Everlastingly Loving You - Chapter 127
The entire room went silent.
All eyes were on Sophia and Nicholas.
Sophia regretted telling Olivia she and Nicholas were dating instantly.
Great, she’d been royally embarrassed at Nicholas’ sisters birthday party.
Things couldn’t get any worse.
‘What do we do?!’ Sophia panicked.
‘She just… she just told everyone in the room her wish was… oh my god…’
It took all of Sophia’s willpower not to melt into a puddle.
She stared at the innocent girl that’d thought her wish would come true now that she said it aloud.
She was so innocent and so pure.
Sophia watched Olivia walk over to her and Nicholas.
Nicholas was still from shock.
Where did his sister get these kinds of ideas?
He glared at Jaxson, automatically thinking he had something to do with this.
Jaxson shrugged.
‘What?’
Nicholas kept glaring at his brother.
“Brother!” Olivia wrapped her arms around him – with her height, she could only reach his thigh.
“Liv,” Nicholas said, managing a smile.
Everyone was staring at him and Sophia.
This was a mess.
He couldn’t bear to look at his parents.
He mumbled to himself, ‘We should’ve kept our relationship from everyone.’
‘We should’ve thought about it before going around telling people,’ he sighed.
The paparazzi would have a field day.
News reports would be published tomorrow regarding Olivia’s birthday party.
One of these royals were going to leak the news, he was sure of it.
He gazed at Sophia.
Come to think of it, nearly no one was looking at him.
They were glancing at her.
‘The duchess and his royal highness are dating?’ One royal asked the other.
Jaxson decided to do something about it, he had to relieve the tension somehow.
He clapped his hands in the air, “Right, back to what we were previously doing,” he said loudly for the entire room to hear.
And in no time, the room had temporarily forgotten regarding what’d just happened – rather, Olivia’s birthday wish she hoped would be fulfilled.
Sophia wondered how she’d break it to the little girl that they weren’t going to have children anytime soon. If they had any in the first place. She was never a family type of person.
She didn’t think Nicholas was one either.
She asked Olivia curiously, “Why do you want me and your brother to… get a baby?”
Olivia grinned obliviously, “Because! Everyone will be happier if that happens!”
Sophia blinked, “This was your idea?”
Olivia nodded proudly, “It was!”
“I want to have a niece or nephew!” She squealed in excitement.
Sophia pursed her lips.
She wasn’t telling the child it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. She couldn’t bear do that to the little girl.
She hadn’t any ill intentions. She was just a lonely little girl that wanted company when her family were away or at work.
Nicholas was mostly at Beldovia, as well as Jaxson.
Her parents were busy ruling the kingdom and only had time to attend these parties once they cleared out their schedules and were healthy enough, it was no wonder she wanted a niece or nephew that badly.
She just wanted a friend, someone to play with.
Sophia patted Olivia’s head.
“Who knows,” she said.
She knew better than to promise Olivia anything. That’d only get her hopes up for what could be nothing.
__
Once Jaxson had heard those words coming out of Olivia’s mouth, he nearly burst into laughter.
If only he’d recorded it for Clarisse to hear.
He then remembered Clarisse had plans with her boyfriend that evening and his mood turned gloomy.
He didn’t mind Blaine, he was a great guy, and he treated Clarisse like a princess. But, something was tugging on the back of his mind.
Something, a faint memory he couldn’t remember.
He brushed it away.
He reminded himself what his focus for today was. To make amends with his sister.
He went up to Olivia who was – again – chatting with Sophia.
Guests were beginning to leave the party.
“Look who’s here,” Sophia said relievedly.
She was just about to go search for Nicholas.
Thank goodness Oliver was here.
“You go talk to her and I’ll find your brother,” Sophia said, giving Oliver a hearty slap on the back before leaving.
“Liv sweetie, you can talk to your brother,” she said in a diabetic tone.
“I have somewhere to be.”
She searched for Nicholas.
“So… about what my sister said…”
“She didn’t mean it,” Nicholas said, defending his sister.
Sophia smiled reassuringly, “She’s a child, of course, she didn’t mean it.”
“Besides, with her parents being busy with all their affairs, and no one else for her to be around, it’s no wonder she asked for that as a birthday wish.”
“I’m more worried about the–”
Nicholas finished her sentence, “Tabloids.”
“Exactly,” Sophia nodded.
He shut his eyes.
“Remind me not to read tomorrow’s news.”
Sophia chuckled, “You and me both.”
“I’d rather not see what they have to say.”
“Especially not after that disastrous interview,” she added with a scoff.
“It wasn’t disastrous,” Nicholas protested.
“But it was,” Sophia said.
“I did lose that interviewer her job.”
“Her and whoever that scriptwriter was,” she added.
She shrugged.
Nicholas asked, “Who’s with Liv right now?”
Sophia answered, “Jaxson.”
He sighed relievedly, “Oh alright.”
“Your royal highness,” a maid curtsied, guilty to barge in the conversation the two royals were having.
Nicholas raised his brow, “Yes?”
“I need to speak with you, your highness,” the maid said.
Nicholas nodded, “Okay.”
The maid smiled before informing Nicholas and Sophia that they were invited to have dinner with the queen and king of Sanguis this afternoon.
They were taken by surprise. They’d been informed merely hours before the dinner was to take place, it was barely any time to prepare for themselves and get all dressed.
Sophia sighed, “Of course they’re inviting us to dinner.”
She wasn’t the only person who looked startled.
Nicholas looked vexed.
“We are not attending dinner after what happened last time,” he said.
Sophia disagreed with him – for once.
“Oh come on, it’s fun.”
Nicholas pouted, “Do you know what’d be more fun?”
“I’m listening.”
“Falling asleep by cuddling with you,” he answered.
Sophia said to him, “We’re going.”
“No we’re not,” Nicholas said insistently.
“Yes we are,” Sophia said stubbornly.
“I for one would like to know why they invited us and what they have to say,” she said, secretly seeking their approval.
‘I can’t believe we’re doing this,’ Sophia thought to herself.
“Windsor, don’t you remember the last time we had dinner with them? It went terribly,” Nicholas knitted his brows.
“Oh, so you’re calling me Windsor now?” Sophia asked.
“I didn’t mean t–”
“Why can’t we go to dinner? Just give me one explanation as to why we can’t have dinner with your parents,” Sophia said to him.
Nicholas stared at her, “You should understand.”
“They’re just people related to me by blood. Otherwise, we’re strangers.”
“That’s not an explanation,” Sophia said.
“That’s an excuse.”
“Your parents are alive, Nicholas.”
“Unlike yours, mine aren’t,” she said.
“And that isn’t a problem because I never actually got to know them that well.”
“But you?” She asked.
“Nicholas, your parents are alive. They’re doing better now. Your kingdom is doing better now too.”
“So I overreacted last dinner. I’ll be on my best behaviour,” she promised sincerely.
“And, they’re still your parents. They’re the reason why you’re here. They’re the reason you’re talking to me, and you became the person you are today.”
“Without them, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t be your girlfriend and I wouldn’t be–”
She paused.
Nicholas bit his lip.
“You know nothing about me and my parent’s relationship,” he said to her coldly.
“There’s a perfect reason why I don’t want to attend dinner with them. Not again, and not here,” Nicholas said to her solemnly.
Sophia looked at him, “Nicholas–”
He turned on his heel and did the one thing she never thought he’d do.
Walked away.
“Nicholas,” she called.
He didn’t turn around.
“Nicholas!” She called once more.
He kept walking.
For every step he took away from her, she felt a piece of her heart chip away.
He was walking away.
__
She sat on the balcony of her quarters.
She sighed, wondering how she’d make it up to him.
She felt horrible – a feeling she rarely felt.
“I’m sorry,” Nicholas apologized.
Sophia turned her head around to see Nicholas leaning against the door frame.
Was it really him?
“Nicholas,” she said.
She was so relieved to see him.
He said quickly, “Before you say anything, I have to apologize because I owe you an apology.”
“I… It was a sensitive topic and today especially, I just…”
“It’s fine, Nicholas, really–”
Nicholas shook his head, “No.”
“I’ll tell you everything, something I should’ve done from the start.”
“And exactly why I do not want to have dinner with my parents on this specific day,” he said, taking a seat right beside her and resting his head over hers.