RYKER’S P.O.V


    I hadn’t brought up Cami’s confession in a week. I wasn’t sure if it was cowardice on my part or if it


    was because I didn’t want to jeopardize what little civility we had formed with each other. She acted like


    nothing happened and somewhere in the back of my mind, I decided that it was the right way to go so I


    said nothing


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    about it either.


    Despite my silence, I didn’t forget that she had agreed to the date and already started working on


    something. I wasn’t sure if her general likes and disliked had changed but I hoped they hadn’t because


    her newfound ‘family‘ was of no help at all. There was something off about them- especially the


    daughter- and I wasn’t sure if it was because she didn’t like me or if there was something else at y


    that I didn’t quite know of.


    A knock on my door snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked up just in time to see Christine make


    her way in. “A letter came from your sister and Damien. They want toe visit-”


    “They can’t right now,” I cut her off and she rolled her eyes at me before continuing.


    “If you had let me finish, you would have heard where I said that I told them now would not be a good


    time. They still don’t know that anything happened so I made up an excuse about the workload being


    too much and promised to let them know when they can visit.”


    I wasn’t sure why I ever doubted Christine, she was one of the most efficient people I knew. When


    Cami went missing, she didn’t hesitate to pick up most of the ck and even now, with Cami


    present, she still did a lot of work because she felt it was better to slowly integrate Cami back into the


    work space instead of dumping everything on her at once.


    “Have you seen Cami?” I asked and she shook her head.


    “You’re the one that sleeps in the same room with her, why are you asking me?” she crossed her arms


    over her chest. “You can check with Marie or Peggy. If she isn’t in her office then she will be there. Why


    are you asking?”


    “Can you help me get her in an hour?” she raised a brow in amusement. “I have something nned for


    the both of us. She doesn’t know what it is about, so don’t tell her. I just need her.”


    She opened her mouth to speak but decided against it and made her way over to my desk. She took


    the seat opposite me and looked me square in the eye as she crossed her arms over her chest.


    Christine had a naturally


    terrifying gaze about her. I wasn’t sure where she got it from or how it came to be but it came so easily


    to her. It was the kind of look that could make a grown man cry for his mother.


    “Are you sure about this?” she asked and I cocked my head in confusion. “All of this that you are doing


    to win her over, are you sure? I love my cousin and my loyalties will always be to her. I want her to be


    happy with you but most importantly, I want her to be happy. Cami runs, it is what she does best.”


    “For someone who loves her, you have such little faith in her. Cami used to run, she doesn’t


    anymore. If she


    did, she wouldn’t have even agreed to stay. She is different now.’


    “”


    “She is still Cami,” she cut me off. “I don’t want you to chase her away because you want her back. I


    would


    much rather have her here as someone who hates us than not have her as all.”


    I pursed my lips suddenly feeling bored of the entire conversation. I didn’t expect everyone to


    understand my


    reasons for doing the things I did, but I at least expected from support from Christine. Cami had


    changed and


    it seemed like I was the only one who could see that. She wasn’t going to run, she wasn’t going to hide.


    “She will get her memories back.”


    “And if she doesn’t?” she asked. “What happens when she is unable to ever glean them back? Will all


    of this stop then? Will you stop trying to fight for her? If all of this is about her memories then this might


    be a good time to stop.?


    “If she never regains her memories then we will make new ones. I am making new ones and if you


    were just able to get rid of your fears for five seconds, Christine, you would want to make new ones


    too.”


    She clicked her tongue before standing to her feet and I knew I had hit a nerve. She turned on her


    heels without another word and headed straight for the door. I didn’t expect her to say anything but at


    thest moment, she turned to look at me.


    “I might be scared and I might be the one that’s running, I can admit that, but you also need to admit


    that you are scared shitless too and that is why you are doing this. You can see exactly what I can and


    that is that Cami isn’t ours anymore. She hasn’t been since the moment I found her.”


    She mmed the door shut behind her as soon as she was done speaking and I cursed as I ran my


    hands through my hair. Her words were like a gue, like a slow acting poison that threatened to carve


    me from my insides out. I didn’t want to give them much leverage but they hadtched onto my insides


    and threatened to wreck everything I had struggled hard to build.


    It was difficult to concentrate, difficult to think, Christine’s words floated around in my mind unhindered


    and I couldn’t take it for more than half an hour before I pushed to my feet and decided to take a walk


    in the pce gardens. I needed the fresh air and I was alone, or so I thought until I heard someone


    murmuring curses under their breath so quickly they would have made a sailor proud.


    I followed the sound despite my initial need for sce and found Marie there struggling and failing to


    grab an apple from the top of the tree. Expletives were leaving her mouth faster than I would have ever


    thought possible and she was so fixated on her task that she didn’t realize I had walked over to her


    until I reached up and grabbed that fruit she had been struggling with.


    She stilled and as if in slow motion, she turned to face me. Her cheeks heated and she couldn’t look


    me in the eye as I handed it over to her.“Thank you.”


    “You are more than wee. How long had you been at it?”


    “Long enough for it to be embarrassing. If I had any self respect or dignity I would have let it go


    but I would rather die than let a stupid fruit get the better of me. It is a fucking apple for goddess sake.”


    “You have a rather colorful vocabry,” I mused and her cheeks heated once more. “Do you always


    speak like this?”


    “No,” she said too quickly before clearing her throat. “I really apologize. I should never have-”


    I held up a hand to stop her. “I have no interest in crucifying you for yournguage. I only came here


    because I could hear you from the other side. If there is nothing else that requires my assistance then I


    can-”


    “Wait!” she yelled out halting me in my tracks. “It is about Cami. I just wanted to ask a question. I


    hope I am not over stepping any boundaries.”


    She looked sheepish which was a stark contrast from the woman who was swearing the ce down. I


    wasn’t *sure if it was worry or something else that was in her eyes but simply because I had heard


    Cami’s name, I


    found myself waiting. She took a few breaths to calm herself before finally speaking.


    “She is nevering back, is she?” he asked and I stilled. As much as I wanted to say no, it was not


    my ce to do so.


    I would much prefer for her to never go back but the truth was that Cami was her own person and I


    couldn’t control her any more than I could control another. I could implore her to stay and I could find


    her if she ever ran away but that wouldn’t get me her loyalty and that would not be able to get me her


    love which was ultimately


    what I wanted.


    “I think you should discuss that with Cami. Her staying or leaving remains her choice.”


    “Just drop the political stance for one day, your majesty.


    “You can call me Ryker,” I told her and she stilled “Cami’s friends are my friends and she sees you as


    family. That makes us family by extension.”


    “Ryker,” my name sounded strange on her tongue. “The thing is, she cannot just walk away from this.


    This is an entire kingdom, they wille for her if she tries to vige will be the first ce they check.


    She


    eave and o has a duty here.”


    “Perhaps, but it still remains her choice.”


    “She will not leave. I know her well enough to make that assumption,” she chuckled under her breath. “I


    guess that means we have no business here anymore. If it is alright with you, my mother and I would


    like to return to our vige.”


    I thought about it for a second and I understood her desire to leave but I couldn’t have that yet. “If it


    pleases you, would you mind staying a little while? Cami doesn’t understand the pce yet. She still


    feels like a stranger. It might make her feel better if she has people she knows around. We can make a


    home for you here if you so desire but if you do not, we will just keep you a while and send you on your


    way.”


    She smiled softly. “I can see why she loved you and if you keep this up, she will again.” She bowed low.


    “Thank


    you, Ryker. The weather does look pretty out here. I am sure Cami would love to see it. I should tell


    her about


    it.”