Royally Normal

28

- Aiyla's POV -  

"Do you know when you're going to make your decision?" Theo asked me as I laid in my bed. "No rush, I just want to know."

I yawned. "In the morning, I think you'll be happy."

"Oh yeah?" he smiled. "I'll call you in the morning. I love you."

"Goodnight." I ended the call.

I sat up and I pressed another name on my phone. 

"Hey, B. How was Copenhagen?" Cole asked me.

I was hesitant about what to say to him.

Cole Fitzgerald had always been in my life. 

He was always there for me and I'd watch him grow from this boy to a man. 

Cole helped me ride a bike with no training wheels, he was always there for me to vent/talk to, everything about him was amazing.

He would always have a special place in my heart.

"Why are you looking like that?" Cole questioned me.

I took a deep breath. "Because."

"Because what?" he went on.

I picked up the cold silver circle with a gorgeous sapphire gem and held it up to the camera.

"He asked me to marry him." I announced. "I have to make my final decision by tomorrow morning."

Cole was silent as I avoided eye contact and fiddled with the ring.

"You're not even twenty years old yet." he sounded out of breath.

I nodded my head. "I know, but it would be a long engagement. There's a lot of tension between the royal family and our relationship with the people. No one trusts us since we left for so long."

"I have to do this." I looked up at Cole. "I talked to my grandfather about it and it would be a good move to improve our relationship with the people."

"Do you even love him?" Cole grunted.

"On a scale of one to ten?" I questioned him.

He shook his head. "No. Not at all. Love can't be measured, Aiyla. You either love him or you don't."

I opened my mouth but no words came out.

"Do you really want to get married or are you trying to be a fixer?" Cole wondered.

I sighed. "That's not the point. If I have to do this to make things better then I will. If I'm not happy in this life then I can try again in the next. I can push through and make this work. Imagine how happy everyone will be."

Cole rubbed his face with his hands. "Fuck."

How do I respond? What do I say?

"I'm still in love with you." Cole blurted out.

My heart sped up as he dropped his hands.

"I love you, Aiyla. I'm so stupid in love with you." he stated again. "You might hate or resent me after I say this but I can't hold back anymore. I've spent so many years not expressing myself fully and I can't keep doing that."

"Please don't marry him. Don't choose him. Be with me." Cole stated softly. 

All of the moments that we had together ran through my head. Cole kissing me on New Year's Eve, my childhood crush on him, the way I told him everything. He had an incredible sense of humor, work ethic, and an ability to bounce back quickly after a setback.

Because of all of those traits that I admired, I knew that I had to let him be free.

I knew how my grandpa, extended family, and the advisory board felt about Cole. I couldn't marry him and be a princess and I refused to let him give up his dreams to be with me.

I loved him too much for that and if you love someone then you should set them free.

"Why are you saying this all of a sudden? If I didn't tell you that he proposed would you have said that?" I questioned Cole.

Cole just stared at me. "I don't even talk or vent to my own twin brother as much as I talk to you. If I didn't love you then I wouldn't drop everything to talk to you, send you flowers on special days, or just because, if I didn't love you then I wouldn't bring this up."

"I didn't fall in love with you two minutes ago." Cole's voice broke. "I've been in love with you since senior year. I just prayed to God every night that you'd wanna be with me."

I could feel tears running down my cheeks. "I don't deserve you, Cole. I really don't. I have to let you go and let you love someone else."

"Why are you trying to convince yourself that?" Cole shouted. 

I wiped my face. "I have to go. It's two in the morning here."

"Is this it?" Cole croaked.

I put the ring on my finger. "Have a good one."

I ended the FaceTime call and I bawled my eyes out.

For five minutes, I let myself throw a pity party.

I had two amazing men who both loved me so much, and I had to lose one to find the one that had more benefits. 

Get yourself together and get ready for the press tomorrow.

- Cole's POV -

The conversation with Aiyla left me sick and devasted. 

I wasn't one to cry in front of other people so I cried myself to sleep and went to class as nothing happened.

Like I didn't feel sick and broken on the inside.

I kept checking my phone to wait for the notification that she was engaged to be married to him. 

I hated him just because he had her.

"Are you good?" Bennett asked me as I stared at my paper.

I jerked my head up and nodded. "I'm fine."

"Do you want anything from Chipotle?" Bennet questioned me as he slipped on his slides.

I nodded my head. "I'll text you my order and Venmo you."

"Sounds good and we should go down to this party in LA tonight." Ben walked straight out the door.

"Absolutely not." I said to myself since he left.

There were so many thoughts running through my mind.

What was she doing right now? Probably celebrating her engagement or some stupid ass royal shit. 

Even the thought of him kissing her was enough to make me throw up.

There was a knock at the door and I saw Bennett's wallet on the coffee table. This always happened.

"Here." I opened the door to our apartment to hand Bennet his stuff.

But it wasn't him.