Maid For You 3

Chapter 61

At that moment, to my great displeasure, my little door opened and out stepped Prince Nikolas, distracting me from the conversation momentarily. I looked at Nikolas with wild eyes, hoping that they would ask the question "why did you follow me?!" He just stared at me seriously in return, so I pursed my lips and released a deep breath through my nose before signifying that he stay silent by pressing a finger to my mouth.

"I'm sorry," I heard Marstella say. "I've never regretted anything more in my entire life, Luke! You were so good to me."

"Mars..." Luke responded softly—he sounded tired.

"Please listen to me," she said, a pleading note in her voice. "Please, Luke."

"Fine," he sighed. "What exactly do you want to say?"

I leaned my head back against the cool marble wall and drew in a deep breath. I closed my eyes and swallowed hard. Why does Nikolas have to be here? I wondered. A witness to this cacophony? It was awful enough as it was without someone else being privy to it.

"You need to understand!" A tremor rippled through Marstella's voice. "Luke, look at me."

"I am looking at you."

"No, look into my eyes," she plead. "I mean it, Luke. I'm sorry. I've—I've never been with a good guy like you before. I don't think I trusted any man, and so I planned to use you as I had seen men use women. But you are different from most men, you know that? You are good and sweet and you made me feel so happy, but I couldn't trust it. I was scared and broken from my past."

Quit your stupid sob story! I thought angrily. Shouldn't your past of being used have taught you better? Taught you not to inflict that upon someone else?

"I came into the castle with a plan," she continued. "And I felt like I had to follow through. I had to get closure with my dad. I needed his money so that my mom could finally live with the money she deserved. But I hate that I used you to get there. I thought that it was the only way!"

A few agonizing seconds of silence. I wondered what Nikolas thought, but I didn't dare look at him. I knew he would see tears in my eyes if I opened them.

"I get it," Luke said quietly. "And I forgive you, Mars. I really do."

"Then let's start over!" she implored. "I'm a Lady now, I don't need to resort to any more tricks and games. We can try again."

"Marstella..." Luke started, sounding uncomfortable.

"I know you still care about me," she said. My fists clenched at her lyrical words.

"I'm dating someone else now," he stated without strong vigor.

"I know you are, but can you look me in the eyes and say that you feel nothing for me?" she demanded.

"I can't." I almost missed those words he spoke them so softly.

Suddenly, I felt the breeze from the door to my right fly open; my eyes snapped open and to my horror it was Prince Coleman, his eyes angry and his mouth opening with some sort of protest, but just as the first sounds were escaping his mouth, I pounced on him with and flew a hand over his mouth to silence him, pushing him against the wall. His eyes widened.

"Not a word," I hissed in his ear, my voice barely audible. This was a disaster. First Prince Nikolas and now Prince Coleman? I should have left, but how could I at this point? Not when Luke was at the verge of slipping through my fingers and into the filthy hands of Marstella Allegro.

"I knew it," Marstella had said while I was busy pinning Coleman to the wall. I lowered my hand from his mouth and took a step back from him, itching to hear the rest of the conversation but simultaneously dreading it.

"Why now?" Luke asked, his voice holding an undercurrent of frustration. "You had months, Marstella. Months to come and apologize to me, months to try and reconcile, but you wait until I finally move on? Until I finally stopped wasting away pining after you? Now you want a second chance?"

"I didn't realize how much I missed you until you were gone," she cried.

Why? I thought helplessly. Why is this all happening? Why am I tucked in a small little corner with Nikolas and Coleman while Marstella lures Luke away from me? Do I come out and confess I was eavesdropping? What do I even do?

Luke groaned. "Why are you doing this, Mars?"

"Because I like you!" she cried. The words stung me like an icy dagger to the heart.

Luke didn't say anything for several pregnant seconds. "I can't do this," he murmured.

"Why not?" she begged.

"Because I'm dating Cassie!" he said. "And, gosh, I've been so paranoid about her cheating on me, in no small part due to you, and now you want me to leave her for you?"

"You don't actually like her. She's just your rebound."

"She's not!" Luke cried. "It's been a year since we dated, Mars. And you know why I dated Cassie? Because I really like her."

"I don't believe it."

"Well it's true!" Luke said. "I'm not leaving her for you, Marstella."

"Even though you want to?" she demanded.

Luke didn't answer.

"You want to be with me, just admit it," she poked.

"I like Cassie."

"But you like me more."

"I've been gone with you long enough," Luke said. "This was a mistake. Dancing with you gave you the wrong idea. I was just frustrated and acting out."

"About what?"

"Honestly, it doesn't even matter anymore," he sighed. "I've been an idiot. I'm going now."

"Wait!" she cried.

"Mars..." he sighed. "Let go of me."

At this point I dared a peek around the corner and saw her clinging onto his arm, staring up at him with wide blue eyes. Luke looked so hurt and confused.

"Kiss me," she whispered. "Just once."

"I can't."

"Please, Luke."

My breaths grew heavier—hot and angry. I clenched my fists; Marstella was going down. I could feel the eyes of the Princes on me, and Nikolas whispered, "Cassie, don't."

I didn't listen. Maybe I should have, but in that moment I was so blinded with rage against Marstella that I couldn't even think clearly. How dare she? How dare she come in and try to steal Luke away, throwing herself at him when it seemed that weeks ago she couldn't care less! She had allowed him to trail her and Coleman on their shopping date, and who knew how many times before that that had happened! She didn't truly love Luke—she just wanted him to follow her around like a puppy dog, always there for her when she called. She didn't bother to go after him all this time but couldn't handle him moving in.

The sound of my heels storming down the marble flooring sounded like beat of battle drums as it pierced the silent tension and immediately both Marstella and Luke turned to look at me in my fury with wide eyes.