The vampire prince's wife.

Chapter 20 Rye

RYE.

I’m sitting in the car looking out the window, Sol, she’s all that’s on my mind. Nothing happened, Orisha just walked into my office and started opening lunch boxes.

And then the fact that I was about to say those words, “I love you.” What the hell is wrong with me, I hardly know the girl. I mean yeah, it’s been a couple of months, we talk now and again, we sleep on the same bed together, she sleeps in my arms. But we hardly know each other.

But then I think back to what my mother use to say, “Love isn’t always planned, love just happens.” Sol gives off a sense of security, a light, a type of joy that even if I see her sitting at the edge of the bed at 2:am waiting up for me, I feel like a kid on auger. Or a child seeing his mother who’s been away for a very long time.

All you want to do is embrace her and squeeze her tightly. The car comes to a halt in front of the castle, I grab my bag and head upstairs. Little lashes of her crying still come forth, and it makes my stomach turn.

Everyone is watching as I walk in, the butler comes and takes my coat and bag and I continue to my floor. Emmanuel’s wife passes me on the staircase and bumps me in the shoulder, turns and rolls her eyes before dashing up to her room.

I know by now everyone knows, and If I’m right, Orisha came up in here running that mouth of hers. I stop outside my bedroom door, my hand shaking as I reach for the knob, seat running down my face and my heart beating a mile a minute.

As my hand touched the door knob, something grabs me from behind and smashes me against the wall. My eyes open wide as I see my father standing in front of me.

“You do what you want, however you want, but if you have no intentions of being with this girl, then break off this marriage now.” He grumbled.

“Father nothing happened.”

“I know that, but she doesn’t, the girl has been through enough already. Don’t make her life worst.”

“Father I love her, I wouldn’t hurt her.”

His eyes open as wide as the skies,

“You, love her, or you don’t want to lose her?” He asked.

“I… love her.”

“Then act like it. Look I know she isn’t like the other girls you dated, she isn’t a fashion girl, outspoken, and she acts a little weird occasionally. But she has a heart unlike many I’ve seen. So fix your, s**t. Because nobody is going to hurt my daughter, not even my son.”

With that, he’s gone, leaving me standing alone, I turn open the door to my bedroom and the urge to vomit instantly kicks in. There are two packed bags on the bed. She comes walking out of the bathroom dressed in jeans and a to shirt.

“What’s… where are you… Sol nothing happened.”

“Go change quickly, we are already late for dinner with my parents.”

“Dinner, parents.”

“Yes, you forgot about the tradition, the ride, and groom spends one night at the brides house.”

“Ohhh, ohhh. Ohhhhhh.”

“Yes, so hurry and go change.” She takes my hand and place a pants and to shirt in it.”

“ Ohh…ok.”

I take a shower and hurry putting my clothes on, I review myself in the mirror and notice I’m wearing the same color shirt as her. I run my hand over the fabric and smile.

Turning off the light switch behind me then closing the bathroom door shut, I walk over and grab the two light travel size bags on the bed.

She stretches for my free hand and I give it to her, quickly, but slowly, we make our way to the car.

Before leaving, father came out and said his goodbyes, it always amazes me how he treats her. He really treats her like a daughter.

The car ride is silent, she’s sitting looking out the window, and I’m playing with my finger nails, more and more I find myself questioning myself.

Not once have I ever been this afraid of someone leaving me. Maybe it’s because I’m the one who always does the leaving.

To ease the tension, that I along seem to be sensing, I make small conversation.

“Did you get your dress?”

“The dress that was made for me was taken by Orisha.”

Her name coming out of Sol’s mouth just makes me want to roll over and beg for forgiveness over and over.

“But I had something else in mind, so lady Ashley took measurements and is in the process of making it. It should be finished by tomorrow.”

I’m looking at her while she speaks and notice how tense her body is. She seems uneasy, and it can’t be because of me.

“Do you want to stop and get ice cream?” She blurted out.

“I don’t think we should have sweets this late at night.” I replied.

“Rye, I really need it.” her eyes close to being filled with water.

Then it hit me, we’re going to her parent's house, the house she grew up being abused in. She's uncomfortable and doesn't want to go.

“Pull over here, Frank.”

I get out and open then open her door and take her hand in mine. We walk to the opening of the little ice cream shop and order.

“Prince Rye, Princess Sol. What would you like to have today?” the shopkeeper asked.

“I'll have the strawberry swirl and Rye would have the bloody moon with blood clots.” she says, taking me surprised.

We both sit under the little umbrella silently.

“You don't want…”

“You'll stay with me right, don't let me out your site, ok.”

At that moment, I chose not to finish my sentence and take her hand in mine and hold it tightly. And that's how we stayed until we arrived outside her parent's house.