?Chapter 0540


    Palm trees zig-zagged around, some of them bent at odd angles. One even looked like it had grown sideways for a while before bending back upwards.


    Sitting there on the sideways part of the tree, was Nichs. Just where Julian had said he would be.


    "Piper?" he called.


    I smiled a little as I walked toward him. When I was close enough, he reached down and offered me a hand. I epted it, and he pulled me up onto the tree beside him.


    From this height, three or four feet off the ground, the view was beautiful. More of the ocean stretched out before me. The light flickered on the rippling water, the rising and falling waves.


    We sat infortable,panionable silence for a moment. His hand ced t at his side, resting on the palm tree. Mine was ced directly beside his. We weren''t touching, but I could feel the heat of him. I was so attuned to him, I swear our breathing matched just from being so close.


    "You saw my outburst," he said. It wasn''t a question.


    *Julian thinks it''s good for you, to look more human in front of the public."


    Nichs rubbed his forehead. "Julian saw my outburst."


    "Yeah," I said. "Sorry."


    Silence fell over us again, and we watched the waves.


    *Julian spoke with Selma," I said.


    Nichs''s gaze snapped to me. "He what?"


    I filled Nichs in, exining how I hid in the closet, and then what I could remember from Julian and Selma''s conversation. I was clear about the main takeaway: the King and Queen wanted to lift Bridget while knocking me down.This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    "You''re popr again," Nichs said. "Good. That will make it easier to protect you." He sighed in clear aggravation. "I''m getting tired of this. I want so hard to be a good leader for my people. I also want to be a perfect son. But... my parents seem to be sumbing to their darkest impulsestely. It''s a path I don''t know if I can or want to follow anymore."


    His words surprised me. "Nick." I didn''t know where to even start to try to help him feel better.


    "Their acts are bing more and more despicable. And when I think about how they might have been behind you being trapped in that pit...". Nichs''s hands curled into fists. "I get so angry..."


    I reached out and ced my hand over his fist on the tree. "I''m not in that pit anymore," I reminded him. Maybe reminded us both.


    Nichs turned his head and looked at me. There was a fire burning in his eyes, kindled with anger, but in short time, it developed into something else.


    Nichs loosened his fist, then turned his hand palm up so our fingers could slide together.


    "I''m exhausted with doing everything that is required of me and never stepping one foot out of line, even for the things I so desperate want," he said. "I want to do something for myself for a change. And something for you, as well."


    I looked at him. I had a sneaking suspicion that I knew what he meant, but I refused to allow myself to think it, afraid that I would be wrong and hurt again.


    But then he spoke once more, "Piper, if I asked you, would you still want to make love?"


    My heart clenched. It was as I thought. But that was a vague statement. It still might not have meant what I had hoped it to mean. So I pressed, "When you say ''make love''..."


    His eyes were a wildfire, and I was trapped in its path, burning.


    "Piper. I want to give us both the ultimate pleasure."


    My throat went dry. My heart raced.


    He continued, "I want to be inside of you."