Into the Depths

Chapter 20

Audrey bit her lip, an idea coming to the forefront of her mind. "Grammy, I...I haven't had contact with Ben since you arrived, other than the yearbook photoshoot. If I am to...convince him that he and I are a better fit, wouldn't...wouldn't it be better if I saw him?"

Ben might not have been able to pick up the subliminal hints Audrey had dropped at their photo session but there was no way he'd be able to miss the obvious signs something was wrong.

Audrey's hair was bright blonde with streaks of pink and blue once more, just like it had been before the viewing. Ben had been there when Audrey had asked Mal to change it back. The fact that it was blonde once more should be a massive red flag to Ben—to this day, Audrey still didn't know what her grandmother was on about with her statement of Ben preferring blondes.

Not to mention she hadn't been outside all summer so her skin looked more washed out than it had previously. She looked almost sickly.

She and Ben been friends since they were three. If Ben didn't notice something was wrong after seeing her like this, Audrey was in serious trouble.

"Oh but Audrey, don't you know that chasing after boys never works?" Leah said, shaking her head as if they'd had this conversation already. "Let Ben come to you. Sooner or later he'll get tired of Mal's floundering and come back to you, a true bred royal."

"So does that mean I need to start pounding down a princess' door?"

Audrey had never been so happy or confused to see her little brother in her life as she whirled around to see him leaning on the doorframe. She'd stick with happy while her grandmother was there however. If Phillip Jr. had a plan, she didn't want to ruin it.

"Phillip!" Audrey exclaimed in delight, rushing over to hug him. "Don't you ever leave me alone with her again!"

Phillip chuckled to hide the hiss Audrey had just uttered into his ear. "Why Audrey, one might have thought you missed me or something," he said as they parted. "I thought I'd stop by for the weekend since I haven't seen my sister since school started. Now I understand I'm rescuing a princess from a crazy old bat? Oh, no offense grandmother."

"A prince shows respect to their grandmother Phillip," Leah sniffed. "I'll leave you two alone but Audrey, remember that it's almost time for your lessons. Don't dawdle now."

Leah walked out and Phillip Jr. stuck his tongue out at her retreating back, causing Audrey to burst into giggles as soon as she thought her grandmother was safely out of earshot.

"Are you okay?" Phillip Jr. asked, noticing the giggles as he turned back to his sister. "Normally, you're telling me to show Grandmother respect. Who are you and what've you done to Audrey?"

Audrey sighed, sobering up. "Phil, you've got to get me out of here!"

"Why? Being pampered by Grandmother getting to be too much for you?" Phillip Jr. scoffed.

"Pampered?!" Audrey exclaimed, more than a little taken aback at Phillip Jr.'s attitude toward her, considering he'd been downright jovial just a few seconds ago. Unless that had all been an act, a front to put on in front of their Grandmother? "Phil, she's trying to turn me into mother!"

"Finally caught on have you?" Phillip chuckled wryly. "Only took you..oh seventeen years?"

"Sixteen, I haven't had my birthday yet."

"Semantics," Phillip Jr. said, waving his hand as if the word was a fly that was irritating him just as Leah had done previously though he'd deny it if you dared to make the comparison. "Either way, you were content to let it happen back when we were younger. Why is now any different?"