Chapter Forty-Two

I didn't cry.

I told myself it was nothing. That Freddie was just enjoying a dance with a friend. I didn't think about the way his fingers had splayed on her hip. I didn't think about the graceful curve of her lips as she smiled up at him.

I didn't think about his laugh.

I didn't think about how Sophie was so much better at being a princess than I was.

Of how much easier Freddie's life would be without me. Of how much happier he could be here if he didn't have to deal with me and my mistakes.

I left the ballroom and found a balcony. The night air was cold and sharp after the heat of the ballroom and it felt so good. Out in the darkness, I could imagine that I was alone. That I was back at the lake.

I closed my eyes and thought about home.

Home where I was allowed to have a drink in my hand at a party. Where I was allowed to dance. Where I didn't have to curtsy. Where I wasn't on the news all the time. Home. Where I fit without trying.

Home was where I belonged.

Homesickness struck har