His Princess || DISCONTINUED

O.19

O.19// Happiness is a choice

"Are you feeling better?" I heard him ask from behind the bathroom door. My eyes were glued to the image in the mirror. A girl with no emotion shown, a girl in nothing but a towel, and a girl stripped of her only secure thing which happened to be makeup.

"Yeah." My voice was groggy from all the confused crying that took place during the shower. I was so frustrated that everything I knew was once again all a lie. Why couldn't something be nothing but the pure truth? Something that wouldn't be stripped away from me again and break me further into an unfix-able oblivion.

"Can I come in or should I wait for you to get dressed?"

"I'll be out in a minute." I listened to the sound of his retreating footsteps before I pulled the sweatshirt on and sweatpants. I pulled socks over my feet because they tended to be the first to get cold and entered the bedroom. 

Cade was sat on his side of the bed waiting, and I silently sat beside him where my reserved spot used to be.

"You know, I always left your side empty," My eyes flitted up to find his, but his sparking emerald gaze was on my old pillow. "like there was a chance of you coming in the middle of the night and it needed to be reserved specifically for you alone." He shook his head and laughed. 

"What were they going to do to me Cade?" My voice cracked but I didn't feel the slightest bit embarrassed. He didn't answer and instead played with the bed sheets.

"What did you hear him say over the phone, princess?" My heart ached and I knew deep down the whole time I wanted to hear the nickname again. I told him briefly what Azor said over the phone and he only nodded.

"Why did you go back to Fletcher?"

"I don't know," my cheeks flushed. "I missed the feeling of love. He got to my head again but I quickly regained my senses and formed an escape plan with Azor, then with you." I laughed at how much escaping was involved today.

"What did Lilah tell you?"

"That you cheated on her sober multiple times."

"Ha, wow, actually she was the one that cheated on me." His smile faded and he sighed. "What was the deal you made with Azor?" 

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not an idiot, Sery, I know that my cousin convinced you that I was lying and that he needed you to help him, and there you made a deal. What was it about?"

"That you stole the family business that belonged to him, and he wanted me to try to steal the paperwork." Cade laughed and shook his head. 

"Of course he did." He muttered to himself. "What sob story did he come up with?"

"He told me your father was killed protecting his brother Kyle and you took it as his fault and murdered him to get the target off your family's back." Cade shook his head at that and I waited for clarification, but that never happened.

"My mother was scheduled to come over tonight for dinner, if you would like to-"

"Cade."

"What?"

"Tell me what really happened."

"It doesn't matter right now, what matters is that you're finally back safe. Oh, and that my mother is coming in about an hour." He started to get up, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him back down.

"Tell me that Beth's okay."

"She is, she's staying with Justin right now and he's taking care of her. Her parents were on a business trip so she went to him. Justin's twin tricked her into switching sides to where she could be another pawn in Azor's and his gang's sick games."

"I was a pawn?"

"Yes, you were, and something to get back at me."

"For murdering Kyle?" Cade's jaw clenched and he refused to look me in the eyes. "I'm going to go start making my mother a welcome meal, you can get ready if you want to meet her."

"Shouldn't we talk about what's going on between us, Cade?"

"And what would that be exactly?" He looked at me like I slapped him, coldness in his voice.

"Am I even still marrying you? Should I be calling my parents to move back in with them or-" Cade grabbed both of my hands and looked me straight in the eyes.

"I still want you to marry me, princess. And your parents, I'm sorry to say, haven't been seen at your old home since you moved out." My heart broke and my body slumped over.

"I'll think about joining you." He didn't press the matter and instead left me to myself in the room. I got back out of the bed and looked at my reflection in the mirror again. I didn't understand why I had to go through all this drama and heartbreak. Why me, I wanted to ask God, and I wasn't a religious person, just believed the the guy up there. Why was I the one picked to endure the boy drama, the gang rivalry, the parents abandonment? 

I dropped the brush back onto the counter and huffed. I was done being unhappy and scared. I liked Cade. A lot that is, and I realized that I hardly gave the guy a chance. I immediately assumed him to be as bad as everyone says, and I also never gave him what he deserved when he took me away from my parents. Huh...

But the point was was that I didn't want to be broken and fragile anymore. Happiness was a choice and this whole time when it was right in front of me I chose the opposite direction of true contentment. Cade offering me protection, love, attention, care, and I was turning my head away all for what? Unhappiness. 

The doorbell from below rang, and I held my breath in thought, battling myself. So, when I decided I turned off the bathroom light and found a pair of fuzzy socks in my dresser, slipping them over my feet. Ignoring the nagging voice in the back of my head to dress into something more impressionable and put on some makeup to cover up my flaws, I left the bedroom and went down the stairs.

"And this must be the beautiful young lady you have been telling me about!" The woman at the bottom of the stairs greeted. I smiled and held my hand out, but she ignored it and pulled me into a hug.

"So nice to meet you, Ms. Smith."

"Call me Rose. Now if you'll excuse me I'll take a visit to the restroom and meet you both in the dining room." Rose walked past us and down a separate hall, leaving the two of us.

"I just realized up there that I have been turning the other way every time happiness comes to me as a choice. And I also realized that I've been too afraid to commit to you and give you a chance Cade that I've become oblivious to how I've hurt you in the process by pushing you away every time you offer up your love to me. I'm sorry, and I want to fully commit to you this time. No more games and indecisiveness." Cade grinned and grabbed me by the waist, pulling me closer so that our bodies were pressing together. 

"Wouldn't want it any other way." And with that, Cade leaned down and captured my lips in his instantly bringing warmth to my chest. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach at his mere touch, and it was like seeing a world I've never been exposed to. These feelings in my chest hurt so hard because of how strong they felt, and I loved every part of it. 

Cade pulled away too soon and smirked down at me.

"Wouldn't want my mother walking in on us, yeah?" He winked at me and let my waist go, turning and walking into the dining room. I grinned at his retreating figure, loving that I felt lighter in a way.

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Sorry it's short and took forever to update :( I had not motivation