Lottie's P.O.V:
"Hi, Lottie! Where were you?" Ellie asked, as Lottie came to join the princess and her Partizan. They were sat at the library table; Ellie was completing her maths homework for the week, whilst Jamie was reading Shakespeare. Lottie couldn't help but notice that it was 'Romeo and Juliet', a tale of two star-crossed lovers. Something about the play resonated deep inside her. And from the way that Jamie gazed at her, she knew he felt the same way too.
"I was just talking to Binah. Um...she knows." Lottie said quietly. She glanced over at Jamie, but he once again showed no emotions. If there was one thing that Lottie hated about Jamie, it was that he was so inscrutable - she could never read his thoughts or feelings, and she found it so irritating.
"What?! Binah knows that you're a...," Ellie lowered her voice to a whisper, "Portman?" Ellie looked around quickly, checking that no one was listening in.
"No, she doesn't know I'm a Portman. Well, actually, she probably does, but that's not what I was talking about. She knows about...us." Lottie finished, turning to look at Jamie. The only sign he was mildly surprised was that his lip twitched slightly.
"In fact, she knew all along. That's why she wanted us to work together on the English project." She finished, still looking at Jamie, overpowered by that familiar feeling of being unable to stop herself gazing at his hazel eyes, and tanned skin, and dark, messy hair.
"Well, Binah does know everything." Ellie joked, "She even realised before you did, Lottie! We can trust Binah with this secret. As long as no one else knows, we should be fine."
Jamie gave Lottie a significant, disgruntled look. "I'll think you'll find that Lottie has told more than just one other person." He said plainly, a hint of disapproval in his voice, looking at Lottie directly in the eyes.
"Wait, what?! Who? Lottie, who did you tell?" Ellie's face grew alarmed; she was clearly worrying about the consequences of other people knowing about the secret.
"Um...I told...Anastacia." Lottie said quietly, her head faced down towards the table, unable to look at her friends.
"You did WHAT?! You can't tell Anastacia, of all people!" Ellie exclaimed, a sudden fierce fire blazing in her eyes.
"No, Ellie, it wasn't like that. I just sort of...accidentally let it slip that I liked Jamie. Besides, that was before we even started to date. It's fine; she technically doesn't know that we're even together." She told a slight lie - Lottie had actually asked Anastacia for advice, and confessed that it was about Jamie. She never accidentally 'let it slip'. But Ellie didn't need to know that, not now.
Lottie was unable to resist glancing over at Jamie, who raised an eyebrow at her, clearly doubting her attempt at a lie. She looked away guiltily, gulping under Jamie's intense scrutiny. She knew what he was wordlessly telling her: We can't trust Anastacia; she's the suspect.
Turning back to Ellie, the princess narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Lottie, but she didn't say anything more.
"Uh...we should probably get back to the common room now." Lottie said, suddenly feeling an awkward tension in the air.
"You're right." Ellie replied, standing up to take her belongings with her.
As the three teenagers left the library, Lottie had a sudden urge to reach out and hold Jamie's hand. Whenever they touched, she felt safe and warm and comforted, knowing she had him, and knowing that they had each other. Her fingers tingled when she touched his hand.
He reassuringly squeezed her hand lightly, and she felt what seemed like static electricity shoot up her arm. She knew that Jamie was on edge, constantly scanning the corridors in case somebody walked past, yet Lottie didn't want to have to hide their love for each other.
But we have to. Just like Romeo; just like Juliet.
Author's Note: Hi, thank you so much for 1000 views in less than a month! I never thought that I would get quite so many reads and I am extremely grateful for every single one. I also appreciate everyone's support. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the story so far. And once again, thank you! ❤️
YOU ARE READING
A Jottie Romance - The Rosewood Chronicles
Fanfiction(Takes place after Chapter 36, 'Undercover Princess') Lottie Pumpkin is at Rosewood Hall. She is firm friends and Portman to Ellie Wolf, the Princess of Maradova, and is trying to find her way around Jamie Volk, Ellie's Partizan. Then, after one e...
