by Ashlee Price
"Danni," I interrupt her. "I'm warning you. If you speak ill of her..."
"Does this mean you don't plan on coming back at all?" Danni asks with a worried look. "Are you renouncing your claim to the throne?"
"No."
"Are you marrying her?"
I don't answer.
We are married. Well, sort of. Danni would freak if she found that out.
Danni walks over to me and grabs my hand. "We're going back."
"No." I pull my hand away.
"Your High-"
"I said no!" I raise my voice.
A hush falls over the room as heads turn in my direction.
I take a deep breath and lower my voice. "Danni, I'm not going back with you."
"Because you've fallen in love with her?"
My eyebrows go up as her words take me by surprise. Then I close my eyes and grin.
Ah, Danni, you know me so well.
"It will not do," she says. "I will tell the King."
I open my eyes and meet her gaze. "No, you won't."
"You are a-"
"I know very well who I am," I tell her as I stand up. "But you, perhaps, have forgotten it. I will not go back, and you will not speak of it further. That is an order."
With that, I march out of the restaurant.
~
Later, at the apartment, I regret my actions. Maybe I shouldn't have left Danni like that. She only followed me here because she was concerned about me. She's known me since we were children and she's been loyal to me since she pledged herself to me. She's done everything I've asked her to do and a lot that I didn't need to ask. Yes, she's difficult sometimes and we've argued, but never like this. I shouldn't have treated her like that.
Oh, Steff, what have you done?
"Steff?" Jess calls my name.
I turn to her. "Sorry. I was thinking of something."
"Clearly. Want to tell me what it is?"
"Nothing important. Just what I'm doing tomorrow," I answer. "Did you want something?"
"I was just asking if you wanted the last cake slice," she answers.
I shake my head. "You can have it. I know how much you like it."
Jess gives me a wide smile and runs off. She reminds me of a kid who's just been given permission to play for five more minutes.
I sigh.
If only Danni could meet Jess, she'd see what I can see in her. She'd understand me.
She'd understand why I can't leave Jess.
But they can't meet. Not until I've told Jess my secret, which I still haven't found the right opportunity to do.
Still, that's my decision. This whole trip was my decision, so I can't blame Danni for it. She's only fulfilling her duty. I can't fault her for that.
Besides, Danni is the closest friend I've got.
I glance out the window.
Tomorrow, if Danni's still around, I'll make sure to patch things up with her.
~
A few minutes after Jess leaves, I head out of the apartment as well. I walk down the street towards the corner to hail a cab but stop as I get the feeling that someone's following me.
I let out a deep breath.
"I know you're there," I say softly.
I hear footsteps behind me, then a familiar voice.
"I'm leaving this evening."
I nod and turn around to look at Danni. "Then why don't I show you around a bit before you leave? That way, you'll have some nice memories of this place."
She steps beside me and we continue walking side by side.
"I know this great pizzeria, too, where we can have lunch," I add.
Danni sighs. "If you like pizza so much, why didn't you go to Italy instead? It's a little closer to home."
"Maybe too close," I say. "Besides, the weather here is great. And it's always lively here."
"Too lively."
I glance at her and grin.
"Hey, while I show you around, maybe you can tell me everything I've missed at home."
"I would be glad to. Where do you want me to start?"
We stop at the corner and wait for the light to turn green.
"How are Celia and Charisse?" I ask.
"They weren't happy to learn you'd gone. Princess Celia wanted to come after you. If Princess Charisse hadn't talked her out of it, she might have."
I nod. "I can imagine that."
"And Princess Charisse's studies are going well. Already, there is talk that she will make one of the finest doctors in Brelv."
I smile proudly. "As I expected."
"And Princess Celia is designing most of the gowns for the Midsummer Festival."
"Really?" I throw Danni a puzzled look. "I thought Father didn't approve of her designs."
"Well, she promised to tone things down a little."
I touch my chin. "I see. Though it's not like her to back down."
"Maybe she's outgrown you."
I chuckle.
"Well, they sound like they're doing fine without me. Anyway, I should get them some presents for you to bring home. They would love that."
Chapter 25
Jess
"Ah. It must be wonderful to be in love," Lisbeth says dreamily from across the table during our break.
I glance up from my notebook.
My eyebrows crinkle. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Look at you, you're writing a song," she says. "Also, you've been smiling a lot lately and putting on lipstick instead of chapstick."
I quickly cover my mouth. "What has that got to do with it?"
Lisbeth chuckles.
"It only means that you've gone past the agonizing stage and now everything is roses and butterflies."
I narrow my eyes at her. "You're still not making sense. You didn't spike your coffee, did you?"
She rolls her eyes. "Fine. I'll tell you outright since your head's up in the clouds. Or up somewhere. You and Steff are finally in a relationship, aren't you? You've finally figured it out, right?"
"You got that from just my lipstick?"
"Oh, come on." Lisbeth leans forward. "You can tell me all the details, like how he introduced you to his sister and how you plan on moving to Norway."
"Me move to Norway?"
Now I feel even more confused.
"And what's this about Steff's sister?"
"Now, now, don't play dumb, Jess." Lisbeth waves a finger at me. "I know for a fact that Steff was with a foreign-looking woman yesterday."
My eyebrows arch. "A woman?"
"And that they went to that new building, the one that houses a few European consulates."
"They did?"
"My silly roommate thought they were some kind of celebrity couple and took a picture of them," Lisbeth explains. "She showed it to me last night."
My eyes grow wide. "Do you have a copy?"
"Hmm." Lisbeth takes out her phone. "She didn't send me a copy, but I think she uploaded it to the computer at home. I should be able to access that drive from my phone."
I rub my cheek. "You know, you're such a goofball sometimes that I tend to forget you're a techie."
"Shut up. I just go out of my way not to look like a geek because guys don't like girls with brains."
After a few moments, she hands me her phone.
"There you go. That's Steff, isn't it?"
I stare at the picture on the screen.
It is Steff. There's no mistaking that hair, that sense of style, or that physique. And he is with a woman, one who shares his pale complexion and has some similar facial features. She has darker hair, though. I can see the building behind them as well, with a row of European flags. I recognize it from the news.
Why did Steff go there with this woman? Who is she?
"Well?" Lisbeth puts her hand on my shoulder.
I grip the phone in my hands. "That is Steff, but I don't know who that woman is. She looks foreign, too, but I don't think she's his sister."
"What?"
"If I r
emember correctly, Steff said he had two younger sisters. Twins. This woman looks just as old as he is, if not older."
"Crap." Lisbeth grabs the phone and looks closely at the screen. "You're right. She does look a little older."
"Steff doesn't have an older sister," I tell Lisbeth.
"So this woman is...?"
Lisbeth gasps and covers her mouth.
"I'm so sorry, Jess."
She's thinking the same thing I'm thinking-that Steff was seeing another woman.
I feel a sharp prick in my chest.
"But hey, maybe they're just friends," Lisbeth says as she leans over me. "Maybe she's a visiting friend."
"Then why didn't he introduce her to me? Why didn't he even tell me about her?"
"Maybe he was going to. You went straight to the bar yesterday, remember? You came home late and this morning you were rushing to work and he didn't have time to tell you."
I touch my chin.
It's probable.
But then I remember how Steff's been acting strange lately, lost in thought and easily getting startled. I remember the phone call and my eyes grow wide.
Could that woman have called our apartment and asked him to meet her?
If so, Steff had a chance to tell me, but he didn't.
"Or maybe she's an ex. Maybe he was seeing her back in Norway and he's decided to cut ties with her."
I say nothing.
Maybe. But they definitely looked like they were getting along well in the picture. Also, why would he go to his country's consulate with an ex?
"He might not even know her. I mean, they might just happen to be from the same country. She might have lost her luggage and her papers and he accompanied her to the consulate to get new ones. You know how Steff is. He can't resist helping someone in need."
That's another possibility. Still, I can't shake off this unpleasant feeling that's crept into my chest and taken root in my heart.
Something is off.
And I intend to find out what.
I grab my notebook and stand up. "Sorry, Lisbeth, but I'm telling Tom that I'm going home early today."
~
I intended to talk to Steff as soon as I got back, but he's not here at the apartment.
My trembling hands roll into fists.
Did he meet that woman again? Where did they go this time?
I shake my head and take a deep breath.
No. I should calm down.
What am I even acting jealous for anyway? It's not like Steff and I have a romantic relationship.
And yet my chest aches so much I feel it's about to break and my heart is going to spill out.
I clutch the front of my shirt.
I guess I am in love with Steff, after all.
And to think that in spite of all my denial, I thought that there was a chance he'd feel the same way.
I hoped.
I run my hands through my hair in frustration.
Oh, Jess. I thought you'd become wiser, but you're still a silly naive fool.
I glance at the door to Steff's bedroom.
No. I won't make the same mistake as before. If Steff really isn't in love with me, if he'd rather be with someone else, I'll let him go. I won't hang around and hope.
But I have to know.
I go inside his bedroom and start looking through his things.
I don't really know what I'm looking for, but I have a feeling I'll know it when I see it.
Steff doesn't have much. Mostly clothes. Some of the drawers in his room are empty. One of them, though, has a phone in the back.
I grab it.
Steff has a phone? Why has he never used it, then?
I turn it on, but I can't seem to get past the security, so I turn it back off and put it back in the drawer.
I keep looking.
I go through the pile of laundry in the corner. I grab the pair of pants Steff used yesterday and check the pockets. My eyes grow wide as I see receipts. Receipts for perfume, for scarves, for chocolates. And I haven't seen any of them-which means they're with someone else.
I clamp a hand over my mouth. The tears that have been pricking my eyes trickle down my cheeks.
I think of stopping my search, but then my gaze falls on an envelope under the bed.
I wipe my tears, grab it and look inside.
Travel documents from the consulate. And a ticket. An airline ticket.
The envelope drops from my hand.
So he was thinking of leaving me? He was thinking of going back home with that woman?
I hastily put the envelope back under the bed but leave everything else a mess. I head over to my room with more tears coating my cheeks, but just as I grab the knob, the door to the apartment opens.
I grow still.
"Jess?" I hear the surprise in Steff's voice. "You're home early."
I say nothing. The lump in my throat quivers.
Why? Even though I'm in so much pain, why does the sound of his voice still make me happy?
I said I'd let him go, didn't I? Then why am I hesitating? Why am I dreading it?
Why are my hands shaking in fear?
"Jess, is something wrong?" Steff asks as he approaches me.
I turn my face away, but he must have seen my tear-stained cheeks.
He grabs my hand. "Jess..."
"Don't touch me!" I pull my hand away. "Don't... Just go away."
"What?"
"I said you should just leave." I turn to face him. "After all, that's what you're planning on doing, aren't you? You were planning on going back home with your girlfriend?"
His eyebrows crease. "Jess, what are you talking about?"
"Lisbeth's roommate saw you together, so don't deny it!" I shout. "And I saw the stuff in your room, too, so I know you were with her."
Steff lets out a deep breath. "Jess..."
"Just go!" I point to the door. "There's no reason for you to stay here, after all. I'm not your girlfriend. I'm nothing to you."
"That's not-"
"Maybe just a sex friend, someone you used. Well, I used you too, so we're even, right?"
I wrap my arms around my chest.
"Let me get this straight," Steff says. "You want me to leave?"
I nod even as my mind screams the opposite.
No. Don't go. Don't leave me.
"And all because I was with another woman?"
Ah. He's not even denying it anymore.
"If you understand it, then..."
Suddenly, he grabs my face. His palms press against my wet cheeks.
I look at him and see a smile on his lips.
Why?
I glare at him. "What are you smiling for?"
"Because now I know how you feel about me."
"Huh?"
"Here I thought I'd never get your true feelings out of you, but it seems I just did." Steff strokes my cheek. "You want me to stay with you, don't you, Jess?"
I feel puzzled. Didn't I just tell him to leave?
"Good," he tells me as his blue eyes pierce mine. "Because I feel the same way."
What?
Suddenly, Steff presses his mouth to mine. The warmth spreads throughout my body and melts away my pain, my fears.
My hands stop shaking. My eyelids fall.
Steff... feels the same way I do?
He pulls away and kisses the corners of my eyes.
"Seriously, why must you always be crying?" he asks. "I don't think I've ever seen a woman cry over me as much as you."
My lips curve into a grin. "Then you should make up for it, shouldn't you?"
Steff strokes my cheek. "As you wish."
His mouth descends on mine again, and this time the kiss forces me to take a step back. I hit the door. It swings open and Steff pushes me against it as his hands drop to my shoulders. I hear the door hit the wall. I feel the wood behind me.
I wrap my hands around the back of his neck and kiss him back as fiercely as I can. Our tongues mingle and excitement flutt
ers in my chest.
Earlier, my heart was shattering. Now, it's threatening to spill out of my chest for a different reason.
Heat swirls through my veins. And joy.
Strange. This isn't the first kiss I've shared with Steff, but I've never been as happy as I am now. Or more alive.
I push my tongue against his and moan.
I can't get enough of this feeling. I can't get enough of him.
I want more.
I reach down to cup his crotch. The heat from his cock seeps into my palm through the layers of fabric. I press against it and it quivers.
I tremble in delight.
Steff's hands cradle the curves of my breasts. His fingers find my pert nipples. Then his mouth travels to my neck as he strokes me between my legs.
I gasp. My fingers freeze around his cock.
It escapes my clutches as Steff lower his head to take one of my breasts in his mouth. His fingers free the button of my pants and pull down the zipper. Then they slip beneath my underwear in search of my sensitive nub.
When they find it, I let out a cry. My hands grip his shoulders.
Steff lifts my shirt and my bra up to lick my nipple. His other hand continues to play with the bud of flesh peeking out of the folds of my skin.
Both buds swell. My skin grows even hotter.
Then Steff slips two fingers inside me.
I shiver. Gasps escape my lips as I throw my head back against the door.
Again, Steff captures my lips. Then he looks into my eyes.
His glimmer with desire, and with something else I've never quite seen so clearly before, something that makes my racing heart stop.
Is this... love?
"Sorry," Steff says. "But I don't think I can hold back today."
I smile as I shake my head. My fingers brush away the strands of his hair.
"Then don't."
I put my hands around his waist as I give him a full kiss on the lips. Then I grab the hem of his shirt and pull it over him before pushing him towards the bed.
Steff narrows an eye at me. "Someone's eager."
I push him onto the bed and go down on my knees so my face is level with his erection.
"Look who's talking."
I pull his jeans and his briefs down and his stiff cock springs free. I wrap my fingers around it and give it a lick. The taste of soap rubs off on my tongue.
"Where were you?" I ask him before gathering the moisture on the mushroom head of his cock with the tip of my tongue.