Once Upon a Prince

Chapter Eleven

I could hear Helen laugh. "It was your father's idea, therefore, I had every right to sell it.

I started to cry, tears streaming down my face. "He what?" I asked as I crumpled into a ball on the ground.

Chris picked me up and I curled into his chest.

"You have 45 minutes before I call the police!" Meredith warned.

"Put her in your car, I'll put everything in your car." Grandma said sadly.

I didn't hear Chris answer but I figured he nodded or something, he wouldn't just not answer her.

He put me in his car, I was still curled up in a ball, and buckled me in. He kissed my forehead and slammed the door shut. I didn't turn to watch him walk to everything I owned as it sat outside like trash. I just sat there motionless and thought about my so-called family and that made me cry harder.

Christian

Everything of Raylynn's in my car, I got in and found she had cried herself to sleep. I wiped away the last tear and drove to my house. I was furious, did they seriously think they could get away with this? Karma has a funny way of getting even and I plan to help it along.

I pulled into the driveway and shut the car off. I decided against waking Raylynn up so I carried her inside, up the stairs, and to my room. I tucked her into my bed and left the room to get her things from the car.

"Chris, how did it go?" Crispin asked.

"Shh, Raylynn's sleeping." I whispered.

His eyebrows furrowed. "Is she spending the night? How come?"

"She's not spending the night, she's living here with us until we find a place of our own and decided to move out. Go get your shoes on, we have a lot to get out the car." I went back outside and told Grandma to let Crispin get the shopping bags while she and I got the clothes that were left outside.

When everything was in, Grandma decided to survey everything and only keep what was in good condition. "Honestly, let's just throw everything away, none of this is worth keeping." Grandma said.

"Her family threw her away?" Crispin whispered.

"They did but that's okay because we love Raylynn and wanted to keep her anyway, right? I said.

"Right. Can we teepee they're how?"

I nodded. "Yeah, put the clothes back in the car, we'll go to the store, then we'll dump the clothes back over there and teepee their house." Crispin ran upstairs to change out of his pj's.

"In the morning, text me, I'll take Raylynn shopping again for things she'll need if she's going to live here."

"I don't think she's going to want to shop or do anything tomorrow." I said.

"You're right. We'll online shop."

Raylynn

I woke up the next morning disoriented and with a severe headache, I looked around, and in a room that doesn't belong to me. "Mmhmm." And apparently I'm not alone in this bed.

I jump out of the bed to make sure I'm fully clothed.

"What are you doing?"

"Chris? Whe-where are we, why am I here?" I question him.

Chris stretches, arms above his head. I track the motion, first noticing he's only wearing pajama bottoms and then noticing how fit he is. I've never seen a six-pack up close. "You done checking me out?"

Caught. "So, yes. Um, you, uh, look nice?" Yeah, very smooth. "Sorry."

He chuckled. "It's okay, this is all your anyway so feel free to stare, touch too if you'd like."

I just stared.

"Alright, come back to bed and I'll tell you why you're here."

"I-I have to, um, use the bathroom first." I said.

"Behind you." He said, pointing to the opened door that clearly housed the large bathroom complete with a full sized claw bathtub and a toilet.

"I'll be right back."

"I'll be waiting right here."

I used the bathroom and then washed my hands. I could taste that my breath was rank so I looked for a toothbrush.

"There's a spare toothbrush in the medicine cabinet." Chris called.

"Thank you." I called back. I brushed my teeth and then made my way, slowly, back to the bedroom.

Chris pulled back the covers and patted the empty space. "Come here." He almost purred.

My feet moving on their own, led me right to the spot beside him. I laid down and pulled the covers up to my chin.

"Baby, relax." Chris said. He laid on his and pulled me into him, my eye level with his chest. It took a minute but I did eventually relax. "Do you remember what happened yesterday?"

"Yes, Um, Crispin took me to breakfast on your dime and Grandma took me shopping and to lunch."

Chris nodded. "And later that night?"

"You set up this amazing dinner in a gazebo with waiters and a chef who grilled us steaks. They were delicious."

He laughed a little then I felt him tense. "What happened after that?"

I snuggled deeper into his warm chest and fought to stop the tears that were brimming to the surface. "Uh, they, my family, um." I couldn't help it, I started to cry. "I was kicked out. Of my home, the place where I grew up and my father, he let them do that to me."