Sebastian is sitting on the couch as I run a damp cloth over the cuts Hayden's fist left all over his face.
Hayden is sitting on a single person couch just a few feet away, glaring at Sebastian like a hungry lion.
I think it's the least I can do for him. Who knows how long I was unconscious for, how long he helped me while I couldn't help myself.
Stop. I mouth to Hayden. His eyebrows raise, the glare only ever falters when he's looking at me. Once he's looking at Sebastian again, his eyebrows are furrowed, jaw clenched, eyes glaring.
I roll my eyes because that's all I can do.
"Thank you, Adeline," Sebastian says, not breaking eye contact with Hayden for a second.
"No problem. You helped me when I needed it so it's the least I can do," I say, dabbing the cloth a little harder to get the blood off better.
Sebastian winces and immediately I pull the cloth away. I hear Hayden scoff. I glare at him quickly before turning back to Sebastian.
"It's fine, I'm okay," he says.
And another scoff from Hayden.
I give him a second before putting the cloth back on his skin and dabbing it. At one point I drag the cloth which opens the cut a little and Sebastian winces, grabbing my arm. I stop what I'm doing and give him a second to recover.
His grip is firm on my arm and his eyes are squinting shut.
When I don't hear laughter from Hayden, I look over to see if he's still alive.
His face was hard, eyebrows furrowed, jaw clenched, anger written all over his face. I mean, he was practically steaming.
When the pain passes, Sebastian's eyes meet Hayden's. I don't know what their doing but I don't like it. Sebastian slowly lets go of my arm only breaking eye contact with Hayden once his hand is completely away from mine.
I continue cleaning his face with Hayden sitting in the single person couch, fuming for whatever reason.
______
"The cookies are ready," Sebastian says, when he enters the kitchen. I follow closely behind. Hayden doesn't leave the couch.
"They smell delicious," I say with a smile.
"Hopefully they taste it too," he says with a so pathetic laugh. "I'm usually good at making cookies but that's when they're full of love and happiness, these are full of sadness and pain."
Ouch.
"I'm sure they'll taste amazing," I say as I pick one up. Still warm. My hand warms up from holding it. It reminds me of hot chocolate in the winter.
When I take a bite, my body reacts. The cookies flavors practically explode in my mouth. I've never had a cookie like this and I live with gourmet chefs.
"It's delicious," I say when I swallow the bite. "Your very talented," I say crossing my arm over my stomach, the cookie in the arm I let rest on my crossed arm.
"You helped," Sebastian smiles. I nod.
"Thank you again, Sebastian, for everything you've done for me and helped me with," I say.
"It's no problem, Adeline. Seriously. And call me Seb," he says with a smile. I watch his eyes follow a moving thing behind me but before I can turn to see what it is, Hayden is grabbing my waist with both his hands as he takes a bite of the cookie I'm holding.
Once he releases me and backs up a little, I stare at him with shock. He smiles at me. When his eyes find Sebastian, his smile turns into a smirk.
"It could use less sugar," he says plainly, with his back turned to us, before leaving the kitchen.
______
Sebastian went to bed right after we all ate dinner. Hayden and I are laying on the angled roof, staring at the trees, stars, and night sky.
We aren't talking to each other. Just laying there, taking in the beauty of nature. I feel my eyes become heavy and I don't fight the urge to sleep.
When my eyes open again and I turn my head to where Hayden was before I fell asleep, he's still there. Sleeping.
Shirtless.
His back is against the roof but everything else, waist up is exposed.
I can't help but remember the night I had found him burning himself. The night I was so close to him I could feel his warm breath on my forehead. The night I reached out to touch him and pulled my hand back before I could.
The night he cried in front of me.
Now I'm staring at him, cuts, bruises, scars, and all. And I can't think anything but:
Who could have done this to him?
I try to stop my eyes from roaming his body but fail. His abs, waistline, muscles, jawline, I can't resist them.
I turn to my side and just watch him sleep.
He stirs in his sleep and the rolls over, rolling away from me. Rolling to where I'm facing his back and he's laying in his side.
My eyes are drawn to a big, long mark on his upper back, close enough to be on his shoulders but not there yet.
It's too dark to see from where I am and his back is too cluttered with other scars and marks it blurs the image.
I get closer, lean in, and tilt my head. It's glistening from a mix of puss and blood but I manage to look past that.
It's a word.
A name.
Adeline.
It's my name.
Shock could see through my body, I feel my blood run cold.
Why does he have my name carved onto his back?
The person I've known for a few months now has my name carved into his back. Not tattooed, not drawn, carved.
I scramble to get away from him, pushing myself with my legs away from his sleeping body. When I stand up, he moves again.
He rolls in his sleep again.
He's awake.
His eyes meet mine.
Word count: 1007
9-15-23
5:51 pm
(Not revised)
TGIF
I'll probably post a chapter again today 😋
have a good day/night 🫡❤️
YOU ARE READING
Royal love
RomanceAdeline Palmer, the crown Princess of France, was sent to a boarding school after someone attempted her life. Suddenly, a few months into her stay at the school, people start going missing and turning up dead a few days later, tortured to death. Wh...
