Everly

“Honey.” Mom knocks on my door early the next morning. “Are you awake?”

“Yeah.” I yawn, barely opening my eyes. “What are you doing home?”

It’s seven in the morning. She normally has to be at work by now.

She sits on my bed, placing her hand on my shoulder. “I stopped by the grocery store before heading to work, and I saw something.”

“Huh?” I look up, confused by her words.

“I saw a magazine cover that I wish didn’t exist, but unfortunately, this is the ugly side of any kind of fame.”

“It can’t be worse than the boat.” I sigh, sitting up and putting my hand out.

She hands it to me, and in full color, split across the cover is a picture of Marie and me with the headline “Who will Sage choose?” Under the headline and across my body it reads, “Is Everly fit to be a Queen?”

My stomach ties in knots as I open the magazine. The first article is about Sage and Marie and how their courtship is going. There are images of them together at a restaurant, and at the palace with her family there as well. Everything seems picture perfect.

I turn the page and read the first article about me, then the next; each word squeezing my lungs and making it hard to breathe. Not because they are lies, but because it’s the truth.

Right there, in black and white is my entire life. It talks about my childhood, who my mom is, as well as my dad. The magazine slams my mom and my upbringing, saying I’m not fit to run this country. It’s obvious this biased magazine has made up their mind on who Sage should marry, and it’s not me.

The article not only mentions the fire incident but every little bit of trouble I’ve ever gotten in, including detention in my seventh-grade class for passing notes. They’ve dug any ounce of dirt they could find on me and printed it here for all to see.

The worst part is the way they portray my mom. Each word rips a hole in my heart. She’s given up a lot for me and has raised me all on her own. We've struggled for years, and I remember times where all we had for dinner was peanut butter and crackers, but that never bothered me. I had a roof over my head and a warm bed, so I had no reason to complain.

When my eyes meet hers, tears run down her face, and I reach up, instantly wrapping my arms around her.

“I’m sorry I might have ruined your chances,” she cries.

“Mom, no. Stop right there. You know this is all crap.”

“Yes, but it’s all true. How did they find all of this out?” She wipes away her tears just as mine spill over. “I thought this was the opportunity of a lifetime for you, but I never imagined they would drag you through the mud to prove you unfit.”

“This is just one magazine. Don’t pay attention to it. Sage says…” I trail off, not really sure what he thinks anymore.

He never called me back last night after the text message indicating he would. I don’t know what’s going on. Visions of us on the boat run through my head; thoughts of me climbing onto his lap, telling him to take me, allowing all of this to happen.

Am I really the whore everyone makes me out to be? Is that all he wanted?

Mom dabs at her tears again. “I have to get to work. I told them I’d be late, but I’m pushing it.” She takes a deep breath, bringing her hand to my chin. “I love you, Everly. I’m sorry to get you into this mess.”

“Don’t say that, Mom.”

“No. I pushed this. You wanted nothing to do with him, and I’m the one who made you go through with the meeting.”

I place my hand on hers. “But I have enjoyed getting to know him.” I sigh, looking around my room, trying to fight back the tears. “I don’t know. All of this is just happening so fast. I don’t know what to believe or think anymore.”

She takes a deep breath, nodding her head slightly. “Okay, well, I love you, baby. Call me later, and maybe we’ll have dinner tonight? Will you be around?”

“Sure, Mom. That’d be nice.”

She pats my leg and leaves me with the magazine detailing my life story, the good and the bad.

My phone rings, and a sexy picture of Sage that I found during my online search appears on my screen. Yes, it may be lame, but it helped calm my thoughts at the time, now it leaves me uneasy.

“Hello,” I say timidly.

“I miss you,” he says, and my heart instantly melts.

I’m so confused. I was starting to fall for him, but now that I’ve read all these stories about Marie and him still being together, I don’t know. And this article about my life, this invasion of privacy is all too much. This is what I didn’t want, and I have to remember that.

“Um… Sage. Can I ask—”

“I don’t want anyone but you, Everly. I promise. Don’t believe what you read.”

“But, I—”

“Please, I just want to see you. Will you meet me?”

I run my hands through my hair. “I don’t know, Sage. This is a little more than I can handle. I’m not sure if I can be the person that this country, or even you, need me to be.”

“Don’t say that. Just meet me.”

“But how? We’ll be followed wherever we go.”

I sit down in total loss. My body sags forward, ready to crawl back in bed and start this day over. Or actually start my life over after Sage turns twenty-five and has made up his mind to marry someone else.

“I have an idea. Will you please come talk to me?”

I sigh, not sure what to say.

“Everly. Don’t let all these tabloids get in your head. You know what’s real. I’ve shown you.”

Memories of the last few days pop into my mind. All the things I’ve learned about him that the media knows nothing about. The sweet, tender kisses we’ve shared. The wild adventures. I have to believe that’s the real him.

I bite my lip, hoping I’m making a good decision and not one I’ll regret later. “Okay, I’ll meet you,” I whisper.

“Thank you. I’ll have Logan pick you up at seven-thirty. The outdoor concerts are tonight, head there, and he’ll text you where he is. Hopefully, you guys can sneak out.”

A smile grows on my face as the nerves and fears I held in all day floats away. I’ve loved his little plans so far. Nodding my head, I answer, “You’ve got a deal. See you then, Prince Sage,” I say in my most sensuous voice, trying to lighten my own mood.

“Very funny,” he mocks.

* * *

I pull up to Andrew’s Park, where the outdoor concerts are held. People line the streets, and everyone else is congregated in front of the stage, ready for the festivities to begin.

When I left my house, there was still a parade of photographers and reporters asking questions. I was able to pull away, but as I search around, I already see several following me, so I dodge deeper into the crowd, hoping to get lost amongst the people.

I hold my phone in my hand, and within seconds, I get a text message saying there’s a motorcycle at the School Road entrance waiting for me. I glance around the crowd, seeing if anyone is on my tail before making a quick run for it.

Logan has on a full-face helmet, but I can tell it’s him by the way he’s holding my helmet out for me to grab. I slip it over my head before holding on tightly and screaming, “Go, go, go!”

When I turn around, three photographers run toward us, snapping photos of who I’m sure they think is Sage. I laugh in celebration of our escape and hold onto Logan, thanking him for being my savior for the night.

We drive for a little while, and it’s not long until I recognize the same road we were on the last time I was on the back of a bike. I look beyond Logan to see if my suspicions were correct, and I am shocked when I see a tiny plane sitting on the abandoned runway in front of us.

Logan pulls up close to the aircraft. I hop off in amazement, heading to stand directly in front of Sage. My heart pounds at the sight of his shirt being pulled tight against his broad shoulders. “You know how to fly this thing?” I ask after pulling off my helmet.

His smart-ass smirk says it all. “Do you think I would purposely put you in danger if I didn’t know how? Wait, don’t answer that.”

I laugh before turning to his friend. “Thanks, Logan,” I say, giving him a hug. I may not know the guy, but from what Sage has told me, he’s a friend for life.

He nods and takes off on the bike, squeezing it up to a wheelie before speeding away.

“So where are you taking me?” I say, walking over to the door.

“It’s a surprise.”

He holds me tighter, giving me a real kiss. I wrap my fingers through his hair as I melt into his arms. When he pulls away, I see it; the man I’m falling for, the man I hope is the truth.

We climb on the plane, and my heart starts to pound with excitement. I’ve never flown in such a small aircraft, and knowing Sage is taking me on another adventure adds to my delight. The engine roars to life under us as he hands me a set of headphones to wear with a microphone that sticks out.

Once I look at him, he says, “You can hear me, right?”

I nod and start to bounce in my seat, the earphones taking my joy to a whole different level. This is so different than any other flight I’ve been on. With these I feel like I’m the co-pilot of our little adventure.

He eases the lever between us forward, and the plane jolts to life. He turns to me. “Are you ready?”

“Hell, yeah, I’m ready!” I practically yell into the headpiece and watch as Sage drops his head back in laughter.

After checking all the instruments—I have no clue what they do—he pushes the lever farther forward until we’re racing down the runway at top speed.

“Here we go,” he announces as he pulls back on the steering wheel, and the plane starts to lift off the runway.

The higher we climb, the more my face starts to hurt from smiling. I peek to my right in absolute amazement as I watch the ground disappear.

Once everything is so small I can’t make out what they are anymore, I turn to Sage. “This is so cool!” I dance in my seat like a little kid getting ice cream.

I love the sound of his low, masculine chuckle when he says, “I’m glad you approve.”

“Okay, so where are we going?”

“Look over there,” he says, pointing to my right.

Off in the distance, I see the sun setting over Tower Bridge. The bridge used to be old and dilapidated, but a few years ago, it was completely renovated, making it the new landmark of our country. It’s beautiful the way the high towers stand tall in the middle with nothing but wires coming off either end—an architectural masterpiece. Seeing it from this view is breathtaking.

The closer we get, the more the summer sun has melted into the night, and by the time we’re over the bridge, the sun is just peeking off the ocean, making the sky the perfect shade of reddish-pink and even specs of purple.

I’m in absolute awe.

After taking a deep breath, I turn to Sage. “Thank you. Thank you for bringing me up here. This is amazing.”

“You’re amazing. Do you know that?” He pushes a button that says autopilot and turns my way slightly. “For years I’ve fought this rule about who I should and shouldn’t marry. But after I met you, I can’t help but think they were right this entire time.

“I wish we had more time to really get to know each other, but unfortunately, I’m on a bit of a time crunch. I feel it though. There’s a bond between us I want to explore, and I think it will be something very special one day. With you by my side, I can be the man I want to be. Everly Stanley”—he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a black, velvet box—“would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

My hand clutches my mouth as tears roll down my cheeks. I stare at him and back at the ring. I hear the plane’s engine roaring, and I know we’re floating in the air, but everything else is frozen in time. My breath, my heart, my mind, everything stops, and all I can do is stare.

Only an hour ago I was reading an article about him dating someone else, and now I’m here with him holding a ring out.

Is this really happening?

“Everly,” his voice rumbles through my ears, and I snap back to life. “Did you hear me?” He laughs nervously.

I reach my hand out to touch it but bring it back in and up to my mouth, playing with my bottom lip.

“It was my grandmother’s,” he says of the beautiful, antique diamond ring.

“I. Um. I just…” I close my eyes, trying not to freak out inside.

“If it’s because of Marie or anything you've read, I told you, I have never wanted her, I promise you. You are the only one. To me, there was only one option.”

“But I’ve read... They don’t like... I’m not...” I’m talking gibberish and not making sense. I can’t form a sentence for the life of me.

My eyes meet his, and I can see the question glaring back at me in them. This is all too fast. I need time. Only two weeks ago I was trying to sabotage my meeting with him, and now I’m here, desperately wanting to say yes, but thinking that’s absolutely insane at the exact same time.

I barely know this man. And no matter how much he says he wants change, what if he doesn’t get it? I can’t live the life of his sister or his mom. I won’t. Tears well as my head involuntarily starts to shake from left to right.

“No, don’t say it. Not yet.” He closes the ring box and wraps my hands in his. “Give it time, Everly. We leave for Malawi in the morning. Come with me still. Let me show you what my life is really like. Let me prove to you what our life will be together.” He jerks in a breath. “Promise me. You’ll think hard about it and not give me your answer until we get back.”

I stare into the eyes of the man I never wanted yet am finding I can’t turn down, either. I nod, and he wraps his arms around me.

“I’ll prove it to you, Everly. I promise.”

Wiping my face as he turns back to flying the plane, I study him closely.

He’s anxious.

I can tell from the way he’s biting the inside of his lip, how his chest falls up and down, from how hard his hands are gripping the controls.

Of course a marriage proposal should be nerve wrecking, but seeing his reaction builds me up even more. He’s said this thing between us is more than what he’s being forced to do by his family. Watching him now, I absolutely believe him.

He flies us to a few more places, showing me the beautiful coastline that I’ve never seen from this angle as well as the aerial view of the palace before we land.

When we exit the plane, he reaches to tangle my hand with his as Logan greets us. I watch the facial expressions between the two men. I know Logan was waiting for my answer. Thankfully, he lets it be and gives Sage the keys to the motorcycle before proceeding to enter the plane.

“He can fly, too?” I ask, amazed at what these two can accomplish.

“How do you think I got the plane out of the airport?” He laughs as he hands me my helmet, kissing me softly before I place it over my head.

This small kiss was exactly what we needed. Just that one peck left my body craving more of him. No matter how much I fight it, I’m falling for him, and I’m not sure if I could walk away even if I wanted to.

He doesn’t take me home. Instead, we drive up a long narrow road to a spot where we can park and walk back to a waterfall. He takes the blanket he had tied to the back of the bike and lays it down before walking up to take my hand.

“I hope this is okay,” he says, gently touching my cheek and looking into my eyes. “I wasn’t ready to say goodnight, yet.”

I take a glimpse above me to the stars shining brightly, then to the waterfall flowing down that adds an aura of soothing tranquility to an otherwise silent night, and I nod. “This is perfect.”

His lips meet mine, and I’m instantly lost in the waves of ecstasy that float through my body. I’ve only known him for a short time, but it’s like I’ve been waiting for him my entire life. This is the Sage I want to feel, that I want to remember.

No other man’s hands have affected me the way his do. He makes my heart race and my mind empty when he kisses me. All my fears, all my thoughts, everything goes away, and all I want is to be wrapped up in him.

His hands push through my hair, holding me tighter before lowering them to my waist and picking me up, so my legs are clutched around his waist.

I grind my hips down while pulling him closer to me, deepening our kiss. When his lips detach and move down my throat, my head falls back, sending tingles through my spine. After all the tension, fears, and uncertainties I’ve felt today, this is exactly what I needed to bring me back to reality.

Our reality.

Where it’s only us and no one else. I’m Everly, and he’s Sage, and we are just two young adults getting to know one another.

To my surprise, he lowers us down as one, and before I know it, I’m on my back, and my shirt is over my head. When his lips graze the sensitive skin around my stomach, I reach up to run my fingers through his hair, torn between keeping him there and wanting his lips on mine.

He takes his time. Kissing over my warm flesh while running his fingers down my arms and around my waist. I’ve never felt so worshiped. The way he’s holding me tightly brings me higher than I’ve ever been.

“Sage,” I whisper.

He lifts to face me and says, “God, I love the sound of my name on your lips.”

His mouth crashes into me in a fury. I reach for the button on his jeans and pull it loose, trying to push them down his legs. Running my hands under his shirt, I relish in his warmth. Pulling it up over his head, I take it off completely and pull his bare chest into mine, kissing him once more.

His lips pull away from mine, but I don’t feel him anywhere else. Confused, I open my eyes only to find him hovering over me, staring down.

I lift my hand to touch his face. “What?”

“Please say yes.”

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. Before I can respond, his lips crash into mine. He leaves me breathless and silently tells me, he doesn’t want to know my answer, at least not now.

His hands slide down my body, removing my shorts and panties in one fell swoop. Quickly, his pants and boxers are off, and I stare at the man I could make my husband.

When he slides inside me, my life is complete. Everything in this moment is exactly what I want. But will I want it forever? Will it be like this forever? Or when we get back from Malawi, will he go back to being a prince and me a mere commoner?