Maid For You 4

Chapter 72

Coleman waited for me to answer, looking a bit nervous in anticipation of what I might say.

"I guess, that's all true," I finally said. "I mean, sometimes we just assume some things will always be the same, but they won't. People move on." I was thoughtful for a second. "Even with Prince Nikolas," I started. "Or King Nikolas. I felt like I'd never move on, that I'd always feel just as intensely for him as I had in that moment when he'd turned me down."

Coleman watched me carefully.

"You know, he told me that I would move on. I couldn't believe that."

"And now?" Coleman asked.

I looked into his imploring eyes and felt those little butterflies in my stomach. Lydia always said that the best way to get over someone was to find someone new. Coleman could hardly be considered new, due to our history, but somehow, I'd fallen back into those familiar feelings from the past. Maybe it had made it easier to like him, since the path was already paved.

"I guess, having no hope has made it easier to move on. Hope gives you something good to think about. But when there is none...thinking about him just made me sad. So I avoided thinking about him so much, and in turn..." I would have shrugged if Coleman wasn't spinning me for the dance.

"In turn?" he asked me, his face close to mine as he pulled me back towards him.

I swallowed hard. "In turn...I find that my feelings for him are not what they once were."

He spun me out before pulling me back once more.

"In the end, I guess Nikolas was right." I almost chuckled despite it all. "Then again, he usually is."

Coleman let out a light scoff. "So he says."

"You're right as well," I said.

"Am I?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and slight smirk. "About what, pray tell?"

"About moving on." My tone was a bit blunt. "We women do move on. Maybe it's harder at times, maybe it's easier other times, but we move on." I glanced in the direction of Madeline and Roiben. "And it's much easier when you find someone new."

The song came to an end, and we dropped our positions, Coleman looking at me intently.

"Cassandra..." he started.

My eyes widened a bit, curious to see what would follow my full name.

"Coleman!" A loud voice pierced our conversation, and we turned to see a young woman headed toward us. She was pretty, brunette, and someone I'd seen around the castle before. I didn't know her name.

"Amelia," he looked almost surprised, and even more so when she wrapped herself around his arm.

To say I was unbothered would be an absolute lie. My eyes zeroed in on his arm, with 'Amelia' pressed up against it. I looked at her face, with her alluring smile and eyes.

"How have you been?" she asked, and I swore I saw her eyelashes fluttering.

"I've been well," he said, a smile on his face that didn't look as uncomfortable as I would have liked it to have been.

I felt a surge of heat flare in my heart, a flame that I hadn't felt in a while. Somehow, amidst his alleged apologies and his kind behavior, I'd forgotten part of what had made him so insufferable in the first place, so infuriating. I felt my cheeks heat slightly, embarrassed for having thought something special of him at all. How stupid was I? To fall for his old shenanigans again.

"Cassie," another voice interjected our hijacked convo—a male voice.

I'd never been more relieved to see Lord Harry.

"Long time no see," he said in almost a drawl. He looked sharp in a dark suit and a fresh haircut.

"Long time indeed," I said, turning my full attention to Harry.

"Can I have the next two dances?" he asked me.

"Of course you can," I answered. I could still hear Amelia babbling on about something or other to Coleman, but I didn't look at them. Instead, I took Harry's extended hand and we walked away.

Harry was fun and flirtatious and flattering as always, and our dance almost took my mind off Coleman. Throughout our various spins and turns, I caught glimpses of Coleman dancing with Amelia. Once we made eye contact, and I was stuck between hoping that wouldn't happen again and hoping it would. I wanted him to watch me, but not the other way around. In the end, I felt frustrated with him and perhaps even more frustrated with myself for any sort of vexation I felt over him of all people.

Our dance ended, and Harry asked me if I'd like anything to drink before our next dance, and I said that I would. He promised to get me a drink and return. As he left, out of the corner of my eye I saw Coleman approaching me.

"Cassie," he said, prompting me to look at him. Amelia was still standing with him.

I put on my most polite smile, since really, flirtatious Amelia shouldn't affect me anyways. "Prince Coleman," I nodded. "And, you are Amelia?"

"I am," she said. "You're Cassandra Carmichael? Last year's Queen Maiden?"

"I am," I answered.

"I'm sorry our conversation was cut off earlier." Coleman cast a side eye to Amelia, though I couldn't be sure if she noticed. "You and I could, well, we could dance again if you would like, or—"

"Sorry, Prince Coleman." Lord Harry had come back with a couple of glasses in his hand. "But Miss Carmichael has already promised me the next dance."

There it was, the little flex in Coleman's jaw as he looked from Harry to me. "Of course," he said.

I didn't have another opportunity to talk with Coleman for the rest of the night. Lord Harry spoke with me for a while until Mercucio swooped in and asked for a dance. I spent some time talking with Calista, danced and talked with miscellaneous people, until finally, the festivities came to a close.

Coleman, Calista, and I all rode back to the castle together (their parents rode separately), and Calista talked about the splendor of the wedding and Madeline's beautiful dress. Coleman and I added our thoughts on the wedding, I checked the messages on my phone that I'd missed that day (there hadn't been very many, mostly random notifications from various apps), and the short ride home passed quickly.

As I stepped out of the limousine, I felt my phone buzz in my hand. I tapped the power button to check the notification, and my eyes widened at a name and text I hadn't expected to receive.

"What is it?" Calista asked me. "You look quite taken aback."

"Oh, it's nothing," I said, brushing away her concern. We entered the palace, and I headed directly to my room. Sherry was waiting for me, and she helped me unzip my dress and take pins out of my hair. When I was finally all settled down for the night, I opened up my phone again to look at the text I'd been sent.

Luke: Hey Cassie! It's been a while! I'm coming to town for a few days. Would you like to grab lunch together on Monday? 

If you'd like to read up to the end, join my patreon! https://www.patreon.com/klafroth