50. The Quiet Bridge.

[Claire]
I knew something was bothering Jean from the moment he walked up to me with a bandage on his knuckles and palm.
I quietly followed him because I knew that he needed my support and I also wanted to find out what happened to him. One moment he was all smiles and another he looked like he was about to jump off a cliff.
I felt bad when he took someone else's car but he assured me that it was for a friend and he was going to send it back so I calmed down.
At that moment I realized that I completely trusted him, even before he asked me if I trusted him, I was already prepared to jump in an unknown car and drive away with him.
The drive was silent and I wondered where he was taking us to, he had one death grip on the steering with his good hand while the injured hand rested lazily on the gear shifter knob.
He didn't even spare me a glance and his eyes looked hard and dark as they were fixed on the road unwavering.
After a while, I couldn't stand the silence and so I reached out to grab his free hand and rested it on my lap softly.
His eyes softened but they did not stray away from the road and when I was about to give up, his injured hand squeezed my thigh softly and I felt my heart melt.
"Don't, you're hurt," I spoke softly and tried to remove his hand from my thigh but he was not having it.
"I know that you don't want to talk but I hope you know that I'm here for you and if you have anything to get off your chest, I'll listen." I felt bad that he was hurt and my chest constricted in pain.
I wish I could take all of his pain and sorrow away with just a touch.
He nodded his head twice but his eyes did not leave the road. I took that as progress so I decided to ask where we were headed.
"Where are we going?" I asked him but he just remained silent.
"Okay, have I been to this place before?" I decided since he was not keen on talking, I could just ask him yes or no questions and he could nod or shake his head to answer.
He shook his head.
I guess it worked, I didn't really know many places in Copenhagen so I wasn't really shocked when he shook his head.
"Okay, are we close?" I asked and when he nodded I relaxed and rested my back on the chair.
I nearly shrieked when he drove the car off the road but his hand on my thigh tightened, assuring me that all was okay.
He finally pulled up in front of a lake bridge and I couldn't help but sigh when he killed the engine.
We walked out onto the bridge and I couldn't help but admire the beauty of the scenery.
The sky was clear with the huge moon sitting in the center and displaying its beauty, the silent lake rippled as it reflected the beauty of the moon.
The air smelt fresh and the quiet chirping of insects could be heard in the distance.
There was a wooden bench on the bridge and Jean quietly led me to it.
"I'm sorry." He apologized after we spoke and took me in his arms.
"It's fine, I know you needed some quiet time." I rested my head on his chest and we just quietly watched the lake the bridge.
"You are my happy place, you know that?" He raised my chin up till I was looking into the depths of his green eyes.
"I am?" My eyes watered as I asked.
"Yes." He smiled and leaned down to give me a slow kiss. "I'm sorry if I frightened you earlier."
"Do you want to tell me what happened?" I asked.
"Someday." He sighed and hugged me tighter. "Someday I'll tell you everything but not right now."
"Okay, can you tell me why you brought us here?" I asked instead.
"The water calms me." He answered standing up and walking to the edge of the bridge. "I come here when I want to be alone."
"Then why bring me?"
"Because ever since I met you, I never felt like being alone, I just feel like being alone with you, just the two of us." He smiled and motioned for me to come over.
I looked down the bridge and though I did not have a fear of heights, I easily recognized that it was a long way down.
"Have you ever thought about seeing a therapist?" I asked him thoughtfully.
"I'm not ill, Claire and what good would it do me if I still have to keep secrets?"
"Why are you so secretive though?"
"It's the life I was born into." He sighed and bent down to pick up a rock and then toss it down into the lake.
We listened to it fall and make a splash in the lake before we went back down to sit.
I would not claim to understand him but I guess I could understand what he meant, my own life was also surrounded by secrets, secrets that I was still trying to uncover.
.
.
[Luke]
Claire began to shiver after a while and I kicked myself for not noticing how cold it was out, I immediately removed my jacket and draped it across her shoulders.
"Thank you." She looked up at me and smiled.
I couldn't resist leaning down to plant a kiss on her lips then I moved to her nose.
"You're so cute," I told her and she giggled.
The full weight of my lies was weighing me down and my guilt felt like a heavyweight, I did not know how long I could keep this up and I did not think I could even keep it up.
I wanted Claire, I needed her to the extent where it was almost a primal need to claim her and keep her as my own.
I also couldn't stand hurting her so I didn't even know how to tell her the truth, she would hate me and that was my greatest fear right now, I couldn't lose Claire and I sure as hell couldn't lose my best friend either so there was no way I would ever consider marrying Megan.
I decided to do all I could to make Claire happy, keep her safe and fulfill all her desires with the little time I had with her.
The thing about lies and secrets is that they may go for a thousand years but the truth eventually catches up to them and I wondered how long it would take before she discovered the truth herself.
We stayed for a few more minutes before I drove her home, I gave her a kiss on the head and then drive back to the palace.
The party was already over by the time I got back and all the people were already almost gone, I returned the car to where I saw it and then proceeded to go up to my room.
There weren't any guards at my room door and so it was easy for me to just slip in unnoticed.
"Took you long enough." A light switch flickered on and I gasped when I noticed Sir Thomas and Liam in my room.
"I told you that it wasn't over." The older man spoke with venom in his words. "I can't believe you stole someone's car."
"No, I borrowed it, I already returned it, I couldn't find my keys." I sighed.
"I'm sorry, man." Liam apologized but I shook my head.
"Don't, it's not your fault."
"This can't happen again and I think you should tell the young lady in question." Sir Thomas commanded.
"No!" Liam and I declined in unison.
"She can't know." Liam sighed. "She'll hate me."
"She'll tell her mother and that woman will probably inform the king, she desperately wants her daughter to get married to me."
"This is a mess." Sir Thomas shook his head and turned away from us. "You're right, no one can know about this, you have to promise me that this is the end though."
The both of us remained quiet as we both knew that it wasn't the end yet.
"You need to forget the young miss, Liam, she's out of your league and if she finds out who you are like you said, she'll hate you."
"And you Luke, what about the pretty lady I saw with you, dies she know who you really are?" He challenged me.
"I can get the King to change his mind, please I just need your help and time." I pleaded with him.
"I'm afraid I can't help you and there's no changing the King's mind." He said and turned towards the door. "If you both don't stop this, then I'll not be able to do anything for you anymore."
"I love her," I screamed at her before he opened the door. "And she loves me too."