That Royal Bad Ass

8. He's Losing Me...

I groaned and sank down onto the damp well-manicured lawn my palm to my face.

I'm so deep in, the shit is covering my head. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Half way through that breath, my phone started to vibrate vigorously on the sparkling grass next to my thigh jumping me and my heart threw itself into my mouth. I was choking on whatever self-pity I have left.

My coughing must have been significantly loud because a pair of footsteps could be heard beyond the bushes I was hiding behind making its way towards me. Shit.

I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the blow but, there was none.

I just sensed someone sitting beside me and my phone had stopped vibrating.

"Your mum must be really worried about you..." Keller said gingerly.

I almost melted into in his lap with the sudden overwhelming of relief that he wasn't a guard then snorted at the realization of what he just said.

My mum? Worried? About me?

"Ha!" I laughed sarcastically, "more like worried about her country."

That last part I mumbled to myself but I wasn't that sure he heard me or not because he remained silent but his eyebrows furrowed and his lips pursed making deep dents appear on both his cheeks.

I bit my lip looking down at my phone which light's faded leaving us in complete darkness. Breathing in and closing my eyes, the realisation of my current situation hit me, really hard. I closed my teeth harder on my lip not caring that the pressure might cause it to bleed.

You just have to deal with it Nicola, you're a princess and it's the right thing to do right.

I exhaled slowly and sharply opened my eyes. I didn't want to marry for power or wealth. I wanted to travel, find love—heck, fight for it if I had to. I wanted to marry for that.

"I think we should get back..." I said looking at him reluctantly and bit my bottom lip for like the hundredth time tonight.

I looked at him and his face was pretty impassive when he nodded. He got up swiftly in one movement, dusted his hand on his jeans all the while he carefully avoided his light, fitted sweater.

Keller then surprised me—as he was associating himself by choice with Stephen—by offering me his hand to help me up. Guess chivalry's only dead to assholes. My face heated a bit when his soft, warm steady palms made contact with my cold trembling ones.

"Are you cold?" he asked worriedly doing the thing with his eyebrows again.

"Um..." he didn't even wait for me to answer, his sweater was already half way off his body revealing his pale blue looking V-neck t-shirt.

I bit my lip trying to ease the heat rolling in my stomach.

Damn you Mother Nature... Why is he so sweet?

He gave me a small smile and handed me the sweater. That simple gestured had my stomach in havoc.

Dear Pandora,

Please add Keller Gladiole's heart to your list of things needed to be kept from the world for it is too pure and all I can do is break it. I am in terror of his sweetness, I might die of diabetes. Lord knows...

Sincerely,

Nicola.

"Why are you so nice to me?" I asked instead of saying thanks.