Free Web NovelChapter 163: Two Weeks..
Inside Princess’s room, the lights were dim, casting soft shadows against the walls. It was quiet, the kind of peaceful silence that only happens when you’re exactly where you want to be.
Faye was stretched out on the bed, her back against the pillows as she ate popcorn from a bowl. She was focused on a movie playing on Princess’s laptop, the flickering screen light reflecting in her eyes. Beside her, Princess sat with a heavy textbook balanced on her lap, her pen moving occasionally as she took notes. She was completely absorbed, her brow slightly furrowed in that way she did when she was working hard.
Faye glanced over at her, watching the way she didn’t even blink. To get her attention, Faye grabbed a handful of popcorn and started chewing as loudly as she possibly could. The crunching sound was practically echoing in the quiet room.
Princess didn’t react. She didn’t even look up. Her eyes remained glued to the lines of text as if she were memorizing every single word.
Faye let out a long, dramatic sigh. She gave up on the loud chewing and set the popcorn bowl down on the side table. She reached over, closed the laptop screen, and slowly scooted closer to Princess. She sat upright right beside her, then leaned in and hugged her tightly. She buried her face against Princess’s neck, breathing in deep.
"You smell nice..." Faye murmured, her voice muffled against her skin.
"I know," Princess replied. She didn’t move an inch. She didn’t even drop her pen. She just kept reading.
"If you knew that already, then you should know your scent is intoxicating. I seriously can’t focus on anything when you’re in the same room as me. Do I intoxicate you too?" Faye asked. She started nuzzling into her chest, trying to find a way under that focus.
"Yes, you do," Princess said. She reached out and turned a page of the book with a crisp snap.
"Who do I smell like?" Faye pressed, looking up at her with a mischievous grin.
"Candy. You smell, and taste.. like cotton candy," Princess said matter-of-factly.
"Oh really? Do you actually like it?"
"Research says the people we fall in love with tend to have the scent of whatever we like most," Princess replied, finally tilting her head just a fraction.
"I like popsicles, though. So why don’t you smell like a cherry popsicle?"
"Maybe because you like too many different flavors to settle on just one. But I’ve seen you eat the caramel ones more often than any other kind. And you eat a lot of those cinnamon chips when you’re stressed," Princess said, her eyes still darting back to the page.
"Wow... so you actually study me like I’m some kind of textbook. That’s a little creepy, Pancake." fгeewebnovёl.com
"Exams are going on right now, Cotton. Why don’t you try reading for once?" Princess suggested.
"I’ve already read."
"I’ve never actually seen you read a school book, Cotton..."
"Well, I don’t read like you do. People like you read because you have to be number one, but I read just enough to make sure I pass. Why do you care so much about being rank one anyway?" Faye asked, genuinely curious.
"Because my brothers were always rank one. I want to keep that legacy going. I want to surpass them so they can’t look down on me. And Gramps likes winners. He loves me because I win," Princess replied. For a second, her focus seemed to waver, a hint of something heavy in her voice.
"I hope you don’t make our pups live like that," Faye said softly, resting her hand on her stomach.
"I won’t. I’m going to be a completely different kind of mother. I won’t separate them or make them compete for affection. They’ll grow up under one roof, loving each other every single day... not just on special occasions or holidays. They’ll protect each other. I’ll never push them too hard to be perfect. My family is going to be different," Princess said. She finally closed the heavy book and set it on the floor.
"Okay... time for cuddles," she added, glancing at their positions on the bed.
Both of them were squeezed right up to the very edge of the mattress, leaving a huge empty space on the other side.
"What happened to all your space over there?" Princess muttered, looking at the vacant half of the bed.
"I didn’t like it. It was too lonely over there without you.... A space without you in it is a very lonely place to be," Faye said. She hugged her even tighter, as if she were trying to merge her body into Princess’s.
Princess took a deep, shaky breath and wrapped her arms around Faye, adjusting herself to fit into the cramped little spot they had claimed.
"How are you even comfortable like this?" she asked, though she didn’t move away.
"I’ll fit anywhere you are. Even if you’re in a coffin, I’ll find a way to fit in there with you. I don’t ever want to leave your side, Pancake..."
...
The sharp, sudden sound of glass shattering jolted Princess awake.
Her vision was blurry and distorted as she stared up at a plain white ceiling. She blinked, trying to clear the fog in her head. She slowly turned her head to the side and saw Haley. Haley was crouched on the floor, picking up the broken pieces of a glass cup. She was focused on the mess and hadn’t noticed that Princess was awake yet.
Princess slowly sat up, her head spinning. Her eyes drifted toward a mirror on the wall across from the bed. The bruises on her face from Adam’s beating had mostly healed, leaving only faint, thin scars behind.
She looked down at her clothes. These weren’t the clothes she had been wearing in Adam’s office.
"Who changed my clothes?" she asked, her voice sounding raspy and strange to her own ears.
"Huh?" Haley looked up, startled by the voice. Then a look of pure relief washed over her face and she smiled. "Oh, you’re finally awake. I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up like that. The glass just slipped right out of my hand..."
Princess didn’t smile back. She just stared at her, waiting for the answer.
"Oh... right. Kiara changed your clothes while I was busy treating your injuries. It’s really good to see your face has finally healed up," Haley said, standing up with the shards in a cloth.
"Where are the others?" Princess demanded.
"They’re downstairs. Sasha and MG are in the kitchen preparing some breakfast. Beam and the rest of the group are in the living room making plans to find Faye..."
"Where exactly are we right now?"
"We’re at a beach house just outside of Blackjack. It turns out that city really doesn’t like Alphas, at all. We couldn’t leave you behind in that state, so I called my dad for the password to his vacation place. This is the closest house we could get to the Free City without causing a riot," Haley explained.
Princess tried to stand up, as she swung her legs off the bed, her bare foot brushed against a stray piece of the broken glass Haley had missed.
Haley’s eyes widened in a flash. "Princess... stop! You’re bleeding!"
Princess looked down and lifted her foot. Bright red blood was already covering the sole. A large, jagged shard of glass was embedded deep in her skin.
Without flinching, and without even a change in her expression, she reached down and pulled the shard out. She dropped it onto the floor.
"How long... how long have I been unconscious?" she asked, her voice quiet and dangerously still.
Haley hesitated, her hand trembling slightly as she held the other pieces of glass. She looked like she didn’t want to say it.
"...Two weeks," she whispered.
