𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐃𝐎𝐍𝐓 𝐂𝐑𝐘| Young Royals

xxv. 𝐰𝐡𝐨'𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞?

۫ ּ ִ ۫ ˑ ֗ 𓏲˖ 𑁍 ࣪ ִ ۫ ּ ִ ۫ ˑ ֗
࣪𓏲ּ ֶָ  ✩◿𝓹𝓭𝓬◸ 🂱 ࣪𓏲ּ ֶָ
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE—
who's to blame?

Vera had managed to avoid everyone at the ball. Everyone was filled with questions after the video dropped and she'd been made most trending yet again. She wasn't ready to talk, she was in the process of living her life to the fullest and completely avoiding talking about what she'd done for her birthday.

"Vera, happy birthday!" Felice hugged her tightly as the girls all hurried over. "We got you something. All pitched in."

"Aw, my girls!" Vera gushed, half tipsy as Stella pulled the golden mic from the bag.

"Because you like to karaoke!" Fredrika laughed loudly as the girls all cheered, Vera hugged them all as she caught sight of Alexander leaving the ball in a rush.

"I'll be back." Vera smiled at the girls, lifting her long dress so she could hurry after. She pushed the doors open where they were welcomed into the cold night, no one in sight. "Alex, where are you headed to?"

He ignored her.

"Alexander." she went down the steps to say his name again. "Hey! What's the matter?"

She'd caught his arm so he had no choice but to look back. His eyes were hurt, like he'd been in a terrible amount of pain. Vera felt the same way by just looking at him, cradling his face in her hands. "What's the matter, my-"

He pulled away from her grasp.

"Alex." she blinked, taken off guard and realizing that whatever was wrong with him was her fault. "I don't understand."

"I didn't either. Not until now." he stared at her with so much betrayal in his eyes. "You knew."

"What did I know?" Vera shook her head. Her and Henry had been in an argument before, but never the two of them. They never disagreed, never got on each other nerves.

"About the drugs. You knew that Wilhem was the one that wanted to turn me in. It was his idea." there the watery eyes came, and Vera felt every bone in her body snap in half. "You all told me they'd done it as a group, that him and Henry were the ones to disagree. All while it was his idea, and what? Henry's too? And you knew this whole time."

"Henry did take your side, he didn't want to. I promise you that. I didn't tell you about Wilhem because I know you two are such good friends, I didn't want to take that away from you." she begged him to understand, but deep down Vera knew that she was to blame for this. He had every right to be upset, he always managed to get the short straw when he was the last to deserve it.

"So you lied to me?" he didn't seem mad now, just upset. So upset.

"I'm sorry." Vera frowned, her eyes matched his. She hated this. They'd just been free, they'd just been open to the world together and now it was sinking into nothing. "I'm so sorry. I should have been honest with you, all of us should have been."

"Why'd he do it? For Simon?" Alexander asked, Vera said nothing. "I hurts that he blamed me, but I expected you and Henry to at least be honest with me about the company I was keeping. I mean, don't you think i've had to witness enough lies? I was already framed for something I didn't do."

"You're completely right." Vera agreed with everything he said. If he'd told her he hated her, she's agree with him. "I'm so sorry. Please don't be mad at me, I promise I won't do anything like that again."

"I wanna believe you." he shrugged and rubbed his eyes. "I think I just need some time apart."

"What does that mean? You want to break up?" that killed her. "With me and Henry?"