The Rejected True Heiress (Liora and Callum) novel Chapter 327

Liora’s POV

Mia whimpered softly as Zane laid her down on her bed. She was shaking, her face pale. Zane took a step back, scratching his head.

“Listen, you’re not gonna throw up or anything, are you?” he asked, blanching just at the thought. “I can’t handle puke.”

“No,” she said quickly, shaking her head. “I’m fine, it’s just… I feel a little lightheaded, that’s all. It’s a lot to take in.” She wrung her hands and blinked quickly like she was trying not to cry.

A pang of guilt shot through my chest. I bit my lip and sat on the edge of her bed, hesitating for a moment as I tried to come up with the right thing to say. At the moment, nothing really felt right. I had lied to my best friend for months, even when I knew it was time to tell her. Because I was a coward.

“Look,” I finally managed, my voice small, “I’m really sorry, Mia. For not telling you sooner, and for dumping it all on you like this.”

My friend looked at me. To my relief, I didn’t see much anger in her eyes; there was a shred there, of course, and I couldn’t blame her for that. She felt betrayed that I hadn’t told her before. I would have felt the same in her position.

But mostly, it was just shock that I saw in her gaze.

“You’re… a princess,” she breathed. She reached out and took my hand, lacing her fingers with mine. She laughed. “Holy shit. I’m best friends with a princess.”

I laughed, too, although it made tears spring to my eyes. “We’re still friends?” I asked weakly.

Mia hesitated, then nodded. “I’m still mad at you. But… you’re still my friend. You still were even when I wouldn’t talk to you.”

Zane snorted. “Coulda fooled me.”

Mia shot him a withering glare. “You’re still on thin ice, buster. You know I like—” She flushed, cutting herself off abruptly, and looked away.

I took a deep breath and exchanged a glance with Zane, who knew exactly what else needed to happen today. “You know, in the spirit of ripping off band-aids, Mia, I think you should be honest about your feelings,” I said.

Her hand tightened so much around mine that it was actually painful. “Do I have to?” she whispered, glancing at me.

I nodded.

Mia exhaled shakily, steadying herself, then looked at Zane. A long moment of quiet passed between them as he waited for her to say the words that he already knew.

Finally, she blurted it out in a rush.

“ZaneIreallylikeyouandIthinkweshouldgooutsometime.”

When she was finished, she was breathless, her chest heaving.

Zane lifted his brows. “What did you say? It all came out jumbled.”

Mia blanched. “Zane…”

“Okay, okay. Joking,” he laughed, pushing away from the wall where he had been leaning. He walked over to the bed with slow, deliberate steps. Then, he looked at Mia. Really looked at her, in that way of his that was so rare for him, yet always felt so meaningful whenever he let his mask slip.

She stared back with her big brown eyes and waited.

I held my breath and glanced at the door, wondering if I should leave and give them some space.

When the silence lasted a few moments longer, I decided to do just that.

“I’ll be waiting outside,” I said, releasing Mia’s hand and standing. “Please don’t rip each other’s throats out.”

Neither of them answered. I quietly slipped into the hall and shut the door behind me.

Mia snorted as I led her out of the dorms. “I heard it’s a real piece of shit,” she said.

“Hey, Shirley is not a piece of shit!” I protested. “She’s a piece of junk, but not shit!”

Mia laughed, and I did, too.

We made our way outside, where the parking lot was still bustling. Shirley was still sitting in her space, admittedly looking like a dumpster on wheels compared to the other nice cars around her.

To my surprise, though, she wasn’t alone. Callum was walking around the car with his hands in his pockets, inspecting it.

I froze when he looked up at me.

He looked at me. Then at the car. Then at Zane. Then at me again.

“Wait…” He pointed at the car. “Isn’t this the car from the racetrack? The junker that was for sale?”

I rubbed the back of my neck sheepishly. I could see the realization forming in Callum’s eyes. I had known it was inevitable, that the mystique would only last for so long before he put two and two together, but I supposed I didn’t expect it to be over so quickly.

Maybe a part of me was a little disappointed that he figured it out. Because the way he spoke about me when he thought Zane was with another woman…

It was sweet, and unexpected, and it was a momentary release from the cold reality of the fact that he wouldn’t choose me over Bianca so long as he thought she was a princess.

Callum’s hand dropped back to his side.

“Holy shit,” he breathed, looking me up and down. “You’re Miss Guided.”