Royal Dilemma

Chapter Seventeen

(Caleb's Point of View)

"Would you rather be really popular or really smart?" I ask Charli.

She shifts in my arms and I readjust my position, leaning against her headboard, to hold her better.

"I'd rather be smart," she says as if it's obvious. "I don't care what people think of me."

I find myself wondering if she'd care what a lot of people thought of her, what the nation thought of her, if she were to be with me as Prince Caleb instead of CJ.

"Would you rather spend the night in a really nice hotel room or spend it camping in nature?" Charli proposes.

"Definitely the camping."

I've spent a lot of nights in fancy hotel rooms, it'd be nice to be out in nature for a change.

"You're crazy," she accuses. "I'd take the hotel room so quick. I want to take a bath in a nice big bathtub." She sighs wistfully. "And order room service and sleep on a nice, comfortable bed."

"That would be nice," I agree, even though I could easily do all of these things. "Would you rather be a kid your whole life or an adult your whole life?"

"Easy," she says. "An adult, for sure."

"Really?" I question, surprised. "I would kill to be a kid forever. No responsibilities, just all fun all the time."

"My childhood sucked," she reminds me. "There's no way I want to spend my whole life under my parent's watch."

"That's true," I agree softly.

She glances up at me. "Wipe that look off your face."

"What look?"

"The pity look." She reaches up and flicks my cheek. "I don't need your pity. I turned out fine."

Did she though? I don't voice this to her, but I'm wondering if she really turned out all that great. Sure Charli's intelligent, successful, and independent; but she also only has one friend, has admitted to some serious trust issues and has a lacking social life. I'm not sure that's 'turning out fine'.

She settles back against me again. "Would you rather receive cash or gifts?"

"Gifts."

"Me too," she says, surprising me again.

"Really?"

"Gifts mean someone put thought into what they wanted to get you," she explains.

"If you had to get me a gift what would you get me?"

She's quiet for a moment while she thinks about her answer. "An art book maybe, from an artist that you like."

I smile and kiss her forehead, touched that she knows me so well.

"I would get you a mattress," I tell her. "One that isn't so damn lumpy."

"That's expensive," she points out.

"It'd be worth it. With a new mattress you won't have severe back problems by twenty-two."

"My back is fine."

"It's fine now, but in a few months you're going to look like a hunchback."

She laughs. "You are such a loser."

I smile and kiss her forehead again. "Would you rather forget your favorite books so you can reread them or forget your favorite movies so you can rewatch them?"

"The books."

"Books? Really?"

"I read a lot as a kid," she tells me. "My parents hogged the TV so it was all I could really do and I guess the habit just stuck."

"That's fair, I guess."

"Tell me a story about your family," she urges.

"What kind of story?"

"I don't know, maybe one about your older brothers."

I take a minute to search through my memories.

"My oldest brother is pretty mellow," I tell her. "My second and third brothers used to fight a lot and the third was definitely a wild child but my oldest brother has always been chill."

Charli waits for me to continue.

"He got sick and had to take some type of medicine and my mom said she genuinely thought a demon might've possessed her child."

"Why?"

"It made him crazy hyper. I remember coming into the living room and watching him jump off of the fireplace mantel, belly flop style, onto some cushions."

Charli starts shaking with laughter.

"After our mom sent us to bed I heard all of these noises coming from down the hall." I pause, trying to suppress laughter at the memory. "He'd moved all the furniture in his room to make an obstacle course and was running laps through it."

Charli's laughter gets louder and I start laughing too.

"It was so bizarre," I say between laughs. "He's usually so quiet and well behaved."

Slowly Charli and I's laughter slows.

"Do you have a favorite older brother?" she asks me.

I hesitate. "I love them all the same, but I guess I'm closest to the third one. The one near my age."

"Because of the age difference?"

I shake my head. "No, it's more of a personality thing. My first brother has always been a lot more serious than the rest of us and my second brother liked his alone time." I rest my cheek against her head. "I get along pretty well with all of them though."

Charli's quiet for a few moments. "I want to be a part of a family like that so bad."

"Maybe you will be someday."

"Maybe." She doesn't sound confident at all.

I reach up and run my fingers through the ends of her hair. I want to tell her she can be part of my family but I know that's a terrible idea, and probably a lie too.

"No more talking," Charli groans. She turns so she's facing me. "I want to do something."

"What do you want to do?"

Charli smirks. "I'm going to give you one guess."

I grin and Charli leans forward, kissing me. We roll around in her bed for a while and by the time we've had our fill of each other it's time for me to leave. Saying goodbye takes way longer than it should and when I finally tear myself away from her I walk down the street to catch a cab home, feeling light and airy in a way that only Charli can make me feel.

Tonight I'm not thinking about how everything I'm doing is wrong or how this will all blow up in my face. I'm just thinking about Charli and the intoxicating feeling of being with her. I don't want this to end. Every moment I spend with Charli is a gift. 

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