The wave of comfort that washed over me was indescribable. Who else was lucky enough to have a boyfriend as amazing as the boy in front of me? He never ceased to surprise me, never stopped finding different ways to show me he cared. There was no one else on the planet that could compare to him, and never would be.
I slipped my arms around him. "We'll never part ways," I murmured, "Not if I can help it. I've never met anybody that comes close to being as amazing as you, Colton.."
I kissed her. I pulled her towards me and took her lips as my own, and despite saying to cause no scene, I kissed her like my life depended on it. Though it was a gentle, slow and soft kiss, I made sure she knew how I felt.
“You bring out the best of me,” I said through our kiss. “I cannot imagine myself with anyone other than you, and I will never be able to do so, either.”
My heart beat frantically in my chest, like a cage bird begging to be freed. Each word he spoke soothed me further, encased me in a bubble of tranquillity unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Colton loved me. He valued me. And at the moment, nothing else mattered.
"The best is always there.." I responded quietly, pulling away. "Whether I'm near or not."
“What’s the point of being a better person if I can’t be one for you?” I questioned, touching the freckles dotting her features. “The best doesn’t matter if it’s not for you.”
"Of course it does…." I looked up at him through lowered lashes. "But the middle of the street isn't the ideal place to have this conversation, either. Why don't we get to the gardens?"
I hummed in agreement, bursting with intense love for the woman before me.
“All right. Let’s go.”
(skip to when they get to the gates?)
(Yup! And not it~)
(oof, lol)
I pulled Colton into a narrow space between two buildings, partially to escape from the sudden chilly breeze, and partially because I needed a secure space to remove his illusion. "Goodbye, Noah.." I chuckled softly as the remnants of the other man melted away.
“Goodbye, Isabella,” I chuckled, shaking my head in amusement. “Until we meet next time.”
"Hey, Isabella's still here," I reminded playfully, tugging him out from the narrow alley. "Come on let's go to the gardens."
“That was Noah wishing Isabella goodbye,” I corrected her before I pulled on my Princely look. I hooked our arms together like noblemen should, and led her over to the palace. The guards glanced, offered me a nod of acknowledgement, but said nothing.
I struggled to contain by impossibly bright smile as we passed through, barely resisting the urge to release a loud, whooping laugh and spin in a circle.
Elle and I walked until we reached the garden under my name. I stopped us in front of the doorway.
“It’s not much,” I said to Elle. “But it’s somsrhing.”
"It's beautiful," I told him earnestly, running my fingers along the stone archway above us. "Even though it's autumn and not spring. I'm sure we'll fine flowers somewhere.."
“Come,” I tagged her inside, shutting the door as I did so. “How was your entrance as Isabella, Elle?”
"Very satisfactory," I chuckled, ducking under his arm and tucking myself against his side. "Let's just hope your father or mother don't see us.."
I kissed the top of her head.
“Or the princess,” I added. “She’s a rather… curious little girl.”
"She wouldn't tell anyone, would she?" I asked, nuzzling his neck as we walked. "I mean, she can keep a secret for her brother, right?"
I scoffed. “She’ll demand something in return,” I rolled my eyes. “My sister is a rather manipulative princess.”
Laughing quietly, I raised my eyebrows. "I'll braid flowers into her hair, too."
“You’ll get along excellently,” I remarked. “She’s a flower girl.”
"She sounds cute." I pulled him down a particularly narrow path, bumping my hip against his as we went along. "Also, I was thinking….. maybe you should meet my brother soon? My twin. The real Elliot. Disguised as Noah, or as your real self, either one. I just…. I'm used to telling him everything, you know? And it's the next best thing to introducing you to my parents. He'd never tell them, don't worry."
I looked at her, and I was sure she could see the nervousness in my eyes. Hilarious, I know. Me afraid of something as little as meeting Elle’s brother.
No, it was not little. It definitely was not something to be taken lightly. If the brother didn’t like me… well, it wouldn’t end very well.
“What if he decides the prince isn’t right for his sister?” I quirked an eyebrow. “What if he tells you to stay away from me?”
I blinked at him incredulously. "Have you met me, Colton? Besides, he lives five hours from this island, there's not exactly much he can do. And he wouldn't care, honestly. Probably. Definitely. You don't need to worry about Eli, he trusts me."
I looked at her in silence before sighing. “All right. I’ll take your word for it, then.”
“Thank you..” I whispered, brushing a kiss against his shoulder. “This means a lot to me.”
I wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“It’s my pleasure,” I replied. “I’d love for that to happen.”
“He and I look nearly identical,” I warned, “Especially with my haircut. So it might be a bit disorienting at first.”
I furrowed my eyebrows.
“Well, you don’t need to worry about that,” I said to her confidently. “I think I’ll be able to differentiate.”