Craving Forgiveness

7

"Fiancé?" You questioned feeling a pain in your chest.

"Yes. Zara. She and Erik met a few years ago when I first started the school. Lovely girl. She had a tough life. Perhaps that's why Erik was so drawn to her. She was smart, charming, cunning, funny. She's no you but she wasn't half bad." He smiled nudging you. "Erik was absolutely smitten. There was something a bit off about her. Erik proposed 6 months after he met her."

"6 months?!?" You gasped.

"Told you he was smitten. Not too long after that she was kidnapped by Sebastian Shaw."

"The club owner who died?"

He nodded," yes, he took her to lure Erik in. Erik was hunting him down and Shaw was tired of it. Erik found her, killed Shaw, and left. A few days after that she left him. Said she did not want to be put in that position again. We haven't seen her since."

Your brows furrowed in sorrow,"That's awful. I can't believe that happened. I'd understand why Erik is so distant."

"He was devastated. He was angry, sad, lonely and hurt all at the same time. I can imagine that he won't want to feel that way again."

"I bet. I was kidnapped once. Some low lives thought he could use me to get ransom money from my family. I was 16 and terrified. Of course the police caught them before he could benefit from it. I couldn't sleep for weeks. I always thought they would come back for me somehow. I can only imagine how she felt. But I never once blamed my parents. It wasn't their fault."

"Like I said. There was something off about her. Also," he said turning to wheel away to his room," don't say a word."

You headed downstairs to grab some breakfast," Hank! That smells delicious!"

He smiled at you," thank you Atarah. They're blueberry pancakes." He said sitting a plate in front of you.

"Oh my goodness Hank you're the absolute best! Don't tell the others I said that."

"I heard you." Erik said walking in."Glad to see you're back Hank. I'm not sure how much longer I could take with your royal highness."
He said giving you an unreadable look.

You glared at him," You enjoyed every moment of our time." You said mockingly.

Hank looked back and forth from you to Erik," you guys aren't fooling me."

"What are you talking about?" Erik questioned.

"Oh come on, you two clearly have something going on."

"There's nothing going on." You and Erik said simultaneously.

"Yeah. Right." Hank added before leaving the room.

Erik gave you a stern look, "there's nothing going on."

"Oh like I don't already know that." You replied.

"I know I'm attractive but you've got to stay away."

"Says the guy blatantly flirting with me." You said finishing your breakfast.

"I'm not flirting."

You washed off your plate and set it on the counter. "You clearly don't know what flirting is." You added and walked off. You loved getting the last word.

You went upstairs to call the White House staff to get a meeting with the president.

"Charles!" You called out from the foryer knowing he was close by. "I'll be back soon."

You closed the door and saw the car they sent patiently waiting for you.

"And where are you off to?" You heard a voice say from beside you.