16. Chapter 16 (2/2)

"why?"

"too much drama everywhere," i shrug. "what about you?"

"are you asking me what i'm doing or how i'm doing?" he asks.

"both, i guess."

"i'm just walking around, like you," he says. "and for pretty much the same reason, i suppose: too much drama."

"what about how you're doing?" i press.

"i'm doing okay, i think," he sighs. "starlene . . . she's a little less okay."

"is she going to be alright?" i ask, concerned.

"i think so," foster says. "well . . . listen, she's fifteen, right? you know what fifteen year old girls are like, right? it's like what people think of her is the most important thing in the world. and i get it, i do, reputation is important, especially for a family like us. but . . . can she really not think about anything else? i mean, i love her, and i hate what ember said to her, but she honestly drives me crazy sometimes." he finishes in a big rush, and then lets out a huge

eath. "sorry. am i a horrible person?"

"no, i get it," i tell him. "little siblings are inherently annoying. and you want her to be a little less . . . superficial, i guess. i understand, i promise."

"do you have younger siblings, too?" he asks.

"not biologically," i answer, and leave it at that.

"yeah, " he says. "hey, listen, do you want to go somewhere a little more private?" i suddenly realize that we're still standing in a very exposed hallway.

"that would be nice," i say. "but is there any, i don't know, prince stuff you need to do? i don't want to interrupt your work or something."

"actually, i could really use an interruption right now," he smiles. "come on, i want to show you a really cool place."

we turn down an endless number of hallways and open a door that opens to a small staircase. "ladies first," foster gestures for me to go ahead.

"you're the royalty here," i point out. "you go first."

"as you wish," he raises his eye

ows at me.

"princess

ide?" i ask.

he smiles. "yeah. starlene and i watched it all the time when we were little. we still do sometimes. we tried to recite the whole thing once. i'm pretty sure we didn't get past the first scene without arguing about the words." he laughs and shrugs. "that's just how we are sometimes. and i was right, by the way."

"sure you were," i tease.

we step up the stairs into open air. i laugh. "are we on the roof?"

"we are," he grins at me. "what do you think?"

"i . . . it's beautiful," i say. there's an amazing view of the gardens, of . . . everything.

"i come up here when i need to think. it's quiet. and it's beautiful, like you said."

i'm incredibly touched that he

ought me here. it's his special place and he shared it with me.

i say the only thing i can. "thank you."