Royal Pain in the Ass, page 21
“What do you mean?”
“Chase has a stupid show for his crappy band. Chase is a fucking sell out, but he’s going to tip off the press and they’re going to get pictures of us ‘candid’ together. Thus he’ll leave me alone for a few days.”
“Alright.”
Angelica and I spent the day lounging on the beach with Loki then we got home, had some food showered and got ready for the shit hole show Chase would play tonight. I put on a pair of fitted jeans, a Guns N Roses tank top and my usual converse. People would recognize me, that was the point, it was Angelica I was worried about.
“I don’t feel right dressed like this.” Angelica whined.
“I don’t want you to be recognized. If they do, it’ll be a scandal. Let me do your make up and trust me.”
“What if Mum and Dad find out?”
“Angelica, you ran to the states without them knowing and you’re worried what they’ll think of your outfit tonight?” I laughed.
“It’s not funny. They can explain me being here as me being on holiday, but if I’m dressed poorly that’s well, I just don’t want to get into any more trouble than I already am.”
I couldn’t help it, I burst out laughing.
“It’s not funny.”
“But it really is,” I managed between laughs. “Because you’re such a good kid.”
“I, I am not!”
“It’s okay. I was for the most part considered a good kid. I mean I drank and smoked pot every now and then, but I was an angel next to some of my friends. I’m a bit of a rebel at heart, and you just want to make your parents happy. It’s really cool actually.”
Angelica sighed. “Fine. I’ll wear something you pick out.”
“Okay, I’m going to suggest jeans to you and wear whatever shoes you want and I’ll pick a top based on that.”
Angelica ended up looking hot with her long hair tousled, dark make up, a crimson baby doll top, tight jeans and a pair of black strappy gladiator sandals. I pulled on my signature fedora that the press always seemed to spot and we were out.
I met up with Chase’s crappy band and was chatting with the other girls. I hated this part. I don’t actually like the girls of the week. I think it’s a stupid game. Everyone picks the hottest girl they can pick up and whoever has the hottest or the girl who is the sluttiest wins. Cool. Good luck with that gonorrhea . Seriously, who plays this game? Oh right, Chase and his idiot friends.
“I have a question.” One with curly brown hair. She had a shirt that was smaller than some bras I’ve seen and painted on pants.
“What’s that?” I asked trying not to be a bitch to her. It wasn’t her fault I was here.
“How did you get to be a permanent?”
“What?”
“You’ve been here more than three weeks now. That makes you a permanent. How did you manage that?”
“Yeah, with Chase of all people.” Another one, this one blonde, sighed.
“What in the world are you talking about?”
“You’ve showed up here and been invited for more than three weeks now. What did you do to get to be Chase’s favorite?”
“You seriously like Chase?”
“Yeah,” the blonde nodded, way too eagerly in my opinion.
“Then you’re fucking stupid.”
“What?”
“I said, you’re fucking stupid. Chase is a piss poor excuse of a human being.”
“But you like him.”
I shook my head. “Actually I don’t.”
“Oh, you love him.”
“No, not even close.”
“I’m confused.”
“That doesn’t seem like it’s a new feeling to you.” I rolled my eyes.
“Hey!”
“Then why are you dating him?”
“That is a long and annoying story that I will not be explaining to you.” I dismissed.
“You don’t have to be so mean to her.” Another girl, this one a ginger, snapped.
“Fun fact, this isn’t me being mean.”
“Fine. Who’s your little friend?” ginger asked, indicating Angelica.
“None of your god damn business, but you don’t have to worry, she has no intention of trying to sleep with the band. So relax and if you fuck with her, you fuck with me. Do I make myself clear?”
“I don’t even get why Chase likes you.” Blondie huffed.
“That’s fine by me, because I don’t give a flying fuck what you think.”
I’m sure given other circumstances, I could have liked these girls. But given the fact that I was somewhere I didn’t want to be, surrounded by people who were catty bitches and sluts just queuing up to sleep with band members, and they hadn’t uttered anything intelligent all night, I was running low on patience. It didn’t help when I felt arms wrap around my waist.
“Let go of me Chase.” I growled.
“I’m not Chase.” I heard an oily voice in my ear as a stubbly chin brushed against me. I immediately elbowed him in the gut and shoved whoever it was away.
“Don’t you ever fucking touch me again.” I growled whirling around.
“Oooh, getting all riled up? I like that.” It was Felix. The band’s bassist. I hated this kid with a passion.
“Touch me again and I will cut off your genitals with construction paper.”
“So you do want my dick.” Felix winked. He had icy blue eyes and black hair he kept slicked back.
“Felix, you are vile and disgusting.”
“Who’s your friend?”
“Touch her and I will kick your ass into next Thursday.”
“I think she has a voice of her own,” Felix purred, trying to reach across Angelica’s shoulders. I grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back.
“Touch her again and I will press charges. She’s fifteen dickwad.” I hissed into his ear and threw him to the ground.
“What the fuck? Why is there a minor here?”
“Why do you have to be such a bitch?”
“I like this side of you.” Felix smirked. “I’d like to see a whole lot more of you.”
“In your dreams.”
“Oh, I’ve seen a whole hell of a lot already. I just want to see it in real time this time.”
My eyes narrowed. “What did you just say?”
“Chase is a good friend.”
I felt the heat creep up my neck. Embarrassment and blatant rage were boiling up. “You better forget what you saw because you will never see it in real life. Do you hear me?” I spun on my heel and turned to find Chase. I caught him with a line of white powder. I smacked the back on his head as he was doing a line and his face smashed into the table.
“What the fuck?”
I looked into his bloodshot, dilated eyes. “Really? Really fuck face?”
“What the fuck is your problem?” Chase asked as he leaned back. “Why are you yelling?”
“You’re on the powder? Really? Pot was one thing, but this. Chase you better give me the fucking tape right fucking now.”
“Jules, I’m the one in control here. I make the rules, not you.”
“You broke our agreement. Why has Felix seen that tape?”
A wide smile spread across his face. “That was an interesting night.”
“I have some news for you, Chase. Do you want to know why your band isn’t taking off? It isn’t because you just aren’t famous enough. It’s because you guys suck, you’re hooked on drugs, and you have no talent!”
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Chase roared as he stood and got in my face.
“I know who I am. Who are you?”
“You bitch.” Chase did the stupidest thing he’s ever done. He raised his hand up and backhanded me against my face.
He hit my so hard I was knocked off balance and my eyes welled up. God damnit that hurt.
“Bad move. You aren’t playing a show tonight.” I pulled out my phone.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
I didn’t answer him, instead I called the police and told the operator that I needed an officer and that I had just been assaulted.
“You fucking bitch!” Chase screamed as he lunged at me and hung up my phone. I didn’t know what was happening all I knew was that Chase was on top of me and he was hitting me. That was the last thing I remember before I blacked out.
Chapter XXIV
I woke up to the smell of plastic and antiseptic and I knew exactly where I was. I rolled over and lost the contents of my stomach, which wasn’t much. I jumped when I felt someone’s hand on my back.
I turned my head too quickly and everything started spinning. I couldn’t help but groan.
“Juliet, are you alright?” I looked up into a pair of chocolaty brown eyes I never expected to get to see again.
I threw my arms around him and I can’t tell you why, but I just started crying and I held onto him for dear life. I was clutching onto him and bawling and he just sat there, with me in his arms rubbing small circles on my back. My back was hurting, so was most of me. I felt like I’d been run over by a truck or something.
After about twenty minutes I’d calmed down and managed something intelligible. “How are you here?”
Xavier smiled. “I got here as soon as I could.”
“But, how?”
“Well, Juliet, there is this marvelous invention called an airplane. I got on one.”
“How did you find me?”
Xavier gave me a smile that made me feel like a small child. “You aren’t exactly subtle. The paparazzi have been following you for one, you’re in a hospital for two, and Angelica called me for three.”
“Angelica did?”
Xavier let out a soft chuckle. “Yes.”
“Oh.”
“Naturally, James has asked me to bring her back.”
“Right.” I nodded, suddenly feeling numb and cold.
“He’s worried for you too.”
“Of course.”
“You’re welcome back, if you so choose. He’d like you to come back.”
I nodded, not knowing what to say.
“But no one can force you to come back.”
“This has always been home . . .”
“I understand if you don’t want to.”
“But it’s been different since I’ve been back.” Xavier gave me a curious look. “It’s home, but its not. Hell, I haven’t been allowed to go back to my house since the press first learned I was here. Why does it hurt so much to breathe?”
A murderous look crossed Xavier’s face. “You have three broken ribs, two more cracked. You also had a concussion and bleeding on the brain, and bruised lungs. You’ve been unconscious for nine days. That boy who was blackmailing you, he is now awaiting trial, and he signed a gag order. He thought it was a plea deal, but it’s still binding. When your country’s legal system is finished with him, he’ll be awaiting charges back home.”
“Oh.”
“He is being charged with assault, assault with a deadly weapon, possession, assault and battery on an officer, as well as possession of paraphernalia, and he was also carrying an illegal firearm. Upon the warrants arrival, they searched his home and they found a great deal more information and evidence. Upon said search, we found what he had on you. To avoid international incident, it was removed from his computer and I have what is believed to be the only remaining copy.”
I felt myself relax and everything hurt.
“Juliet?” I looked up at Xavier. “Don’t you ever leave like that again.”
“I didn’t want to. I felt like I had to.”
“You should have talked to me. We could have figured something else out.”
“I didn’t think I had any other options.”
“There were plenty of options. How could you just leave like that? No note? No phone call? You even left your belongings.”
“I didn’t mean to,”
“Juliet, don’t do that again. We were all worried sick for you.”
“Xavier,”
“Let me finish.” Xavier growled. “Do you have any idea how frantic we all were? After we found out King Henry had given you back your passport we were able to figure it out, but it took a while.”
“Xavier, let me talk.” I started. As I was feeling more awake, I was also feeling more of my body. It was getting harder to focus. “As I was saying before, it was different this time. This was home, but since I’ve been back, it’s been different. It’s home, but it’s not. Something has been missing. Since I left, not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought of you. I haven’t missed you. I don’t know what this means, but I know I don’t want to miss you anymore.”
Xavier looked taken aback for a moment then a small smile spread across his lips. “Then you don’t have to.” Xavier kissed my forehead and I can’t explain why, but I felt lighter than ever, almost like I was lighter than air. Maybe it was the drugs. Because at this moment the nurse came in and injected something into my IV. The last thing I saw was Xavier before the drugs pulled me under.
When I woke back up I smiled as I saw a familiar face sleeping awkwardly in a chair. I tried to sit up but felt my ribs and I couldn’t suppress a groan and Xavier woke up.
“You’re awake.” He sighed.
I smiled. “Sorry to wake you.”
Xavier shook his head. “Don’t be.” Xavier stood up and stretched and made his way to my bedside. “How are you feeling?”
“Still sore.”
“Do you want me to call the nurse? Do you want more of the pain meds?”
“I’m alright.” I smiled.
“How are you feeling?”
I shrugged, and that hurt. “A little hurt.”
A dark look crossed his face. “I wish I had ten minutes alone with that bloody tosser and I would show him what it is to . . .” Xavier took a long breath. “No man should ever raise a hand to a woman.” Xavier’s finger’s gently traced my face. “I wish you had come to me and it hadn’t come to this.”
“Xavier,”
“Juliet, you were just gone.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t disappear on me like that again. If you want to leave, fine whatever, I can’t stop you, but you have to promise to tell me.”
“Xavier, I didn’t want to embarrass anyone. This was my mistake. I trusted Chase when I shouldn’t have. I wasn’t going to let this get out and James or worse my uncle find out about it.”
Xavier let out a sigh. “Juliet, you forget, it’s my job to fix this. I wanted to help you. I continued to, after you left. I have friends in high places, once your legal system finishes, he will be tried for conspiracy to defame a royal official. Our system is quite different from yours . I do believe it can be far more effective. Chase’s father cannot buy our system like he can here.”
“Oh, right.”
Xavier shook his head. “None of that matters anymore.”
“What?”
“I said, none of that matters anymore.”
“How does it not matter?”
“Juliet,” Xavier chuckled, as he shook his head. “I’ve missed you.”
“I missed you too.”
This was the best time ever for the stupid nurse to walk in. I was mad at her for coming in.
“How are you feeling today, love?”
“I’m alright, I guess.”
“That’s good.” She asked me a lot of questions that I thought were stupid. After a lot of stupid tests, like following a pen light and touching all of my fingertips to one another, an hour later she finally left me in peace.
“All the tests look like they went well.” Xavier sighed. “You had us all worried.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I have to take Angelica back.”
I nodded, feeling my heart sink. “Right, of course.”
“I have to escort her back, but I don’t want to leave you alone. If you want, I’ll take her back and come back, if you want me to.”
“Don’t strain yourself. That’s a long flight.”
“Do you not want me to come back?”
“No!” I answered quickly.
“Oh,”
“No, no, dammit, that came out wrong. I want you to come back. I really do.” Xavier smiled. “I just don’t want you to stress yourself out or go to any trouble for me.”
Xavier sighed and smiled. I wasn’t looking at him when I felt the bed sink under his weight. His fingers tucked a stray lock behind my ear and he gingerly lifted my chin until I was looking at him. “Juliet, you are nothing but trouble. But all the trouble in the world is worth it for you.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
“You will be here until I get back, afterwards we will discuss our options then.”
“Wait, what?”
“You will have to stay here for observation.”
“I can’t leave?”
“No,”
“Oh . . .” I felt cold suddenly. I still hated hospitals. I was really hoping I could go home today. “How, how long am I stuck here?”
“Are you alright?”
I was about to say ‘yeah, it’s cool,’ but I knew it was a lie and for some reason I wanted to tell Xavier the truth. I shook my head. “No.” I managed quietly.
“What is it, Juliet? You can tell me anything.”
“I don’t like hospitals.” I shook my head.
Xavier pulled me into a hug. “I understand. Many people are afraid of doctors and - ”
“No.”
“What?”
“It’s not that.” I shook my head. “I’m not afraid of doctors.”
“What is it then?”
“Hospitals remind me. I spent months waiting and watching. My mom fought hard for about a year and a half, but the last eight months she had to stay in the hospital. It reminds me of that time and I don’t like thinking about it. I miss her . . .”
“Ah,” Xavier held me close to him and I held him like he was the last solid thing.
I always got so sad every time I remembered my mom. I still hadn’t gotten used to the idea that she was gone. I didn’t know how to exist without her. I was surviving, but not much else. I missed her so much. I missed her smile. Her encouraging words. Her singing. The way she made pancakes, which was just about the only thing she could cook. I missed our classic movie nights where we watched the corny old movies. I missed the nights where we would stay in and play board games and cards until the early morning. I missed all the stupid little things. I missed her. “I miss her . . .” I whispered. I felt a few stubborn tears fall.
