Page 11 of Royally Taught

Forty minutes later, and I’m standing outside her apartment complex, having gotten her information from the school database. I’m abusing my power, and I’m okay with that, I’d give everything up if it meant seeing her again, and having her at my side.

I knock on the door and wait. My heart beats a mile a minute. I hear movement inside, and I thank my lucky stars that she’s here.

The door swings open, and disappointment hits me when I see that it’s Erin and not Anastasia standing in front of me. “I was wondering how long it would take you to show up,” her voice filled with venom.

“Is she home?” I ask, not wanting to stand in the hall arguing with her when I could be speaking with Anastasia.

She shakes her head. “Nope, Stasi’s flight left this morning. You’re too late. She’s gone home, and I’m not sure if she’ll return.”

“Fuck,” I snarl. God, I can’t believe that I missed her.

Damn it. What do I do now?

“You hurt her,” she hisses at me. “You broke her. You actually fucking destroyed her.”

Pain erupts in my chest at her words, and a heaviness settles over it. “I know,” I whisper, not proud of myself. “Finding out who she is threw me for a loop.”

She glares at me. “No shit, Sherlock, but guess what? We don’t take it out on those that matter to us. You couldn’t have fucked up more even if you tried.”

“I love her,” I announce, saying the words out loud for the first time. It’s liberating, letting them out. I wish that Anastasia was here to hear them.

She looks at me with utter disgust. “That’s even worse,” she cries. “If you love her, why the hell did you treat her so badly?”

I hear a door open from the floor above us and sigh. “Can I come in and explain?”

She hesitates, and I think that she’s not going to but thankfully, she opens the door for me to enter. “You have five minutes. That’s all I’m giving you.”

I nod, grateful for the chance to explain. I also know that if I can have Erin on my side, she could help me get Anastasia back.

“I stand to lose everything,” I begin as I pace the floor. “Everything I have ever worked for, my job, my life, my career. With her being royalty, it’s me that loses everything. I’ll be slatted, I’d be the one that would be plastered over the internet.”

Her eyes soften as she looks at me.

“I can see the headlines now with our age gap, I’d be made out to be some sort of—” I shake my head, unable to continue. “I love her, okay, I fucking panicked when I found out who she was. Everything I had fought for flashed before my eyes. I fucked up.”

She nods. “You did, but I’m sure if you tell her what you’ve told me, she’d understand.”

I sigh. “I can’t wait for the next school year to start.”

She rolls her eyes. “Men,” she says with disgust. “You don’t have to wait until then. You have a passport, correct?”

I nod, wondering where she’s going with this.

“Book a damn flight and go fight for the woman you love.” She smiles widely. “Let’s find out when the next flight is.”

My shoulders sink forward with relief. I can do this. I’m going to fight for her. “Thank you,” I say with gratitude.

Soon I’ll be with her, and I pray that I’m able to tell her how fucking sorry I am.

I hope that she’ll forgive me.

ChapterSeven

Anastasia

One month later

Igroan as nausea rolls through my stomach. God, not again. I clamber out of bed, my feet hitting the floor with a thud, and I take off in a sprint as I rush toward the bathroom. I just about make it, bending over the toilet and throwing up into the bowl.

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