Mother Gothel: The Untold Story + Other Short Stories

Royal Love

William looked up as James coughed, noticing William's secret crush walk into the coffee shop on campus. He had no idea of her name, but this English beauty had caught William's eye from the first day he had started university. Three weeks in, he still hadn't plucked up the courage to speak to her and James had started to lose the will to live.

"Sooo, I've decided if you don't go and speak to her today, I will!" James said shaking his head at his friend's patheticness.

William rolled his eyes, "she has every boy's attention wherever I see her, I can't just go up to her and ask her out!"

James shook his head. "Fine, then I will!"

James stood up but was quickly pushed back down in his chair by William. He was about to say something but glanced over at her, hearing her laughing at something her friends had said. Her brunette wavy hair bounced around her shoulders, and he couldn't help but notice that when she laughed her cheeks creased in a near-perfect way and her eyes glistened making his heart skip a beat. He stood tall, straightening his polo as he took a deep breath, ignoring James' shocked expression that shy William was finally going after something he wanted.

William walked over to the small queue to get a coffee, hoping she would stay by the condiment stand long enough for him to speak to her and make conversation. He kept glancing over at her, feeling excitement brewing in his body as her group of friends slowly started to disappear off around her. He ordered his coffee and walked confidently over to her, noticing the last of her friends say goodbye. He saw her reach for the sugar and grabbed at it first, catching her attention as he almost snatched it out her grasp. Her dainty manicured fingers paused as she turned around to face him, seeing him for the first time. "Oh, erm, excuse me, I was about to use that and I'm sort of in a rush", she said in a posh London accent.

William ignored her and sprinkled the sugar into his drink then put it on the side next to him, further away from her as he looked up for a stirrer.

"Sorry, did you not hear me?" she said to him in an angrier tone.

William looked up, feeling the adrenaline course through his veins at the sight of her. He could feel her eyes burning deep into his and felt excited at the prospect of annoying her ever so slightly. He smirked as he grabbed the sugar and passed it to her, wondering how cool to play it. He felt like he was in some super league championship and there was no option to lose. He had seen the way she caught other boy's attention and he knew if he wanted hers he had to be quick.

"Thank you", she said in a softer tone. She poured some sugar in her coffee and quickly put the lid on top before quickly picking up her bag and running out the door.

William had no chance in getting a word in and slumped back over to James who was trying to hide how much he had enjoyed William speak to his secret crush. "So, my turn?" he said, grinning.

William shook his head, sipping his drink, "not a chance."

*

He noticed her crying in one of the quiet study rooms and knew this was as good chance as any to speak to her. His sweaty palms pushed open the door slowly and he walked in, catching her quickly wipe away her tears and brush down her hair. "Sorry, are you booked in here?" she said quietly, gathering her books that were spread out around her.

"No, I mean er yeah..."

She looked up at him in confusion, "well which is it?"

She dropped some of her books, knocking over her coffee cup, spilling the hot liquid all over the floor. William quickly bent down to pick it up, banging her head in the process. "Sorry!" he said, feeling his cheeks blush in embarrassment. None of this was going to plan.

"No, it was my fault", she replied, starting to smile.

"So, when I read in the papers you were coming here I never thought I would see you around so much..."

William sat back against the wall and glanced at her, the way her smile made him feel paralysed was something completely foreign to him. "So, you know who I am then?"

"I think the whole of England knows who you are..."

"Right, of course."

She shuffled over to sit next to him, needing the comfort of someone else to help her deal with her recent breakup from her idiotic boyfriend. The energy between them ignited and he could feel her looking at something on the wall beside him. He turned to say something and found himself inches away from her face. She caught her breath, seeing him in a way she hadn't before; the way his lips were a perfect line that made him look either sad or angry, and the way his eyebrows furrowed when he concentrated on something, concentrating on her. He had no idea what he was doing, following the compelling feeling racing through his body. She put her hands up to his face and brushed his cheeks as she searched his eyes, like she was looking for the stars. He leant into her face as she stared down at his lips.

"What are you doing?" she whispered as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

He had no words to say how he was feeling and leant in and kissed her, feeling like the entire world had paused around them and it was just the two of them in that moment and that was all that mattered.