Royal Pain in the Ass (45 page)

“
Sorry doesn
’
t fix this.
”

“
I didn
’
t mean to!
”

“I can
’
t even go home because of this!
”
I shouted.
 
I poured myself another shot and took a deep breath.
  “
God damn it!
” 
I threw the glass across the room and it shattered and Angelica jumped.

“
Wh-what are you going to do?
”

“
You are going to go into that room and go to bed and I am going to think.
”
I growled pointing her to the bedroom.
  “
Go now before I lose my temper.
”

She scampered into my bedroom and locked the door behind herself.
 

Loki nuzzled my hand and I rubbed his head without thinking.
 
I sat down on my couch with the bottle in my hand and called Loki up on my lap.
 
I was so angry right now.
 
I took a long swig from the bottle and let my mind wander.
 
I was so over all of this bullshit.
 
It didn
’
t take me long to finish off the bottle and then I grabbed another.
 
And another.
 
It didn
’
t take long before I just didn
’
t care anymore.
 

I picked up my cello and just started playing.
 
I played until I couldn
’
t feel my arms or fingers anymore.
 
I played until I had gotten everything out.
 
I played until everything I was feeling had been put into sound and was finally out of my system.
 
I looked at the clock and it was almost nine in the morning.
 
I had played and drank all night and half the morning.
 
I was filled with a quiet numbness and a sense of peace.

I put my cello away, ordered room service, and went to wake Angelica.

She sat in silence and pushed the eggs around on the plate.

“
What in the world would possess you to do such a thing?
”
I prodded for the umpteenth time.

“
I said I was sorry.
”
Angelica grumbled.

“And I
’
ve said sorry isn
’
t good enough.
”

“
I wanted you gone.
”

“
And I am gone, and yet here you are.
 
Why would you come and find me?
 
How did you find me, anyway?
”

“
I found Chase.
”

“
Why?
”

“
Because.
”

“
I don’
t have to explain myself to you.
”
She snapped and I raised an eyebrow.

“
Actually, yeah, you kind of do.
”
I retorted.
 “
You are on my turf, princess.
 
You know how you were a raging bitch to me while I was in England?
 
I could return the favor.
 
I could throw you to the wolves out there, but luckily for you, I
’
m not like you.
 
Luckily for you, I
’
m giving you the chance to explain yourself.
 
One chance.
  I
’
m only giving you this chance to fix what you fucked up.
 
Got that?
”

Angelica gave me a defiant glare, but behind that I saw fear.
 
She was afraid of whatever was bothering her.
 
She was trying to be brave, but this was clearly something that was new to her.

“
Angelica, does James know you
’
re here?
”

Angelica shook her head quickly.

“
Somehow I knew that would be the case.
 
How did you get here?
”

“
I had Thomas take me to the airport and flew here and made Chase come pick me up.
”

“
Angelica, do not ever get into a car with Chase again.
 
That kid will fuck up your world, don
’
t talk to him anymore, he
’
s my problem now. 
Got that?
”

Angelica nodded like a kid who knew they
’
d been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

“
Good.
 
Now, call James and Millie.
  I
’
m sure they
’
re worried about you.
”

Angelica shook her head.

“
That wasn
’
t a request.
 
You call them or I will.
”

Angelica starting worrying her bottom lip.
 

“Fine,”
I went for the phone and she grabbed me.

“
Wait.
”

“
Then you had better start explaining.
”

Angelica gave a defeated sigh.
  “
You, you were right.
 
About Ethan, that is.
” 
I looked at her waiting for her to explain.
 
She looked like she wanted to tell someone, but wasn
’
t sure how.
 
I led her to the couch and sat her down.

“
Start at the beginning.
”

Angelica shook her head.
  “
The beginning isn
’
t important. 
The end is what matters.
  It
’
s over between us.
 
I, I caught him.
 
Part of me always knew, but I just didn
’
t want to believe it.
 
All of my friends who tried to warn me, he got me to push them away.
 
I was so stupid.
 
I just wanted to believe him.
 
And then you came along and what happened with you two and I just, I don
’
t know.
 
I needed you gone.
”

“
Well, congratulations.
  I
’
m gone.
”

Angelica sighed.
  “
I know I messed up.
 
Daddy was so upset when they realized you were gone.
 
It wasn
’
t until he called Aunt Cassie that they were able to put two and two together.
 
After we realized King Henry gave you back your passport.
  It
’
s not the same without you there.
”

“Isn
’
t this what you and your mother have wanted from day one?
”

Angelica shook her head.
  “
I, I shouldn
’
t be here.
”

“
No, but you are so it
’
s okay.”

“
What?
”

“
You should not have run off like you did.
”

“
You did.
”

“
I came home.
  You ran away.”

“
And you didn
’
t?”

“Angelica, I
’
m an adult.
 
I own my own house, my own car, pay my own bills.
 
You are a child still.
 
You legally are labeled a runaway in the eyes of the law.
  So, yes, it
’
s different.
”

“
I never thought I
’
d say this, but I missed you after you were gone.
”

I shook my head.
  “
Angelica, why did you come here?
 
What are you trying to prove?
”

“
I wanted to say I
’
m sorry.”

“
There are phone calls.
”

“
Juliet, you aren
’
t making this any easier.
”

“
Angelica, I hope you didn
’
t come here expecting sympathy from me.
”

“
I wanted to help fix what I messed up, I guess.
”

I nodded.
  “
You feel pretty guilty about all of this, don
’
t you?
”

Angelica nodded.

I shook my head.
  “I
’
ll call James and let him know you
’
re with me and you’
r
e
safe.  I
’
m sure he and Millie are worried sick.
”

“Don
’
t tell them where I am.
”

“I
’
ll just let him know you
’
re safe and with me.
”

“
Then what?
”

“
Then I
’
ll show you my home.
”
I offered with a small smile.
 

I locked myself in my room with Loki and placed a call to a number I now knew by heart.

“
Hello?
”

“Hey.”

“
Juliet?
”

“Yeah,”

“
Where are you?
 
What happened to you?
”

“
I don’
t have time to explain, but can you give me my father
’
s number.
”

“
No, not until I know what happened.
”

“
Then I
’
m going to hang up.
”

“No! 
Juliet, wait!
”

“I
’
m still here.
”

“
Why?
”

“
Why what?
”

“
Why did you leave like that?
”

“
I just had to.
 
Now, are you going to give me the number or not?
”

I wrote down the number and hung up.

I felt so guilty for that.
 
Once again, I hadn
’
t said goodbye.
 
I couldn
’
t bring myself to say the words and I
’
d blocked my number from registering when I called.
 
I stared at the phone still half expecting it to ring and I couldn
’
t deny the disappointment when it didn
’
t. 
Even though I knew it wouldn
’
t. 
When it came to covering my tracks, I was good at it.
 
Too good sometimes.
  I pu
t my emotions back, nice and neat, into the box I liked to lock them up in and made the phone call.

“
Hello?
” 

“Hey, Carolynn?”

“
Who is this?
 
How did you get this number?
”

“It
’
s Juliet, and magic, is James around?
”

“
Juliet?
 
You are going to give me a stroke, child.
  I
’
m assuming this is important.
”

“
Very.
”

“
What do you need?
”

“
I need to speak with James.
”

“He
’
s busy,
”

“He
’
ll want to hear this.
”

“
Juliet, you
’
re going to give me a brain aneurism.
”

“Thank you, Carolynn.”

“
Hello?
”

“James?”

“
Juliet?
”

“Oh my god! 
Where are you?
 
Why did you leave like that?
 
Have you any idea,
”

“James, stop.”
I interrupted.
  “
I have something very important to tell you.
”

“
What
’
s that?
”

“
Angelica is safe and she
’
s with me.
”

“You
’
ve found her?
”

“
Yes, and she
’
s safe and with me.
 
I will keep her safe.
 
I give you my word.
”

“I
’
ll send my jet for her.”

“
James, she needs some time.
 
Give her a week and I
’
ll see to it she
’
s back.
 
Please?
”

I heard James sigh.
  “
I don’
t know Juliet,
”

“
James, she
’
s come here for a reason.
 
There
’
s a reason she came to me.
”

“
Juliet, it
’
s an awfully big responsibility . . .
”

“
James, if you have any faith or trust in me, you
’
ll give me this.
 
I will not let any harm come to her.
 
I will protect her.
 
I will keep her safe.
”

I heard James sigh.
  “
At least tell me where you are.
”

“I
’
m home.
”

“
Very well.
”

“Thank you, James. 
Goodbye.
” 
I hung up and set the phone aside.

That was over.
  I felt shitty. 

I went back out and saw Angelica sitting on the couch looking more than a little forlorn.

“
Well, go get dressed.
”

“
What?
”

“We
’
re going out.
 
Go thrown on a pair of pants and a t-shirt.
  I
’
ll have you blending in in no time.
”

“I, I,”

I grabbed her hand and pulled her into my room.
  “
Try these.
” 
I handed her a pair of ripped jeans and a tank top.
 
She actually looked pretty good, and nothing like herself.

“
I feel weird in these.
”

“
Trust me, you look good.
 
I don’
t want you too recognizable.
  I
’
ve been really good at keeping out of sight and the hype of me being home has died down.
 
Plus it helps since I haven
’
t screwed up enough to make a good story I
’
ve become a low blip on the radar.
 
Oh, and what I
’
ve been doing if I do get caught is just smile politely and not say anything.
”

“
I know how to deal with the media.
”
Angelica replied flatly.

“
Great, I
’
m just giving you the run down I would have appreciated when I first stepped into this world.
  Now, I
’
m going to show you home.
”

I brought Angelica with me and we snuck out through the kitchen entrance and we got into my car and we started driving.
 
I showed her the schools where I went as a kid.
 
I drove out to the university I had just graduated from and bought her lunch.
 
No one questions you at a college campus.
 
I gave her the nickel and dime tour and I started to get to know a side of Angelica that she had never shown me before.
 
I took her to the mall and had her pick out clothes that would keep her hidden and suited her style more than mine.
 
No one recognized us and I actually had a lot of fun with her.
 

We ended up back at the suite with pizza and we did one of my favorite pastimes.
 
We had an old scary movie marathon starting with the original The Mummy and ending with Brom Stroker
’
s Dracula.

“
That movie was so ridiculous.
”
Angelica laughed.

“Isn
’
t it great?
” I grinned. 
I loved old movies.

“
Have you ever seen Godzilla?
”

“
What?
”

“
Oh my god, we are so watching it!
”

Half way through watching Godzilla vs Mothra Angelica fell asleep and I fell asleep not long after that.

There was more to Angelica than the brat she
’
d showed me thus far.
 
She could be sweet.
 
When she wasn
’
t being a bitch, she was actually a lovely person.
 
I introduced her to my music; she surprisingly loved The Doors but hated Led Zeppelin, something I can
’
t understand, but she did love Journey and so I felt like there was hope.
 

The next morning I took her to my favorite restaurant at the port.
 
You could actually watch cruise ships come and go and all the smaller boats too.
 
I loved it because of the mellow atmosphere, the great food, and the great view.
 
After that I took her surfing.
 
Well, I tried to teach her how to surf, and she, well, she tried.

“
Juliet,
”
Angelica started.

“Yeah?” 
I asked, popping open a beer.

“
I never would have thought you would be like this.
”

I shrugged.
  “
Never judge a book by its cover, chica. There
’
s so much more inside.
”

“
I really wish I
’
d gotten to know you before I decided I hated you.
”

I shrugged again.
  “Don
’
t fret the past, it
’s done.
”

“
I do have one question for you though.
”

“
What
’
s that?
”

“
What really happened between you and Ethan?
”

“
Why?
”

“
I just want to know what really happened.
”

I sighed.
  “
Sure, you have a right to know.
 
I remember dancing with Chad, and Ethan cutting in.
 
He tried to sweet talk me, then suggested we go out to the gardens.
 
He seemed genuinely surprised that I told him no.
 
I got really pissed off when he insulted you and thought that would get him in my good graces.
 
I told him to shut his mouth, ended up slapping him, and he warned me I
’
d regret this.
 
I had no idea my crazy ex would be back in the picture, now that I think about it.
”  I saw Angelica
’
s shoulders hunch and she looked sheepish and guilty.
  “I
’
m not blaming you, by the way.
”

“
I still feel bad.
”

“
You should, don
’
t do it again.
 
Blackmail is bad news bears.
  It
’
s shitty and leads down a road full of bullshit, backstabbing, and bad karma.
 
Does that answer your question?
”

Angelica nodded.
  “I feel so stupid.”

I shook my head.
  “Not stupid.  
Innocent maybe, but not stupid.
 
You wanted to believe the pretty lies.
 
You wanted to believe he meant all the pretty words he told you.
 
There
’
s nothing wrong with that.
 
Angelica, you are trusting and want to see the best in people, especially people you love.
 
There is nothing wrong with that.
 
When you get so jaded that you assume everyone has double meanings and is out to get you, that
’
s when you know things are bad.
  Don
’
t feel stupid.
”

At that point my phone decided to ring and I glared at my caller id.

“
What do you want?
”

“
I have a show tonight.
”

I groaned.  “
I have plans.
”

“
I have a tape.
”

“
God damn it you monkey fucker.
”
I growled.

“
Such language.
”

“
Go fuck yourself you cum guzzling gutter slut and crawl back into the hole you crawled out of.
”

“
So you
’
ll be here at eight?
”

“Yes.”

“
Cool.
 
Dress nice.
”

“
Fuck that, I
’
ll wear whatever I want to wear.
”
And on that note I hung up.

Angelica looked taken aback.
  “
Tell him how you really feel.
”

“
Yeah, if I
’
m nice to him he starts getting ideas.
 
That delusional fool thinks we
’
re back together.
”

“
Really?
”

“
Yeah, so I don
’
t give him any reason to doubt me.
”

“
I really messed a lot up for you, didn
’
t I?”

I shrugged.
  “Angelica,”

“
M
y
- my friends call me Angie.
”

“
Are we friends then?
”