Royal Dilemma

Chapter 36

(Charli's Point of View)

I'm not sure what to expect when someone from the school calls and asks me to come into their office. She didn't give a reason so I have to wonder if I'm in trouble, did I do something wrong?

When I get to the woman's office I knock on the door and hear a soft come in from the other side. I push open the door to see a small woman with large hair sitting in a small office with an L-shaped desk.

"Have seat Charli," she says, gesturing to the seat in front of her desk.

When I sit down she turns to face me and gives me a warm smile which eases my anxiety just the slightest bit.

"I called you in today to discuss your financial situation," she says.

My stomach sinks.

"Recently someone made a commitment to give you a full ride for as long as you choose to attend school."

What?

"What do you mean?" I ask her.

I think I must've heard her wrong.

"Someone has committed to paying for the rest of your schooling." She's smiling pleasantly as if this isn't a mind-blowing revelation.

"Who?"

She peers at her computer screen. "The Society for Academic Success."

What the hell is that?

"Is that like a charity? Or a scholarship?"

She shrugs. "I'm not sure. I couldn't find anything online when I looked and no note was included with the donation."

"So... What do I do about paying for my classes?"

"The instructions say to send your bill to this email." She hands me a piece of paper. "And they'll send you a check with the money to pay for it."

Holy shit.

"Are you sure this isn't a scam?"

The woman smiles kindly. "Multiple people on my team have looked into this, we're certain it's legitimate."

The woman sends me on my way with a printout of the instructions the organization sent them.

My mind feels separate from my body as I walk out of the administrative building.

Is this actually happening?

When I tell Piper on the phone later that night she's as freaked out as I am.

"That's so weird," Piper says.

"I know." I sit down on my couch and tuck my feet beneath me. "I can't find a single thing about them online. But I sent them the bill for my classes next semester so I guess we'll see."

"I mean it would be a weird scam," Piper says. "Like a reverse scam."

I smile. "I don't think they're scamming me right."

"If it works out that's awesome," she says. "I really hope it's real."

"Me too. It just seems really unlikely."

"It did kind of come out of nowhere," she agrees.

"It's super suspicious."

When a check arrives in the mail a week later Piper and I are both proven wrong. I almost can't believe my eyes when I see it. Made out for the exact amount of my classes. It's not signed by The Society for Academic Success though. It's signed by someone named Polly Weaver.

I deposit the check and pay for my classes, feeling a weight lift off of my chest knowing the rest of my school is going to be paid for.

Then, sitting at my kitchen table, I open my laptop and look up Polly Weaver. The first person to come up is Prince Levi's personal assistant.

Why would Prince Levi want to pay for my school? How would he even know who I am?

I think about it for a second and then it hits me.

Caleb.

I had told Caleb I lost my scholarship. He must've gone to his brother and asked him to pay for my school.

I try to swallow the thickness in my throat.

He did that for me?

The only interaction Caleb has with me is brief conversation at the restaurant and he still went and got his brother to pay for my college, all of it. He did that for someone he hardly knows. He's that generous and kind.

I feel a swell in my chest.

He believes in me.

Maybe he doesn't think I'm brilliant but he believes in me enough to want to pay for my education. He believes in me enough to want to make sure I finish my education and that I'm not financially burdened by it. Fuck, if it doesn't feel good to have someone believe in me. Of course I know Piper does but it's nice to know someone else out there is behind me too.

Caleb is kind and he has faith in me which is something I haven't really experienced much before. I really enjoy it when he comes into the restaurant every week and we have our talks. He's handsome and optimistic in a way that's really uplifting. I like him.

But do I like him?

CJ's face runs through my mind and I kind of hate myself for it, for still holding onto him. CJ was great but it's time to let him go and move on.

Even if Caleb doesn't like me back, even if he just wants to be friends, I need to move on from CJ. I can't keep holding a flame for someone that doesn't even technically exist. Someone I haven't seen in months, that's made no attempt to contact me recently.

CJ showed me a lot of kindness and I'm not mad at him anymore but I also can't sit around hoping for him to walk back into my life. I'm done waiting around for someone who doesn't want me.

Caleb is a new direction and maybe he's not in the right direction but he's kind so I'm willing to give it a try if he is. Kindness goes a long way.