In your arms

Chapter 4: the message

Riley's POV:

"James!" I call out from the other side of the studio. I opened up the message and it was from Alfie.
"What?" He said dropping everything and walking over to me. I try to steady my breathing after coughing as he wondered next to me. I showed him the message that came up on my phone and he nearly chocked on the air like I did.

Alfie: cant believe you would choose him over a Prince🙄

"Hold up! He's a what" James seemed to get angrier by the minute.
"He can't be, If we search it up I bet he's lying" I reassure him while I pull up google on my phone. I search up his name and now we both stood there shocked.
"Jeez.." James mutters under his breath as well as groaning. I kind of look at the phone in disbelief. He can't be the Prince of Switzerland, and if he was why was he here?
James just walks off into the office without saying much else while I type back a reply

Me: for one I don't care if your a Prince and two why would I date someone over a boy I've liked for 4 years.

I mutter under my breath and place my phone in my pocket and catch up with James who is now strangely quiet.
"Hey you ok babe?" I ask while I pick up my stuff by the office door. He just nods and smiles weakly at me before walking out of the studio. I know exactly why he's being quiet but I need to make it clear to him that he's my first choose always.

We get into the car and James still hasn't said I word. I sit down in the passenger seat and put my bag between my legs as he starts the car and doesn't take his eye off the road, which normally means he's focusing on the driving and is ok for normal people but James never looks straight ahead for a full 30 minutes without saying anything, it's not like him.
I pull out my phone and see that Alfie saw my message and it typing but I ignore it and I close down the app. I don't want to deal with this random guy I barely know.
"What's up?" I ask while I connect my phone to the car and scroll through the songs I have saved. He just shrugs and I think I know how to cheer him up.
I play 'we go' hoping that's it might catch James attention but for the first time it doesn't. He just turns to me and without any face expression he quickly turns back to face the road. I sigh and rested my head on the door waiting to get home.
We get home and I disconnect my phone and throw it into my pocket before getting out the car to see James already unlocking the door. Somethings bugging him and I know it he just isn't telling me.
I run up after him and walk in closing the door behind me. I place the keys on the small glass table by the side of the door and see James reach for his laptop and walking upstairs.
"Babe what do you want for dinner?" I call out to him as he gets halfway up the stairs.
"I don't mind" he mummers and continues making him way up the stairs. I guess I'll just order a takeaway for tonight. I reach for the phone and put in the number for a pizza delivery place across town and order James favourite pizza before trying to go upstairs. I see him sat on the bed on his laptop in the dark. I sigh quietly just as the bell rang, that was quick, I rush back down and open the door.
"Hi we have pizza for miss Raymond?" The delivery person asks.
"Yep that's me, thank you have a good day" I smile as I carefully take the pizza from him and close the door.
I make my way up the stairs trying not to drop the pizzas and i drop them at the bottom of the bed before grabbing my pyjamas and walking into the bathroom. I get changed quite quickly and place my phone on the side as I walk out.
"I got us pizza" I smile hoping James would actually look at me.
"I can tell" he says looking up from his laptop and pointing to the pizza boxes lead on the bed. I pull the boxes closer and sit on the other side of the bed to him and open them up.
"I got your favourite" I beaming with pride knowing how much he can't resist eating some. I start to curl up to him and turn on the tv but he just slightly moves so I sit back up again.
"What?" I sigh looking at him.
"Is this about that text I got" I frown and I see him nod lightly. I try to calm him down by putting my hand on his arm but instead he moves and closes the laptop and moves it to the bedside table next to him and folds his arms.
"Why has it upset you so much?" He looks at me finally but stays silent for a little while.
"Because, if you had to option to either live in a palace with a Prince or live here with me I know what your gonna go for" he rolls his eyes slightly before turning his focus to the tv.
"Do you?" I question quietly as I moving a bit closer to him.
"You should know that I'll choose you over anything and anyone" I whisper, I lean my head on his shoulders and I hear him mumble.
"I love you and your worth more to me than anything in this world" I sigh hoping he stops worrying. We sit in silence but he hasn't pulled away from me which must mean he trusts me.
"I love you babe" he says after a while, I'm relieved that he knows that I would choose him over anything. I look up at him and smile before he kisses me on the lips and I kiss him back. After he pulls away from the kiss I lean into his side and we watch Netflix. He puts his arm around my shoulders and we lay there cuddled up for about an hour before we fall asleep.

I stifled a yawn as I woke up to the noise of the cars outside. I curse under my breath at the noisy people outside for waking me up. I turn to see James fast asleep so it must still be pretty late. I turn to the other side of me and grab my phone which was resting on the side. I look at the time and it says 1:45 letting out another quiet yawn I scrolled through Instagram for a short while before I check to see if I have any messages I haven't read yet.
I scroll through my contacts and I don't see any until I come across a message from Alfie.
I click on it and I see that he has replied but this time I think I must be dreaming.

Alfie: I'm sure I can persuade you😘

I reply fairly quickly seeing that he is online because I need to set this straight before it gets to weird

Me: what are you talking about I have a boyfriend.

And he reply's instantly which makes me shiver.

Alfie: well you don't want anything to happen to your precious boyfriend do you
Me: ofc I don't what are you thinking
Alfie: if I were to say that to keep him safe was for you to move to Switzerland with me😜
Me: I'm not going to Switzerland even if u make me👌
Alfie: here's my compromise if you meet me at the airport at the end of the month. you move to Switzerland with me and be my girlfriend I won't do anything to the boy but if you don't then you won't have a boyfriend to run back to😆
Me: so I either meet you and fly away with you or you hurt james?
Alfie: exactly you catch on quick
Alfie: I'll send a count down everyday so use your time wisely princess😚
Read 1:54

I freeze while dropping my phone off the bed and onto the floor. What type of strange creep is this? He wouldn't actually hurt James? Would he?
I sit in my bed and lift my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around them and I can feel myself shaking slightly. I don't want anything to happen to James but I don't want to leave him without any warning. I only have till the end of this month which is only around 10 days. What am I supposed to do?
I stayed up for so long shaking and curled up in my own headspace until I heard a ruff voice coming from the side of me.
"Ri? Are you ok" I hear James say from beside me as he rubs his eyes and sits up slightly. I unwrap my arms and flop over so I'm lead on his chest nearly in tears. He realises that I'm stressed and he slowly combs through my hair with his fingers and rubbing my back slowly.
He doesn't ask much for a while but just let's me cry into his T shirt. He moves slightly so he's sat up right and I'm lead down with my head on his legs curled up with my knees near my chest.
"Shhh, Ri it's ok" he soothes me while I sniff and wipe away tears that escaped my eyes.
"Whats up?" He whispers after I calm down after at least an hour of crying. I sit up a lean into his side as he pulls me in for a side hug.
"I'm.. I'm just stressed about the work at the studio" I lie, no way I'm telling him the real reason otherwise he's gonna flip out.
"It's ok I'm here if things get to difficult remember" he says slowly making circles on my back with his finger to calm me down.

If this part seems rushed I'm sorry it's just I wanted to get to the main plot😅
The rest won't be rushed so I'm sorry if this seems it lol.