Firstborn {British Royals}

Chapter 5

Vic rolled out of bed at 11am, which wouldn't be so bad except her body was still adjusted to Eastern Time, so technically to her it was 1pm. Usually she tried to keep a steady sleep schedule because if she didn't, her Bipolar would get out of whack and she'd either spiral into depression or go sky-high into mania, talking a million miles a minute and accosted by racing thoughts that rolled over and over and over in her head until she burst out in anger and frustration.

But hey. She'd just survived flights to and back from the East Coast, plus an exhausting wedding. She deserved at least one day of sleeping in.

Odd, though, that her mother hadn't woken her up. Usually if Vic attempted to sleep in, Petra would poke her head in around 9:30am, saying, "Victoria. Remember it's important to keep to your routines." Petra wasn't always that nagging, really. She was just completely committed to helping Vic with her health.

As she sat on the edge of her bed, her body not quite convinced that she should get up, she reached for her phone. Maybe she'd have a text from Matt! For the first time in a long time, she felt excited for the day ahead and for the surprises it might bring. For years, she hadn't even believed life was capable of delivering surprises. Not anymore. As she sat at home, unable to move for fear of triggering a headache, the years oozed seamlessly by, one the same as the next. The effect was that she was barely aware of the passage of time at all. That was why she had been shocked to see how much her college friends had moved on. To her, it was still the year after graduation and they were all still 23, uncertain what to do next but positive that their futures would be bright.

Vic clicked on her phone, then gasped. Two hundred and fourteen text messages?! That had to be wrong. She didn't even know that many people! She squinted at the screen, then reached for her glasses. She could usually read just fine without them, but right now she was not at all confident in what her eyes had seen. But no - she had seen right. What on earth? She opened the first message, from Becca, the friend whose wedding she had just attended. Should Becca be on her honeymoon?

"Vic!!!!! I can't believe this!! Did you know at the wedding? OMG. This is a complete shock."

Why yes, it was. The shock for Vic was that anything about her life could be shocking at all.

The next message was from Eric. "This is ridiculous. Am I remembering right? I thought you said once that you never knew your father."

The next: "You don't know me, but I'm a friend of Shiloh's." (One of Vic's high school friend, who she hadn't talked to since... well, she didn't know when. "She gave me your number. You still live in Spring Meadow, right? I know your life must be hectic, but do you want to grab coffee sometime?"

The next: "This is Andy McDonald, from the Montana Country News. CNN, NBC, and the rest must be all over you, but would you consider granting your first interview to us? We'd love to represent our Montana Princess."

The next - this one, finally, from Matt. "I can't imagine what you must be thinking now. The world must feel upside down. Don't stress about messaging me back. I'm sure you have enough on your plate."

Vic didn't open any more messages for a couple minutes. What I must be thinking? No, I can't imagine what I'm thinking, either. And yes, the world feels upside down - or more accurately, tossed and turned in a blender. And don't message him back? What could possibly have happened? Did he mean he doesn't want to talk to me again? But why? What did she do wrong?

Shakily, she looked back at her phone and opened the next message. It was from an unknown number, and was a long one. "Victoria, I am so, so sorry. It was me who leaked the story. I was a close friend of your mother's during her marriage, and at the time, I swore I would never breathe a word. The royal family offered to pay me off to keep the secret, but I refused on principle. Your mum trusted me. That was enough. But I've fallen on hard times. Sometimes I don't even know when my next meal is coming from. So I had to do it. I had to sell the story. I wanted it to be done more tastefully. I didn't want them to release your name, and I didn't tell them. But they found out. The article is horrible, I know. Life-changing. I pray not in a bad way, but of course it's hard to tell at this point. Please tell your mum I am so very, very sorry."

Vic's mind roiled. Marriage? Her mom had never been marriage. And what on did the royal family have to do with anything? She assumed the texter meant the British royal family, since she used the word "mum." But Vic knew for a fact that Petra had never been to England, had never even been out of the country.

Vic stood and opened the door to her bedroom. "Mom?" she said uncertainly into the hallway. No response. Vic padded down the hall, peeking into her mom's open bedroom door. Her bed was unmade (strange) but she wasn't in there, nor in the kitchen. Vic finally found her in the living room, slumped so deep into the plush red armchair that the cushions had practically swallowed her up. "Mom, I'm getting so many weird texts..."

"Online," said Petra dully.

"What?" Vic tried to look into Petra's eyes, but her mom was staring into space as if in a trance. "What?" Vic repeated, unsure if Petra had heard her.

"Online. It's all online."

Vic bit her lip. "What's online?" Petra didn't respond, so Vic played along and clicked on her phone. "Where online?"

"Everywhere. Just search for your name."