32. Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Four
Finley
“Finley, breathe,” Lorelei instructs, gently squeezing my hand. “Everything will be okay. I may have spoken with your mother last night when I slipped away from dinner.”
An error message flashes across my vision. “You… what?”
She smiles sheepishly. “I should have told you last night when you stopped by to tell me goodnight, but I was still processing. We had a good conversation. I wanted to tell her that I’m staying by your side no matter what. She apologized to me, Finley, and I’m certain she is ready to do the same for you.”
We stand outside Father’s office. Beyond that door is a king trying to manage the land while his wife tries to manage her son. And today we have to get to the bottom of everything because Lorelei will remain by my side no matter what Mother wishes. But apparently Lorelei has already embarked on that mission. I stare at the woman I will call my wife in less than a year. She is brilliant, lovely, and confident. She utterly amazes me with every day that passes.
Mother has to be impressed with Lorelei if my woman waltzed into my mother’s space and spoke clearly with her. From the outset, I believed Mother would like Lorelei if given the chance to know her like I do; I think her dilemma was not having control over my life like she was used to doing. The lack of control made her do something irrational. That’s what I’m choosing to believe.
“I trust you, bae,” I say to lighten the mood. “Let’s get this over with.” I squeeze Lorelei’s hand back. I look at my girlfriend who is dressed in a black pantsuit that fits her curves in all the right places. Her hair is tied back in a ponytail, and of course, she is wearing her white sneakers. My woman means business today, and I’m a little afraid of what she might do to my mother if Mother doesn’t do whatever it is she led Lorelei to believe she would.
I never once feared Lorelei would be worrying about how to impress the queen. My Leilei is who she is. She only feared that who she is wouldn’t be enough, but she never set out to change that. Something has shifted though, and it’s as if Lorelei finally believes that she is absolutely enough for me and is fit for the role that is demanded of her if she marries me.
Correction.
When she marries me.
A spark of thankfulness jolts my heart, and I bend to plant a light kiss on her lips before knocking on Father’s door. I’ve been kissing her lightly every chance I get since our first one two days ago, trying to help make her more comfortable. So far, she hasn’t pushed me away. In fact, earlier this morning, she pulled me back for a longer, lingering kiss. It was closed-lipped, but it’s still a win.
The door swings open, and Henrick, Father’s regent, ushers us into the small, cluttered room. I sit down on one of the golden velvet chairs in the corner of his office, and Lorelei sits on the one located on the other side of the side table between us. Mother stands beside Father’s large desk while Father sits in his rolling chair with his fingers templed under his chin. The air is thick with apprehension; it could strangle a person.
“Son, I—” Mother says at the same time I attempted to address her first. I motion for her to continue. “I am sorry.” She drops her head and folds her hands in front of her. The silence in the room is deafening. I was prepared for a long, drawn out argument… Not this.
“I’m sorry for not honoring the decision we made as a family to allow you time to find a love match. I am sorry that I spied on you and attempted to ruin your dates in order to get you to come back home and marry the woman of my choice. I am sorry that the person I hired went too far and disclosed your whereabouts to the media. Finley,” she chokes on a sob before finally meeting my eyes, “I’m sorry for not believing that you were capable and trusting you with the responsibility of your own life.”
Father stands and hugs her while my mind spins like a hamster on a wheel. This is the last thing I expected to happen, but I couldn’t be more thankful. I glance at Lorelei who smiles broadly at me with a shrug of her shoulders. This is because of my amazing, capable woman. She leans and whispers, “Go hug your mom.”
I do as she says, and when my arms close around her, she crumbles in my arms, apologizing over and over. Tears spring in my own eyes as I hold the small but fierce woman tight. “I forgive you, Mamma,” I whisper, using the term I’ve called her my entire life up until she cut me deeply, squeezing her one last time before letting her go. As we break apart, she clutches on Father’s arm as he smiles lovingly and warmly upon her.
Lorelei moves to my side and places her hand gently on my back. She’s been so good at little touches that offer reassurance. God, I’m so thankful for her.
“I do wish to talk more about why you felt the need to do what you did if you are willing to,” I mention. Mamma nods as I add, “But we can do that later. I believe we should all start over with Lorelei.” I throw an arm around Lorelei’s shoulders. “Mamma, Father, my king and queen, I wish for you to meet Lorelei Raine Spence. She is the love of my life, the most intelligent and beautiful woman I’ve ever met, and she will become my wife and the next queen of Korsa.”
Lorelei trembles at my side, but she pushes through and bows to my parents before reaching out her hand to shake each of their hands. “It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” she says with full confidence. “I love your son, and you have raised an outstanding human being.”
Father and Mamma glance at each other, exchanging a look of “huh?” as Lorelei would say when something perplexes her. I laugh and my parents smile. Father shakes his head and rubs his white beard. “I believe there is only one thing left to do at this point, then, if you are certain, Son.”
I nod with assurance. I didn’t tell Lorelei this would happen, though mainly because I didn’t expect that it would happen today. Eventually, yes. But I’m still reeling over the fact that Mamma was genuine and open in her apology to me.
My parents dip into a low bow, speaking in Korsan in unison, “We acknowledge you, Lorelei Raine Spence, as the future wife of His Royal Highness Finley Folke Andersson. May you rule side by side in integrity, faith, and humility.”
“What’s happening?” Lorelei asks, looking up at me with confusion.
“They are acknowledging you as my future wife and the queen of Korsa.” I instruct her on what to do, bowing and reciting the ancient oath of Korsa. She speaks the Korsan words with confidence and ease. The woman’s brain is truly a wonder. Her ability to catch on to a new language is fascinating.
“Welcome to the family, Lorelei,” my father says.
“It is your last day here. Shall we get to know each other better over tea?” Mamma asks.
I sneak a glance at Lorelei who lights up. “Yes, please!” she says.
I chuckle at her cuteness and then mouth a “thank you” to my parents as we all exit the office. We make our way down through the halls, and as we pass portraits and statues, memories surface of running around this place playing hide and seek with my siblings. There are literally a million places one can hide in this drafty, old palace. Lorelei and I, hand in hand, follow my parents to the library. I watch her reaction as we step through the doors and into the room stacked full of dusty tomes, lifetimes of history, and that curious old book smell that doesn’t quite smell like anything else.
Lorelei’s eyes bulge out of her head, and she releases my hand, darting to the first wall of shelved books. Her hand caresses the eye-level books in the Korsan history section just as Lucy and Astrid appear beside me.
“Can I—can I have my Beauty and the Beast moment?” Lucy asks, awestruck at the rolling ladder next to Lorelei.
Astrid says, “Oh, I want to record you!”
The two women race towards the ladder while Lorelei disappears down another aisle of books.
“Those two are very identical in their looks,” my father says.
“But their personalities are extremely different,” I comment. Astrid whips out her cell phone as Lucy practices the hop onto the ladder while pushing off. She had to take off her heels, but I can’t help but feel a sense of joy at the sight of her having fun and letting loose like this. In fact, I’m surprised Lucy didn’t acknowledge Mamma and Father in the room. She had a zillion questions on the plane about how to act in front of them, then when she finally meets them, she zooms right past them for a rolling ladder.
Maybe Lorelei and Lucy both share a sense of hyper-focus on things they love.
The tea arrives while the ladies are exploring the library, so Father, Mother, and Johan, who just arrived, sit down on couches and chairs in a reading section of the library.
“You are smitten with her,” Johan says, sipping Earl Gray.
“Just like you were with me,” Maria, his wife, says as she sits next to him and is given a cup of tea by Hannah, an older lady who has served our family for years.
“Haalaa, Maria,” I greet the brunette woman with kind eyes and a red-lipped smile. “Long time no see.”
“Tell me about this woman of yours. It’s the first time we are getting to meet a lady you’re interested in. You know how Johan is. He’s only told me that you’re going to marry her.”
“Shouldn’t that say enough?” I tease, and she rolls her eyes with a playful smile.
“But I am a woman. I want to hear all the details. I know you like spilling details.”
I shrug, laughing. “You’re not wrong. It started when she went on a date with me that was meant for her twin…”
By the end of the night, Lorelei has charmed my entire family by being herself just as I knew she would. We took frequent breaks so that she could decompress from the interactions, touring the gardens not once but twice today. Safe to say it’s her favorite place.
The library comes in second place. We spent almost half the day there, even after my parents had to leave to attend to business.
Lucy’s favorite place coincides with Astrid’s—the Royal Treasury, where we keep all of the family jewels, crowns of previous monarchs, and priceless heirlooms.
Beside me on the loveseat in her room, Lorelei sits looking like a queen in her baggy sweatpants and holey t-shirt, her hair in its classical low ponytail. She types away on some cases she had started at work while I look through different documents on their way to the governing body, Riiksaag. I definitely could get used to a routine like this, but I wonder what Lorelei is going to do about her job. Has she thought about it? Of course she has, she’s Lorelei Spence…
“What are your plans for your career since you have decided to stay by my side?” I can’t quit saying that phrase. It brings great joy to my heart.
She speaks as she continues to type away at something on her laptop. “I’m going to talk to Mr. Austen when we arrive back in Juniper Grove tomorrow. I want to wrap up the cases I’m currently working on, but I will not take on anymore. I have until June, right?”
“That’s the plan,” I state. “But honestly, we don’t need to wait until June. That was my deadline. We can come back soon—”
“No,” she interrupts, frenzied eyes boring into mine. “I need until June. I need time to make sure I have everything together, all my ducks in a row so to speak. Plus, I’m a bridesmaid in Karoline’s wedding. Speaking of, aren’t you a groomsman?”
“Mason hasn’t said anything…”
She covers her mouth with her hand. “Oops. I guess he hasn’t asked yet.”
I can’t fight back the smile at the thought Mason will ask me to be an integral part of his wedding after knowing him for only a short while. I guess it’s true that living with someone draws souls close together. He’s definitely become one of my best friends. I love that redneck man. “I guess we are staying in Juniper Grove for another month and half, then. I will need to slip out to get pictures of myself here in Korsa. That way people will think I've returned home for the meantime and won't flock around us in Juniper Grove. We will have to stay on the down low.”
“Thanks, Finley,” she says, reaching out to pat my thigh. I grab her hand, our eyes lock on to each other, and I tug her arm, causing her to fall on top of me, her laptop and mine sliding to the floor.
“What the—” she says, shock written across her face, so close to my own. I want to kiss it off.
I waggle my brows. “Let’s practice some more, love.”
She laughs breathlessly, but then she places her thin hands on either side of my face, her elbows resting on my shoulders—but I won’t complain of the dull ache it’s causing. Lorelei closes her eyes and leans in, her lips causing a sweet, delicious fire in my veins when they meet mine. She lingers for nine seconds (yes, I’m counting) before pulling away.
“Are you well?” I ask, as I have after every “practice” I’ve initiated.
She grins, her freckles shining through her flushed skin. “Very well, actually.” And then she surprises me by pressing her lips to mine again, forcing mine slightly apart. I gasp against her mouth and melt into her kiss, my hands roaming up her back, one tangling in her ponytail while the other grips her hip. My head is swimming, all thoughts of counting forgotten. I take control of the kiss and whisper her name. She sighs, her body sinking into mine, her fingers gripping my hair. My world is spinning as I feel the love radiating from this beautiful woman. I can’t believe she’s mine. All mine. I love her so much, and God, I am so grateful to know her.
We continue to kiss and explore for what seems like mere minutes but also hours upon hours. When she finally pushes off my heaving chest, I’m left as a thoughtless ball of mush, unable to say anything other than, “Wow.”
“I want more,” she whimpers. “Will I be able to handle more?” It’s as if she’s speaking her thoughts aloud, not necessarily fishing for an answer from me. I let her continue to catch her breath outside of my touch, though I crave to have her hands in mine or to hold her in my arms.
“Finley, I lasted,” she says through a beaming smile. “I kissed you. Really kissed you. And I didn’t feel icky!”
I snort, but laugh. “I’m proud of you, Leilei. And that was the best kiss of my existence. You should know that. Kissing is worthless if it isn’t with someone you truly love.”
“If what we just did is representative of that belief, then I would have to agree.” She laughs, a cute, breathy sound. “Thank you for being patient with me. Please continue to do so. I never know if I will get stimulated or not, so it will always be a gamble when we kiss.”
“Always, Lorelei. I will protect you. And when I fail to, I pray you will be forgiving and patient with me.”
“Always, Finley,” she reiterates my sentiments. “And please know I will protect you as well.”
“You went toe-to-toe with my mother behind my back. I fully believe you will protect me.” I scooch closer to her and fiddle with the hair that’s fallen from its black constraint band. “Thank you for that, by the way. I don’t know if I’ve properly said those words to you. It’s been such a whirlwind having you here in my world. Not to mention this world is one I’ve avoided for a long time.”
She rests her head on my shoulder, and I move my hand to clutch hers. She sighs. “I protect and defend those I love. And I just so happen to love you very much. I’m still unsure of how it happened. Was it slow? Quick? Did we float? Crash? The truth seems to lie somewhere in between. Either way, Lucy was right. Love comes for you. And then it’s up to you to choose it. Thanks for choosing a girl like me, Finley.”
I couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off my face if I tried. Everything about this moment feels so right. Like she’s my missing puzzle piece. Life just makes sense with her. “There’s only one of you, Leilei. You are not a girl like you. You are you. The only one of you. Perfect. Lovely. Brilliant. Weird.” I nudge her and she laughs. “But your weirdness is everything I’ve prayed for, so thanks for staying true to who you are and not trying to diminish or change yourself. I love you.” I kiss her temple. “I can’t say that enough. I love you so much, Lorelei Raine.”
“Too much emotion,” she hums. “My brain is struggling to keep up. It wants to float into Happy Land and relive our kiss over and over.”
“I can give your brain more fodder if you wish.” I kiss her temple again, running my fingers up her arm.
“I think I’d die,” she says, not a trace of a joke. “It’s time for space, Lover Boy.”
I stiffen. “Did you just call me Lover Boy?”
She turns to look at me, humor and amusement dancing in her hazel eyes. “You call me by that ridiculous ‘bae’ name. I’ve never been one for nicknames, but I decided you needed one. Lover Boy suits you. You are very much the embodiment of the term. Go grab a dictionary. Your face will be next to the entry.”
I laugh, soaking in this side of Lorelei. I stand and grab my laptop from the floor, prepared to allow her the time she needs to process everything that’s happened emotionally between us tonight, but before I leave, I tell her, “You can call me whatever you want as long as you never let me go.”