Page 64 of Fallen Crown

“Package?” The look of puzzlement on Brice’s face is cute.

I’m keenly aware of the camera rotating around to the front of us, but I want what I’m about to say to be present in whatever narrative InterFlix builds.

“I asked Caitlin to serve formal separation papers to Enzo in Boston.”

“You’re getting a divorce?” The expression on Brice’s face is priceless. He’s clearly forgotten about the camera and his royal training because his level of shock can’t be faked.

I want to stare into the camera when I confirm, but instead, I tip my head in its direction. “Likely, yes.”

The subtle reminder about who’s watching seems to snap him back to himself, and he glances at the camera before dipping his head. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

There’s a smile in his voice, but his tone is pitched low enough, the camera might not even catch it. He’s not sorry, but he doesn’t want InterFlix, and consequently the world, to bear witness to his glee.

“Oh,” Wren says from beside me. “I’m so sorry, Maren. He’s been off-island for months, and I know things have been really rough, but I didn’t think you wanted to get divorced.”

I didn’t tell her this was coming, but her reaction is exactly what I would have wanted. She’s framed the issues between me and Enzo, and she’s made it seem like divorce was a last resort. All true, and every single word is on the digital record. There’s no way to know what the next ten days will hold, but I want everyone who watches this show to realize I was on the path to divorce before the starting gun went.

Brice isn’t leading a married woman into a compromising situation, and this married woman has already made a choice about the state of her marriage. After I cheated on Enzo the other night, I could hardly justify any other outcome. I won’t be my father.

On top of that, when I gave Enzo the ultimatum about returning to the island, he balked at my request. We fought over whose needs were most important. If neither of us is willing to put the other person first, willing to compromise, then maybe there isn’t anything worth saving. It’s not as though he showed up on my doorstep after our fight and said he was willing to do the work. He left me a voicemail.

For the next ten days on the course, I’m unreachable, and I don’t intend to turn on my phone until I’ve returned to the island. Legally, and as far as the show is concerned, I’ve filed for separation from my husband. If he has something to say about that, he can talk to me when I get back. Assuming I’m even willing to hear him out at that point.

“It was a difficult choice,” I say to Wren. “But it finally feels like the right one.”

And when Brice slings his arm around my shoulders and drags me tight to his side, the sense of rightness in me solidifies.

The announcer comes over the loudspeaker, counting us down from ten. Brice lets me go to double-check the straps on his bag. Jag has already retreated into the crowd, likely to make sure we get away safely before getting a ride to the first rest area with Gary. There, they’ll set up everything we’ll need for the end of our first fifty-kilometer trek. Nerves flutter in my stomach. The thrill of anticipation never gets old.

“You ready?” Brice asks me.

“For anything,” I say, and he grins.

Anything turns out to be getting lost. Riker is the team captain for this race. In the past, we’ve taken turns, and he’s never been the strongest navigator, but I’ve never had him get us this lost before. The shortcut he suggested, and that none of us double-checked, has turned into a disaster.

To top it off, we’re in the middle of the rain forest, and with the dense foliage around us, it’s incredibly hot. We’re all dripping, and we’re going through water faster than we should be. The sailboat and biking portions of our day went smoothly, and I was pretty sure we were likely in the top ten out of the fifty or so teams. This mistake is costing us time and energy.

“Give me the map and the compass.” I try to keep the annoyance out of my voice. Up until now, I’ve avoided contradicting him or causing friction. On the course, it’s almost impossible to avoid getting on each other’s nerves at some point. Exhaustion sets in, and people’s tempers flare. For it to be happening on the first day isn’t setting us up for success.

“How much does our race position matter?” Brice asks. “We’re raising money either way.”

“If you’re Maren?” Riker’s frustration is clear. “A lot.”

“You want to be wandering around the rain forest lost?” I glance up at Riker while I reorient the map and trace paths to get us back on track. Somehow Brice missed the memo on how competitive I am. To me, there’s little point in racing if you’re not attempting to win. I’ve done enough of these that the experience isn’t why I’m normally here. For Brice, maybe that’s enough. The prize pot for coming in first is sizeable, and now that we’re here, I think we’ve got a chance. None of us need the cash, and it would be great to add it to the other donations.

“Does this happen often?” Iris asks as she points the camera at Wren.

“Not usually,” Wren says. “A bit of bad luck to start us off.”

And stubborn pride because if he admitted to being lost almost an hour ago when I asked him, we wouldn’t have continued this aimless, pointless wandering. I take my pack off my back and dig around until I find a highlighter. Carefully, I outline the route that’ll get us on track the fastest, and I stare at it again to memorize the junctions that might throw Riker off. After I’ve done that, I pass him back the map and compass.

“Let’s go,” I say.

We fall into single file through the dense bush, and I wonder how well Iris trained for this grueling race. She seems fit enough with the camera either slung on her shoulder or dangling from her body, but this would be quite an assignment to take on.

Once we’re on the right path, Iris says she needs five minutes to do a couple individual interviews that they’ll intersperse in the shows when they air. She takes Brice over to stand in front of some trees, but they’re too far away for me to hear what he has to say. Next, she calls me over.

She has an earpiece in, and I’m assuming someone is feeding her the questions. Instead of wandering back to Riker and Wren, Brice stands off to the side, out of the camera shot.