The Vampire Prince graduates High School (Book 3)

What's the Rush?

"I can go tomorrow," Brissa said. "I have time. Plus, it's not smart to send the same person."

"Thanks," I said. "I'll work on it tonight."

"Do you still have your internship?" Sandra asked me suddenly.

"Not anymore," I confessed. "I think it was too much for me, and I need to take a break from that for now. I still have my etiquette lessons, though."

Much like Lady Hargrave, I needed to keep my head down. Sure, I might cause some trouble to throw suspicion off of me, but needless to say, this political maneuvering was exhausting. How do people do it?

Sighing, I finished the rest of my meal. I didn't have to stay at school or go to my internship. I had the rest of the afternoon free. I knew Joseph would be waiting for me in the parking lot until it was ready to go home. 

After lunch, that is what I did. It felt so strange going home. Cami wasn't home, but I poured more water and food into her bowls. 

My body was filled with adrenaline. There was so much to do, but I couldn't decide what to do first. So, I decided to multitask. I played one of my science lectures on my laptop while I filled out Royal Prints' form.

As I did this, I also emailed Violet for a guest list. Maybe with her under house arrest, she would help me plan the event. It s*cked that this was the way I could get a moment of her time, but I was going to take advantage of it. With Violet's help, I finished most of my checklist (invitations, tentative menu, entertainment). 

When my parents came home, I was downstairs trying to defrost the ground beef faster under the hot water. 

"What's for dinner?" Mom joked.

"Spaghetti," I said. "It's easy and fast."

"I think we have garlic bread in the fridge," Dad said. "Let me help."

After my parents changed out of their work clothes, we prepared dinner. Between the three of us, it didn't take us too long. Mom set the table, Dad poured the drinks, and we were ready to eat. 

"It's terrible what happened to Violet," Mom said. "To think someone could frame her like that. There's no way she's capable of anything that would harm vampires."

"It just goes to show that some people will do anything to further their agenda," Dad replied.

"Well, she did help me prep for the ceremony," I casually added. 

"So, you're going through with it?" Dad asked. "I thought you wanted to wait until after college."

I bit my lip. "I'm not getting married," I said. "I'm telling them that I will in the future."

"What's the rush?" he asked.

"Rin, are you pregnant?" Mom asked.

Dad and I choked on our food. 

"No," I said, tears in my eyes. "Gosh, no. No, no."

"Emily," Dad gasped. 

"You were thinking it too," Mom told him. 

I chugged down my drink and took a deep breath. "The ceremony is a hunting ground," I confessed. "Alexander and I want to tell people about our relationship, and if that helps us . . . that's great."

Mom put her fork down. "Help against her, you mean."

I nodded. "Look at Violet. I'm sure it was her. We don't have any evidence. Once she's taken care of, Alexander and I will slow down."

Dad sighed. "Rin, are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure. Maybe rush wasn't a good choice." I tapped the table. "I'm doing this for myself because I know I'll put it off, and I don't want to keep Alexander waiting. I also think it's time for us to go public."

"Wasn't Prince Rothchester okay with waiting?" he asked. "Or is it because you're going to grow older?"

"Dad, it's nothing like that." I winced. To think I made my dad think it was about age.

"I doubt that's an issue," Mom suddenly said. "I asked Violet about it over the holidays. I was curious about her age."

"Don't tell me you asked about her age, Mom."

"I didn't. Sort of. Anyways, the point was that vampires' bodies age to some extent. So, it stands to reason that Prince Rothchester will look older later on."

I sighed. "The point is that we're announcing our relationship and dealing with her simultaneously. Look at everything that's happened now. If we don't do something about it, then it'll get worse."

Dad shook his head. "I don't like the agenda. It's supposed to be a happy time only."

Mom put a hand on his arm. "I understand why you're doing this," she said. "Even though I agree with your dad, we'll support you. We don't want you to regret this later."

I smiled at them. "Thanks. Honestly, everything should be alright unless she does something to ruin it. If she does, we'll get proof to call her out. So, let's hope she doesn't do anything."

Dad sighed. "Okay," he said. "Let us know if we can help with anything."

I smiled again. "I will."