87. The Secret's Out.

[Claire]
The last thing I expected from him was such a rough kiss.
"Get off me." I peeled my lips from his and shoved him backward.
"You're not really dating that clown, are you?" He asked and I saw red.
"So that is what this is about." I glared at him. "Yes, I'm indeed dating him."
I placed my hands on my hips and took on a defensive stance but unfortunately, this stance bared my belly out to him.
I watched as he zeroed in on my stomach and my heart dropped, I couldn't cover my stomach because then he would be suspicious. I just stood there, hoping he wouldn't say anything and just go away.
"You seem to have added quite some weight in your belly area." He said.
"So in addition to verbal abuse, you're now body shaming me." I spat out icily and now I had a reason to cover my midriff and so I did so immediately.
"Stay away from me, Je- Prince Luke." I curtsied clumsily and tried to move past him.
"You can still call me Jean, you know?" He whispered in my ear as I walked past him and his deep voice caused butterflies in my belly.
"Ah." I held my stomach and looked downward as I felt a very strong kick.
My eyes brimmed with tears and some slipped down my face.
I was overjoyed, I didn't care about anything else right now, I was glad that my child had finally kicked.
"What's wrong with you?" Jean grabbed my hand but I straightened up immediately and shoved him from me.
"None of your business," I said curtly. "Jake doesn't know of our history and I would like to keep it that way, seeing as you're not a part of my past I'm happy to discuss."
Hurt cut through his cool facade and I saw how miserable he was feeling even for just a fleeting moment.
I couldn't stand being so close to him as I felt myself slipping and so I decided to rush out of the bathroom.
"I'm sorry." His words had a strange effect on my feet because they stopped moving and turned to him.
"And you think that would solve everything." I spat at him angrily.
"No." He replied immediately. "But I am, I was hurt, I didn't mean the things I said and I'm sorry for the harm they caused, I'm not going to blame anyone for my actions, I'm truly here to take responsibility for everything."
"Well, I forgive you." I gave him a small smile.
"Really?" His eyes lit up.
"Yes." I smiled smugly. "Why wouldn't I, I have a man by my side now who treats me like a queen, he's erased every single pain you caused me so I have no reason to resent you anymore."
I like torturing him, if I could I would torture him for all the hurt he caused me.
"You'd never love him the way you love me." He said and I frowned.
"Don't be too full of yourself, Prince."
"No, I'm not, I can see it." He held me in a heated gaze as he walked slowly towards me.
I stood at a spot transfixed as he sauntered towards me with a sexy smile on his lips, his green eyes captured me and I found myself unable to look away.
"These eyes could never lie to me." He touched my chin and lifted my face upward. "I see it all, Claire, you still love me as much as you loved me in Denmark and I love you too, dear God how I love you, Elskede."
"No." I whimpered out and tried to move back but I couldn't.
He shut the door slowly with his hand and moved me till my back was pressed against the door.
My heart began to beat faster as he leaned into me.
"I don't love you." I raised my chin defiantly but he knew that he'd already won because he chuckled slightly and captured my lips in a passionate embrace.
His hands snaked around my waist and pressed me closer to him.
I was powerless against the sensations running through my body plus I'd spent the last minute raging an internal battle in my head about kissing him back.
I kept my lips sealed and I did my best not to move my lips against his but I was getting weak in the knees and I had to hold onto his lapel to keep me standing.
His hands held my face and he pressed my cheeks so that I had no choice but to open my mouth and then he took advantage of that and plunged his tongue into my mouth and that was when I lost whatever control I was holding on to.
He tasted of mint and cherries, I didn't even know how that was possible but that was what he tasted of, his breath fanned against my lips as he kissed the outer corners of my mouth and then back inside again.
I grabbed his broad shoulders and held onto them. I wanted so badly to run my hands through his hair but I didn't allow myself.
I felt weak and angry for giving into him but I had no power to stop what was happening.
"I hate you, Jean, Luke whatever your name is." I pulled away from him and began to hit him on the shoulders. "I hate you for doing this to me."
"No, you love me." He grabbed my hands and forced me to look at him. "And you better tell that moron that."
I shoved him away and straightened my outfit.
"That was a moment of weakness, it won't happen again." I frowned at him and walked back to the mirror to apply my lipstick.
"You'd better get rid of that lipstick smudge on your lips, I would hate the press to find out about that and start making speculations."
"We still have to talk." He sounded desperate.
"No, we have nothing to talk about, I've moved on, you should too."
"Claire."
"No, leave now before I lose my temper."
"What am I going to do with this love I feel?" He muttered.
I didn't look up from the sink till I heard the door open and close.
I listened as his footsteps moved farther away and I wiped the tears from my face.
"So pretty you are." An elderly woman came out from the bathroom stall and I nearly died of embarrassment.
"You heard that?"
"Yeah, such a passionate man he is." She said,
"You must be one of the professors?" I asked and she nodded.
"Let me give you a bit of advice honey." She smiled. "Life is short, take it from a retired woman in her seventies, you see life differently at this age."
"Don't waste your time on tears, hun, if you still love him and can work through your differences then do, if you can't then forget him, don't waste pretty tears, go on another adventure, let yourself love and be loved again."
"I wish it were all so easy, Grandma." I smiled at her and took her hand in mine.
"Who're you calling grandma?" She grinned at me and I grinned back. "I used to be a beauty in my days, attracted a lot of male attention back then too, I always loved when the boys fought over me, now I'm a frail and old woman."
"Let me walk you out, grandma." I laughed and we walked out of the bathroom together.
"Hold your head up high, dear." She patted my cheeks before walking off on her own when we got back to the hall.
"What took you so long? Are you feeling well?" Jake rushed to me and asked.
I looked over his shoulders to find Jean flirting with a woman.
"I'm fine, just okay." I swallowed my jealousy and concentrated back on him.
"If you want to leave, it's okay, I'll drop you off, it's totally fin—"
"I don't want to leave, I'm okay." I gave him a small smile and when I saw Jean looking my way, I rested my head on his shoulders and hugged him.
"Do you want to sit down?" He smiled at me after I pulled away from him.
"Yes," I said, my feet were already killing me from standing so much, I was thankful for the fact that I wasn't wearing heels.
I sat down for a while and then we danced for a bit, the party went on well for the rest of the evening and Jean didn't bother me.
Just as we were about to leave when the party was over, Jake got called over to make a closing speech and Jean took that chance to walk over to me.
"You're going to make up an excuse and come with me once he's done." He said and I groaned.
"And why would I do that?" I shook my head.
"Because we still have other matters to talk about."
"Jean, I already told you, we have nothing to tal—"
"I think we do." He grabbed my hand and spun me to face him.
"Let me go." I struggled to free my arm.
"I know that you're pregnant."