The Low-Class Prince Charming

Chapter 40

Mason didn't hear anything from Sky's room all evening - no music, no scraping chair noises, not even the thumping of feet from when she was practising her moves. But what he did hear was the occasional pitter-patter of her feet walking across the room. What was she doing if not her usual activities?

He was tempted to go and knock on her door or even send her a text, but each time he held himself back. Was she really mad at him? He didn't want her to be, and that gave him reason to not antagonise her further.

He was just heading to bed when he heard a knock at his door. He slid his top back on in a hurry and rushed towards it, eager to see if it was Sky waiting for him on the other side.

It wasn't. It was her father, who nodded at him in greeting.

"May I come in?" he asked, and after Mason shook himself out of his reverie, he nodded his head and stepped back to allow James entry to his room – although, technically, it was James's. Mason grimaced when he realised how little time he had spent with the people who actually owned the house and he'd even ended up falling for their daughter. His grimace turned into a smile though when James turned to face him. "You can close the door."

Mason hadn't even realised he was still holding it open, so he did what James asked and closed it, leaving the two males in Mason's room alone together. "Is there something I can help you with?" Mason asked.

It was in that moment Mason looked over James' shoulder and noticed his cracked open window; he almost got a heart attack when he realised Sky might listen in on the two. He walked over to his desk, pretending he'd just been busy sorting his papers before he was interrupted. Just a bit closer...

"I was wondering if you'd managed to get through to Sky at all," James asked, looking around the room with a vague interest.

Ah," Mason said, realising there really wasn't much else Sky's father would come knocking at his door for. "Not yet, but I won't stop trying." Mason then leaned over towards the window, arm outstretched, in a move to close it, but then he froze.

There was Sky - heading down the wall like she did that one time he caught her heading to a fight. Mason couldn't immediately feel his chest constrict and his heartbeat speed up. Why would she do that? Or more - what should he do about that?

He quietly closed the window to not arouse suspicion to either party before turning to look at James.

"I also really hate to be that person, but I was actually in the middle of studying..." Mason trailed off, not wanting to appear like he was getting rid of the man kind enough to let him stay in his house.

James sighed and Mason stiffened. "I do wish my daughter was as dedicated to her studies as you are. I'm sorry for having interrupted you. I do hope you can still talk some sense into her when you get some time though."

Mason nodded, happy he'd taken it like that. He tried not to get too close to James as he made his way out of the door, so he didn't appear as though as he was forcing him along but he was more than happy to close the door behind James, taking a deep breath to calm himself before he prepared himself for taking off after Sky.

He turned to face his room before realising there wasn't really much he needed so instead he turned back around and opened the door, heading out after James who looked back at him in surprise; Mason grimaced.

"I, uh... Just realised I ran out of pens. Need to go buy some new ones," he explained quickly before rushing past the man and down the stairs.

"We have some. I could--" James started.

"I couldn't take anything else off you! I'll buy my own!" he shouted back up the stairs to James, trying not to make his hurry too evident as he headed to and out the front door, leaving a few confused maids in his wake too.