Royally Falling

~ 38 ~

"Hey yo don't you know,
Life's too short to take it slow.
We go where we wanna go.
We go where we wanna go"
Runaway Kids - Harbour

oOoOo

The next day, Kaden unexpectedly shows up at our door.

"Shit, did we make plans?" I ask, racking my brain. I don't remember making plans.

"Nope, I'm here for an impromptu at-home date," he says. Thank god, I'm in no shape to go out in public. I'm wearing ratty sweatpants and an old sweatshirt. And I'm almost certain that my hair is a rat's nest.

"Oh, ok. Well, come in." I open the door wider, so he can pass through.

He gives me a hug once we're both in the kitchen.

"So, how are you doing today?"

"Alright. I'm trying to stay off my phone. I made the mistake of checking Twitter this morning."

He grimaces. "You saw it?"

"Yep." I nod and suck in a sharp breath.

#RoyalWhoreOfAmaria is currently trending. Maeve told me not to check Twitter, but curiosity got the better of me. People are dragging me left and right. I saw that Grace replied to a few of the popular Tweets to defend me. She had good intentions, but it's just starting arguments and making it worse.

Just thinking about the posts and articles I saw makes me tear up.

"You'll be okay. The storm will pass. Give it a few more days." Kaden rubs my back soothingly.

"It's already been five days, though," I sniffle. "I can't even go to class without feeling like shit."

"Something else that's newsworthy will happen and everyone will forget about this," he reassures me. I know he's right, but it sure as hell doesn't feel like it.

"I know. I just wish it would happen sooner rather than later," I groan.

"I know, sweetheart," he frowns and hugs me again. "Let's do something else. I came over to distract you."

"Thank you," I say as I wipe the tears from my eyes.

He steers me into the living room. As I get situated on the couch, he dumps king-sized candy bars out of a backpack. I was so worked up, I didn't even notice his bag.

He hands me a box of Sour Patch Kids and Reese's. My heart melts. He knows me so well.

"So what do you have planned?"

"Well, we're going to do all of your comfort things. First, we'll watch The Notebook and eat candy. Then, I'll order a pizza from Brown's and we can play a game or chill on the couch. It's all up to you, sweetheart."

"That sounds perfect."

oOoOo

I reach for the remote when the movie finishes. Just spending time with him has helped tremendously. Seems like a distraction is all that I needed.

Kaden stretches and stands up. "I'm going to go order a pizza."

He walks into the kitchen to make the call.

I stay in my spot on the couch, all wrapped up in blankets.

I look longingly at my phone on the coffee table. I make a move to grab it but decide against it. I would be too tempted to check Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Instead, I walk over to our game cabinet to pick something out.