I'm No Cinderella

Chapter 26

They couldn't understand.

"No!" Daisy exclaimed, drawing me back to the present, "I'm the princess and you're the peasant. You can't say such things to me, you'll get in trouble!"

Across the room, Reed visibly paled, but remained glued to his spot.

The prince chuckled. "In my experience, I've found that some peasants can be quite opinionated," his eyes finally flicked up to meet mine and I caught sight of the playful glimmer in them before they were once again landed on my youngest sister, "will the princess not make an exception because she secretly fancies him?"

Daisy's little nose scrunched in disgust, "Absolutely not."

He grinned, "My mistake."

Before she could teach him more about how royals behave, I interjected, "Would it be alright if I stole him away from you, Bug?"

She huffed, but gave me a reluctant nod.

Gianluca turned to me once again. "Are we leaving?" He asked, his brow raised in a way that told me he had heard every word of my conversation downstairs.

I shook my head, "I'd like to go for a walk, if that's alright." To clear my head.

His response was immediate, "Of course."

Reed looked none too pleased at the prospect of me walking unaccompanied with the alpha, but did nothing to stop it. There was nothing he could do.

At the foot of the stairs, I heard my mother and Lily in the kitchen and beelined for the front door to avoid parading him past them so soon after our conversation. From there, we walked to the edge of the trees that lined our property where we slowed our pace. He didn't ask me any questions, and for that I was grateful. He allowed me to process the development– or disaster, rather– with my family in silence.

When we came upon the barbed wire fence on the far end of the clearing, I couldn't help but bring my fingers to my lips to let out a loud whistle.

Beside me, he winced, bringing a hand to his ear in emphasis.

"Sorry," I mumbled, but his gaze had already left me to stare out across the field.

"You have a horse?" He asked.

"Yes, he was a gift from my father before he passed."

"Does he have a name?"

A blush crept up my neck, and I looked to the grass beneath our feet, unable to bring myself to answer. He nudged my arm, "Well?"

"His name is Prince," I finally grit out, embarrassment coloring my face a deep crimson at the admittance.

He let out a startled laugh, "Is it really?"

I didn't respond, turning my attention fully to the gelding as he trotted to the fence to greet us. I ran a hand along his velvety muzzle and cooed a greeting of my own to him.

When the prince spoke again, his tone had grown more serious, "I want to send your family money. An allowance, like yours. That way your brother can remain in school."

I turned wide eyes on him, "You would do that, even with how unwelcoming they have been?"

He shrugged, "If they are anything like you, then their trust will have to be earned. I've found I can be quite patient. But for now, I hope they'll allow me to do this one small thing for them."

I didn't know what to say, "Thank you." My thoughts traveled to Jax, who had left so fast at the sight of Luca, finding the words tumbling out of my mouth before I had fully thought them through, "Would it be too much to ask you to extend that offer to Jax as well?" 

His smile faltered, "The boy who chopped wood for your mother?" 

I nodded, rushed to get the words out despite the way his gaze had darkened, "His father is very ill and they can barely afford his medicine, even with his job at the bakery."

He looked like he wanted to say something, but instead gave me a nod, "Very well."

"Thank you," I grinned up at him, "it means so much to me."

He reached out a hand to run the pad of his thumb softly down the side of my face, "Anything for you." When he dropped his hand from my face, it trailed along my arm on its way down, catching on the bracelet clasped to my wrist. His fingers toyed with the little locket. "What is in this?" He asked, "you're always wearing it."

I looked down at it as well, before reaching down to pry it open. Inside, was a tiny portrait of my family.

It had been before my fathers death. My parents stood behind the rest of us, the grey  not yet streaking my mother's blond hair. Daisy, only months old, was wrapped in her arms. Reed sat beside Lily, and Ash and I were posed on either side of them. My father's eyes were shining with laughter, his hand draped across my small shoulders.

We were so happy then. That was what had always drawn me to the picture, why the locket had grown so precious to me, more so by the year.

The prince studied the little image. "You look like your father," he finally told me.

I smiled. Ash and I always had.

His gaze flicked behind me, and when I followed it, I found Matteo leaning against the base of a tree, far enough away to allow us privacy.

Gianluca turned back to me. "I really will allow you to leave if you choose it," his voice was gentle, and he stared into my eyes as if that alone could make me trust the words, "I know you don't believe me, and neither does your family, but a promise is a promise. My first priority is your happiness, no matter what."

I once again was left speechless. He gave a dazzling smile in response to whatever wonderstruck expression must have been on my face. I felt the pull, as if there was an invisible string tying us to each other, tightening little by little. Word by word.

I cleared my throat, looking back to the house. "We should probably get back."

He nodded, putting space between us that I hadn't even realized we had closed and gestured over his shoulder to where Matteo still stood, "I'll meet you inside?"

I used the time it took to cross the field to gather myself for another attempt at convincing my family to give Gianluca a chance. He had been right, it would take time, likely quite a bit of it, but I couldn't resist the urge to try again. Especially when he was showing them such kindness despite their cold attitude.

Not to mention, one member of the family was yet to meet him.

Ash.

He should be home by now...

As I pushed open the back door, I glanced at the clock on the wall and my stomach plummeted. He should have been home a while ago. I took only a moment to study the apprehensive look in my mother's eyes.

Then, I was running out the front door.