Lavish | on hold

8 | Tug Of War

Portia sat her legs folded and her head thrown back in laughter as she neatly toyed around with her yogurt. Although it was easy to get out of the jail cell two weeks ago, she wasn't able to escape from the filthy rich mouths of Lancaster.

As she sat around her friends – or allies as Claudia would call them, everyone was attempting to tip toe around jail and Portia's demanding questions.

"Who would've thought Portia would be the first to land in jail?" Christian deadpanned out, making intense eye contact with her.

"I would've thought it would be for drugs and not murder." Roman chimed in, his arm around a very love struck Victoria.

"She would've overdosed first though." Giselle nodded in agreement, chiming in through her incredibly loud munches on potato chips. The entire table then began to giggle, leaving only Portia completely silent.

"Haha." She laughed sarcastically, rolling her eyes as Claudia slid in beside her.

Claudia clapped her hands and grabbing the attention of the young heirs that sat coated in large price tags, their eyes fixed on the heartless goddess as she flicked her hair out of her face and rested her perfectly manicured hands onto the table.

"I've been thinking-"

"What a surprise!" Christian smirked, laughing lowly once she responded to his joke with the finger.

Portia rolled her eyes at the sibling war that was happening between the two of them through threatening eye contact. Although they had the public eye completely fooled and believing that the Clermont family were a tight knit, humble bunch that would do anything and everything for one another, the people at the top of the hierarchy could tell that it was a hoax. They had a relationship that Portia couldn't quite understand. She's not even sure they did either.

"I hate the tension, I can't be ruling a kingdom with subjects that can't get along." The entire table rolled their eyes and scoffed, waiting curiously to see where she was heading with her rant.

"I want to host a little get away trip to Greece." She beamed, everyone else's expression remaining completely neutral before simultaneously bursting into a fit of heartfelt laughter.

"Well, I am technically a Greek god." Christian leaned back with his arm wrapped casually around the neck that belonged highly irritated to a highly irritated Giselle that hadn't looked up from her phone since she had first sat into her seat.

"My country with V? Count me in." Roman winked, a red Victoria turning her face away from him to hide her large smile that was instantly erased once Portia and Vic lock eyes. The intense feeling of guilt coming back.

Victoria hadn't exactly murdered her with her bare hands yet so Portia thought that would make them somewhat cool however the constant glares and overflowing aura of intense anger that came from her was signalling otherwise.

Portia had been practicing their conversation plenty of times in her mind but the words could never be spoken once she was around her. Beverly Hills was reeking with betrayal and the tabloids were proof that this wasn't exactly Victoria's first rodeo.

So why was she able to forgive him and not her?

Why was Victoria so eager to walk away from a strong bond but couldn't stand to look away from her careless, immature lover?

Claudia clapped her hands to silence the table that had began to chatter amongst themselves once more like eager preschoolers. Her fake smile on the horizon and her deep eyes giving off a soft and kind smize.

"Get packing, losers. 7 days until we are amongst the gods."

–

Victoria lifted her body up, her head feeling lighter than usual as she flushed the toilet and the contents of her two meals from earlier this morning. As she made her way towards the arch that led her into her regal bedroom, Giselle sat on a comfy Italian chair with her bedazzled smart phone in her tight grip.

"Hangover hit you bad, hun." She bit her lower lip and regretted her sentence once Victoria stumbled into the room, brushing her stray hairs away from guarding her vision.

"I feel like shit." Victoria responded, collapsing dramatically onto bed. For the first time that day, Vic watched Giselle put her phone back into her purse and make her way over towards her.

"Here, hun."

A packet of pills fell onto her lap, Giselle rubbing her back afterwards to show her concern. Victoria stared down at the pills that were before her.

They appeared to be the same exact pills she took two weeks ago.

The same pills that took away her purity and that she took every single time Roman wanted to have a part two of that night.

The pills that made her lose her.

Naturally tears began to fog Victoria's view, running down her cheeks at a constant pace moments after with her dark mascara slowly following. Giselle pulled her close, her arms feeling warm and soft like one of Roman's pillows. The thought of him made her sob that much harder.

"H-He won't stop." Victoria heaved through her tears, attempting to calm her breathing as she started to pull away from Giselle's caring squeeze.

"You need to tell me what happened, V."

Victoria paused, shutting her eyes to avoid the deep disappointment that was about to overpower Giselle's usual expression of love and consideration towards all.

"I had sex with him."

Instead of deep disappointment, Giselle tried her hardest to contain her laughter as she looked at the serious expression plastered on Victoria's face. "The problem is?"

Victoria turned away from her, her head bowing slightly. "I wanted to save myself for the one." Her words caught Giselle's attention and she started to move closer towards the distraught girl.

"I don't think he's the one.." Victoria whispered as her voice got higher and a rush of tears began to block her view once more.

"He is."

"The one doesn't sleep with every woman in Beverly Hills and probably every other country he's been to whilst he's with you."

"Bu-"

"The one doesn't dismiss you for days until he wants to have sex with you again."

"Vic-"

Victoria struggled to get her last couple of words out, it being a mere squeak. "The one doesn't shatter your confidence and make you feel like the scum at the bottom of your expensive heels."

Giselle stopped attempting to interrupt, keeping her eyes on Victoria's with her undivided attention.

"I love Roman but I made a mistake and I don't know where to go from thi-"

Giselle raised her hand up to stop her, a newfound hint of anger in her eyes. "First, you are not feeling sorry for yourself anymore. You don't need him."

Vic opened her mouth to respond but was then stopped by Giselle's wondering eyes. "Drop him, if he doesn't see your worth now then let him find it."

Giselle realised Victoria's melancholy expression as she spoke, lifting up her chin in order to see her regretful eyes.

"Your crown is falling, V. Pick it up."

Maybe Giselle was right. Roman only saw her name, body and title.

She wanted a deep love and connection.
She needed to have someone that made stars brighter.
She deserved her happy ending.

And she was going to get it whether it was with him or not.