Chapter 166

The next morning at breakfast, Elva and I sat beside Susie and across from Veronica and Tiffany. The excitement with Terry’s capture seemed to be the popular topic for everyone else at the table, except for us. None of us seemed overly thrilled to ever mention Terry’s name ever again.

At least, I knew I wasn’t. I could take a guess about Susie, too. Tiffany and Veronica were likely being respectful of us.

We were half-way through eating, when Lilliana stumbled into the dining room. She was put together well enough, in a very simple sundress with matching cardigan. Though the buttons of the cardigan were fastened incorrectly, making it longer on one side.

She rubbed at her forehead with one hand, half covering her eyes. She shunned the bright lights, keeping her gaze firmly down.

All of the girls stopped to look at her as she stood there, miserable and oblivious. When she noticed, she blushed and hurried forward toward her usual empty seat near Olivia. The moment she sat down, Olivia stood up.

“I’ll eat the rest in my room,” she said. A servant quickly went behind her, grabbed her plate and followed Olivia out the door.

Lilliana sunk further down into her chair.

Elva was staring. I tapped at her plate. “Eat your food, honey. Be polite.”

“Sorry, Mommy,” she said and lifted her fork.

I did the same, trying to ignore Lilliana myself. It was difficult. Knowing what I knew, I wanted to make sure she was okay, at least health-wise, but staring would only make others stare too.

Unfortunately, the damage had seemed to already been done. Everyone was looking at Lilliana. Whispers were beginning to sound.

Even Tiffany whispered to Veronica, “She looks hungover.”

Veronica replied, “She is hungover.”

Elva was staring again. I tapped her plate.

She lowered her head. “Sorry, Mommy.”

Veronica and Tiffany returned to their own meals as if scolded too.

Susie gave me a sad sort of smile. I wondered how much she knew, if Nicholas had told Mark and Mark had told her. Whatever knowledge she had, she was keeping it to herself, so for that, I was grateful.

Though her pitying looks made my heart hurt. If Susie knew Lilliana went to Nicholas’s room last night, then she probably knew I had gone there too. Susie was smart. She could surely piece together what I had been doing there and how it had turned out, thanks to Lilliana’s presence.

I returned Susie’s smile as best I could. Her worry came from a place of friendship, I knew, not mockery. I had no reason to be rude, even if I wanted to forget the previous night had happened entirely.

After breakfast, Elva and I returned to our room. Elva took a small nap and then played with her toys. Charlotte and I chatted over coffee until a visitor walked through the door.

Nicholas.

I had known that I couldn’t avoid him forever, certainly, but I had hoped for at least a few more hours before we would have to face the embarrassment that had happened last night.

“Piper. Charlotte. Elva.”

“Nick-lass!” Elva bounced up from her spot on the floor and rushed toward him. He bent down and lifted her up into his arms. Her noodle arms threaded around his neck and they held each other in a tight hug.

“I missed you!” she said.

Nicholas teased a little. “I spent time with you two days ago.”

“Not enough. I want to see Nick-lass every day.”

He smiled as he leaned in and softly kissed her cheek.

Elva beamed with happiness.

My own heart melted at the sight. This wasn’t the first time they had displayed such familial affection for each other, but every time it occurred felt like it was the first.

I hated that these moments couldn’t last forever. But I would enjoy them for what they were while they lasted.

Soon, Elva got squirmy and Nicholas lowered her down. She rushed back to her toys and Nicholas came toward Charlotte and me.

Charlotte immediately stood. “Please.” She offered him her seat.

“I couldn’t,” he said.

“I have chores that need tending to,” Charlotte said. That didn’t seem entirely truthful, but gave Nicholas enough reason to sit down. Charlotte winked at me behind his back. “Would you like a cup of coffee, Your Royal Highness?”

“Yes, thank you. That would be lovely.”

Charlotte removed her own cup and walked toward the doorway where a pot of coffee and some cups had been set. As she worked, Nicholas inched his chair closer toward mine.

Even those few inches of closed distance sent my heart racing. His gentle smile set my skin on fire.

“I’m sorry about last night,” he said, and that cooled me somewhat, though not enough to want to be away from him. If anything, I only wanted to be closer, to feel his warmth ignite within me again.

“Don’t apologize,” I said. “You had no control over what happened.”

“I should have been more forceful.”

I shook my head. “You could have hurt her without even realizing it.” Lilliana had been so drunk, she would have just kept pushing without feeling any pain, no matter how Nicholas tried to push her away.

“I’m glad I came when I did,” I said. Maybe I saved the both of them. Saved myself too, from acting too rashly.

I was a virgin and had always wanted to stay one until I found either my perfect person or my fated mate. Nicholas, unfortunately, couldn’t be either of those things.

He was a prince. He wouldn’t marry for love. He’d marry whoever would fit him best on the throne beside his. This person wasn’t me. I had no idea how to sit on a throne, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to learn.

I had enough problems. So did the royal family.

Our problems didn’t mix well.

But that didn’t mean that our… attraction, or even our affection, was irrelevant. It just… wasn’t enough.

I wanted to be intimate with Nicholas, but I couldn’t cross that line. Last night I had been willing. This morning, I wasn’t so sure.

I was glad I didn’t have to find out if I would have regretted giving my virginity to Nicholas.

Nicholas leaned in closer. I leaned in too.

I wasn’t ready to surrender my virginity, but everything else…?

“Piper,” he whispered. “Why did you come to my room last night?”

“You know why,” I said. I licked my lips. He watched and licked his own. “I’m not ready for everything.”

“We’ll do as little or as much as you want,” he said. “I’d never press you…”

“But…?”

“No, but’s,” he said, and seemed earnest. His voice lowered. “I want you however you are willing…”

I swallowed hard. My nerves itched to be closer to him, to touch him, to wrap myself around him and never let him go.

Charlotte returned with Nicholas’s cup of coffee, and he and I jumped apart.

“Sorry,” Charlotte mouthed to me, when Nicholas wasn’t looking.

I shook my head lightly. It was fine. It was good, actually. Every time I was near Nicholas, I was ready to throw almost everything away to be with him.

I needed to remember myself and my temporary place in his life.

I needed to protect my heart, that wanted so badly to reach out to his and make him my special person.

As Charlotte walked away, Nicholas smiled at me. A fire burned in his eyes.

“You should come back tonight,” he said, and I knew I would before he’d even finished speaking.