Falling for Royalty

Chapter Seventeen

**Evelyn's POV**

The next morning, I lie in bed feeling woozy and lightheaded. I tug the covers tighter around my body as a chill passes over me. I groan in pain and Lynda rushes over to me.

"You're awake!" She puts a hand to my skin. "How are you feeling?"

I shake my head. "Not good. I'm freezing, what is wrong with me?"

She opens the blinds letting in warm rays of sunshine. "Well, spending hours in the rain led you to get hypothermia. You need to rest and relax."

Panic rises in my chest and I feel my hands shake uncontrollably. I lie back and close my eyes, hoping this was a dream and when I opened my eyes, everything would be okay and I wouldn't have hypothermia because of a stuck up, arrogant jerk of a "man."

"I'll leave you be and I'll be sure to tell the king and queen about your excusable absence."

I open my eyes and run to the window as I felt breathless. I couldn't breathe from all the pressure and emotions baring down on me. I undo the windows latch and forcefully push it open, inhaling deeply. The warm summer air flows in, instantly sending heat throughout my entire body and the room. I lie back in bed and bury my head in my pillows hoping stupidly that maybe William would care enough to stop by and check on me but I honestly didn't know anymore. I mean, he was the cause of my hypothermia, basically. But one could only hope.

**Prince William's POV**

Breakfast was quite the event. The girls were excitedly chattering around Rachel, probably talking about our date and mom and dad were enjoying themselves talking about breakfast-they were lame. I couldn't help but notice Evelyn's absence. One of the maids delivers news and mom and dad shake their heads understandingly.

Scarlett unsurely makes her way to me and politely-and quite clumsily-curtsies. "Um...I ask for your permission to excuse myself to visit Evelyn, if its no trouble."

"Scarlett, where is Evelyn? That's what I would like to know."

She bites her lip. "Haven't you heard, she has moderate hypothermia. She was sitting in the rain for almost two hours. She can't do anything but rest."

I feel my heart drop and my pulse speeds up dramatically. My mind flashes back to the note she gave me. She had wanted me to meet her at 10 but I never showed. "Yes, you may visit her. Please give her my regards."

She nods gratefully before speed walking out of the dining area to Evelyn's room. Throughout the duration of breakfast, Rachel gives me flirtatious smiles and winks but I can only halfheartedly smile back because my worry for Evelyn filled my head with trepidation. I made a decision: there would be no dates today, I was going to visit Evelyn and hopefully we'd make up and stop having to act this way towards each other.

**Evelyn's POV**

Scarlett leaves in discontent. I was pretending like I didn't remember why I was sitting in the rain for almost two hours. That was an act of course, one doesn't forget when a guy blows her off for a blonde bimbo. The only reason I was acting is because I didn't feel it was right for Scarlett to hate him yet, she at least deserved a chance. A soft rap draws my attention and I hastily sit up. An all too familiar figure walks through the door and I immediately turn my head forcing my anger and tears back. He pulls up a chair next to me and carefully sits down. Placing a hand on my arm, I flinch and jerk away. After several moments of silence, I look to see him still sitting there.

He observes me and clears his throat. "Evelyn, I think its time we talk."

I awkwardly look down at my hands. "Yeah...I've tried that but maybe this time you're willing to listen."

"Yeah about that, why were you sitting in the rain for almost two hours last night?" He puts what is supposed to be a comforting hand on my shoulder.

I don't know what got into me at that moment but I lift my hand up and feel the burning sensation in my hand as it collides with his cheek, leaving a red hand print. "We both know precisely the reason! Don't pretend you didn't get the letter and just blow it off!" By now, I had stood up and clutching my hands into fists. "I waited and waited and waited! Waited for you to show up even when I knew for certain that you wouldn't! An hour and forty minutes in the cold, pouring rain waiting for a douche who blew me off for a date! I got hypothermia because of you, but you know the sad thing, you're not even worth it! Not worth the time I gave, and definitely not worth getting moderate hypothermia but I still gave it a chance instead of blowing you off every time we tried to work it out!" The tears wouldn't come out from all the frustration building up and I could see he was trying to speak but words kept tumbling from my mouth. I didn't even know if they made the slightest of sense anymore. He eventually gives up and stands. I thought he was going to walk out while I was speaking to him but he simply grabs my wrists and forces me against the wall and kisses my lips. He releases my wrists in order to brush my hair back and he caresses my cheek with his thumb. I place my hands on his chest and gently push him away to catch my breath.

"I'm sorry for kissing you without consent." He smirks mischievously.

"Don't be." I smile and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling him to me until our bodies are touching and I kiss his tender, plump lips that were so irresistible. He lifts me up and I wrap my legs around his waist laughing into the kiss. This "thing", love/hate relationship that we had going on was strange but in this moment, it felt so right and so perfect, like a dream come true except it wasn't my dream, it was my reality.

**Prince William's POV**

I hear the door creak open and footsteps echo and come to a halt as someone stands in the doorway and gasps overdramatically. I pull away from Evelyn and turn my head to see Rachel standing there, hand on her hip, tapping her foot impatiently for an explanation I was guessing. She rolls her eyes and huffs before stomping away down the hallway, slamming the door behind her. It makes the items on the dresser rattle and the floor shake. We lie on her bed, looking at the ceiling as fits of musical laughter escape us. I take hold of her hand and playfully tickle her. She didn't feel as cold and she was looking a thousand times better, not as sickly and murderous.

She looks at me intently. "You're not going to chase her?"

I shrug. "No, why would I?"

"Maybe after all those dates, you'd feel obliged to go after her. Maybe you guys got closer and you don't want to see her go."

"Are you jealous of our closeness and the dates we've been on?"

She bites her lip and it made me want to pull her into my arms and make her feel sure of herself. "Maybe I am."

I laugh. "If you were serious, I'd be flattered."

"What makes you think I'm joking?" She smiles mischievously.

"So you are serious?"

"Yep, totally. But I have a question."

I rub my neck. To be honest, I was kind of scared for her question. "Yes?"

"Why did you send Sarah home? I know its none of my business but I -"

"We just weren't meant to be and she was saying some stuff that I didn't like too much."

"Like what?" She looks at me as if she knew the answer but wanted to hear it come from me.

"She was talking about you...in hateful ways and I didn't approve of it."

She hugs me. "Thank you, for sticking up for me but if you wanted to give her a chance, you could've kept her in."

"That's the point, I didn't want to give her a chance and I didn't want to keep her in so I made her leave."

She smiles. "Okay...okay."