Royally Kissed | ✓

31; the painful beginnings

He deserved to know the truth, she thought. The celebrant herself was missing on the dance practice for the ball and it was the only thing she could do to let him rest easy.

But Owen was easily angered, and she hadn't truly expected for him to be fit to be tied over her own love affairs. Albeit her cheeks had flamed as she belatedly realized that while Owen's friends from The Golden Knights Club had arranged their busy schedules to pencil in as frivolous as a 'dance' just for her, there she was, letting her emotions get the best of her.

So she apologized for being so insensitive and negligent about the whole thing. She had given them a hurried explanation about her recent surgery, the lie seeping out of her lips that it was acting up. Pretty much everyone brushed it off, and not even Archer had figured out that she and his brother were through.

That left her with Owen and Jouwee, or even Cain. But the latter was high unlikely, considering that they were best friends. Cain might even know that his best friend was playing around so the thought of him beating Arthur himself wasn't what she quite imagined.

But how could Owen carry on a fight with Arthur if he didn't know where to find him? And Jouwee−she was just as furious. Initially, she had suggested to not make impulsive decisions about breaking-up with someone, but the moment she explained to her what happened before she got there, her indignation was through the roof.

"I've told you about my own experience about ending a relationship too soon without thinking things through," she'd said with outright coldness seeping in her voice, "so I gave you an advise to fix things up before the wreck gets worst and irreparable. So long as it's worth fighting for, you hold on to it. But this? Paige, this is outrageous! I'm sorry but if I ever see that cheating scumbag again, I will freaking balls him up."

Owen shook his head, his face searing with absolute rage. "No, I will fucking slit his throat and tear his heart out of his stupid chest and let my dogs devour it."

She appreciated their concern, really, but the two were way vengeful and affected than how she'd liked herself to be. Paige hadn't able to suppress much of her amusement at this, because her lips quirked up.

"Guys," said Paige, holding them both around their arms, "I'll handle this on my own. And I don't want to see you locked up in jail, alright? So, take it easy."

Owen rolled his eyes, huffing out an abrupt breath. "How're you so calm about this? That asshole just cheated on you!"

Paige shrugged, lifting up a tight smile. "It's my fault."

Both widened their eyes in disbelief. If she were them, she'd probably have the same reaction too. But she'd tried to see the situation in a more comprehensive standpoint. Because what appeared to be wrong to others could be the only thing that was right for another.

"Your fault?" Owen's eyes turned to grim lines. "Your fault? How can you blame yourself for something you didn't do? Explain it in crystal-clear details because, I swear to god, I will hunt him down and make him pay with all kinds of death, Paige."

Managing his anger hadn't wholly put his bad temper away, by natural means. So she couldn't tell if his ire was caused by this or for an entirely different matter altogether.

A glimmer of doubt surged through her veins, but she'd quickly clamped down those mindless fantasies of hers that suggested a romantic attachment with Owen again.

It was always a psyche thing, those thoughts that spring up on their own and before she knew it, she would already begin to visualize it in seasonable times or whenever she felt she was in dire straits. Like he was the floating hope amidst the sea of sunken relationships.