“Good night.” Chloe yelled after me as I marched out of the bar with Christian trailing behind.
I was officially done. I am so done with him. It had just been three weeks since Tom left but it felt like it had been three years. I was so tired of Christian and his ridiculous bossy behavior.
We got to the parking lot and I snatched the car key from him.
“I'll drive.” I said.
“You're drunk. So I'll drive.” he said as he collected the key back from my hand.
“Of course you will. As usual, you have your way. And I have to follow your stupid orders yet again.” I yelled at him, anger brewing in me. I got into the back seat and slammed the car door loudly.
I knew deep down that I had just thrown the most ridiculous tantrum ever. He was right to drive. I was still a bit tipsy from all the alcohol I drank. But I was so mad at him that I couldn't see the logic.
The ride home was excruciatingly quiet. Well, for me that is. Christian seems to be having a blast. It did nothing to cool the brewing anger in me. I hardly get angry. As a princess, I was thought to never get angry. Never lose my temper. Never yell. Always smile no matter the situation because the entire country was depending on me. I've always abided by those rules my entire life. But Christian Allister seems to have the power to bring out the worst emotion in someone without even doing anything.
He swerved the car into park mode and I jumped out of the car. He ate the distance between us in three long strides. I hated the man's tall figure.
I turned to him as soon as the door clicked shut. I was a bit sober compared to when we left the bar. I made a mental note not to yell this time. It made me look like a teenager throwing tantrums.
“Mr Allister, I do not appreciate you interfering in my personal life. I've had bodyguards since I was in nappies, and none of them have ever acted the way you're acting. Does that mean they don't care about my safety too?” I bit out.
“He had his hand on a very sensitive part of you. Anything could have happened. He could have easily stabbed you or at worst put a bomb on you. The position you were in with him was very dangerous and anything could have gone wrong.”
“But nothing went wrong because he is my friend.” I half yelled.
“He asked me to dance. If you could have just asked me before dragging me out of there in full ‘rapunzel’ fashion, I would have told you. We study the same major and have known each other since freshman year.”
“The people who you consider friends, are the ones that want to hurt you the most.” A flicker of emotion sparked in his eyes but vanished as quick as it came.
I half understood him at that moment. Maybe the reason for his paranoia was because he was betrayed by someone. Maybe while he was in the army. I felt an itch to find out more but I quickly quenched the desire. I don't want anything to do with this man ever again.
“I don't know what happened to you, Mr Allister, but not everyone is out to get me everytime. I just wanted to have some fun with my friends before we graduate and I go back to Potomac to be Princess Isabella. I just wanted to be Isabella one more time. I..” I paused when I saw his brows furrowed.
I realized that I might just have shared too much of my feelings with this man. I have never said it out how frustrating it is sometimes to be locked away in a castle. Maybe it was the alcohol. Maybe it was because I knew Christian wouldn't try to comfort me. Whatever it is, it got me to pour my heart out.
.
.
.
I woke up the next morning with a banging headache. Hangovers are the worst. I made to stand up from my bed and walk to the bathroom when I noticed some pills, a bowl of soup, and a glass of water on my nightstand.
I wondered who put it there. Christian. I tried to remember everything that happened last night. I remembered lashing out at him and storming to my room. Then sneaking out of my room later to grab more alcohol. Christian caught me and hurled me and carried me up to my room.
I sunk back into bed and covered my face with the duvet. I'm not going out of my room today. I can't face him. I got up and went to the bathroom to freshen up. I didn't have anything planned to do today except visit the animal shelter. I could sneak out when Christian isn't watching. That task would be close to impossible. Christian was like a hawk.
I was still debating how to get past him when my stomach growled. I needed to eat something. I ignored it at first but the growling persisted. I decided to go downstairs.
I opened the door and poked my head out first. The hallways were clear. I tiptoed down the stairs and headed to the kitchen.
“Good morning Princess.” Christian's feel voice came as I opened the fridge.
“Good morning, Mr Allister.”
I turned to look at him. He was in his workout clothes. The black t-shirt hugged on his shirt like a second skin. Sweat glistened his forehead making him look as down to earth as ever.
“How is your hangover?”
“It's fine. A very nice person put some pills on my nightstand.” Christian didn't take the bait. He didn't even spare me a glance. Asshole.
I sighed. I grabbed a sandwich and some orange juice from the fridge. I threw the sandwich into the microwave.
“Mr Allister, I'm sorry for lashing out at you last night. You were just doing your job. And I think I was mad about something else and took it out on you.” I said. I really felt bad about the way I addressed him yesterday.
“It's okay. I understand.” He said, finally looking at me.
As our eyes met, the butterflies in my stomach took flight.
“Look at us, having a civil conversation without one of us trying to kill the other. We might actually get through these three months.” I said and smiled.
“I highly doubt that.” He mumbled under his breath.
He went back to working out. He was doing press-ups and sweating bullets in the air conditioned living room.
“Why don't you take off your shirt? You're sweating a lot.” I said.
I bit my lip as soon as the words left my mouth. The gravity of my words dawned on me when he stared at me in an indecipherable way. Even though I only meant he should take his shirt off because of the heat, I might as well be telling him to strip and get in bed with me.
“You want me to take my shirt off?” He asked again as if rubbing my mistake in my face.
“It's not like that. Nevermind.”
But it was already too late as he took his shirt off with one swift movement. My jaws literally dropped on the floor as I took in the view before me.
The man was hot. As in smoking hot. My eyes roamed his chest taking in even the tiniest of details. The microwave dinged, jolting me out of my reverie. I hurriedly cleaned the tiny drool at the corner of my lips. I took out my food and set it on the island. I finished my sandwich shortly after.
I grabbed a magazine so I could read and pretend I wasn't eye fucking him.
“Princess, what are you doing?”
“What does it look like? Sipping orange juice and going through this magazine.” I focused my gaze on the magazine.
“It's upside down.” He said, a hint of mockery in his voice.
That was when I realized I've been reading the magazine upside down the whole time.
“Oh! I didn't even realize.” I said and laughed awkwardly.
“The truth, Princess. You should always speak the truth.” He said and gave me a knowing smirk. He walked away.
“What? No, it's not what you think.”
He didn't answer me nor halt his movements.
“Hey! I wasn't staring, I was reading.” I yelled after him.
My phone started ringing. It was Tom calling.
“Please tell me you're calling to tell me that you're resuming work early. I am so done with Christian.” I said asi answered the phone.
“Actually, it's the opposite, your Highness. His Majesty has told me to come join the Royal keep. It seems Mr Allister would remain your bodyguard for a bit longer.” Tom said from the other side.
“Oh my god!”
It was a good thing for Tom. He would be closer to his wife and newborn. But a bit longer with Christian is going to be torturous.
First because I was going to kill him. He gets on my nerves more than anyone. Second, because I was attracted to him. I wanted to kill him as much as I wanted to fuck him. There is no denying that.
I have no idea how I am going to deal with both these emotions at the same time. Or which one I will act on eventually.