My Prince Charming

Chapter 41

Hi, everyone! Sorry for the slow update. Please let me know if there are any mistakes or questions, and I hope you all have an awesome day.

Ava POV

Hello again, soon-to-be princess. Well, not so soon to be anymore.

You seem to be a bit confused because you have been happy recently, so I thought I'd make it clear what you're going to do.

You are going to leave your pretty little boyfriend unless you want these photos getting put out into public.

Very good shots. I should've been a photographer.

And if you even think about telling your boyfriend - sorry, ex-boyfriend, the photos will be dropped in front of the biggest newspaper agency around.

I'm sure you wouldn't want that to happen, so I trust you'll make the right choice.

I had been pacing around my room over and over, waiting for them to say something. Anything.

"Can you guys just say something?" I pleaded for what felt like the hundredth time, but they kept staring at the letter in silence.

"Quinn." I looked at her desperately, waiting for her to say something, but she sat silently.

"Liv!" I begged, but for the first time ever she had nothing to say.

My legs finally and suddenly got tired and gave in, and I sunk to the floor.

"What am I going to do?" I muttered, cradling my head in my hands.

I can't give Louis up, but if I don't, everybody will know we are together; not only that, but his entire reputation would be ruined if people saw him fighting someone.

It's a lose-lose.

"You..." My eyes whipped up and stopped on Quinn. Her eyes were distracted on the paper, but her words were firm and powerful. "You need to tell Louis."

"I can't! You read the note! If I tell him, they'll leak the photos! I can't do that to him."

"You can't be serious." She laughed humourlessly. "You're actually going to leave a guy like him?! You've never been so happy!"

"But I can't risk ruining his reputation! He is the Prince! He can't be seen making out with a girl o-or fighting anybody!"

"But he's your boyfriend! And it should be his choice! You keep saying it's his reputation that could get hurt, and yet he doesn't even know about it!"

"Because he can't! If I tell him, the photos get leaked. If I don't do anything, the photos get leaked. If I do what the letter says, the photos won't get leaked."

"But you'll lose him!"

The screaming stopped. Quinn and I were standing, still fresh from the yelling.

I don't think I've ever heard Quinn yell, but that didn't matter right now. 

Because she had a point, even though I didn't care. I wasn't budging.

I couldn't risk his reputation - his reputation as a prince - being damaged. He couldn't be seen as anything other than princely.

And pictures of him making out with a random girl and fighting a random guy would not help.

"I have to protect him, even if that means hurting him."

Quin scoffed. "You know what? It doesn't even matter. You do what you want to do. But it doesn't mean I have to agree with your choice."

She pulled Olivia up from my bed.

"I'll be there to support you, but I'm not going to tell you what you want to hear. That isn't what a friend does."

Quinn turned around and left without another word, dragging Olivia behind her.

I heard the front door slam and my legs gave out again. I jumped onto my bed as tears streamed down my face.

What was I going to do?

I can't let this happen to him. But I don't want to lose him either. I can't.

"Ava? Is everything alright?" I looked through my fingers, seeing my mum close my bedroom door. "I heard yelling and then saw Olivia and Quinn storm out."

I leaned against the wall and sniffed, wiping the tears on my face. "Not one bit." I looked over at her. "What did you hear?"

She came over to me slowly, giving me a sad smile. "Well, you were pretty loud."

I sighed and turned my head to look up at the ceiling. "On the bed."

I didn't bother looking at her reaction as she read the note and the photos, but I heard her gasp under her breath.

A few more tears fell as she came over to me, but I wiped them before they could reach my cheeks.

"Sweetie, I'm so sorry." She held my hands softly.

"Don't bother," I sniffed. "It doesn't change anything."

"What do you mean?"

"Saying sorry won't change that it happened, or what to do about it."

My mum rubbed my hand gently. "You should go to the police."

"I can't. Didn't you read the note?" I shuffled from my spot on the floor. "He'll release the photos, and then it'll just get worse."

"Then why don't you tell him?"

I scoffed. "I can't."

She ducked her head to meet my gaze. "It's not like he'll know that you told Louis."

"Yeah, but I can't."

"Don't you think he deserves to know?"

"Yes, but..." I sighed. "I'm used to doing things by myself."

My mum stayed quiet, waiting for me to continue.

"I had to make money alone, I clean the house - not that I'm complaining! I've just been doing things alone for so long that it's gotten hard to ask people for help."

I ignored the last few tears that fell, looking at my bare feet instead of my mum.

"I get it," I looked up at her, and she wiped my tears away. "You had to grow up quickly, and that wasn't fair for you. And with me just getting out of surgery, I didn't exactly help you."

She looked down at me sadly. "But it's not a crime to ask others for help. People won't think any less of you."

I took in her words. She was right, but it wasn't that easy. You can't just change something you've done for years in a second.

"Thanks, mum," I smiled weakly. "Is it ok if you leave? I want to be alone right now." She nodded, giving me a gentle kiss on my forehead before leaving.

I sighed and rubbed the metal around my finger in hopes of some sort of comfort.

"Dad," I whispered, staring at the ring. "What am I going to do?"