The Royal Contract

She opened her eyes with the sun shining brightly on her face. She could hardly see anything, squinting her eyes away from the sunlight. When she managed to focus her eyes on her surrounding, she suddenly remembered that she was in Evan’s apartment.

Just like before, Amelia found the other side of the bed empty. Then, she felt a slight throbbing in her head as she moved. As she turned to her side, she also noticed the glass of water on the bedside table on her side.

She had learned that Evan was an early riser. He did not like staying late in bed. “Honestly, it was a forced habit. I do not like staying over and waking up in another woman’s bed.” Remembering Evan admitting that to her.

Of course, he did not elaborate on it, but she understood what he meant. However, she was not about to punish him for his past actions. She had no problem as long as they stayed in the past.

Then, she noticed the card beside the glass. She took it and read its content. I DID NOT GO TO WORK, BUT I AM IN MY OFFICE DOWN THE HALLWAY. PLEASE GET ME WHEN YOU WAKE UP.

PS. I LEFT A PAIN RELIEVER BESIDE THE NOTE. DRINK IT. IT MIGHT HELP WITH THE HANGOVER.

.....

At least, this time, he left a note with detailed instructions for her. She could not help the smile that grazed her lips, finding his little gestures romantic and sweet, making her fall in love with him more.

Could she ever tell him that? That she was deeply in love with him. Someday, maybe. Shaking her head, she took the tablet and drank it with water. Hopefully, the pain in her head would go away in a few minutes.

Barking sounds filled the air, making her realize she was not alone in the room. Suddenly, Tony appeared by the door, ran, and jumped onto the bed, laying beside her.

“Good morning, Tony.” She assumed that the dog was waiting for her to wake up. It might be mid-morning, but at least it was still morning. Then, he rewarded her with a series of friendly barks and a lick on her face.

Tony was indeed a well-trained dog. She learned that he was a guide dog for the blind. But since the dog was already old, they would not recommend him to another blind master. So, Evan took him temporarily until he could find a permanent home.

“Shit!” Then, she covered her mouth. She was not a vulgar person. She rarely swore, but she was human, so sometimes, the words slipped into her tongue without intending it.

“What happened last night?” She tapped on her head, forcing herself to remember between her still throbbing temples and her memories.

She remembered drinking too much, as evident by her hungover. But what else happened? She sensed something did, but she was still a little groggy from the alcohol.

She closed her eyes, squeezing her brain to cough up the memory. She raised her hand to her head, letting her fingers pull her hair from its roots, hoping it would jog her memory. It was like losing a key. She knew she had dropped it somewhere but could not find it.

Eventually, her eyes caught something shimmering in the bright light. Then something seemed to entangle in her hair. She dragged her hands in front of her eyes, making her eyes go wild.

She extended her fingers before her, wondering how she ended up with a beautiful diamond ring on her finger. Then, memories of the last night flooded her mind like a tidal wave, finally reminding her of the entire event.

“He proposed.” She mumbled disbelievingly, seemingly trapped in a trance as she stared at the big rock on her finger.

She thought it was just a nice dream. Something that she was hoping would come true eventually. But did it happen last night? Was she just too drunk to remember much?

“Way to go, Amelia.” In the most crucial moment of her life. She was too wasted to remember most of it. “Did you see the whole thing?” She asked Tony, who only barked in response.

Quickly, she slid out of bed, rushing to the bathroom. She fixed herself up before grabbing the clothes Evan must have left for her again. She needed her clothes. She could not keep using his things, but honestly, she was comfortable wearing what was his, looking again at her ring.

Then, she hurriedly made her way to the kitchen to get another glass of water, needing to quench her thirst before deciding to look for him in his office. Slowly, she strode along the hallway, finding the last door open.

“Evan?” She softly called when she walked through the door. But nobody answered her. She looked around the room, entering it for the first time, and just like the rest of his apartment, it was masculine in its design.

She worked further inside his office, seeing the large desk by the clear glass windows. Her eyes roamed around the room, seeing his different accomplishments hanging on one wall.

As she moved further, she peeked around the chair facing the window and found Evan sleeping. He was slightly snoring, which was adorable. Somehow, she felt guilty that she might be the reason for his exhaustion.

He must be working hard on his cases while she slept so that he could give his time to her when she woke up. That would mean it gave him barely enough time to sleep.

She stood before him, carefully running her fingers across his cheeks down on his chin. Maybe she should go home and let him work. But before she did that, she still had to wait for him to wake up and clarify the ring on her fingers.

“I love you, Evan.” She whispered, knowing that he would not hear that. Then, she slowly stepped away from him, walking back the way she came in toward the kitchen.

She decided that if she had missed his proposal, maybe she could do it again later. Finally, she remembered the petals that scattered around the room. She could not help but giggle internally at the idea of spending a romantic lunch with him.

For now, she would let him rest, returning the favor. But later, it was her turn to throw a surprise party for two.