Everlastingly Loving You - Chapter 103

“You’d think you’d have more date ideas in a palace with state of the art facilities and everything one would need to live and galore, but sadly, that’s hardly true.”

Clarisse was too busy looking around.

“So this was where you came from soaked wet and blushing,” she realized.

As soon as those words exited Clarisse’s lips, Sophia’s eyes widened.

“Right, that,” she began saying.

“I brought you here to cheer you up, not talk about my love life.”

“So you think there’s potential between you and Nicholas,” a smirk formed on Clarisse’s lips.

“That’s irrelevant,” Sophia insisted.

“Mm, sure,” Clarisse said amusedly.

“Whatever you say, girl,” she muttered.

She looked downwards.

Sophia was sitting on the grass.

“Won’t your pants get soiled?”

Sophia shrugged, “A small price to pay.”

Clarisse sat down beside her best friend.

“I do still love him.”

“I want him back.”

“But I’m terrified, Soph.”

“I’m terrified he’ll find another reason to break my heart again,” she told her.

Sophia didn’t tell her this wasn’t the time to go all emotional.

She simply caressed Clarisse’s back.

She pondered on it.

She’d learnt the risk was always worth it, no matter the result. She’d learnt to go for it without any regrets.

“Do what makes you happy,” she said to Clarisse.

“If Blaine makes you happy, then be with him.”

“And what if he breaks my heart again?”

“Then it’ll hurt more than it did before knowing you got fooled twice.”

“But if it’s worth giving it another try, go for it.”

“I’m not stopping you, but I’m certainly not telling you to go forth with your eyes closed.”

She laid her head on Clarisse’s shoulder.

‘I doubt I’ll be able to forgive him if he hurts you a second time,’ she whispered.

Sophia usually wasn’t sentimental, she was reserved when it came to emotions and all that mushy and cheesy stuff, but that didn’t mean she was the same on the inside. She was weak when it came to expressing how she really felt to those closest to her.

If only she could tell Nicholas how she never wanted him to leave.

If only she could tell Clarisse how much she loved her and never wanted her to get hurt by loving someone.

And truthfully, it scared her. That love could hurt that terribly.

She knew Nicholas wouldn’t do what Blaine did, but the thought of Nicholas doing that to her was fresh in her mind.

She felt her heart ache thinking about it.

Sophia shuddered.

They continued remaining silent and saying nothing to each other.

Sophia laid on the grass, Clarisse as well.

“What happened to us?” Clarisse asked.

Sophia looked at her right.

“Boys. Boys happened to us.”

Clarisse smiled weakly at her friend.

“Who would’ve thought?”

“What would your parents have to say about it?” Sophia asked curiously.

Clarisse pondered on it.

“Mother wouldn’t care, father would be outrageous he wasn’t another royal and that I wasn’t sticking to my arrangement.”

Sophia had momentarily forgotten Oliver, and Clarisse’s arrangement. What a joyous moment.

“So it’s set in stone?” She asked Clarisse.

Clarisse nodded, sighing.

“It is.”

She took a moment to realize the gravity of the situation.

“OLIVER!” She exclaimed, shooting up.

“Blaine knows nothing regarding the arrangement!” She cried.

She cursed before she started panicking.

“What am I gonna do what am I gonna do what am I gonna do?”

She resorted to her coping mechanism – dark humour.

“Tell Oliver, ‘Hi, so my ex-boyfriend is here, and I still love him, and he still loves me. Our breakup was a misunderstanding due to his parents’ disapproval. Thanks for bringing me on a date but this arrangement was never meant to work out, friends?’”

“It’s times like these I appreciate I was never in an arranged marriage,” Clarisse heard Sophia mumble.

She glared at her.

“What?”

“Nicholas is different,” she elucidated.

“Besides, I actually like Nicholas.”

She blinked rapidly.

“Back to your love life.”

Clarisse fell back to the grass.

“It’s a love triangle,” she said, placing her hands on her stomach.

“I’m in a freaking love triangle.”

“Can you believe it?” She asked rhetorically.

“How did I end up here, stuck having to make a decision between two guys?” Clarisse internally facepalmed. Only she could’ve gotten herself in a situation this dire.

She looked at Sophia for any kind of help or reassurance.

“A love triangle, fascinating,” was all she got from her.

“Is that all?” Clarisse urged.

Sophia stared at her, “What are you looking at me for? I’m no love expert.”

Clarisse said in return, “You’re no love expert; you’re my best friend.”

“Geez I’m just looking for some reassurance,” she crossed her arms.

Sophia laughed aloud.

“You’re in a love triangle between your ex-boyfriend you’re still in love with and the man I kicked in the balls that happens to be Nicholas’ brother.”

“Don’t blame me, I can’t help but laugh,” Sophia chuckled.

“You would too if I were to be put in your situation.”

“You’ve got some explaining to do,” she said to Clarisse.

“That’s everything you’re getting from me today,” she admitted.

“By all means, you’re free to stay here. Just make it a point not to tell anyone of this place.”

She gave Clarisse a not-so-reassuring pat on the shoulder, leaving her there as she headed back indoors.

Clarisse needed some time alone to process things on her own.

She sat there, mumbling to herself on the grass.

She could’ve easily been mistaken as a psych patient in a mental hospital with how she was behaving right then and there.

She hadn’t known Jaxson for too long. But she’d appreciated his initiative – asking her to eat lunch. She found it sweet.

On the other hand, her heart beated for Blaine. The man that had already broken her heart once.

She was going to have to choose.

Even when she didn’t have the heart to.

She wondered why she hadn’t just picked Blaine right away. She’d known him for years, and she still loved him. So why was she so hesitant?

__

“A drive-in cinema?” Nicholas suggested.

“Look at you, reading my mind,” Sophia said grinningly.

“That’s exactly what we need.”

Nicholas’ heart fluttered at the mention of ‘we’.

“I’m driving,” he insisted.

“No,” Sophia refused, “I am.”

“We’re getting takeout for the movie.”

“Alright then,” Nicholas agreed.

“Takeout it is.”

“I assume you’ll be taking me to the best of the best,” he kissed her on the forehead.

Sophia laughed, “Of course I am.”

“It wouldn’t be the Beldovian full experience if I wouldn’t.”

Nicholas looked at his watch.

“Would you look at the time?” He asked.

Sophia caught on.

“Oh yes, we should get going now shouldn’t we?”

They shot each other a grin before they headed to the lobby.

“After you,” Nicholas opened the driver’s door for her.

She kissed him on the cheek.

“Always a gentleman,” she praised.

Nicholas entered the car.

“You’ve driven before, right?” Nicholas joked.

“Haha, very funny,” Sophia retorted.

“I’ll have you know I passed my driving test with flying colours,” she boasted.

“What less could be expected from you?” Nicholas said in all seriousness.

They neared the palace gates.

__

Once they’d gotten sushi, tacos and pretzels, they made it to the drive-in cinema.

With how many cars were there, no one would notice two royals were there on a date – just as they intended.

“This is going to be one long movie,” Nicholas said.

Frankly, he didn’t mind watching romance movies with her.

He wouldn’t mind doing anything with her.

“So this is going to be one long date,” Sophia added.

“Exactly,” Nicholas said, rummaging in a paper bag.

“What are you–”

“Have a bite,” Nicholas said.

He fed Sophia a taco.

“We’ll run out of food before the movie even starts,” Sophia said to Nicholas.

Nicholas shrugged, “Would that be a terrible thing?”

“I like food,” Nicholas said.

“Oh hush you, the movie’s starting,” Sophia said.

She realized what she said might’ve been harsh.

Nicholas told her, “It’s my first time in a drive-in cinema.”

Sophia agreed, “Me too.”

“Seems like we do have something in common after all.”

Sophia bopped his nose.

She returned to watching the movie.

“What, was growing up with absent parents, being a royal, having to rule one day not similarities?” Sophia reasoned.

“Great point,” Nicholas agreed.

“You’re not actually watching the movie, are you?” Sophia asked.

“I’m not.”

“I feel… normal. Not like a royal for once,” Nicholas scrunched his nose.

“I feel amazing.”

“And it’s all because of you.”

Sophia knitted her eyebrows.

“What would it have been like, if we never met?”

She scoffed, “I wouldn’t be here, in a drive-in cinema on a date with you, I’d figure out how to surpass the rule that requires rulers to have spouses before they ascend and claim the throne before ruling Beldovia with an iron fist. I’d dedicate my life to my people and go out the… ah, righteous way as grandmere calls it.”