Page 44 of His Beloved Princess
"Then, start with this." She fished a blue file from her bag, handing it to me. I scowled, opening it, and my eyes widened in surprise.
"You don't need to do this," I muttered, staring at the paper. She wanted me to sign the termination of our contract.
"I know, dear." She smiled softly, giving me a pen. "But I won't stand in the way of your happiness."
"You're not..." I wanted to object, yet she wasn't interested. She had made up her mind.
"You will always be my best friend, Fluffy." I chuckled when she used the nickname she'd given me when we started dating. I hated it. "That won't ever change."
"But—" and again, she wouldn't let me finish.
"But nothing." She placed her hand on my forearm, grinning at me. "I'm not a damsel in distress. I'll survive."
I wasn't sure about this at all.She had medical appointments that she skipped if I didn't control her. She often forgot to attend the meetings with her psychiatrist if I didn't remind her of them. I never knew if she did it on purpose or if she really hated them that much, but the truth was that the treatment was helping her. She was better, and I didn't want to risk the whole progress. I wasn't prepared to choose between her and Electra. I loved my princess with everything in me, but this wasn't the solution.
"I won't sign it, Rose," I stated, tearing the paper in half. "Until you find someone to take my place, you're stuck with me."
"You can't force me," she objected, glaring at me.
"We both know that you're functioning thanks to that contract. You have a job, a relatively normal life, and things are fine." I raised the glass of whiskey to my lips, gulping down the remaining liquid before I continued. "Electra is a very empathetic person. She will understand this. I just need your permission to explain it."
"You want to tell her about me?" Rose's eyes widened, and her voice was soaked in disbelief. No one knew the real story of her life. She'd been through some nasty things that completely destroyed her, and during that time, I was the only one who stayed by her.
I didn't intend to leave that place until she was okay.
"Yes, I do," I confirmed, gently taking her hand. "I promised to never leave you, and I won't do it—no matter what."
"What if you lose her?" she inquired, giving me a dejected look. She didn't want to be the reason behind my breakup.
"Then it'll be completely my fault," I said, feeling my heart painfully clench. For a few moments, I forgot about the pain that was consuming my body, but it returned with full force, complemented by the fear that was eating me alive. The only answer to those horrible feelings was to fight. I had to prove myself worthy of another chance.
The ringing of my phone distracted me, and I answered it without a second thought.It was Daniel.
"We have her, boss," he announced, relief evident in his voice. "I'm on my way there."
"No!" I shouted, grabbing the jacket from the chair. "I'm going there myself."
"Yes, boss," he replied, ending the call. In five seconds, I received the text with the address three hundred miles away.
"Good luck," Rose whispered when I kissed her cheek goodbye, and I gave her something that could be interpreted as a smile.
"Thanks, I'll need it."
23
Grandmother´s Wisdom
Electra
Iwas standing on the balcony of my grandmother's two-story house, staring at the mountains before me. No one bothered me for the past week, mainly because there was no cell reception here, and Granny also didn't have internet. It felt so relaxing not to be disturbed by unnecessary things and information.
Given my situation with Mr. Thorn, I was glad he couldn't contact me. I was surprised he didn't show up the day after my arrival, and my heart ached from that one persistent thought. He didn't care enough for me to come here and at least try to explain everything.
It wasn’t like that mattered anymore. Bastian lied to me the whole time. I fell head over heels for him, not thinking about the possibility that I was just a distraction from his everyday life. He had a relationship with Rose, and, as inexperienced and naive as I was, he only played with me. For sure, they spent hours laughing a my account, making fun of my stupidity for trusting his every word.
I released a shaky breath, pushing back the tears, yet I failed, and they were streaming down my face like a waterfall. My heart was broken. The memories ofour time together were torturing me, keeping me awake all night, reminding me how great it was. If only it were true.
After another half an hour of mindlessly staring at the beautiful nature, I returned inside. I joined my grandmother and her neighbor from the other side of the river at the table to eat breakfast. He lived there alone, and he often visited my grandma when he was around. They were great friends.
