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"I wanted to bealone with you," he says, surprising ain and shift on the barstool, looking around There are only two other people in the pub, both of therow thein a corner booth, the gilded lettering on thecasting weird shadows on their faces It’s clear that they either don’t knoho Seb is or don’t care, and suddenly I wonder if he comes here because he knows it’ll be deserted

I stab atbetween s his palm down on the bar The sound startlesfor another pint, and I roll et day drunk, I’ve already seen that before--"

"I’m in love with your sister"

Chapter 31

I don’t know if throwing a drink in a prince’s face can get you sent to the dungeons or not, but I risk it

"What the--" Seb splutters, the re down his chin The bartender doesn’t even look up frolasses, but I hear one of the old h

He calls so to Seb in an accent too thick for me to understand, but I’lad I didn’t catch the rest

"No," I say, ducking in close to keep my voice down as he pulls napkins out of a dispenser

"What do youhis eyelashes God, even covered in my drink, he still looks GQ-worthy

"I et to put your particular brand of disaster all over Ellie You’re not in love with her--you probably just want to hook up with her It’ll clear up"

"It’s love, not an STD," he says, and before I can give in to a full-body shudder of ick, Seb sighs, tipping his head back to stare at the ceiling "Sorry I don’t et snippy with you It’s justyou’re the first person I’ve told"

I’ives one of those elegant shrugs he’s so good at and reaches into his shirt pocket to pull out a pack of cigarettes "Well, the first person besides Eleanor, of course"

My hand shoots out, fingers closing around his wrist "You told Ellie? This isn’t sorip easily enough, lighting his cigarette "Oh, it’s unrequited, most definitely," he iddy wave of relief Okay,on her royal fiancé with his teenage brother That’s so on the cigarette, Seb squints at arette out of his lass ashtray that has probably sat in this pub since the 1950s "I hope she told you you’re an idiot"

He props his head on his hand, elbow resting on the bar "In so many words I think castration was also threatened"