The Royal Contract

He drove on the light to moderate late-night traffic, determined to arrive at his destination in time. He still had a few hours before his flight but wanted to arrive early at the airport.

He knew this was another one of his impulsive moves, barely thinking it through. But he had been acting irrationally since meeting the person that turned his life upside down.

"I am sorry." He practiced voicing the words he intended to tell her once he saw her. However, it did not feel right.

Something did not seem right to him. Or something was missing. Maybe because, technically, he never intended to cheat. It was a mistake that should not have happened.

"I have a confession to tell you." He tried another approach. Still, he felt lost for words. He could not think of the right thing to say to her.

He guessed nothing he would say would make his action right. He had to live with his misdeed and the consequences.

But how could he accept it if she decided she could not be with him anymore? What if making out with another girl, even if he thought it was her, was unforgivable?

"Damn it!" He could only curse himself for putting himself in such a position.

Nevertheless, he had to find a way to make her understand that none of this was his intention. But he guessed it would not be easy.

He continued on the path, reading the signage pointing to the airport. He guessed he better come up with a better way to tell her sooner. Or he might lose her forever.

"David is right. I have no business being with Serena." Adam suddenly pulled over on the side of the road, debating whether to continue on his path.

What if that was a sign that he would only hurt Serena, if not now, in the future? Could he honestly believe he could make a woman like her happy?

He believed she was the star that shone brightly in the sky. On the other hand, he was nothing but an ordinary man. She was special. He was not.

"No, he is not." He took his words back. He could not think of a life without Serena.

He knew David only wished to protect his sister, but it did not mean his friend was right about him. He would die before hurting her.

He tried to fight off his insecurity and guilt, but could he fix the problem by running to her side to confess? Was that the right thing to do?

"This is insane." Shaking his head before he revved his car back into life. He looked at the incoming traffic and made his way into the street.

After a few minutes, he parked his car in the parking space and quickly exited his vehicle. He avoided the passersby, making his way to the entrance of the building.

Soon, he entered the room, shocked to see that it was not the same as when he had left it that morning. He was home, but it did not look like it.

"Is anybody here?" He asked, cautious to find a stranger lurking in his apartment.

Instead of driving straight to the airport, he thought

he should drop by his house to get a few things. He never knew how long it would take to convince her to forgive him.

He would camp outside the orphanage if he had to. However, he might need some basic stuff, like a change of clothes and toiletries.

"I suggest you get out of here before I beat the crap out of you." He could tell that someone else had been in his home.

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He could see his things moved from their original state. However, he could not help but wonder, or more like, confused.

Why would an intruder clean his apartment? Should it be the other way around? Instead of finding his things thrashed and all over the floor, they seemed to be put back neatly in their places.

It did not make sense to him.

"Show yourself." He said one last time when he noticed a movement in the other room.

He scanned the space beside him for a weapon he could use if somebody suddenly attacked him. After all, he was not expecting any visitors.

"It is just me." A familiar voice spoke further inside the room. And a few seconds later, he saw an apparition.

In his mind, it was like he was in a dream as she appeared before him with her angelic face and heavenly voice.

He was paralyzed in his spot, unable to move or utter a word as he stared into her eyes. He guessed he needed time to convince himself that she was real and not just an illusion.

"Serena." He uttered her name, not believing his eyes. He blinked his eyes, thinking she would disappear in a second. But to his surprise, she was still there.

"Hi, Adam!" She greeted him. "I hope you don't mind if I entered your apartment without your permission." She spoke, waving a key in her hand.

He heard her, but his mind was still dazed as he stared at her. He could barely process what she said to him.

He dropped his bag on the table on his right and closed the front door before facing her again. For a minute, he could only stare.

"What are you doing here?" He said when he finally found his words, still stunned to see her. "I mean..." He paused, realizing he sounded like he did not want her there.

"I did not expect to see you. You should have called." Still, it felt like he was making a bigger mess of everything as he realized he kept saying the wrong things. "I mean..."

In his defense, she caught him by surprise. He thought he was flying to see her, not discover her in his apartment, already waiting for him.

Suddenly, he realized he would have missed her if he had boarded that plane and flown thousands of miles to see her. Then, only to find out she was already there all along.

"You seem unhappy." She disappointedly remarked as she moved further into the middle of the room. "I can leave and come back another time."

Of course, that was the opposite of what he felt upon seeing her. He was ecstatic. His heart was soaring with happiness to be with her again.

"No. I don't want you to leave." He quickly stepped closer to her, enveloping her in his embrace. He still could not believe that she finally came back.

"I swear I am overwhelmed with joy to have you back." He hugged her tighter, wanting to feel that she was real. "I am just surprised." He reasoned, looking down at her face. "That is all."

His fingers moved to her hair, enjoying the softness of their strands as they glided along his fingers with ease. Then his other hand touched her face, loving the tenderness of her skin against his firm hand.

However, he felt her stiffness against his body. It was as if she was not as excited as he was to see him. But he set it aside, believing she must have been waiting for him for hours.

"Surprise!" She announced, lacking the enthusiasm he expected from her.

He saw that her eyes avoided looking directly at him. She seemed to be looking everywhere except him. But he only attributed that to tiredness. She just came from a long flight.

Then, his eyes moved toward the adjoining kitchen, finally seeing the arrangement on the table she had prepared.

'That was it!' He thought, concluding that explained everything.

He realized she had planned something special. She probably cooked all that and even brought flowers and candles. And he just ruined it.

"I am so sorry." He apologized profusely, thinking that he had messed up her surprise. "I did not know you were coming, so I worked late." Explaining himself. "Did you do all that?"

He could not help but feel like the luckiest man in the world for loving such an incredible and thoughtful woman. He never felt more blessed to have her in his life.

However, his guilty conscience returned with a vengeance, nagging at him to confess. He could not continue to pretend that there was nothing wrong. He had to tell everything.

"Well, the food is cold now." She declared, sounding disheartened. "And I think I should be going home. It is getting late." She coldly said.

She slowly extricated herself from his hold, pulling herself away from him. Then, she moved across the room to get her things.

Again, he could only watch, surprised by her uncharacteristic behavior. Suddenly, he wondered if David had the chance to talk to her.

What did David say to her? What did she know? Several questions crossed his mind as he watched her walk away.

At the same time, he debated whether he had the right to stop her or to ask for her forgiveness. At that moment, he knew he was fucked up.

"Please, Serena, don't go." He wanted her to stay so he could have a chance to explain his side.

Finally, he felt his legs, forcing them to move until he stopped behind her. "Please stay." He whispered behind her as his arms crept around her waist, pulling her back into his arms.

"Why?" She sounded hurt. He could hear it in her voice and feel it in her body as she trembled against him.

He knew right then that he had caused her pain. The last thing he promised never to do to her. Damn! He was stupid, an idiot, and a complete douchebag.

"Why should I stay?"