Arian couldn’t watch as Natalia and ‘the jerk’ clung unto each other, grinning like fools so he walked back to the penthouse.
He was mad and didn’t like the way he felt. The young French took a dip in the bath tub to cool off.
Ricky and Jeffrey had left earlier for class but Arian stayed behind. He wore his headphone and laid backwards.
Time passed because the water turned freezing cold.
He stood up, changed into casual black shorts, wore his slippers and walked out drying his hair with a towel, while his favourite phone and headphone sat in his other hand.
Arian froze on his tracks and frowned seeing a girl in the bedroom with his other phones.
The bathroom door banged shut behind him. The girl jerked up to see who came in.
Natalia?
Arian’s facial features softened considerably while Natalia bulged her eyes in shock.
The creamy color did a good job on her skin. But the way the little vixen unconsciously laid was…..
Arian déArgent snapped back to his senses and forced his eyes away. What the hell was he doing?!
“You can state your business when you’re done checking me out….”
*****
Natalia couldn’t breathe checking him out!
The Princess knew it was rude to stare but her sinful eyes grew a mind of their own at that moment.
Her lashes fluttered as she did a slow crawl over his to-die-for physique. Arian’s shiny hair dripped with water down the sides of his handsome face. His minty eyes, his regal nose and cute, sexy lips. He was shirtless aside the shorts he wore which stopped just above his knees. And for the second time, the drooling Princess acknowledged how hot he was!
Her innocent mind began to imagine a thousand naughty thoughts.
“You can state your business when you’re done checking me out.” His curt voice rudely interrupted her daydream. Natalia’s face flushed. She shook her head slightly.
Wait. What??
Arrogant dweeb! She crunched up her face indignation.
Arian started to walk over. As he was closing in, Natalia gasped and scrambled away.
But the hot French stalked to the bedside table and dropped the phone and headphone in his hand. Then Arian picked a matching black shirt she didn’t notice earlier and wore it.
“I… I wasn’t checking y.. you out. Stop thinking too highly of yourself!” She tried to save face.
Arian turned to give her a look before predatorily walking over. Natalia stuck her chin up indignantly, repeatedly telling herself not to move!
He was only toying with her!… But her nervous body paid no attention and kept moving away.
The Princess’s heartbeat accelerated with every step he took and Arian De’ Argent continued with a smug smirk till she hit the wall.
“Just admit you were.” He caged her with his hands, his tall frame bending slightly to her level. The young master’s billion dollar cologne wafted through her senses and dominated her thoughts.
The stupid ‘No, I wasn’t’ never came. Instead, Natalia’s confidence flew out the balcony. Her legs wobbled on her sandals, gazing into his enchanting mint green eyes.
Arian’s lips deliciously curled up into a foxy smile as his hand snaked around her slim waist, pulling her closer.
A jolt of electricity crackled through their contact and into the air as his other hand tucked stray hairs behind her ear, grazing her skin.
Natalia suddenly felt hot. Her breath hitched as she stared at the irresistible glint twinkling in his green eyes, which slowly slid to her lips. She did nothing as a hand strayed to her chin, leaving behind a trail of delicious tingles.
Natalia unconsciously parted her lips when he tilted his head slightly forward. Her eyes closed, anticipating the kiss…. when she heard the front door slam shut!
Fortunately, her brain slammed into action too. She gasped and broke away as Ricky and Jeffrey walked into the bedroom, arguing about something.
They froze on their tracks and took in the crime scene.
Natalia was too flushed to look up so her feet were the most fascinating things in the world at that point. Guilt hung massively and heavily in the air. She grew hot and uncomfortable from embarrassment despite the cold room.
Arian’s indifferent look didn’t help matters at all.
He simply pocketed!
“Areee…. we interrupting you guys or what?” Surprisingly, it was Ricky.
Natalia’s heartbeat was out of control! Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red as her eyes wandered everywhere but at them.
“I don’t think we’re welcomed.” Jeffrey whispered to him and took a step back.
“No!” She blurted, surprised at her pitch. They stopped and looked at her. Even Arian flinched!
“I… I was about to leave. I… I just wanted to show gratitude for what you did for me at the girl’s locker room.” She rushed out, glancing quickly at Arian.
“Obviously you wanted to.” Jeffrey wickedly cooed.
The Princess mentally slapped herself.
That came out wrong!
Ricky nudged Jeffrey, concealing a sly smile. And it was over.
Her embarrassment was complete!
It took only a second for Natalia to vanish. When she got into the elevator, she leaned on it and let out the breath she didn’t know she was holding….
****
Dinner time and the girls were having spicy chicken and potato chips. Well, only Elva was devouring it! The Princess wasn’t eating. She didn’t have an appetite.
Her mood had been pretty the same ever since dance class. Rather than shoving the thing in her mouth, Natalia was using her perfectly polished fingers to crush the chips with a faraway look in her eyes.
“If you don’t wanna eat, then at least grant the chips a more merciful death.” Elva blankly noted.
Natalia tilted her head to her plate and sighed again.
Again?
“What’s up with you girl? You’ve been zoning off all day.” Elva was concerned.
The Princess stood up from her bed, straightened her mickey mouse sleepshirt down her curvy hips and walked over to the window, staring at the emerging moon.
The royal assistant patiently followed her with her eyes.
“Elva, I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” She whined leaning on the frame.
Elva flew from the bed the next minute and examined her thoroughly. Natalia was confused. She lightly pushed her away.
“No, I’m fine. I’m talking in here.” She sighed and touched her chest.
Elva breathed out heavily. Then she dragged the pouty princess to seat beside her on the bed.
“Okay, what’s up?” Natalia bit her lips nervously.
“A.. Ari… Arian and I… I …. we….” She stuttered. Elva took her hands and gave her an encouraging smile.
“We almost kissed.”
“WHAT?!” She screamed and flung her hands away.
Natalia slowly nodded and spent the next few minutes explaining.
“Wow.” Elva breathed, eyes wide with interest.
“And I don’t know what to do. I become stupid when he’s close and turn into a nervous freak! I don’t think clearly and my breathing literally seizes. My heartbeat increase and I stutter! STUTTER? A princess does not stutter, El! Tell me what to do. I don’t know what to do! What’s wrong with me??” She blurted helplessly.
“What do you think is wrong with you?”
“I don’t know! I told you right now that I don’t know, El.” She was almost crying.
Elva couldn’t stop her chuckle.
“There’s nothing funny, you know.” Natalia wiped her tears and frowned.
“I’m sorry! It’s just…. you look funny when you’re that way!.” She laughed out more.
Natalia was looking more confused. “So?”
“So??… You like him!” She simply said.
Now, it was the Princess’s turn to yank out a ‘what?!’
“I do not! He’s a jerk and really annoying… even though he could be sweet sometimes and thoughtful and caring and nice and hot and fascinating and… why do I keep saying good stuffs about him??”
Elva gave her a pointed look. Natalia gasped and stood up.
“You’re wrong, El. A princess has to marry a prince! It’s my duty. I can’t fall in love with just anybody.”
“Well look on the bright side. Arian De’Argent isn’t just anybody. Except for a crown, he’s literally on the same level as a Prince.”
“I’m not in love, El. And that’s it.” She finalised and faced her squashed food back.
Elva shrugged and continued munching her chicken wings. Natalia pouted and tried to grab one.
“Hey!” She shrieked and swatted her Royal hands away…..
****
The Winterfield twins laid together on a couch watching a horror movie. It was around midnight but they weren’t sleepy yet.
“Ahhh! She shouldn’t have looked back! Her twin sister stayed behind to save her life. Now she’s gonna die too!” Nicky screamed and mourned at the same time.
She’d been acting like a kid since the movie started.
“Stop being such a drama queen. It’s not real, you know.” Ricky dryly popped a chip into his mouth. Nicky hit him softly and glared.
“What?”
“You’re ruining the magic.” She scowled.
“I thought only romance and heartbreak makes one cry?” He nonchalantly cocked a brow.
Nicky sat up quietly and stared at him.
“Was that how it felt when you broke up with her?” She whispered.
Ricky froze midway from throwing another fry into his mouth. He glanced at her and figured it out.
“Since you already know, I don’t wish to talk about it please.”
“All my life, I’ve told you my secrets. Yet you kept something this big from me. So more than ever I deserve to know!”
“I didn’t tell you because there was no point. She’s over it… over me. We still aren’t getting back together.”
“Does it still hurt that much?” Her voice was so low that Ricky barely heard her.
A glum silence followed, the horror thriller completely forgotten.
“More than you can ever know.” Ricky finally muttered, feeling the tight knot in his chest again.
“Do you really think she cheated…. deep down?”
Elva didn’t tell Nicky the whole story. She only told her they once dated. She wanted Ricky to be the one to tell his own sister the full story…. if he already knew.
Elva knew she was risking her image in her friend’s mind by putting her dignity in the same person who said horrible things to her and questioned her loyalty.
But it was Ricky’s right to tell his sister if he wanted to. And Elva wasn’t going to take it from him.
A part of Ricky was sure of Elva’s innocence back then. But now… He had no doubt! He was so insecure and annoyingly gullible to actually reason it out. And every night, he still payed his dues in the nighmares he suffers of their breakup.
“She never did. I thought I’ld get over the guilt but….. it hurts the more each passing day.” His voice matched hers.
Nicky leaned over and pulled him into a bear hug, soothing his messy hair. After a while of sharing twinnie emotions;
“Are you gonna try to steal her heart back?”
Ricky took in a deep, decisive breath.
“You’re damn right I am!”
Chapter 32