Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97577 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97577 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 488(@200wpm)___ 390(@250wpm)___ 325(@300wpm)
He even said it.
All the power was in my hands.
And yet, I was unsure.
To date or not to date. That was the question. And I went about asking myself that in the most dramatic of ways, but it worked. I got my answer, and now I was back home.
Falling onto the bed, sighing, tossing, and agonizing like a teenage girl, but the truth of the matter was I wanted to date but not date. I wanted to get to know him more, but I was worried about getting to know him more. I didn’t want to get married, and yet, I didn’t really mind getting married.
“Why am I like this?” I whispered, putting my hands on my face.
Why was I a wishy-washy person? My mother was a decisive person. My father was a decisive person. What happened to me? Was I spoiled? Did I just want everything?
“Go wrap your hair before it keeps tangling,” my mother said at the door.
“You do know I’m an adult, right, Mom?”
“Okay, Ms. Adult. For your next date, I’m not going to help with your hair at all, no matter how badly you ask.”
Frowning, I sat up and looked at her. “Can I ask you something first? Since you are in mother mode.”
“I am always in mother mode, but go ahead.”
“How did you decide to go out with Dad?” It didn’t work out in the end, but at the beginning, there must have been a sign.
“I realized the only way I could stop thinking about him was if I was actually with him.” She smiled, moving from the doorway to the bed.
Oh no.
“Are you thinking of Gale? Even though you were just with him.”
“I’m going to go get ready for bed,” I said, quickly hopping off the bed and running to the bathroom.
“You can run from me but not the thoughts in your head!” she called out. Once again, my mother knew exactly where to strike.
No more thinking, Odette. Just go to sleep. Tomorrow, when this night isn’t at the forefront of your mind, everything will look so much clearer.
Yep.
By tomorrow, he’d no longer be on my mind.
He was the first thing on my mind when I woke up, and it was not my fault. It was his!
“Aren’t they beautiful?” my mother gushed as she held the white peonies in my face.
Once again, he had sent a massive bouquet, even after the conversation we had last night. And my mother, who was no longer in mom mode but part of the prince’s support team, decided to wake me up just to stick them in my face.
I glanced over to my phone. It wasn’t even 7 a.m. yet. Why was she up, let alone waking me up? And who delivers before 8 a.m. in this city?
I was annoyed.
“Mom, please get these out of my—”
“He sent another letter, too. What does it say?”
I kicked my feet under the sheets like a six-year-old. “Mom! I’m tired. It’s six fifty in the morning. The letter will still be here later!”
“Fine, sleep your beautiful life away.” She huffed, but instead of taking the flowers with her, she set them down at my bedside. “I mean, it must be so hard being you and getting flowers before the sun comes up from a handsome man.”
“Yes, it is. Goodbye,” I grumbled, tossing the sheets up above my head only for her to smack my thigh! “Ouch!”
“You deserve it. Anyway, I’m going to get ready for a lady’s breakfast party, so I will see you later.”
I made a face and muttered under my breath, “Oh, it must be so hard going to a rich breakfast—”
“What was that?”
“Enjoy yourself!” I lied, grinning.
“Um-hum,” was all she said in reply before closing the door behind her.
I took the sheet off my face and turned onto my side, trying to go back to sleep. But all I saw were the flowers. Just there...in my face. Flipping onto the other side, I tried again, closing my eyes and snuggling into my pillow. Still, no luck. I knew the flowers were there. I knew I had a letter there. And it was keeping me up just knowing.
I will just read it and then go back to sleep—no big deal. I shifted back over and stared at them for a moment longer before sitting up and taking the letter from the top.
NOVEMBER 2
Dear Odette,
First, remain calm. I have learned my lesson from yesterday. I only sent a hundred this time. Also, these flowers are not cut yet and are still in the soil. So, they will only die if you let them.
The white peony is one of the four flowers of Ersovia. It symbolizes prosperity and good fortune. I recall you telling me you get stage fright at shows, and that you have one today. I truly wish I could be there. My sister would be beside herself with jealousy. In fact, she might even cry out in anger and frustration, then stomp her feet before calling me the worst brother ever. I do not know what it is about your music that affects her so deeply, but it does, and I hope one day, I will understand, too. For now, when you are on stage, just remember that your music is so impactful that somewhere a princess, who could invite any musician to come to see her, is having a temper tantrum because she is not there to listen to it.