𝚂𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚍 ✔

Chapter Twenty-Four

Before my bath that night, I found myself staring at my naked body in one of the mirrors.

Once there had been endless bruising all across my now unblemished skin, and part of me still could not let them go. I had caught myself from time to time, avoiding the mirrors in the room. Scared that one day the deep blues and harsh yellows would return and that all of this had been nothing more than a dream.

Though, it had started to seem like it was all coming to an end anyway, so I guess either way it did not matter.

My meeting with Thomas came quicker than I had hoped, and despite not wanting to attend, I swallowed my hurt and fears and met him in our usual locale.

"I have not seen you in almost a week." He watched me as I slowly made my way towards the fountain. "I've been here every day waiting for you to show, and yet you never did."

I forced a smile onto my face, trying to hide my clenched jaw as I unwillingly took a seat next to him.

"I apologize, my prince, I was not aware that we were supposed to have been meeting daily." I looked down at my hands nervously, trying to find a way out of this uncomfortable situation, "I just thought, that like me, you came out here to clear your mind."

I immediately regretted my choice of response. Especially after seeing the hurt, yet angry look on his face.

"You thought our meetings were just by chance?" He scoffed. And, despite his efforts to keep his tone level and emotions hidden, I could tell by the way he vigorously bounced his leg, that he was much more upset than he outwardly expressed. "I must say, Emma, I know you to be much smarter than this. I mean, I went out of my way to be here at exactly the same time you usually arrive, to bring you gifts and prioritize you over the others. Yet, for some reason you think, that despite all of my efforts, our meetings were purely by chance?"

"I apologize-"

"I specifically got you that necklace to prove my affection for you." He sounded genuinely confused, and rightfully so, "We kissed, and I thought you enjoyed it, you even said you would never forget it." he shook his head, "Do you not feel for me like I had come to think? Has all of this been for naught?"

I started to fill with guilt as I tried not to panic. He was so genuinely hurt, so taken aback by my awful attempt to lessen our previous encounters. So much so, it made me question myself and everything that I had been mulling over for the past few days. That man next to me, did not seem like the type to beat someone nearly to death. And yes, I could not dispute it, rather I agreed, that it was very clear Thomas had issues with controlling his temper at times, but who doesn't?

Though, as sorry as I had felt, I was not so hasty as to push everything from before aside. I liked Thomas, truly, but I did not know enough about him to honestly say, definitively, that he was not capable of hurting another person.

"In truth," I was in fact not about to tell the whole truth, but he needed reassurance or my time at the palace was surely going to come to an abrupt end, "There is something I have been wanting to say to you for quite some time, though I have not had the nerve to say it."

"And that is?" His blue eyes flicked over to look at me, the sadness in them had not yet been alleviated.

I hesitated. Wondering if what I was going to say was too much, too elaborate. I needed to say something, for he was surely close to giving up on me completely, and just that thought alone scared me. Yes, I may have wanted to leave before and that thought still lingered. But I think I was, at that point, more terrified of what waited for me back at home than I was of Thomas.

Desperation took over and despite knowing I should have chosen something better to say and once whatever I was going to say had been said, there was no going back, I did it anyway.