Mom Rose had walked into Natalia’s ward to see her petting Tommy who was asleep by her side. She kept smiling at his sleeping figure until she noticed someone else was in the room.
Mom Rose felt drawn to her the more when she asked to see Arian even at the state she was. The doctor had said that her blood sugar level was low, really low. She was weak and had lost a lot of energy. That was the main reason she’d fainted.
The Princess was so fragile.
Mom Rose was touched at how much she blamed herself for what happened. She walked Natalia to Arian’s ward after forcing her to eat and bathe. Her husband was mad with fury when he heard his heir almost died.
He increased security because everyone to him, was a suspect. Sir Argent had cancelled his planned business trips and had went over to the school for an explanation some hours ago.
Yet, he’d barely spent one hour to comfort his own son at the hospital!
Mom Rose sighed helplessly.
She’d sat on a single sofa to get updates from her husband when she heard Natalia speak. It was painful to listen to. But when the monitor beeped?…
“Arian? Arian!” She called out repeatedly. Mom Rose beamed just as the doctors came running in.
“I’m sorry, Miss but you’ll have to excuse us and let us do our jobs.” A nurse politely said.
Natalia bit her lips and nodded reluctantly. But as she took a step back, Arian’s slender fingers firmly entwined hers and pulled her back.
Natalia suddenly looked back at him. He was holding tightly to her, not wanting to let go. His weak eyes were on hers, dully but intensely gazing like he wanted to say something.
Natalia smiled and gently pulled away.
“I’ll be back, okay?” She whispered and spared him a last pretty smile before joining the rest outside.
Mom Rose watched as Arian’s tired eyes trailed after her retreating figure, revealing the emotion she recognized too well…
*****
Natalia sat on one of the chairs placed outside Arian’s ward. Leonardo came over and sat next to her. He’d returned from dropping Nicky home and was waiting for her to come out earlier.
Natalia returned the small smile he gave her.
“Okay, what the hell just happened in there??” Selena furrowed her brows and plopped down on the set of chairs opposite theirs.
Natalia left her head down, staring awkwardly at the cute bunny ears on her pink flip flops.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Jeffrey smirked, finally returning to his sarcastic self after being gloomy all day.
“What happens when positive and negative wires meet?” He bragged, enjoying the lost looks on their faces.
“Don’t you guys watch sci-fi movies??” He stopped and suddenly gasped.
“Don’t tell me I’m the smartest genius here?!”
Silence.
“I suddenly miss Nicky.” Jeffrey sighed and sadly shook his head.
Ricky looked at him impatiently. “If you’ve got something sensible to say, just…”
“Electricity sparks.” Leonardo simply answered for him.
“Thank you!” Jeffrey rolled his eyes at his dumb strawberry blonde friend. Ricky scowled at his dirty look.
“So?” Selena was still pretty much lost.
“So??” Jeffrey was flabbergasted. He took in a deep breath before breaking it down.
“That, my fellow student, is what happened when our positive Natalia touched our Negative Arian. Sparks flew and jolted him awake! Simple physics-romance theory, duh!” He smiled wickedly and nudged Natalia.
Natalia bent her head lower, so no one would see her face blushing bright splash of red.
“And since when did you become an upcoming physicist?” Ricky mocked.
“Since forever!” Jeffrey arrogantly puffed up.
“Well you better drop the class before it gets you a broken nose.” Selena stated deadpan.
“Yeah, no kidding.” Damon’s voice matched hers.
Natalia briefly glanced up to see the siblings blunt faces.
“What? I’m right, you know. Don’t look at me like that. I’m so scared!” Jeffrey playfully scooted to Natalia in fear. They scoffed simultaneously.
“Right, Nat?” He tauntingly leaned towards her. Natalia flushed more and focused on counting the flowery designs on her nightie.
“Dude, stop picking on her.” Leonardo spoke up, shooting him a nasty look.
Natalia raised her head to stare at Leo. It was the first time she saw him almost lose his temper.
Jeffrey raised his hands in mock surrender and shifted away to taunt his new target, Ricky.
Natalia was surprised when Leonardo held her hand. He had a troubled look in his eyes, staring at the air but she waved it off the next second. He was probably being worried for her.
Mom Rose came out later on to inform them that Arian had been sedated. So they left after promising to be back tomorrow.
Leonardo walked Natalia back to her ward and watched as a nurse reconnected a drip to her. He kissed her goodnight and left…. surprising her again.
Over the next two days, Arian got better.
Better enough to throw his annoying arrogant tantrums!
Thankfully, he didn’t have amnesia like the doctors assured. But sometimes, Natalia wished he did!
Gosh! He easily crawled under her skin and got on her nerves!
Mom Rose forced them to go to school during the day and only allowed them to visit after school. The Princess was waiting to be discharged and resume school too while Selena still remained in Beverly Hills.
It confirmed everyone’s suspicion that she wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon!.
“Hey, that’s unfair! You didn’t let me properly strategize!” Arian frowned at Natalia who was grinning widely.
Since his friends were always at the academy, Arian spent most of his day together with Natalia in his ward, doing nothing but playing board games, video games and annoying each other!
Oh. Not to forget getting tons of attention from her. Which, my friend, was the sweetest part!
They were playing chess currently and the Royal was KICKING. HIS. ASS!
“Never let your guard down! Haven’t you heard??” She stuck out her tongue.
“Not when you’re playing against a gorgeous female.” Arian muttered under his breath.
“Huh?” She innocently looked at him.
“Nothing.”
Natalia shrugged and picked her chocolate ice cream. She took a bite and mockingly wriggled her brows at him.
Arian silently fumed and cursed the moment the doctor said he could only get “healthy snacks.”
And when he said healthy, he meant parsley, carrots, peas, cabbage, broccoli and the likes.
Yuck!
The young master was desperately craving a steaming carton of pizza with a bucket of spicy chicken wings, chillin’ on a couch with a pack of soda!
He groaned at the thought.
That was life!
Then he stared at the crappy ‘hospital recommended dish’ he’d tossed into the trashcan and double groaned.
Natalia threw him a teasing look and Arian scoffed, rolling his eyes again which made her beautiful grin increase.
She was sitting Indian style on his bed opposite him while a bed table, holding the chess board sat between them. A moveable drip was attached to her.
Arian also sat the same way with a drip attached to him too. But unlike Natalia, his doctors didn’t recommend him moving around much.
“I’ve missed that.” Natalia suddenly mouthed out of the blues, shyly looking down at her cup….
“Missed what?” He mused. “Watching me ready to devour that sundae in your hands or what?”
She hid an embarrassed smile.
“The way you roll your eyes… It’s silly but cute.”
Arian could swear he saw pink circles on her cheeks. He leaned forward mischievously.
“My, my. So that means you find me charming, isn’t it?” She took her eyes everywhere but at him.
“It was just a random compliment. Don’t think too much!” She tried to scowl.
A beautiful chuckle escaped his lips but Arian didn’t move an inch, making Natalia flush the more.
“Am I?” He mercilessly teased.
“Get lost!” She took coverage in anger and shoved her freezing ice cream spoon in his face!
“Hey!” He jerked away, rubbing it aggressively. Natalia giggled uncontrollably.
Arian tried to retaliate but the Princess screamed and dodged. The chessboard fell over but he didn’t care. He successfully snatched the cup and aimed for her face with a vengeful grin.
“Stop! S.. stoppp. O.. kay, I’m s.. sorry!” She giggled nonstop.
“Looks like we’re late for the party.” A third party commented by the door.
The duo paused and flipped to see everyone there. They were still in their uniforms.
Arian checked the time and noticed school closed about 30 minutes ago. He crumpled his face in displeasure.
Must they always be party crashers??
Don’t look at him. He’s only borrowing Jeffrey’s favourite words!
They released themselves. Natalia tried to fix her messy hair with a huge blush on her cheeks. But to Arian’s eyes, it only made her look hot.
“What party?” He returned to his arrogant self, hoping against hope they’ld vanish!
“I’m certain that was rhetorical.” Ricky was the first to crash on a couch.
Selena walked over to Arian, pursing her lips and fussing over the messed up bed.
“How are you feeling today?” Leonardo came over and warmly hugged Natalia, letting it stay longer.
The naive princess smiled and hugged him back, ignorant of the silent territorial marking.
A vague feeling pulsated through Arian De’Argent. He quietly stared between the both of them, not knowing what expression showed on his face.
Then the young French casually looked away, ignorant of his balled fists underneath the duvet…
Chapter 41