20. Truth Serum.

[Luke]
"Then f*ck you, I don't ever want to see you again."
Every trace of anger vanished from me when she made this statement and I stared at her in shock.
"You don't ever want to see me again, is it because I don't have as much money as Bernard, because I don't own a company or because I'm not popul—"
"No," She cut me off instantly. "It's because you're a self-absorbed prick who thinks every woman wants to be with a man because of his money, did it ever occur to you that Bernard might have forcefully come onto me, did it ever occur to you that I was very uncomfortable around him."
"Forcefully?" That was the only word I heard and I swore to kill that bastard in my mind.
"No, you didn't think about that because it's better to blame the women isn't it, it's better to think that it was my fault, I seduced him, I tried to get him into my legs because I wanted his money, but if that were true, don't you think I would be working for him now, don't you think I would have already become his mistress, don't you think he would have rented a penthouse for me, because he seemed very interested in me." She was seething with anger.
"What about the Prince's photo?" I couldn't bring myself to believe all that she was saying, I couldn't have misunderstood her. "You tried to get me to help you with his photo."
"What!" She looked at me incredulously. "Did I offer to sleep with you for it then? My boss was the one who sent me to the gala, he was pressuring me to get the photo and I didn't know what to do, I didn't know if he would fire me, but I decided to try, it wasn't compulsory but I just wanted to try, so that I could have something to defend myself with."
She was right, I remembered that day correctly and I had offered her the option of s*x, she had refused it, but at that time I thought she refused because I was just a palace guard.
"So my being a palace guard had nothing to do with it?" I asked cautiously.
She appeared to be contemplating about something for a while before she responded.
"I get it now, that was why you changed on me all of a sudden, that was why you became so cold and treated me like trash, I can't believe this." She said and jerked the car door's handle. "Let me out of here, I don't want to ever see you again."
"Wait, please, it was all just a misunderstanding, I get it now and am so sorry for jumping to such conclusions but in my defense, a lot of women have tried to play me like that before, they pretend to be interested in me because they know that I'm very close to the Prince." I blurted out avoiding her eyes.
"You thought I pretended to be interested in you because I was trying to get closer to the Prince, a man that I've never seen before, you think I came all the way from America to Denmark because I wanted to get with the Prince." She was getting angrier with each statement.
"Well, when you put it like that."
"You know what, let me out of here before I start breaking things." She bent down and slipped her heel from her foot and held it close to the windshield like a weapon.
"Fine, but promise me that you'll hear me out once you calm down." For the first time in my life, I was scared.
She looked at me with lifeless eyes, I couldn't read any expression in her eyes, she didn't even appear hurt anymore, she looked defeated, it was like she had already decided that it was over in her head.
"Fine." She huffed and opened the door once I unlocked it.
"You better not come close to me again, because if you do I will report you for harassment." She yelled at me and walked hurriedly inside her house.
When she left, I drove away to a quiet spot and then I parked the car abruptly.
I screamed and then began to hit the steering wheel with my hands, how could I have been so dumb.
I had an angel in my hands and I let her slip from my fingers.
***
"Your highness, thank goodness you're back, I've been trying to reach you for a while now." My assistant Franz pushed his nerd glasses up his nose and hurried to keep up with my fast stride.
"I'm not in the mood for anything right now, Franz, cancel all my remaining appointments and get me, Liam, I'll be in my room." I bellowed and winced slightly when he flinched beside me.
"But Sir, the K—"
"Did you not hear what I said, Franz." I tried not to yell but I guess I did because he stood frozen beside me.
"You may leave Franz." Sir Thomas caught up with us and sent the frightened man away. "Want to tell me what's gotten your panties up on a twist?" He asked, stopping me from moving forward.
"It's nothing, I'm just really tired and I'd like to retire to my quarters," I told him politely.
"You've been acting strange since the day you went to your mother's apartment, is there something you wish to discuss with me, you know that I'm always here for you." It was the first time he ever said this to me and his words almost brought tears to my eyes.
I wish I could talk to him about Claire but I knew what he was going to say already, Claire was a foreigner and not of royal blood, it would be better if I stopped seeing her before things got too serious or complicated.
Megan was my intended and it would be better if I concentrated on building my relationship with her.
"Thank you for your concern, Tom, I'm fine, I just need to rest."
"Fine, but I'm sorry to tell you that Megan is waiting for you in your quarters." He said.
Could this day get any worse?
.
.
[Claire]
I rushed inside my house and closed the door shut immediately, I went to the window and watched him drive away before I relaxed.
I couldn't believe him, the reason why he'd gone cold on me was because he believed that I was a sl*t.
Tears poured down my eyes as I slid to the floor, I was devastated and broken, I did not want to ever see him again and I wished that he'd respect my wishes.
My phone rang while I was still crying and I hesitated to pick it up because I thought it was a call from Jean but when I saw that it was in fact a call from Sophie, I cleaned my tears hurriedly and picked up the phone.
"Claire, how was your day?" She asked, we had gotten into the habit of calling each other almost every day after the last time we hung out.
If I didn't call, then Michele or Sophie would call, the both of them were always together anyway.
"I'm fine." I sniffed.
"Oh baby, I can hear from your voice that you are not fine, I'll come over immediately." She said and I found myself crying more.
"You don't have to—" I started to say but then she cut me off.
"Michele and I are on our way."
I loved having sincere friends who truly cared about me.
I got up and tidied around a bit in preparation for their arrival and I ordered some Pizza.
A few minutes later, my doorbell rang and I walked to open the door slowly.
"Oh, my poor baby." Michele came in first and pulled me into a hug. "I'll make you some calming tea." He said and brushed past me into the apartment.
He was dressed in pajamas and he brought a grocery bag with him.
Sophie entered later also dressed in pajamas.
"Sleepover?" She smiled at me and pulled me into a hug.
"Thanks, Sophie." I smiled back at her and returned her hug.
"No need to thank me, what are we friends for?"
Michele came back from the kitchen after a while with three cups of tea and we all sat down in the living room.
"Do you feel better?" Michele asked me after a while. "A beautiful woman like you should never have to cry, was it Anders?"
"No, my boss has nothing to do with this." I sniffed and pinched the bridge of my nose, I didn't want to cry again.
"You can talk to us, Claire." Sophie reached out and took my hand in hers, it was such a comforting gesture.
"I meet the first guy I ever like and he thinks that I'm a sl*t, he thinks that I'm a golddigger and I'm after men with a lot of money, or after the Prince." I lamented softly.
"He's an idiot, what a fool, he doesn't deserve you." Michele got upset and began calling Jean every offensive name in the books.
"Who is he?" Sophie hissed angrily.
"Jean."