at the end of the bed to watch me with a growing smile.
“Sleep. You need it.”
I couldn’t help but take his advice because he was right. I did need it. That was the last thing I remembered of him; his beautiful smile lighting the air through the smoke dancing around him. I’ve never felt so satisfied.
Chapter 17
Adele
I woke up from the light that shone through the window and slowly started to open my eyes after rubbing them. Zayden was gone. I sat up in a hurry and looked around. It wasn’t a dream. I was still in his room but there was no one with me. “Zayden?”
I didn’t see him anywhere and wrapped the white sheet around me tightly and just sat there, looking towards the balcony to wait for him to come to me. I knew I couldn’t leave without someone seeing me and he would have to come back at some point even if I had to wait here all day.
I lost myself in my mind while I waited. Still, it’s felt like a dream, everything that’s happened. Part of me didn’t want it to end, I didn’t want to wake up but another part of me knew that I had to.
I was staring off towards the balcony with all of these thoughts swirling around me and was completely surprised when the door finally opened. My head whipped right around and I saw Zayden walk in, fully dressed, crown and all, holding a tray of food.
He closed the door behind him with his foot and looked up at me. “You’re up. I was hoping you’d be. Are you all right?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. I just don’t like to wake up alone as much as I don’t like going to sleep alone.”
“Oh, sorry. You looked so peaceful. I couldn’t wake you but here, I brought you breakfast.” He set the tray down on the bed in front of me and sat on the other side of it.
“You shouldn’t be the one serving me.”
“I wanted to.”
“Well, you must have gotten up early.”
“Not that early. Troy and Jaylyn were up way before me and woke the kitchen up then so I thought I’d bring you something.”
“Oh. I’m not surprised. Jaylyn always seems to get up before everyone else.”
“Troy’s the same way.”
Just mentioning them made me think of them more and I started off asking slowly. “Did they—you know—talk to you about anything?”
Zayden laughed as if he already knew what I was really asking. “I told you we wouldn’t be able to stop it.”
“Then he got over his fear of hurting her? I was hoping that would be a good reason for them to wait.”
“I didn’t right-out ask but I’m sure he did. I know him. They were just heading to the lounge when I left. You can meet them there when you’re done if you want.”
“What about you?”
“Well, being home doesn’t necessarily mean relaxing for me. I have a few things to look over and sign but it shouldn’t take me too long. I can meet you down there if you’d like.”
“Okay, but am I supposed to just walk around aimlessly until I find it?”
He laughed again. “No. Just go right out this door, down the first stairs you see and straight through the hall then go left, around the arena. It’ll be right in front of you. You really can’t miss it.”
“Got it. Right. Straight. Left.”
“Good.” He stood up. “Now, I’m going to get to that stuff I have to do out of the way so I can meet you there.”
“You mean, you’re not even going to wait until I’m finished?”
“The sooner I start, the sooner I finish. If I go now, I might just be almost finished by the time you’re dressed and ready. Oh, which reminds me.” He walked away and picked up a set of clean clothes sitting on a chair. “You can wear these. I had the maids find something for you to wear while they’re washing the blood out of your clothes.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m going to get going now so you just finish that and you have everything you need right in here. Closet, back to your right, though I don’t know what you’d need that for and my private bathhouse, back
“Sleep. You need it.”
I couldn’t help but take his advice because he was right. I did need it. That was the last thing I remembered of him; his beautiful smile lighting the air through the smoke dancing around him. I’ve never felt so satisfied.
Chapter 17
Adele
I woke up from the light that shone through the window and slowly started to open my eyes after rubbing them. Zayden was gone. I sat up in a hurry and looked around. It wasn’t a dream. I was still in his room but there was no one with me. “Zayden?”
I didn’t see him anywhere and wrapped the white sheet around me tightly and just sat there, looking towards the balcony to wait for him to come to me. I knew I couldn’t leave without someone seeing me and he would have to come back at some point even if I had to wait here all day.
I lost myself in my mind while I waited. Still, it’s felt like a dream, everything that’s happened. Part of me didn’t want it to end, I didn’t want to wake up but another part of me knew that I had to.
I was staring off towards the balcony with all of these thoughts swirling around me and was completely surprised when the door finally opened. My head whipped right around and I saw Zayden walk in, fully dressed, crown and all, holding a tray of food.
He closed the door behind him with his foot and looked up at me. “You’re up. I was hoping you’d be. Are you all right?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. I just don’t like to wake up alone as much as I don’t like going to sleep alone.”
“Oh, sorry. You looked so peaceful. I couldn’t wake you but here, I brought you breakfast.” He set the tray down on the bed in front of me and sat on the other side of it.
“You shouldn’t be the one serving me.”
“I wanted to.”
“Well, you must have gotten up early.”
“Not that early. Troy and Jaylyn were up way before me and woke the kitchen up then so I thought I’d bring you something.”
“Oh. I’m not surprised. Jaylyn always seems to get up before everyone else.”
“Troy’s the same way.”
Just mentioning them made me think of them more and I started off asking slowly. “Did they—you know—talk to you about anything?”
Zayden laughed as if he already knew what I was really asking. “I told you we wouldn’t be able to stop it.”
“Then he got over his fear of hurting her? I was hoping that would be a good reason for them to wait.”
“I didn’t right-out ask but I’m sure he did. I know him. They were just heading to the lounge when I left. You can meet them there when you’re done if you want.”
“What about you?”
“Well, being home doesn’t necessarily mean relaxing for me. I have a few things to look over and sign but it shouldn’t take me too long. I can meet you down there if you’d like.”
“Okay, but am I supposed to just walk around aimlessly until I find it?”
He laughed again. “No. Just go right out this door, down the first stairs you see and straight through the hall then go left, around the arena. It’ll be right in front of you. You really can’t miss it.”
“Got it. Right. Straight. Left.”
“Good.” He stood up. “Now, I’m going to get to that stuff I have to do out of the way so I can meet you there.”
“You mean, you’re not even going to wait until I’m finished?”
“The sooner I start, the sooner I finish. If I go now, I might just be almost finished by the time you’re dressed and ready. Oh, which reminds me.” He walked away and picked up a set of clean clothes sitting on a chair. “You can wear these. I had the maids find something for you to wear while they’re washing the blood out of your clothes.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m going to get going now so you just finish that and you have everything you need right in here. Closet, back to your right, though I don’t know what you’d need that for and my private bathhouse, back
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