Royal Dilemma

Chapter Five

(Caleb's Point of View)

Using the Shirashio was really only supposed to be a one-time thing but Colin and I turn it into a bad habit. The last three Saturday's we've gone out under its effects. I know it probably isn't very wise of us but it's too much fun to abstain. For once we don't have to worry about our reputation or drawing a crowd. It's freeing.

Tonight I'm desperately searching the crowded bar with my eyes for Colin to come and save me. The girl I'm talking to is a bit of a bitch and hasn't stopped talking about the numerous bar fights she's won but I'm not sure how to extract myself and I'm too polite to tell her to fuck off.

"Go away."

We both turn to look at the speaker. Charli is leveling a pretty intimidating glare towards the girl I've been trapped with.

"Excuse me?" The woman says with disbelief in her tone.

"Get out of here," Charli says, gesturing for her to scram. She looks irritated now. "CJ and I are talking now. So you need to leave."

The woman's face turns red, from embarrassment or anger I'm not completely sure. From the way she's clenching her fist, I'm going to guess it's anger. I shift nervously, I really don't want to get caught in the middle of a fight.

"You don't get to decide who he talks to," the girl says angrily. She's clutching her glass so tight her knuckles are white.

Can you say anger issues?

"Actually I do," Charli says, wrapping her arm around my middle. "He's my boyfriend."

I look at Charli in surprise. I haven't even seen her since we hooked up all those weeks ago. The woman looks to me for confirmation and when I don't dispute it she shoots us both a nasty look and leaves.

When she's gone Charli retracts her arm and turns to me with a smile, all traces of irritation on her face gone. "Man, I thought she'd never leave."

"We're dating now?" I question, amusement in my voice.

"In your dreams," Charli teases. "I don't do relationships." She pokes my chest. "Especially with boys who wear cactus boxers."

I roll my eyes and take a sip of my drink. I take a moment to take Charli in, a light waterfall of hair cascading down her back and sparkling blueberry eyes. She's wearing another pair of tiny jean shorts, showing off her long tan legs, and a blue shirt with what appears to be a large chunk of computer code written on it. I find that I'm happy to see her, perhaps because she just saved me.

"I think you owe me now," Charli says with a smirk.

"How ever will I repay you?" I ask sarcastically.

"A beer will do," she says, motioning to the empty glass in her hand. "You could give me a quickie in the bathroom too if you want."

I shake my head in exasperation. "I'll give you one of those things." I turn and start heading towards the bar.

"It's not the quickie is it?" Charli asks, falling into step beside me.

"It is not," I confirm.

When Charli has a new drink in her hand she leads me to an open dark wooden table against the far wall where it's a little quieter.

"We've met again," Charli says as we sit down. "You know that's fate. It's a sign."

"A sign of what?" I ask, watching her with a bemused smile.

"A sign that we need to sleep together again."

"Oh really?" I ask, trying not to smile.

"CJ." Charli leans in close as if she's about to tell me something important. "The universe wants us to bang."

I can't contain my laughter. Charli smiles, looking incredibly pleased with herself.

"This isn't smooth," I tell her. "You're not smooth."

"But it's working," she says confidently.

I roll my eyes and take a drink but my silence gives me away. Yes Charli, it's working.

Roughly two hours later I find myself naked, lounging in Charli's bed. This scene feels familiar but exciting and new all at once.

"What's this?" Charli asks, gently running her fingers along the scars on my forearm.

"Fell through a glass table when I was a kid," I reveal, watching her.

Her light touch feels nice on my skin. She lays her hand flat against my arm and I watch as it travels up my shoulder. She looks at me and I feel something grab ahold of my insides.

"What's this one?" I ask, running my finger along the short scar on her abdomen.

"My dad came at me with a knife," she says so flippantly I can't tell if she's joking or not.

"Why'd he do that?"

Charli reaches up and stretches then pulls the blankets back up to cover her. "I can't begin to understand why that man does anything." She turns on her side and burrows into my chest. "Because he was drunk. Because he was pissed off. I don't really know, I didn't stop and ask."

"I'm sorry," I say softly, smoothing her hair with my hand.

Charli smiles up at me, seemingly unbothered. "It was forever ago." She traces the scar on my opposite arm. "Tell me about this one."

"I fell out of a very tall tree," I recall with a smile. "I broke my arm. The bone was poking through and when my brother saw it he threw up."

"That's not very helpful," Charli says, smiling.

"No, it was not," I agree. "Tell me something to remember you by."

Charli looks surprised by my request then contemplates the opposite wall, appearing to think about her answer.

"I can make the world's best raspberry pie," she says, a proud smile on her lips.

"I don't know if you can just claim that," I tease. "You're going to have to prove it."

Charli shakes her head and laughs. "You're just going to have to trust me."

The weird thing is that I do trust her. I totally believe she makes the world's best raspberry pie.

My phone alarm starts blaring from my pants on the floor and Charli's smile drops, shifting to a carefully neutral expression. I climb out of bed, silencing it, and sigh.

"I gotta go," I tell her, reaching for my boxers.

Charli doesn't ask about the alarm or why I need to leave. She doesn't ask me to stay the night and she doesn't ask me for my number. She does send me out the door with a long, lingering kiss. One I think about on my cab ride home.

I physically pinch myself when I'm in bed, unable to fall asleep because I can't stop replaying the night in my head. I don't need to get wrapped up in this girl. I can never be with her, she doesn't even know who I really am. And if I told her who I was, that I'm Prince Caleb, everything between us would change.

Not to mention, Charli doesn't really seem like the type to get attached anyway. I recall her telling me she doesn't do relationships at the bar. She didn't even ask for my number. She obviously doesn't care about seeing me again.

Maybe I need to avoid Charli the next time I see her. If there ever is a next time. I may never see her again. The thought makes a pang go through my heart. I close my eyes and pinch myself again.

I don't fall asleep until the sun is high in the sky. Colin wakes me up a few hours later to remind me about the family event I have to be at this afternoon. I spend the whole event dead on my feet. My mind repeatedly wanders to Charli and I pinch myself every time it does. A bruise has begun to form.

What is wrong with me?

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Author's Note: What kind of pie do you like? My favorite is pumpkin pie. Let me know what you thought of the chapter with a vote or a comment!