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I hadn’t been able to sleep after meeting with the king. I hadn’t been able to cry either. That was, until I told my parents about everything that had happened. Well, the censored version at least.

I was still forbidden to tell them that I was in contact with the royal family, so they only knew that I had an anonymous tip that was giving me information about my biological mother.

I’d hesitantly confessed to them that I’d tried to meet with her. They knew that I’d still wanted to see her, so it wasn’t surprising news. It probably hurt them deep down, and that only made me feel worse.

They said they were happy that I’d survived the accident and that they were blessed to have me in their lives. They understood that meeting my biological mother was important to me and they respected my choice. The tears finally came, when they’d embraced me so lovingly despite everything I’d said to them.

I was blessed to have them. I decided that I would focus my attention on them instead of dwelling on the past. It would only hurt everyone involved if I insisted on stirring everything up. They were the ones who were here now, and I owed it to them to be a good daughter.

I’d cried almost the entire night and the following morning. That, combined with no sleep, left me feeling groggy and miserable. My parents would also be gone the entire day to attend a function.

Dad made breakfast and insisted I ate before they left. I managed to swallow a few bites to satisfy him. I watched their car pull out of the driveway and then dragged myself upstairs and back into bed.

My stomach was still twisted into knots from the devastating news I’d gotten. I didn’t want to think about it anymore, but I couldn’t stop replaying the conversation over in my mind.

I hugged my pillow closer with an airy sigh. I had no pictures of my biological mother. I had no memories of her either.

It was almost as if she didn’t exist in the first place. It was heart-wrenching not being able to remember someone who had been my entire world. She didn’t deserve such a tragic end to her life.

And now, if I went against the king, he wouldn’t hesitate to hurt the people close to me. If anything bad happened to one of my friends or family it would be my fault again.

I hugged the pillow tighter, willing myself to get some sleep, but such a luxury was elusive at a time like this. Not even the new book lying on top of my desk seemed enticing enough to lull me out of my melancholy.

I flipped over onto my belly and buried my head among the pillows as the king continued to haunt my thoughts. My mind drifted to my friends. I didn’t know how I’d be able to tell them about what the king did. They would be angry but there was just nothing any of us could do against him.

I wouldn’t see them again until Monday at school. Kevin was still in Gregoria and wouldn’t be back until late tomorrow evening.

I felt across the bed for my phone and contemplated whether or not I should turn it on. I’d switched it off after getting home yesterday, but I couldn’t hide from the world forever. I decided to turn it on in case there was an emergency. As the Samsung logo flashed across the screen, my thoughts wandered to Ashton. He was probably having a hard time dealing with all of this too.

It was ironic, as Elena had put it, that we were being brought closer together. Fate seemed to enjoy the idea of putting us together. Not only did we get betrothed, but we were also soulmates. There seemed to be no escaping.

A pout dawned on my face as I thought about that. Maybe I didn’t want to escape… I felt like I was beginning to like Ashton, as crazy as it seemed. But if I was going to do this, I wanted to do it on my own terms. I didn’t want to wonder if I was being influenced by the soulmate bond or by his family. I wanted it to be all me, and quite frankly, I still wasn’t one hundred percent sure if it was.

I stared down at my phone as it finally finished loading. It was getting a lot slower lately. I needed to get a new one, but I’d already gotten so attached to it. Besides, I couldn’t just go spending money on a new phone. That was the least of my concerns right now.

Fifteen missed calls and eight messages. I scrolled through the phone log. Nine of the fifteen were from Ashton. I grimaced, not knowing what I’d even say to him if he called again.

As soon as the thought crossed my mind, my phone started to ring. I glanced at the caller ID to see that it was Ashton.

Apparently fate wanted some entertainment.

What should I do? What should I even say? What was he going to say?

I slowly swiped up and pressed the phone to my ear.

“Ashton?”

“Elizabeth!”

His voice was washed with relief.

“What happened? I’ve been trying to get a hold of you… Are you okay?”

“I’m…” I glanced at the empty packets of gummy bears on my bed. “Coping.”

“I was really worried about you,” he sighed.

“Thanks,” I said, propping myself up on my elbows. “I just needed some time to think about stuff.”

“Stuff…” he echoed.

“Yeah… What’s up? How are you doing with everything?”

“I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” he admitted after a slight pause. “I needed to make sure you’re alright.”

My heart pounded against my chest at that and I picked at the sheets with a frown. I couldn’t allow myself to get too excited. I mean he would have been worried if it was anyone else right? It wasn’t because he liked me in that way…

“Can you come downstairs?” His voice cut into my internal debate.

“Downstairs?”

“I’m outside your house actually.”

I jumped out of bed and pulled the curtains back from the window, wincing at the blinding, intrusive rays of sunshine that rushed in. Sure enough, he was out there, leaning against his car.

“Uhh…” I stuttered. “Yeah, I’ll be right down.”

I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was in a very messy bun and I was wearing sweatpants and my most comfortable hoodie. Hoodies were like a girl’s best friend.

I groaned, wondering if I had time to get changed. It wasn’t the cutest outfit, but it was comfy and I’d expected to be alone all day.

I gave up trying to find an angle in the mirror that made my clothes look better and plodded downstairs to let Ashton in.

I opened the door and my heart did a little somersault in my chest. His hair was messy, but unlike me, he managed to pull it off. His clothes were casual too, just a shirt and jeans.

A huge smile formed on his lips as he saw me. I stepped back to let him in, wishing I wasn’t looking like a potato.

“I finally get to see you,” he murmured, placing a gentle hand on my cheek.

“It’s only been a day,” I protested, staring at the ground.

“It felt much longer than a day.”

His thumb trailed patterns along my cheek and it set tingles off across my skin. My heartbeat intensified as he took a step closer to me.

“Hey, look up,” he whispered.

I tore my eyes away from the carpet and met his gaze. A light blush tinged my cheeks as I looked at him and his expression became confused.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked, coming even closer. “Your face is all red.”

It’s because of you, you idiot.

“I’m fine,” I rushed, stepping back. I motioned to my clothes. “I just wasn’t expecting company.”

His eyes trailed down my body and he grinned. “You look nice.”

I rolled my eyes. “Sure I do.”

“I mean, it’s nice seeing you outside of your everyday clothes. This feels more… intimate.”

My face burned even more, so I cleared my throat a little too awkwardly and tried to step around him into the living room, but he caught my waist and spun me around to face him.

“Why are you so eager to avoid me?”

I narrowed my eyes as the corners of his lips twitched and he tried to hide the tell-tale signs of a smile.

“Don’t be so shy, princess. I want to take you somewhere.”

“Like right now?”

“Yeah.”

“I don’t know… ”

“Please. There’s something I want to show you.”

I pursed my lips uncertainly, wondering if I even wanted to leave the house today, but Ashton’s hopeful expression overruled my desire to wallow in sorrow alone and I gave in with a resigned sigh.

“Let me get changed first,” I said, rushing upstairs to raid my closet.

For some reason, I wanted to choose something that looked great. I usually didn’t care about what I wore. I preferred clothes that were practical.

However, instead of jeans, today I reached for a yellow sundress that Callie had talked me into buying a few months ago. It seemed perfect for the sunny weather outside.

I hurriedly paired it with sandals and brushed my hair down. I accessorized with the necklace he’d gifted me and small stud earrings.

I mentally chided myself for applying an extra coat of gloss and went back downstairs to where he’d been waiting.

“Ready to go?”

“Yep.”

“You look nice,” he commented as I got into his car.

“You also said that when I was wearing sweats,” I reminded him with a laugh.

“Because all sides of you are nice, no matter what you’re wearing.”

I bit back a smile as my cheeks heated up again.

What are you doing to me, Ashton DeLorentes?

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