Page 70 of King of Lies
Chapter 26
Unfaithful
To say that today went anything as planned would be a bold-faced lie.
I was not expecting to wake to a very happy to be home and in my bed Rhys, I did not expect him to throw down with his stepmom over marrying me, and I did not expect to be locked in meetings about coronations and royal weddings for half the day.
We had sandwiches in the office and then I fell asleep on the leather couch against the wall. Rhys woke me up and told me we could take a break but then the queen rushed in, looking very contrite—something I immediately knew was a load of crap and I hoped Rhys did too but I’m starting to doubt my faith in the “stronger” sex—and claimed she had a dire emergency.
Rhys apologized, but it was fine. I wanted out of there and I grabbed on to any excuse to do so with both hands. You would think planning a coronation and a royal wedding would be extremely fascinating, but it was not. It was extremely boring and I was dying inside with all the rules.
To make matters worse I was starting to get really uncomfortable with the fact that my uncles still hadn’t called me back. A normal person would have decided they were mad at being the last to know their daughter for all intents and purposes was getting married across the world, but we’re not normal people, and haven’t been since my parents were killed.
When, unexpectedly, you lose people who are so important to you that they are intrinsically part of who you are, it changes the very foundation of your being. I can no longer assume the benign answer. In my head, it’s always something tragic, which is why I’ve been so intent to live my life, not even in the slow lane, but on the shoulder with training wheels on. That is until Rhys blew the doors off my safe and narrow existence.
While some risks just aren’t worth it to me, some are, and he will always be one of them.
So while I quickly took my escape to walk off my lunch in the garden and then head back to my room to read, I was thrilled. But now it’s going on ten o’clock and I still haven’t seen him. He didn’t show up for dinner and neither did the queen.
So I’m going to crash his study and see if he’ll do a little studying with me. Oh my gosh, that was so cheesy. I can’t believe I’m turning into this person. I guess that’s what love and real-life fairytales do to me.
I’ve long since changed into leggings and a sweatshirt. Thick socks warm my feet as I silently sneak down the halls. I wish I knew the actual way to his study. I’ve only been to it once and Rhys took me there through a back hallway that is definitely not for the everyday person to see.
I think I’m on the right track when I turn down a not-for-public-use corridor. This looks about right, but what do I know? It’s been so long, I’m starting to wonder if I’m going to die here and no one will find me until much later. Like those old ladies onHoarderswho don’t find their dead cat until it’s been awhile. I think I’m the cat and I can’t help but cringe at the thought.
I stop in front of a door that looks relatively familiar. I know I seem needy, but he’s been gone so long and I only saw him for a bit earlier, and we were naked and not using words to talk at the time.
I need some reassurance. I need him to tell me that everything is going to be all right and that, even though he’s a very important man, we’re going to find a way to spend some time together in between those important moments.
Once we find our balance, everything will be okay.
I roll my shoulders back and pull open the door, but it’s not Rhys’s study it’s some sitting room. There’s a large leather sofa like the one in the study and Rhys is sitting on it with his back to me. I’d know that head of thick dark hair and those broad shoulders anywhere.
But what really bothers me, is the queen has her hands on his thighs and is leaning over him. Her blouse is unbuttoned down the front and her black, lace covered breasts are on display. No doubt, for his enjoyment. She’s wearing a cat-that-got-her-cream smile as she wiggles her body seductively, and then drops to her knees.
I stay long enough to watch her unzip his pants and pull free his thick cock—hard for her and not me—and stroke it with her delicate hand tipped with sharp, red lacquered nails. She parts her red painted lips around the thick head of his cock, and I hear him groan the same noise he made in bed with me this morning. I don’t need to see his face to know that it’s him.
I can’t stay here a moment longer and when the queen looks up and sees me backing away, she winks at me. I hate that she knows that I saw her, that she knows she got to me, but it really doesn’t matter now, Because it will all come out anyway when I leave and I will leave. I can love a man who is important and I can stand by his side, but I can’t stand by while he fucks everything that moves behind my back.
Maybe the queen was right and he was always going to come to his senses and choose her in the end. I don’t know why, but clearly she has something he can’t deny.
I feel the tears burning my cheeks as I race back to my room. I get ready for bed. I can’t leave in the middle of the night and I wouldn’t know how. I need to sleep and then tomorrow I’ll pack my bags.
I get ready for bed and wash my face several times so it isn’t so obvious that I’ve been crying and then I turn off all the lights and climb into bed.
About an hour later, I’m still not able to find sleep when I hear the snick of the door latch and Rhys shuffles in, shucking his clothes to the floor. I snap my eyes closed and pretend to be asleep.
I didn’t think he would come to me tonight after he let his stepmom blow him. I thought maybe he would be gentleman enough to sleep on the sofa in his study, but no, he’s here to sleep with me and I’m not ready to face him yet!
He climbs into bed and pulls me into his arms smelling like her and my heart shatters irrevocably. He presses his mouth to mine and draws up my shirt to put his hands on my skin underneath, but I bat him away. I can’t stand to have him touch me so soon after she touched him.
“Hen?” he asks after he lifts his mouth from mine, and I can feel his eyes burning into me through the dark of the room.
“Not tonight. I have a headache.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Yes,” I whisper. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
