned to the palace.”

That, I believed, was a fair trade-off.

Bridget did not seem to agree with that. Her face twisted, becoming sad and pleading, her bottom lip sticking out. “I can’t wait that long,” she said. “What will the public think if it takes me so long to say sorry?”

“If you didn’t want to look back in front of the public,” Julian said, “then you should have thought of that before you shoved Piper into the fucking ocean!”

“Julian,” I said, recognizing his rising rage. I felt privileged to be one of the few he would rise so valiantly to protect, but he really didn’t need to right now. Bridget had already lost. Now she was just trying to damage control the situation.

Julian glanced back at me. I gave him the best calming look I could muster. He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath in through the mouth, out through the nose.

“You had better listen to her, Julian,” Bridget said. “Calm yourself and act like a gentleman to me for a change.”

Julian’s calm face hardened once more. He opened his eyes and glared at Bridget.

“You wouldn’t want to be cruel to me. After all, I know certain secrets about you that you wouldn’t want others… like, your brother… to know.”

“You don’t know anything,” Julian growled. Though we all knew that wasn’t true.

After all, Bridget knew that Julian had a crush on me, something that Julian later admitted to me was true. If she told Nicholas that… Would it start a war between the brothers? How would that possibly resolve?

I cared for both the brothers. The last thing in the entire world I wanted was for the two of them to ruin their relationship with each other because of their feelings for me.

“Back off, Bridget,” I snapped. I gently shoved against Nicholas’s chest. He reluctantly loosened his hold so that I could sit up straight on my own.

“If you want me to stay quiet on this, then you should accept my apology,” Bridget said. She smiled sharply. “We wouldn’t want Nicholas to get the wrong idea.”

“If my brother wants me to know his secrets,” Nicholas said. “He can very well tell me himself. I certainly don’t need to have some middleman trying to lord things over us.” Nicholas was getting angry now. Though his Alpha rage was gone, he was still tense as a taut bow string.

“You aren’t the first person who tried to sew discord between us,” Nicholas continued. “Nor will you be the last. But to think you might actually succeed where all the others have failed speaks to your hubris. Piper will not be hearing your words now, neither will I, or my brother.”

Bridget’s eyes went wide. Her mouth opened, slacked.

Julian smirked. He leaned toward Bridget. “That’s your cue to leave.”

Bridget snapped her mouth closed.

From the dock, one of the crew yelled, “It’s safe now. You can all depart!”

Bridget huffed, and turned from us. She stormed her way downstairs.

Jessica groaned as she stood and followed. Veronica stood as well. She looked between the two princes and myself, and said, “I’ll see you ashore.”

I wanted to be off this ship, but the air between the three of us remaining felt charged beyond belief. Julian was the one setting the tone. Nicholas had told off Bridget on his defense but he still lingered. Guilt weighed heavily on his face.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Nicholas said. He knew Julian even better than I, sometimes.

“I don’t want her to be able to have this thing that she can use to hurt us,” Julian said. “You’re right, I’d rather tell you myself.”

I sucked in a shaky breath.

“It has taken time,” Nicholas said, “but we have both come to see Bridget for the person that she truly is. Whatever lies she tells –”

“I’m afraid it wouldn’t be a lie this time,” Julian said. “That’s why I have to tell you. Here. Now. You can punch me if you want, but the truth will be out there and that’s that, for better or worse.”

My heart raced out of control. I didn’t know what I could say to help this situation.

“Julian, you don’t have to –” Nicholas began.

“I romantically like Piper,” Julian said.

Nicholas’s mouth snapped closed.