𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐈𝐃𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐑𝐄 | ✎

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟓𝟏

The thought is too much to bear, and I want so badly to pull her into my arms in front of everyone here and tell her that it was all a misunderstanding. That she's the only one my heart beats for. But she just turns away and disappears into the crowd.

Shit.

I don't give the pesky blonde girl in front of me any more of my attention; instead, I chase after the princess. Part of me feels guilty for the crowd of people I carelessly thrust away so I can get through, but when it comes to Elena, she's always my first priority.

Racing through the hallways is a blur when she's all that's on my mind. She's not even that far, and yet, it feels like she's light years away from my arms. The princess is down the corridor, heading toward the room on the left.

Her art studio.

A few seconds later, I burst into Elena's art studio to find her standing by the window, staring out into the Royal Gardens outside. And in the center of the room is a giant, incomplete portrait of the moon. It features every crater and detail that she's painstakingly drawn with precise strokes.

"What do you want?" Her voice is icy and sharp, and it cuts through the air like a knife, landing straight into my heart, and I wonder if this is how she feels talking to me at times.

"To talk," I answer simply, slowly striding across the room with my fingers trailing along the wall before they come to a stop on the small of her back once I reach her.

Elena's body immediately tenses at my touch, and she spins around to swat my hand away with narrowed, angry eyes. "Touch me again. I dare you—"

Despite both the seriousness of the situation and her threatening tone, I can hear the hint of longing in her voice, and I can't help the small smile that tugs at my lips. "With pleasure," I reply softly. "If you want me to, that is."

She takes another step away from me, her gaze burning into mine, but there's something else there now—a hint of desire. She doesn't say anything, but the tension in the air speaks volumes.

With a sigh, I reach out for her hand again. "That scene back there—it wasn't what it looked like. Let me explain—"

"Explain how your ex-girlfriend, who you had a hard time leaving, just had her tongue practically shoved down your throat?" Elena cuts me off, her tone bitter and unforgiving. "Look, I like what we had, but I'm not going to be a second option. If you want her, I won't stop you."

She really is quick at jumping to conclusions.

"You're assuming things. Let me explain." I try again, intertwining her delicate fingers with my own. I can tell she's not convinced, but there's still a glimmer of hope there. I need to keep pushing. "What you saw was just an ugly misunderstanding."

"Misunderstanding?" Elena repeats, giving me a look of sheer disbelief. Her expression is dark and tired, but there's still a fire in her eyes that's hard to look away from. "It looked pretty accurate to me. You were kissing her."

"I wasn't. Camille kissed me," I explain, trying to keep my tone soft and reassuring. "And I was in shock, but I pushed her away as soon as I could. I never wanted her to do that."

Elena gives me a searching look for a few seconds before sighing. "Maybe you're telling the truth," she says grudgingly, but the hint of a blush on her cheeks tells me that maybe she believes me after all. "That's not the full reason I'm mad, though."

I raise an eyebrow in confusion. "It isn't?"

"I need you," she admits, her voice dropping to a soft whisper so only I can hear it. "I need you in a way that isn't possible. I don't just want sex—we both know damn well that we have feelings for each other beyond that."