Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50149 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 251(@200wpm)___ 201(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50149 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 251(@200wpm)___ 201(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
A shaft of pain struck her at the sight of him, unexpected and crippling, and the hairbrush she had been holding slipped from her suddenly nerveless fingers. It clattered to the marbled floor, the sound jarring, and Harper drew her breath sharply.
A second later, she bent to reach for it the same time the sheikh crouched down, and their fingers grazed against each other.
Harper jerked back.
Khalil’s fingers tightened around the handle. “Is something the matter?”
“Nope.” She swung away clumsily as he rose back to his feet.
As he placed the brush back on the vanity, he said quietly, “I can’t help you solve your problems when you don’t—-”
“I said there’s nothing wrong.” The words came out in a horrifyingly shrill scream, and she saw the sheikh freeze through his reflection on the mirror.
Harper started to shake on her seat, aghast and ashamed.
She had screamed at him. She had just gone ahead and screamed at him and – it didn’t feel right. Even if she had every reason to scream at him, it just didn’t feel right.
This wasn’t – this wasn’t her at all, dammit.
“I’m sorry.” Her voice came out a horrible stammer. “I didn’t mean to—-” Ah God, it was too hard to talk, and she stood up, almost causing her chair to overturn in her haste. But as she turned to walk away, the sheikh caught her by the elbow, and his touch nearly broke her, despair making Harper unable to move.
“Harper—-”
She shook her head, and the sheikh stopped speaking.
“Don’t.”
And his lips tightened.
She found the strength to yank her hand away, only to realize she didn’t have to try so hard, his fingers readily relinquishing its hold—-
Ah, God, he was letting her go so easily now.
And that said everything, didn’t it?
Khalil’s fists clenched against his sides as he saw Harper’s shoulders start to shake. When she raised her eyes to his, he sucked in his breath at the sight of her tear-stained gaze. He started to reach for her, unable to help it—-
She shook her head violently. “No.”
And his arms fell back to his sides.
“Just t-this once,” Harper said tremulously, “I want you to tell it to me s-straight.” The tears fell faster with every word, but even so, the words kept pouring out, needing to be said. “Because you already know, don’t you?” And her voice caught. “You already know I know. D-don’t you?”
Silence.
And God, that silence said everything.
She fell to her knees.
The sheikh knelt down in front of her. “I’m sorry.” His voice was harsh. “I’m so damn sorry.” It destroyed him to see her so broken, knowing that he was the cause—-
But there was nothing to do, his hands tied by the gold bands of his crown.
He started to tell her why he was doing it, but she shook her head.
“You don’t have to explain.”
And he saw in her eyes that he truly did not have to.
He saw in her eyes that she knew –
She knew he loved her. But she also knew he was a king.
“I’m sorry.” Khalil’s voice was hoarse.
A choking sob, the sound telling him that she knew he was sorry...understood why he was doing this...but that it wasn’t enough.
And he could no longer help himself.
Even knowing he had no right to touch her—-
He just had to.
The moment his hands cupped her face, her tears streamed faster.
His lips moved, and so did hers.
The words flowed, silent but heard.
I love you.
I love you.
But it wasn’t enough.
“K-Khalil—-”
He crushed her to him. “Please.” His voice was savage. “Don’t say it. Please. We’ll find a way to make it work—-”
“Not t-this time.” A painful laugh bubbled inside of her, and she...let it out. She had to. If she didn’t laugh, she’d end up crying, and God, the pain was already too much.
The thought of having to share him with another woman –
Even if it was for the right reasons –
She couldn’t do it.
She just couldn’t do it.
It would be no different from being skinned alive, the pain peeling her soul bit by ravaged bit until she would no longer be able to recognize herself.
Harper pulled away, managed to get to her feet, but just as she turned away, the sheikh gripped her hand, not letting her go.
“Please.”
“I love you.”
Harper squeezed her eyes shut. “I know y-you do. And I can’t even blame you for doing this. You wouldn’t be the man I loved if you hadn’t done this, but please—-” Another shuddering sob struck her, and she nearly had to gasp for breath. “I’d do anything for you, but not this. Never this. So please don’t ask it of me. Please—-”
Slowly, his fingers fell.
And she ran away.
YEARS AND YEARS FROM now, it would go down as one of the saddest days in the kingdom’s history when the crying, trembling figure of their queen was seen at the gates of the palace, performing the public ritual of ending her marriage to the king.