“You flew for five hours across who knows how many miles to talk to me?” I state emotionlessly.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

He hesitates, so I finally voice my biggest fear.

“Are you okay? Did you get hurt again? Did your family—”

“Nothing’s wrong, Viv. I promise.”

The use of his nickname for me startles me. Even more surprising? The tender way he’s looking at me. I feel like I’ve stepped into some strange alternate universe.

“Can we go outside?” Jace glances around at the many people listening to our conversation. If I’m reading his expression correctly, he’s nervous.

Based on our last private conversation in the gardens, I’m not thrilled by the prospect of heading outside with him again, but he’s definitely not as angry as he was last time. And I’m no more eager to have people gossiping about us than he seems to be.

I nod and follow him out the terrace doors and over to one of the benches that sits on the periphery of the garden. The air is crisp, but the sun is warm. I shiver slightly as I sit down beside him in my navy dress and matching blazer.

“I’m quitting football.” Jace drops this bomb on me as I’m buttoning up the front of the blazer for some additional warmth.

I turn to stare at him, utterly flabbergasted. It’s one of the last things I ever expected to hear him say. “What?” I gasp.

“Actually, I already did. Bought out my contract yesterday. There’s a press release coming out tomorrow. I didn’t want to tell you until I’d already done it. I didn’t want you to think I don’t mean this.”

“You quit football? For me?”

“I know you told me not to—that you didn’t want me to give it up for you. And yeah, okay, I wouldn’t have had to walk away from football if I fell in love with some other girl who didn’t happen to be a princess. But I didn’t fall in love with some other girl. I fell in love with you. And if giving up football means we can be together, then it’s worth it to me. You’re worth it to me, Viv.”

“I thought you hate me,” I whisper. “After what you said…”

Jace glances down at the gravel path and sighs. “I’m sorry about what I said. I was hurt and upset, and I took it out on you. That wasn’t fair. It was your decision to make, and I shouldn’t have reacted that way.”

“Jace, I didn’t decide to end the pregnancy. I lost the baby.”

“What?”

“I was going to tell you. I don’t know what I was going to do after that. But I was going to tell you. Afterwards…well, it seemed pointless and selfish to tell you then.”

Jace’s face is fiercely emotional. “Viv…” he starts, looking lost. “I’m—”

I shake my head and collapse against his chest. He wraps his arms around me tightly. I close my eyes, letting myself remember that horrific night. How the only thing I wanted was him holding me the way he is right now.