𝙴𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 ✔

Chapter Twenty-Four

As I walked down the hall to my room, still holding the rose from before, I couldn't stop thinking about Adam kissing my forehead.

I knew it was trivial, that he had done it out of pure excitement, but for some reason my heart was still pounding in my chest. My cheeks were flushed, and I grinned from ear to ear. It was nice to feel important to someone other than family. I was the only one he could kiss on the forehead like that, to hug, and be open with.

Though, despite that I had been very obviously feeling things for him, things that go beyond simple friendship, I refused to believe in them. I refused to acknowledge what I felt because I knew we could never be together, that even if we break the curse, I would still remain a destitute orphan and he the heir of an empire.

I opened the door to my room and closed it behind me. The thoughts of Adam swirled around in my mind, and in that moment all I could think of was him. I had become quite fond of his smile, those sad but beautiful blue eyes of his and how gentle his touch was. The way he looked at me, intently yet fondly, was enough to muddle my mind and flush my cheeks. I stood there, mind in the clouds, smiling uncontrollably while my heart fluttered.

Then a thought appeared in my head almost jarringly, and I started to wonder if I did in fact like Adam after all.

"What has you all giddy?" Sebastian's voice almost made my heart stop. I stood there wide eyed, face drained of all color and in shock.

The hair on my neck rose as my body went into full alert. All of me screamed to leave, to get out of that room with him, yet I knew it was not that simple.

"Why are you in my room? Get out." I dug my nails into the palm of my hand to keep myself focused.

"I think not." He sat, legs crossed over one another, on the love seat that Adam and I had slept on the night before. "I see you and Adam have gotten quite close."

"That is none of your concern." I huffed. I did not dare move, not only because I couldn't, but because I wanted to stay as close to the exit as possible if things went sideways.

"Oh, but you see, it is. I told you that you were mine and what did you do? You ran off to be with another man." He stood up. "It seems like Adam loves to take everything that I want and deserve from me. Though I have and will do whatever it takes to keep him from taking you."

He slowly stalked across the room, making his way to me as he inspected me up and down taking all of me in. "What makes you think he took me, or anything for that matter, from you?"

His eyes snapped back up to meet mine, anger written all over his face. He slightly quickened his pace, clenched fists resting at his sides.

"Because here you are. Here with him, smiling because of him, thinking of him in ways that you should be thinking of me, and giving him all your attention. What does he have that I do not?" He had gotten too close to me, and subconsciously I started to back into a corner. "I am better than him. Stronger, smarter, I have what it takes to be a Prince, an Emperor. All he is, is a whiny little child who always got what he wanted. Everyone always applauded him for doing less than a Prince should, for being less than a Prince is supposed to be."

"Do not come any closer." I was frightened, the look in his eyes was that of pure hatred.

"He disgusts me. He is weak minded, far too liberal and compassionate to follow in the footsteps of his father. I was born to be a Prince. I should have been a Prince, not him. I should have been loved by everyone, not him." He was shouting, fists once again clenched as he was almost directly in front of me. "You are the only thing left that he cannot have. I refuse to lose you to him, to let him take you. You belong to me."