Chapter Sixteen
Ryker
I couldn’t sleep after the movie ended, my thoughts unable to stop circling back to the girl in the bed next to mine. I thought everything was going well. We had snacks and were watching a good movie. She sang along to the songs, and usually it would annoy me with anyone else, but with her, I found it cute as hell.
Then suddenly she shut down on me, turned on her side, and went to sleep right in the middle of the movie. I wanted to ask her, but I found myself frozen, unsure what to do or what even went wrong.
When she fell asleep, I took the opportunity to put the money she gave me for the tattoo in her makeup bag. I meant it when I said I didn’t want her to pay, and the bills have been burning a hole in my wallet from the reminder of how I hurt her feelings that night.
I turn the TV off once the movie ends and grab my iPad to work on a design for one of my art classes as the quiet hum of the air conditioning fills the room.
About an hour later, Camille gasps in her sleep. I immediately drop my iPad on the comforter and look over at her with concern. Her body writhes and her head moves back and forth as her face scrunches up in fear. Her skin turns flushed, a sheen of sweat on her forehead.
She’s having a nightmare and it breaks my heart.
I’m about to wake her up when her scream pierces the previous quiet air as she thrashes underneath the blanket. Tears roll down her cheeks as she cries for help.
My fucking heart sinks and my stomach bottoms out. I hate seeing her like this, so I crouch beside her, careful not to scare her when she wakes up to my body looming over hers. I gently shake her and whisper her name, “Camille, wake up, baby. It’s just a bad dream. I’m right here.”
Camille’s silvery eyes pop open, and before I know what’s happening, she slugs me right in the jaw. I stumble back from the blow. I move my hand over to my jaw to rub at the sore spot. Fuck, the girl can throw a mean punch.
“ Ah, merde, ” Camille squeals, breathless as she clambers out of bed to join me on the floor between the two beds. “Ryker, are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, though your right hook is impressive. Are you okay?” I ask, my hands itching to reach out to brush the matted hair plastered to her forehead. But I don’t because I don’t think she wants me touching her right now.
Fear flashes through her eyes, and I don’t like seeing my usually happy girl like this.
“Y-yeah,” she pants, swiping her hair off her forehead. “I’m sorry for that.”
“That seemed like a pretty intense nightmare. Want to talk about it?” I hedge, hoping she’ll open up.
Camille tucks her knees into her chest as her body shakes. Her glassy eyes meet mine and her bottom lip quivers .
“Come here.” My voice is low and soft as I motion for her to come sit between my legs.
Camille’s eyes waver, so I hold out my hand to her, letting her make the choice. She takes it and I gently pull her to sit on my lap. She digs her face into my neck and starts crying, her fist holding a tight grip on my sweatshirt.
My heart fucking breaks at the sound tearing through me like a saw to my insides. I carefully wrap my arms around her and run my palm up her arm while the other does the same to her back as I try to provide some sort of comfort to her.
“Princess, what happened to you?” I croak. “Please, it’s killing me.” I rest my chin on the top of her head, reveling in knowing she’s safe here in my arms.
Camille sniffles, gathering her emotions as her breaths slowly begin to even out. After a few minutes, her head lifts from my shoulder and she peers up at me with a vulnerability I’ve yet to see.
She’s letting me in.
She takes a deep breath and confesses, “I’m from a small island off the coast of France, called Lorsica. My parents are…” She hesitates but then continues. “My parents are the king and queen.” She lets out a deep sigh. “So yeah, I’m a legit princess.”
She’s a princess?
Before I can say anything, she adds with a slight tremor in her voice, “I needed to get away and explore myself outside of my royal obligations and the public eye. That’s how I ended up here. I ran away, changed my identity, and I’ve been living my own life since.”
I realize I haven’t said a word since her revelation when she says, “Please don’t do that.” Her voice breaks, a lone tear strolling down her cheek.
“Do what?” I murmur, wiping it away with my thumb.
Her lashes flutter closed for a moment as she leans into my palm, then reopen with fire in her eyes. “Treat me like I’m any different because of that. I came here to lose that part of myself, to become someone new.”
“I won’t. It’s just a surprise, that’s all,” I assure her, needing time to reconcile with the new information. “Thank you for sharing your secret with me. I won’t tell a soul. Is that what your nightmare was about?”
Camille’s fingers loosen their hold on me, drifting up to my neck as she traces imaginary circles over my skin as that same fearful look takes over her face. “When I graduated secondary school, there was a huge celebration in the city. It’s a small country, and we like to celebrate everything, any reason to throw a party.”
I nod, encouraging her to continue as I listen intently.
“I snuck off, because well, I was a bit rebellious back then. I wanted to get high, and a group of guys I had no business being around offered me what I wanted. We walked away from the party to a quiet path. And then…” She pauses, her bottom lip trembling.
A grumble vibrates from my chest as I conjure in my mind where this is going.
“One of the guys got handsy, and when I told him no, he gripped my ass. So I slapped him across the face and let’s just say he didn’t like that. He backhanded me across the cheek and threw me to the ground. Adrenaline got me right back up and I ran as fast as I could, but they chased after me. All three of them. I made it back to the city, untouched or hurt, but in my nightmares, they catch me.” She shivers at the thought, then shakes her head. “Anyways, all things considered, it wasn’t that bad. They’re in jail, so I shouldn’t be worried, but it’s like my mind doesn’t remember that when I go to sleep. “
My scowl deepens while my blood boils. Somebody fucking hurt my girl. Put their hands on her. I fight the urge to ask her for their names and fly to Europe to make them pay even if she just said they’re in jail .
I run a hand through my hair, trying to get my anger under control. “What do you mean it wasn’t that bad? Someone put their hands on you, and there’s no amount of jail that could absolve those assholes. I want to fucking bury them,” I snap at the end.
Camille startles at my tone and flinches away from me.
The blood drains from my face. “Fuck,” I mumble. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m just pissed off at the image of some guy…I can’t even say it.”
“I know. I’m just shaken up from the nightmare, that’s all.” She settles back into me and brings her hand up to stroke my bearded jaw.
I cover her hand with mine, loving the feel of hers under my own. “You know I’d never hurt you, right? I’ll never let anyone else ever hurt you again.”
“You’re the only guy I’ve let touch me like this in years. I feel safe with you,” she whispers, staring at me with a glint in her eyes.
And this is why I’m no good for her, because some sick part of me gets off on that. Knowing I’m the only one who is allowed to be this close to her and that there’s no one else in her life.
“Do you not want me not to call you princess anymore?” I ask, needing to know if she’s still okay with it.
A shy smile forms on her lips, the sight making my heart jump in my chest. “I only want to be your princess.”
Fuck.
Her words make my cock harden slightly in my pants, but I shift her so she won’t notice it.
“Only mine,” I murmur, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.
Camille sucks in an audible breath at my words. I didn’t mean to say it out loud, but I still meant it nonetheless.
“Let’s get you back to bed.” My voice is hoarse as I look at her for what she wants to do. Camille nods and attempts to lift off me, but I stand with her in my arms instead.
I carefully place her on her bed, and I’m about to pull away when Camille’s voice halts my movements.
“Can you…hold me? I—”
“Anything you need,” I tell her.
“Thank you.” She smiles, her cheeks slightly more red.
I round the bed, then gently lower myself on it behind her, shuffling to get closer to her.
“Tell me what you want,” I ask her, noting how this could sound in a very different context.
“Hold me from behind, please,” she states, sounding more confident than before.
I do as she says and wrap my arm around her waist. I pull her against me while my other arm slides under her neck. Camille sighs contentedly as my arms cocoon around her, and I don’t miss how perfectly her body fits against mine. If anything, I’m doing everything I can not to think about that. Otherwise, my cock won’t get the message that this isn’t the time.
“Sleep, princess, I’m right here,” I whisper, pressing my lips lightly to the top of her head.
“Thank you,” she says back, her breaths coming in slower. Then she slowly drifts off to sleep in my arms.
It’s then that I realize how fucked I am, because I know that from now on, all I’ll want is to wrap my arms around her every night and hope to wake up to her infectious smile every morning.
She’s throwing me a curve ball, switching up the game, but I’m determined to keep playing.