Maid For You 3

Chapter 64

"Nikolas..." I started as soon as we had reentered and he had dropped his hand. "I'm sorry."

               "For what?" he asked softly as we stepped away from the door and over by the wall.

"For not listening to you. I shouldn't have hit Marstella and gotten involved. I should have just left silently. And I took you away from Esmerelda for a long time."

"I could have left at any moment," Nikolas said. "You told me not to follow you, after all."

I didn't know what to say, but I just looked down at my feet.

"You should break up with him," he said suddenly.

"With Luke?" I asked.

He nodded. "A woman like you should be no man's second choice."

"I'm not his second choice," I argued. "He told Marstella no."

He sighed. "Will he really make you happy?"

"He does make me happy."

"You do not seem happy."

I stood silently.

Nikolas looked me in the eyes with his piercing blue gaze. "Think about it," he said, then sighed. "I'm afraid I must leave you, now. Esmerelda will be waiting for me."

I smiled weakly, and swallowed hard. "Of course."

Prince Nikolas placed a soft hand on my arm. "I do not know if I will have a chance to say goodbye, but as always, feel free to call me. I look forward to seeing you in Nikoto in February."

I nodded. "Me too," I said. "And you should call me too about your life, you know? I'm always the one unloading my problems onto you."

He smiled lightly. "I very well may." He took my hand in his own, kissed the back of it, and headed off to find his date. Whatever song was playing ended, and with that I soon found Luke walking up to me, his face somber. He stood in front of me and didn't saying anything.

"How was your dance with the Princess?" I asked quietly.

He ignored the question. "Do you still want to introduce me to your friends?" he asked. I scanned the dance floor and found a group of the people I knew standing together. I didn't want to anymore, not really, but then again, if I said no, what would that mean for us?

"Do you love her?" I asked.

"No," he said, his face somber.

A few beats.

"I'm sorry," he said. "For everything. For our fight yesterday, for acting petty and dancing with Marstella just to annoy you. I was—I was jealous of all the other men you have around you. Of what these people can offer you that I can't."

"But I chose you," I said. "I chose you, Luke. We're not married, I could have dumped you for Lord Harrison, but I didn't because I want to be with you. Don't you see? You look at what other people have to offer, but you never consider the fact that you offer something that others can't. I like what you have, Luke. And I wish more than anything that you'd stop comparing yourself to other people. You'd stop comparing their strengths to your weaknesses. You're an awesome guy, but you don't see it. And that blindness, that insecurity, it damages you." I stepped towards him and placed my hands on his face. "Wake up," I said. "And realize what you have to offer, Luke! And if this job is holding you back, if it isn't helping you utilize your strengths, then look for a new job. You can't be in this environment of nobles and Prince Coleman. If you are constantly comparing yourself, it will destroy you."

Tears were shining in his soulful brown eyes, and he held the hands that I had cupped to his face with his own.

"So when we go over there," I said. "To meet my friends, I don't want you to walk as though they are better than you, you understand me? I want you to be confident in yourself. Even if you have to fake it for a little while, show them that Lucas Prescott is not someone to be overlooked."

I held his hand, and in our journey across the ballroom floor to where Lord Harry and Lady Madeline's group of friends stood, Luke and I wiped away our tears and straightened our postures and plastered on smiles.

"Hello," I said cheerfully as I approached, effectively masking the huge red-headed rift that had just come between Luke and I.

"Cassie," Harry beamed. He glanced at Luke, but didn't say anything.

"This is my boyfriend," I said, pointing at Luke with my free hand.

Luke leaned forward and held out his hand for Harry. Their handshake looked strong. "Lucas Prescott," he said. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Lord Harrison," he answered. "I hear you work here at the palace?"

"I do," Luke answered. "I'm Prince Coleman's butler." He then turned to Madeline.

"Lucas," she nodded.

"Lady Madeline," he said. I forgot that they sort of knew each other. "I wanted to thank you for the offer to preform at your New Year's party. I'm looking forward to it."