May I, My Love? ✔

54. t h e w o r t h l e s s d e s i r e

After a long time, this particular morn brought me limitless ecstacy. Finally, everything was going the way I wanted to, and I would soon reunite with Josiah. Then, nobody will be able to lay a finger on me. No one will dare to come between us anymore, now that he had very publicly announced his love for me.

A unbridled grin decorated my lips, and I couldn't help but grow hot. Throwing the covers over my head, I giggled uncontrollably. For the first time since I became a teenager, I had felt so much happiness in life. My otherwise bland and predictable life was thrown far away when I met him for the first time, and since then, nothing has been the same. Everywhere I went, he was all I could think about. Everything I did, he would appear in front of me. He tortured my mind, body and soul until he penetrated through my depths, and rendered me powerless and vulnerable to his good or evil intentions.

So much so, that even if he chose to break my heart, Iwould never be able to resent him.

With an extra spring in my step, I skipped towards the bathroom. Today was the day all my worries died down, and I was on cloud nine. Taking my sweet time to scrub my body, then spending another huge dollop of time to pick out the loveliest dress, I made sure to present the best version of myself to the prince today. Tiptoeing around the room, I picked up my phone from the nightstand and gazed at the most recent message from the prince. It brought another full-blown smile on my face, as it said that we were to meet at our usual spot.

Picking up my heels, I softly opened the door to avoid walking up the others sleeping in my room, and closed it behind me in the same fashion. I ran lightly through the halls until I reached the door that opened directly into the back garden. Stepping out of the palace into the fresh air of the garden was one of the things I enjoyed the most here. The sweet smell of the rose and jasmine flowers filled my nostrils and enveloped my heart with an ardent desire to meet my lover.

I quickly rushed to the cottage, but found no one inside. I frowned, not believing that he would be late on a day like this, but I couldn't be angry with him for too long. He had other responsibilities too, and what if he got in trouble for holding that press conference? He, for sure, mustn't have told anyone, whether his grandfather or Eugene's parents before doing something so huge, and disrespecting Eugene in public. Of course, they must be going bonkers by now, especially Eugene.

When I thought of her, more than feeling angry about all that she did to me, I felt sad and guilty. If only I wasn't here, she would have gotten married to the prince and everything would go according to plan. But I too, had bulldozed my way through unexpectedly, and ruined everything that was once considered normal for Josiah and Eugene. It is true that he did not, and does not, love her, but her reaction to this stint makes me feel uneasy.

Forgetting about her as quickly as she came into my thoughts, I was once again, reminded of the man who claimed me as his in front of the whole world. I didn't get a chance to open the internet and see what's trending, nor have I had any school over the weekend, so I was completely oblivious to the world's reaction to our love story. But I had nothing to worry, as long as Josiah was with me.

Humming a pleasant tune, I walked and walked, until I reached the far end of the garden, which was connected to the small back gate, guarded by four guards. But today, I couldn't even see one of them. Maybe they were still sleeping? Being lost in my own thoughts, I made a blunder of not noticing the guards and continued strolling in that area. What is taking him so long? He definitely messaged me, and should be here any minute. Why has he not arrived— oomph!

'Why am I being suffocated suddenly? Oh, there's a hand on my mouth! Am I getting kidnapped?'

Understanding the situation a beat too late, I attempted to shout from inside the hand, but it was too strong and held all my cries inside. I was sure it would leave bruises on my face once they remove their hand, but the question was, why would someone want to kidnap me? I cried and cried, and kicked my legs beneath me, but they still didn't stop. It wasn't a joke, it was very much real and I felt myself getting dragged away like a ragdoll, dumped inside a black minivan and my mouth taped to stop the cries altogether.

All the shouting and the kicking made me too exhausted, and last night's lack of sleep was kicking in too. In under a minute, I fell asleep again, hoping that someone out there would come to rescue me.

I couldn't believe that something so horrific happened to me even before I could meet Josiah. After all, maybe being with him was just a worthless desire I could only fulfill in my dreams.