Chatper 329


    Chapter 0329


    In full view of the watchful cameras, Julian and I stood side by side in the kitchen, a te of cookies on


    the counter before us. We’d already rolled out the dough, cut the shapes, and baked them in the oven.


    These were the finished results.


    It had been difficult to rx in front of the camera crew, including the producer who would call out


    randommands like, “Put flour on her nose, Julian!” Or, “Smile at him, Piper!”


    At least, cookies now existed. The sweet treat might make the awkwardness of this fake date worth it. I


    reach for one of the cookies. They should be warm enough now.


    “Feed her one of the cookies, Julian,” the producer said.


    I froze. Beside me, Julian did too. He nced at me.


    What could I do? We were supposed to be on a date. Feeding each other treats was amon date


    practice. Nichs and I had shared from each other’s tes all the time when we had been together.


    So I nodded.


    Julian plucked one of the cookies from the te. Slowly, giving me time to prepare himself, he brought


    it up to my face.


    “Open wide,” he said with a cheeky grin. It might have been for show, or he was just enjoying himself.


    He was hard to read on the best of days, let alone when he was actively ying a role.


    I opened my mouth.


    Julian ced the cookie on my tongue. I bit down and chewed. It was delicious, as I expected.


    Julian brought the rest of the cookie up to his own mouth and ate it. After he chewed and swallowed,


    his smile grew wide. “Delicious.” He inched closer. “But not as sweet as you.”


    He was saying it for the cameras, I knew. I still blushed. What a line.


    “Great,” the producer called. “Now kiss her, Julian!”


    Julian’s gaze dropped to my lips. He was so good at this game. Meanwhile, my whole body locked up. I


    could do most things, but kissing Julian still made me feel off-bnce. It was a line I didn’t want to


    cross, but I had to or I’d risk losing everything.


    I licked my lips. They were chapped. This wasn’t going to be a good kiss.


    I wished I was going to kiss Nichs instead.


    Julian gripped my upper arms. Then, he leaned down.


    +15 BONUS


    My whole body tensed. I squeezed my eyes closed. Hopefully he’d make this quick. How much of a


    kiss did the producers need? Surely they could extend it out in post-production, if they needed to.


    Julian came closer. I could feel his breath against my lips. Yet just as I expected him to press down, he


    pulled away.


    I peeked open one eye and saw him frowning at me.


    “Julian?” I asked.


    He whispered his answer, “I don’t like kissing girls who don’t want me to.” He kept his voice soft, too


    quiet for the cameras to hear over the bustle of the kitchen.


    His words were kind, but I knew they meant trouble. “I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say.


    “I’ll take care of it.” He turned toward the cameras. “Piper is not feeling very well. I worry to kiss her in


    such a state wouldn’t end well for either of us.”


    The producer didn’t seem pleased, but what could he possibly say against a prince? “A kiss would look


    better for the public,” the producer said, “but if you are sure…”


    “I’m sure,” Julian said, and left no room for argument.


    The producermented. “Very well.” To the crew, he said, “Let’s


    he said, “Let’s wrap it up here.”


    Julian looked back at me. “I’ll take you back to your room.”


    “I want to take the cookies back for Elva,” I said. Julian nodded, and helped me find a container to carry


    them safely. We lingered there in the kitchen after the camera crew had gone.


    “We should probably have a talk about this,” Julian said, and I felt my stomach sink. “We need to think


    about what our rtionship will have to look like going forward. We don’t just have to fool the cameras


    now, but also the King.”


    I knew that. “I really am trying.”


    “I know but…” He sighed. “Piper, we are going to have to kiss again to sell our intimacy properly.”


    “I know that,” I said.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    Julian looked at me. I couldn’t quite meet his gaze. We had kissed before, and it wasn’t terrible. Julian


    was a good looking guy and a practiced kisser. The problem was that he wasn’t the one I wanted to


    kiss.


    My heart and body wanted Nichs. And kissing Julian felt like a betrayal to my own feelings.


    “Maybe you should talk to Nichs about this,” Julian said.


    +15 BONUS


    Startled, I did look back at him now. He couldn’t be serious? But his smile was kind rather than smug


    like usual.


    “He’s the reason you’re holding back right?” Julian asked. “If you sort out what you need to, then


    maybe you can get your head back into the game.”


    I h ooked my fingers together. “I wouldn’t know where to begin.”


    “Just make him understand,” Julian said. “If Nichs fully understands that this isn’t real, and that you


    actually feel for him instead, that might make it easier for you.”


    As I watched him, I began to notice a slight downward turn to the corner of his mouth. Did he not


    believe what he was saying? No. That didn’t seem right.


    It more seemed like he was… pained by the words. But trying to hide it.


    When we had first met, I never would have been able to notice. The dip was that slight. But now that I


    had hung out with Julian a lot, I was able to more clearly discern the honest emotions behind Julian’s


    yboy fa?ade.


    But why would the words hurt him? That was what I didn’t understand. It couldn’t be that he had


    feelings for me. It had to be more something to do with his constantpetition with


    Nichs. 1


    “Come on,” Julian said, and, carrying my cookies, I followed him into the stairwell.


    As we walked by a front facing window, I paused. The number of protestors had increased again. The


    seemed to stretch down the road as far as they could go.


    The guard had reacted by adding a line of soldiers to stand at the gate.


    The situation seemed a powder keg, ready to ignite.


    Angry protestors on one side, armed guards on the other.


    Julian stopped beside me and looked out the window as I did. I nced at him in an attempt to assess


    his reaction. Julian was more observant than me, and more astute. He could likely read this situation


    better than me. He would know more clearly if we had reason to worry.


    His face was a careful nk te. His smile remained but it was hollow.


    “Are we in trouble?” I asked him.


    He hesitated in his reply, and that was answer enough.


    The people still didn’t trust the royal family, even with the interviews from the candidates, and the other


    efforts from within the pce.


    +15 BONUS


    What else could we do? There had to be something.


    Yes, the people had reason to be frustrated and angry with their lot in life. I knew the hardships of the


    Too violent. Too dangerous.


    Julian looked at me. “Our fake rtionship might not be enough to stop this.”