50

Noah
I turned back, noticing that Ashley hadn’t come out and I let out a relieved sigh. For a moment, all I wanted to do was capture her lips and taste every bit of her but then I remembered that she liked Mason.
The way she lifted her small neck so I could kiss her made me want to smile but I remembered that this was the same situation that made I and Diana’s relationship get rocky.
It was best not to make things worse, best not to complicate things but I desired her so much to be mine. Why did life have to this complicated?
I felt my heart pound against my rib cage and I banged my fist on my chest, trying to calm it down.
I advanced towards the counter and met Emily there.
“Where were you?” I heard her say.
Rubbing the nape of my neck, I responded, “I was in the restroom.”
“Okay.” came her response.
I flicked my spectacles upward and tried to sit when Emily spoke again,
“Do you know you look like a prince?”
Her statement caught me unaware as the quick racing of my heart returned.
“What are you implying? I look nothing like a prince. ” I implied.
“You do,” Emily mumbled while staring at her hands, “You are handsome with those spectacles on. ”
I let out a laugh and afterward a low chuckle with a smile etching on my face.
“What’s hilarious about what I stated?” I heard Emily say.
“You are making an exaggerated remark. ” I answered.
Emily shook her head ferociously, “No, I’m not. You are good-looking, tall, and everything a woman wants.”
“And why are you flattering me? Is there something I should know?” I lifted a brow watching Emily’s face break into a wide grin.
“Absolutely nothing. Why should there be anything you should know?” Emily added.
“I asked a question and you then decide to respond with another question. What is with the sudden awkwardness?” I winkled.
“Fine,” I heard Emily give up with a frustrated sigh, “No more questions. ”
I chuckled once more in total admiration of her adorable nature. I lifted my head and my hands from the counter table and still Ashley hadn’t come out from the storage room.
I slowly retreated into my seat, remembering that I made a promise to stay away from her. My mind drifted away and reminisced on what happened that morning.
And the moon-shaped scar.
Was Nadia sent by my mother to check up on me and give her information?
Was that why Daniel didn’t see any royal secret agents around the neighborhood?
I placed a couple of fingers under my chin, stroking a non-existent beard.
If I was going to get any information off Nadia, I had to move closer to her and try to strike up a conversation as well.
***
I told Emily that I wanted to rush toward the kitchen and pleaded for her to help me cover up. Though the bakery was scantily filled with few orders taken, I was at ease that nothing could go wrong.
As I walked briskly towards the kitchen, I noticed that there was a small drastic change in the way I walked with my hands by my side. I felt more confident and less anxious since I had nothing to worry about…
Yet.
I sighted Alfred kneading bread while Nadia was mixing ingredients in preparation for a pie.
“Hi.” I greeted with a wave of my hand, trying to catch everyone’s attention, most especially Nadia’s.
“You want to steal something into your mouth?” Alfred lifted a brow, making me break into a laugh. I smiled remembering how I would take a cookie or a donut once Alfred wasn’t looking.
“No, I just wanted to check on everyone here and cheer you on.” I balled my right hand into a fist and stretched it out.
I noticed the weird stares I was given so I let out a nervous chuckle.
“Spill it. ” Damien urged.
“Spill what?” I looked at him.
“What is your true intention of coming in here?” Damien continued.
“Well, it’s nothing special or serious.” I shrugged.
“Then leave us alone and stay far away from my cookies. ” Alfred narrowed his piercing gaze at me.
“I didn’t come for your cookies, Alfred. ” I smiled while sauntering towards Nadia, wearing a bright smile with my teeth displayed.
“So your target was Nadia. I should have noticed. ” Damien smirked before returning to what he was doing formerly.
“How are you doing? Do you still feel any discomfort?” I asked.
I watched as she opened her lips slowly, hesitant at first.
“No, not anymore but thank you for asking. ” Nadia answered without looking at me.
“Alright,” I responded as I tapped two nervous fingers against my pants, “What are you doing?”
“Doing what I do every single day,” Nadia responded hastily, still not looking up.
I rubbed my hands through my midnight black hair, wondering how on earth do I strike a conversation with Nadia who rarely spoke about herself. I couldn’t just ask her any questions or she might see me as a weird creep searching for attention.
I was about to speak when I heard her say;
“What do you want, Leo?”
“Huh?” I stood at ease, still having a smile on my face.
“You have been staring at me for some minutes now and I’m getting worried. ” I heard her answer softly.
“Well, I was going to ask where you got your shirt from. It’s quite attractive.” I blurted the words out, placing my hands on the center table.
I heard her sigh as she removed her grasp from the spatula, reached for a small towel, and cleaned her hands.
“What do you really want, Leo?” she turned to look at me and I had a chance to take in every part of her face and that moment when she tilted her face, it looked so identical to the woman I ran into at the palace.
“I already told you what I wanted.” I verbalized, hoping she bought the lie.
Nadia shot a glare at me, one of her brows lifted.
“Tell me quickly, I don’t have much time to talk. I have a lot to do. ” Nadia impatiently spoke.
I swallowed a globe of saliva frantically while biting my lower lip as I watched her eyes look at me indifferently as if she had never seen me before.
“Can we talk outside?” I asked, “Please?”
***
“It better be worth it. ” I heard Nadia say once I shut the door leading its way out of the kitchen and now we were both standing on an empty small road. The sharp stench of the trash can irritated my insides and urged me to speak;
“Nadia?” I started.
“Yes,” Nadia responded.
“You recognize me, don’t you?” I looked at her straight in the eyes, while narrowing my gaze at her brown hair which she tied into a messy bun.
“You are Leo, aren’t you? Why are you asking me that?” Nadia lifted a shoulder in affirmation.
I looked at her milky eyes and noticed she made not a single sign of nervousness or showed a slight discomfort. She crossed her hands across her chest and said;
“What is going on with you?”
“If you’d just let me understand-”
“I am not the woman whom you can talk and flirt with. I’m not in the mood for your jokes so if you have nothing else to say, I’ll go. ” Nadia cut in, narrowing a piercing gaze at me.
I clicked my tongue, wondering if I was going crazy. Was she really not the woman who bumped into me at the palace?
I moved closer to her and she took a step backward.
“Do I look like Ashley to you? Stop playing around and go work. ” She made to turn and walk away but I specifically reached out to grab her right hand, making her whip her head back.
Nadia wanted to yank my grasp off her hand but I didn’t let go. I gently stretched out her fingers and right underneath her knuckles, I saw that scar again.
“What are you-” she whispered but I cut her off in mid-sentence.
“You know me. Stop acting like you don’t know who I am. ” I uttered.
Nadia scoffed, “Who are you? Who do you think you are to ask me these questions?”
“You know that I can’t tell you who I am but I know you do,” I answered.
“Have you lost your mind?” Nadia raised her voice, “If you refuse to let me go, one of us might end up with a lot of blood.”
“Now you are threatening to assault me?” I questioned while slowly removing my grasp from her right hand, “Go ahead. ”
“Gladly,” Nadia responded.
I was about to open my mouth when an open-handed blow hit my cheek in an instant. I almost cried out in pain while holding on to my throbbing cheek. I looked up at Nadia whose’s face held a frown.
“Never mess with me, Leo. ” she said, “And never touch me without my consent. I don’t care who you are.”
And with that, she turned around and opened the kitchen door and slammed it shut, the vibration ringing loudly in my ears.
With my open palm massaging my throbbing cheek, I began to wonder who Nadia was. She seemed too aggressive when I touched her hand, it was as if she suspected something strange.
I noticed that her gaze on me remained focused and she kept answering my questions with questions. I rubbed the back of my neck in frustration and let out a low grunt.
Why did she have to hit me so hard?