Chapter 36 : The Beach Hut

I hurried down to the hut. I wasn't supposed to be meeting Genevieve here until late tonight, but I was anxious to get out of the palace. Things only seemed to get more cramped and crowded every time I had to answer another question about the wedding plans.

Thinking about the wedding made me sweaty. I knew it wasn't happening. I knew it was nothing but an expensive distraction at this point. I hated it. The constant hemorrhage of money was making my head hurt. I didn't know how to call it all off without raising suspicions, so I just watched the treasury bleed out.

The hut stood like a lone soldier keeping watch over a glassy sea. It was becoming a sanctuary, a place where Genevieve and I could be together without fear of discovery or judgment.

"You're early," Genevieve said, flinching as I entered the hut.

"So are you," I noted. "Did I scare you?"

"Yeah, sorry." She laughed. "I thought I'd be alone for a while."

"Want to tell me why you're hiding out here?" I asked, lookin