The Royal Games

Chapter 37 - BONUS CHAPTER 1

Bonus Chapter (1)

Lexi's POV

It's almost been a year since Rosa and Stefan's wedding. I can't believe it! This past year has been a rollercoaster for me; but today I'm done with that.

It's my first day at university (well, it actually starts Monday but I moved into accommodation today) and I can't wait; it's going to be an amazing year! And a new start. I'm determined. My parents and Alex just dropped me off and now I'm alone, unpacking my stuff and setting up my new room.

I reach for the next box and find some of my framed photos for my room. Picking them up I can't help but smile as I look through them and place them on the shelf one by one. There's one of me and mum, me and Alisha, all of us on holiday (all of us being myself, Alisha, Alex and our parents), Rosa and I at her wedding, and one with Rosa, Stefan, Dylan and I. I feel my heart twist slightly. But it's the next picture that really hurts: it's of me and Dylan at Rosa's wedding. We're stood in each other's arms, sharing an impassioned kiss, me on my tiptoes and Dylan's head bent down. As I reach up to place it on the shelf, I reminisce that moment. I can't stop my mind from wandering.

"You look stunning."

We've left the wedding buzz behind to escape on a walk and enjoy some time just the two of us. We're now stood in front of the fountain.

"You brush up quite nicely yourself..." I wink, leaning into Dylan's side.

He wraps an arm around me and we look up at the stars in comfortable silence. It's so dark the stars shine brightly against the almost pitch black sky, little diamonds twinkling.

"Lexi. There's something I want to tell you." He turns to me, lifting his hand to hold the side of my face. "I'm in love with you. I've loved you since I first laid eyes on you; that first day when you walked into the hall and sat down at the head table just down from me. Everyone else was too scared to, but you walked up with such confidence. Like you belonged. And I knew, from that moment, that you were something special." Dylan looks at me tenderly, stoking my cheek with his thumb.

"Dylan! I-"

"I don't want you to feel you have to say it back to me because I know-"

With a wide smile, I lean up onto my tiptoes and press my lips to his - wrapping my arms round his neck. Just as I go to pull away, he brings his left arm around my waist and his right to the back of my head, pulling me back in as he deepens the kiss. Finally, we break apart. "Dylan, I love you too." I whisper breathlessly.

Dylan pulls me into a hug and nuzzles his face into the crook of my neck. I don't know how long we stand like that, just enjoying each other's touch and listening to the steady trickle of water from the fountain. There's a warm tingling feeling throughout my body, and I know this is the happiest I've ever been.

"I want to come to America. I want to come to uni with you Lexi. If you'll have me - I want to start building a future with you. Our future."

I shake myself out of the memory. Lexi, stop it. That's done. It's the past. I take the photo off the shelf and place it back into the now empty box.

My phone ringing makes for the perfect distraction. "Lexi! How're you settling in?! I'm gutted to not be there with you! I'm so so sorry, I wish we were sharing. If it makes you feel any better, I'm still 100% sure you'd make such a better roomie than - ow!"

"Hey!" I hear Stefan's offended voice cry out, accompanied by Rosa rubbing the back of her head.

I can't help but chuckle at the two of them; they're honestly the cutest couple in the whole world I swear.