You Have My Heart, Lady Illea (A Lady Illea Novel)

Chapter Forty Nine

Angelo's bracelet.

My eyes flew wide open. "Stop the car!"

The driver didn't hear me and I yelled it out again. He slammed on the brakes and I threw the car door open. I ran up the path leading to the palace grabbing my dress. There was no way I was leaving Angelo's bracelet here. It was mine.

"Open the doors!" I shouted. "Open the doors!"

They opened up and I flew past the guards leaving them in my dust and I raced up the stairs. I ran down the hallway for my bedroom and I tripped inside. The door was open and when I saw my room I just...

Didn't know what to do.

Nothing let anyone know that I had inhabited this room for so many months. The bed was stripped of my favorite bed covers. The walls were barren as were the dressers, the wardrobe, and my vanity. There was the box with the wedding ring and I opened up the second drawer. My bracelet was there like I suspected and I put it on.

I glared at the box before grabbing it and shoving it into my pocket. I knew that if I looked back I'd cry my eyes out so I walked out of my room-

No. I was starting over.

I walked out of the palace bedroom and shut the door behind me. I let out a deep breath. This was it. I walked down the hallway then down the stair when I heard something coming from the Women's Room. I hadn't said goodbye to Krystal and Tiny and they deserved it.

Against my better judgement I pushed the door open and nearly fell over. Cecilia was laughing with the other former selected girls and when she turned around to see me she stopped. There was a wedding veil with a tiara on her head. I'm pretty sure she hadn't been proposed to yet, Will wasn't informed of my departure yet as I was waiting until I was actually on the damn plane, but she looked guilty nonetheless.

"I came to say goodbye."

At that moment Tiny ran up to me and threw her arms around me squeezing tightly. It was almost like holding a baby. I smoothed my hand over her hair and pulled back to smile.

"Keep in touch, ok?"

She had tears in her eyes and nodded.

Krystal came up to me next and embraced me, knocking the wind out of me. She leaned up and whispered in my ear someone only she and I could hear.

"It should've been you."

I let out a deep breath. "No," i pulled back. "Everything turned out alright in the end."

I turned and saw Cecilia. It hurt because we were once best friends and I wondered what went wrong. I wanted to believe she was still the kind angelic red head I met. I dug into my pocket and pulled out the ring still in its box. I held it out.

"Long live Queen Cecilia."

She took in a deep breath, the tiara glittering on her head. She looked like a queen. She looked royal. She deserved it. Cecilia clenched her jaw. She looked back and forth between my hand and my face. I extended it further.

"Here," I said. "Take it." I leaned in. "I don't want it anymore."

She reached out hesitantly and took the box. When she did I gave everyone one last withering look and I walked right out. I let out a deep breath and walked down the hallway. I turned the corner and someone bumped into me so hard I nearly fell back.

Will reached out and grabbed me. "I was looking for you."

Shit.

I walked around him. "I'm leaving."