Page 93 of Royally Benevolent

WYATT

Iwoke Sunday morning lying with Odette, the sun barely creeping in. She slept all night wrapped in my arms. We spent the evening drinking, talking, and cuddling. I did not mind the bit of time to recoup. While I could have quickly rallied when Theo left with Mom and Rebecca, I didn’t mind having more time to charge my physical and emotional batteries.

This first time was meaningful for both. It was more than I thought it would be. I’d lived all this time expecting to hate myself for being with someone else. However, as Odette had said earlier, she wasn’t the other woman. Isla was always in our hearts and minds. I could love Isla and adore Odette all at once.

Odette stirred, her face smiling. “Bon matin.”

“Bon matin,” I replied. “Waking up next to you is a delight.”

She blushed, her round, rosy cheeks growing even pinker.

“I should leave your room?—”

“No. Stay. Theo will have breakfast and won’t be back for a bit. I want to soak you up.”

I rubbed her back. She let out a contented sigh. Caressing her soft, warm skin felt lovely. My favourite bit of her was on her hips.

“Are you making fun of my love handles?” Odette asked. “I think that is what you call them in English.”

“Making fun of you?” I laughed. “Odette, there is not a part of you I would ever joke about. You’re physical perfection.”

She smiled. “You’re right.”

“No, to me, you are. I don’t know. This curve meets your thigh—your strong thigh—and then moulds back to your tiny waist. It’s soft and strong all at once. Forgive me if I enjoy this part of you, but it’s inviting to touch.”

“Oh. That’s… the sweetest thing anyone has ever said about my body.”

I cocked my head. “Who else has seen it and said anything? It’s not that shithead from the restaurant?”

“Are you jealous?” Odette giggled. She ran her finger up and down the centre of my chest.

“Is it?”

“Yes,” Odette answered. “Guy is the only one who has ever touched me there other than you. Guy… he was complicated. Everyone hated him by the end. Honestly, Alexandraalwayshated him. Rick didn’t even want to talk to him. He did a lot of things that hurt me.”

“Well, he may have fucked with your head but don’t let his shitty fucking opinions live in your beautiful brain rent-free.”

She nodded. “I… I never got the best of him. And, in the end, he started seeing someone else. It was while I was…”

Her voice faded.

“You don’t have to tell me, baby. I don’t owe you a past explanation any more than you owe me.”

“No. I… I worry it will freak you out.”

“I am pretty sure I’ve seen a lot of shit in my life. This is not going to freak me out, Odette.”

“I’m a head case. In the end… after months of attempts to stay in therapy and deal with my bipolar disorder, they put me on a bunch of meds. Which… I’m on meds now. I take them every day. When we get up, the first thing I will do is take them. But back then, the meds weren’t right. No one listened to me—including Alexandra, who was trying so hard to love me through it but believed the doctors knew all anddidn’t realise all doctors weren’t the same. So, things got bad—then worse when I graduated. Everyone thought I was out of the woods but wasn’t.”

“Because your routine changed?”

“Yes,” Odette said. “And everyone just wanted me to be fixed—no one more than Guy, I think. Alexandra grew up with Dad’s moods. She assumed any one of us could be affected by them. She has patience. Guy didn’t. He always thought I was defective, but now he had areason.”

Defective. That word hurt. It was not a word I’d ever attach to such a beautiful soul.

“You aren’t. Sounds like he was, though! What happened then?” I sensed there was more.

“I got totally off the rails—in a tailspin of depression. One night, he was disgusted by me. I was on my period, which always makes me a littleoff. But that’s all women. It’s normal.”

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