A Royal's Love (Unit Matched #1) (10 page)

“Well, let’s go to that last store Gia had on her list,” I suggested. “But first…food.”

Gia paid for everything and asked the cashier the best place to eat close by. She said there was a deli where everyone ate, and we headed that way.

The sandwich shop smelled like fresh bread, and my stomach growled loudly. Again, Oliver paid for all of our food, and we found a large booth for us to sit. Gia sat between Amaya and me, and Oliver sat by Amaya, and Thaddeus sat by me.

Thaddeus’ leg was right against mine, and I felt him hook his leg around mine making me catch my breath. He continued to eat as if he wasn’t doing anything at all. I tried to focus on my food.

Amaya began to talk about the dress that she wanted. I kept tuning her out because Thaddeus’ leg was still on mine.

When we finished eating, we were only a few blocks from the next store. Gia was so excited about her dress, and I couldn’t be happier for her. I was pretty joyous about her party myself.

“Hey, are you guys wearing tuxes?” I asked Oliver and Thaddeus.

“Yes,” they both say.

“It said it was black tie on the invite,” Thaddeus added.

My heart flipped at the thought of seeing him in a suit of that stature.

The last store was a big hit for Amaya and me. We both found dresses. Amaya’s is a deep purple—that almost matched her highlights—floor length chiffon ball gown. It already is styled with capped sleeves, so she doesn’t need to have anything to accessorize with it.

Mine is different. It is bright red with layers of sequins on it. The dress itself stops mid-thigh, but the saving grace is there is a layer of thick, sheer material under it that goes to the floor. I will add a shawl and decided I would wear my hair down with it.

I didn’t let Thaddeus see the dress. I wanted it to be a surprise. Plus, I made sure that he didn’t pay for it; although Amaya let Oliver pay for hers. I didn’t understand why she did it, but then again, Amaya and a lot of her actions are hard to understand.

We left the store with new energy buzzing around us. I always love shopping. When I complete a purchase or see myself in a dazzling outfit my self-confidence rises, and I feel brand new again.

As we were walking down the street, I wasn’t really listening to Gia talking about sightseeing tomorrow. I was gazing around me. New York City was full of life. Sure, it was crowded and smelled, but it was bubbling of rich history and adventures.

“Oh my word.” I stopped dead in my tracks causing Amaya to crash into me. I caught the vision out of the corner of my eye. I spun around and saw it.

Manolo Blahniks.

It was their store.

Their store of shoes.

I gawked at the pair in the window. They were red heels which laced at the ankles. They were the most gorgeous things I’d ever seen.

“Really, Xaviera?” Amaya mumbled behind me. “Like you can afford those?”

Before I could spin around and tell her that I could, Thaddeus jumped to my rescue. “If she wants them, she’ll have them.” He stared her down.

“Well, Prince Perfect is now Prince Money Bags,” she barked back at him.

“Hey, didn’t Oliver buy your dress?” Gia interjected coming to my rescue.

“He’s my Matched.” She thumbed at him. “That’s his job.”

“And Xaviera’s my Matched,” Thaddeus barked at her taking my hand leading me into the store.

The store attendant came over to us asking if we needed help.

“We need to see that pair of shoes in a size seven, please,” Thaddeus politely asked taking me over to the chairs to sit down.

“Thaddeus, you don’t have to do this. She doesn’t mean it. She’s upset,” I told him quietly as the girls walked in.

“I don’t care about her.” He nodded his head over to Amaya. “If she’s your friend she shouldn’t treat you the way she does. On top of that,” he leaned in closer, “you’re her Princess and future Queen. She needs to treat her position and you with respect.”

The attendant brought the shoes to me and helped me slip into them. She pointed me to the mirror, and I stood up.

It was like a cloud was around my feet as I studied them in my reflection. They were stunning on my feet, and I wanted them so badly.

“How much are they?” I asked hating the fact that Amaya was probably right, and I couldn’t afford them. Just because I had a title, and a future queen doesn’t mean I didn’t have a budget.

“$1095,” she said without blinking an eye.

“Um,” was the only coherent thing I could say as I gingerly walked back to my seat praying I wouldn’t scuff them.

“We’ll take them,” Thaddeus said when the attendant removed them from my feet.

My mouth dropped. I couldn’t let him get those. There was no way. “Thaddeus,” I whispered while she took the shoes to the counter.

“Stop. Don’t say anything.” He stepped close to my ear. “Your face lit up when you saw those shoes. I don’t care how much they cost; it’s worth seeing that smile. I’ve only seen it one other time.”

“When?”

“The day I kissed you.” He lightly brushed his soft lips against my cheek and he took my hand.

Amaya was standing near the counter when she heard the total amount for the shoes. She gave me a mean look, and I couldn’t understand what the reason was for that. Thaddeus carried the bag with my shoes in it, and we headed back outside.

None of us really said anything as we headed back to the hotel. Amaya’s face said everything I wanted to know; she was mad and there’s no doubt about it.

The boys went to their room while we went to ours. I caught Gia’s glance to her, and then she rolled her eyes. I thought Amaya was carrying her distaste for Oliver a little far. She really did need to give it a true chance. I think Gia was feeling the same way. Amaya was slamming and banging all around the room putting her items away.

Gia set her bags on the bed and went over to the adjoining door knocking on it loudly. “Could you two come over here?” she asked Thaddeus, who opened the door. Oliver and he walked into our room.

“Oliver, I’m sorry to ask you this because I know that you’ve been walking all over this city with us, but I think it’s time to go home. Could we leave tonight? Like right now?” Gia crossed her arms, and I could hear the sadness in her voice.

“Are you sure? I thought you wanted to sightsee tomorrow.” Oliver asked.

“No, I’m sick and tired of Amaya’s attitude.” Gia told them matter-of-factly.

“Hey,” Amaya whined.

“I don’t want to hear it, Amaya.” Gia, who has never raised her voice, shouted at her. “You haven’t been happy since we left Unit.” She stepped up closer to her. “All I wanted was one weekend with my two best friends. I was so excited about this. I hoped to hold on to one fantastic memory. Soon, it will all be Unit business and protect our people with Xaviera. But, no, you want to be mad at the world because you didn’t get your way. I thought for once that you would have put aside your bitchiness for me.” Gia’s face was full of hurt, and I saw a single tear fall.

Amaya hung her head. I wasn’t sure if it was the embarrassment from Gia’s words, or if she realized that she was really ruining this weekend, or both.

“Princess?” Oliver looked over to me waiting for the order. Even though it was Gia’s weekend, I was still their Princess. I nodded to him. “We’ll pack up then.” Oliver looked between the three of us before heading across the threshold to their room. Thaddeus followed him.

Gia grabbed her bag and began putting her clothes into it. Amaya was still staring at her feet. I decided that we were really leaving, and I got my bag ready to pack.

“Okay, stop.” Amaya raised her head. “We’re not leaving yet. I’m sorry.”

“You seemed to be saying that a lot.” Gia’s deadpanned voice echoed in the room.

“Alright, I get it. I’ve been a little selfish lately. I’m just as sad as you two are about our lives changing.” She sniffed as a tear fell from her eye.

“How about this?” I took Gia’s hand and reached for Amaya’s. She laced her fingers in mine, and I guided her over to where we were standing. “Let’s finish this weekend on a high note. We’ll have a great dinner tonight wherever Gia wants, and then tomorrow we’ll be the three biggest tourists this city has ever seen. Deal?”

“Deal,” Amaya’s voice was more cheerful.

We both look at Gia, who smiled. “Deal.”

“See, and we didn’t even need Gia to tell us to be happy.” I smiled at them.

Amaya told the boys that we were staying, and we all ended up resting before getting ready for dinner.

Dinner had been the most fun I had in a long time. We told stories of our childhood, silly things we loved growing up and a passion for reality TV shows. My throat hurt I was laughing so much at them.

When we finished, Oliver paid again, and we traveled back up to our rooms. The three of us stayed up late still enjoying our time together. Amaya finally asked the question that Gia had been dreading, who did she think her Matched was?

“I really don’t know. I’ve thought of everyone and anyone, and I can’t seem to think of whom my parents would have picked,” she said sadly.

“You really thought it was Oliver didn’t you?” Amaya asked.

She nodded.

“Well, don’t feel bad about it, I thought mine was going to be Thaddeus. Heck, we’ve all been wrong. But I’m sure your mom and dad picked well for you.” Amaya hugged her tightly.

“You know,” Gia sat back down on the bed, “Oliver and you seemed pretty good together. I mean, have you tried to give it a chance?”

“Truthfully, no I haven’t really given him a fair shot. And,” she leaned in closer to us, “I was a little turned on when he yelled at me.”

We all burst into a fit of laughter.

“Anyway,” Amaya said when we calmed down. “I’m going to take Xaviera’s advice and when I get back to Unit I will really try.” She smiled. “I mean, it’s working out for Thaddeus and you, right?”

“Yeah,” I agreed. “I think we’re doing okay.” I saw in Amaya’s face a hint of anger before she quickly recovered with a smile.

“Well, that’s great. Let’s hit the bed, girls, we’re going to have a busy day tomorrow.”

We agreed and turned off the light.

~~~

The Statue of Liberty, the Met, the New York City Library, if it was a landmark, we saw it.

“Okay, what’s the last place on your list?” I asked biting into my soft pretzel.

“Empire State Building, and then we have seen it all.” Gia’s face was as bright as the sun. She was having a blast, and I couldn’t help feeling the same way. Gia deserved it. She didn’t always have the greatest home life, but she didn’t talk about it a lot either.

We finished our snacks as we walked to the building. Thaddeus and Oliver were real troopers this time because we were constantly making them take pictures of us in front of everything. They never complained at any request.

The elevator ride to the top kept making me nervous. I’d never been the biggest fan of heights. It seemed strange to me because I wanted to travel so much and that required an airplane the majority of the time.

We reached the top, and it was breathtaking. My eyes couldn’t understand what I was seeing, but it was beautiful. Thaddeus took several pictures of us, and we gawked at everything. Amaya was braver than I was and looked over the side. Even Gia peeked. I stepped away from the side. My stomach jumped just thinking about it, so I knew not to look at all.

I felt Thaddeus taking my hand and lead me to the other side of the building.

“We haven’t really had a moment alone,” he said.

“It’s Gia’s weekend,” I reminded him.

“I know, but I at least wanted to spend some time with you.” He kissed my forehead, causing my pulse to race.

“Sorry, but this was a
girl’s
weekend,” I firmly told him trying to hold back my laughter.

“Ah, I do remember you yelling that to me,” he teased back.

“That’s right, you forbade me to come. I do recall that.” I winked at him, and his signature smirk appeared.

He leaned in closer to my ear. “I also recall that I haven’t kissed you in a very long time.” My body betrayed me, yet again, and it released a moan. “I’ll take that as you miss me.”

“What’s with all this flirting?” I asked trying not to think about his lips on mine.

“Am I that bad at it?” Thaddeus pulled back from my face.

“Maybe I’m more surprised that you’re so good at it.” Actually, I’m very shocked of his current abilities. I’m sure I suck at the whole process, but he seems to be a natural. Thaddeus’ face fell a little, and I wondered what he was thinking right then. “Hey, what is it?”

He was going to say something, but Gia interrupted us. “Ready to head back, or do you two need a minute?” she looked between us.

“We’re ready,” Thaddeus answered for us even though I wanted him to answer me. I felt like there was something he was hiding.

Chapter 10

Getting to Know Your Matched

The drive back from New York City was uneventful, but I couldn’t wait for the next time I traveled somewhere. The downside was: the exhaustion.

Oliver dropped Gia off first. He took Thaddeus and me to his car and then he took Amaya to her house.

“Did you have a good time?” Thaddeus asked as he took me home.

“Oh my word, I had a blast,” I said excitedly.

“I’m glad that you had a wonderful time.” He kissed the back of my hand while keeping his eyes on the road.

Mom and Dad were both at work when I got home. I was thankful, so I could take a nap before they got home, and they bombarded me with questions about the trip. Well, at least Mom would.

“Are you working today?” I asked as he helped me bring in all my items.

“No, I took today off. Why, you want to do something?” He stood by the door, looking unsure of coming all the way into the house without my parents there.

“Actually,” I gave him a sad smile. “No, I’m so tired right now.”

“No problem. We’ll get together later.” He kissed my cheek.

My cheek?

We were alone in my house, and he kissed my cheek. In fact, he seemed to be acting strange since we visited the Empire State Building.

“Thaddeus,” I said his name right before he walked out the door. He turned and stared at me with a blank expression. It’s the one I’ve seen on his face a thousand times growing up. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“I guess I’m tired too.” He shrugged leaving me standing there in my living room.

I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of my soul that something was off with Thaddeus.

Could he just be tired?

I mean we all had been tired on the ride home, but I didn’t think that was it, either.

Maybe I’m overthinking everything because I’m tired. I mean this is Thaddeus. He can be quiet at times.

I didn’t think about it anymore. I gathered up all my stuff went to my room and headed right for the bed.

~~~

Thaddeus: Sorry, I’m working late again.

That was the fourth time this week that I tried to get Thaddeus to hang out, and he wasn’t able to.

Although, I’ve never felt this feeling before, I felt like he was dodging me. As if he didn’t want to see me anymore.

Could that be true?

“Xaviera, do you need a ride home?” My dad asked me when I had punched out from my shift at the bank.

I shook my head. “No, thanks. I think I’m going to walk.”

“Where’s Amaya?”

“Dad, don’t use that stern voice with me. I’m in Unit. I’ll be fine to walk a mile home.” I didn’t think he was going to let me go.

“Okay,” he kissed the top of my head, “I’ll see you at home.”

The sun washed over me when I stepped out of the bank. I tried to figure out what was going on with Thaddeus. Maybe he was that busy at work? I know he talked about the new project and how demanding the client was, so could I be overthinking this?

Then again, we’ve not physically spoken since he left my house that day. It’s been short texts and nothing else.

The click-clack of my heels echoed off the sidewalk. It’s been over a month and a half since my birthday and maybe Thaddeus realized this isn’t what he wanted.

Do I feel the same?

I like Thaddeus, a lot, and even though I know things about him, I don’t really know him.

Is that our problem?

Maybe we rushed through it?

Should we slow things down?

I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going. I kept walking in the direction my feet were taking me. I continued to think about Thaddeus, which led me to think about school. My final semester was about to start. It was shocking to me that I was this close to being done.

I had worked hard to finish early. Between the extra classes and the few summer sessions, I could see the finish line. If I left Unit, I would need every ounce of work experience, education, and dime I could save.

Where would I go if I did leave?

New York City?

The place was amazing, but I don’t think I could live there.

Would I just move into the city?

That’s what a lot of Unit citizens did when they left. There were always a few exceptions to that but only a few.

What if I hopped on the first plane out of Unit not caring where it went to?

I’m not sure I’m that adventurous. I would need a little planning before I left.

Or if I left?

I looked up and realized that my feet carried me to Thaddeus’ house. I had no intentions coming this way, none at all. I went to turn and leave when I saw Mrs. Edwards in the front yard watering her plants.

My mom and Mrs. Edwards have been close all their lives, even more than just their professional relationship. They remind me a lot of Amaya and me. Gia was a close friend too, but I felt that Amaya and I were closer. She and I were polar opposites on some ideals, but that’s what gave us the strong bond of friendship.

When I approached the house, I had a fear that she might not be able to answer the questions that I have. “Mrs. Edwards?”

She turned. Her brown hair matched Thaddeus’ and was hanging loose around her shoulders. Even though she was watering plants, she was in a pair of khaki dress pants, an ivory color top and heels.

“Princess, this is a pleasant surprise.” She stopped her task and walked over to me. She gave me a tight hug. “Thaddeus isn’t here, dear.”

“I know, he told me. I was,” I paused. I don’t know if I should say anything. “I was wondering if I could talk to you.”

“Of course, let’s sit.” She pointed to her bench on the front porch. “Would you like something to drink?”

“No, thank you. I’m sorry to come over uninvited.”

“Please, you’re the Princess, my son’s Matched, my best friend’s daughter; you’re more than welcome to come over anytime.” She waved her hand. “What did you want to talk about? I’m assuming Thaddeus.”

“I’m not sure if it’s proper, but I was wondering a few things.”

“Well, with all due respect if I don’t want to answer them, then I’ll tell you. So, fire away.” She crossed her legs and faced me.

“I have a feeling Thaddeus is hiding something and he is dodging me?” I was shocked that those words left my mouth. I actually asked it.

“Mr. Edwards and Thaddeus have been very busy. This new client they acquired has been very demanding. Plus,” she paused for a moment, and I thought she wasn’t going to say anymore, but she did. “Okay, here’s the deal. Thaddeus has a lot to prove because he’s Jax’s son. He’s fresh out of school, and he needs to show everyone at the firm that he wasn’t just handed this job. He needs to make them see he was given this job for his smarts and talents. Do you understand?”

I nodded. “Thaddeus needs to show he didn’t get the job because he’s the boss’ son.”

“Yes. You also have to know that Thaddeus is very hard working and determined. When he sets his mind to something, that’s it, he doesn’t see anything else until he’s done. He gets that from his father.” She smiled. I knew that she was as hard working.

“I felt like he was keeping something from me. Like a secret.” I shook my head, unsure of how to explain my uneasy feeling.

“Thaddeus isn’t the most expressive person sometimes. I think Unit girls forget something very important at times.”

“What’s that?” I furrowed my brow at her.

“Unit boys haven’t been in a relationship either. They’ve never kissed, dated, held hands, nothing before they were Matched. When Mr. Edwards and I became Matched, I was very selfish, and my mother reminded me of that too,” she explained.

“Mom did the same to me when we talked about the kiss.” I felt my cheeks heating up as I said it.

Mrs. Edwards giggled. “Just remember that Thaddeus is new at this too.”

I nodded understanding that I shouldn’t be overthinking every detail of our relationship.

Relationship?

There is a word I would have to get used to.

“May I ask another question?” I needed to remain quiet, but my curiosity was taking over my rational thinking.

“Sure.”

“Dad told me the story of how we were Matched, but why didn’t you pick Amaya? You seemed to be close to her family too, and she seems more of Thaddeus’ type.”

Mrs. Edwards looked away from me. I watched as she studied the pink and purple flower that bloomed on her front porch.

“Princess,” she finally spoke turning back to me. “I’ve known you since the day your mother called me to say she was pregnant. I have watched you grow into this beautiful, smart, caring person. Amaya has a lot of good qualities about her. She does. But,” Mrs. Edwards collected her thoughts before she continued, “I have a firm belief if you stay in Unit you should follow the traditions here. Granted, Thaddeus wanted to leave, and I did convince him to stay. However, he still obeys the rules.”

I remained quiet thinking over the words that she was saying to me.

“Amaya has no regard for the rules. I think people should express themselves openly, but one shouldn’t intentionally hurt people’s feelings. Thaddeus and Amaya would have never gotten along. And besides that,” she leaned in closer to me, “I know that Thaddeus really loves you. Give him time, you’ll see it for yourself.”

The gasp left my mouth before I could cover it.

Love?

Thaddeus loved me?

There was no way.

The sound of Thaddeus’ car rolling into the driveway made my heart stop. I really didn’t want to see him or him know that I was poking around in his business.

Thaddeus and Mr. Edwards got out of the car. Thaddeus has on a navy blue suit with a white dress suit and bright blue tie that hung loosely around his neck.

“What are you doing here?”

I couldn’t tell if he was mad or not.

“She came to visit me,” Mrs. Edwards answered. “I thought you boys were going to work late?”

“Thaddeus saved the day, and we were able to leave earlier than expected.” Mr. Edwards slapped him on the back with a proud smile. Thaddeus gazed at the ground. “Princess, you look lovely this evening.”

“Thank you, Mr. Edwards. I should be going.” I turned back to Mrs. Edwards. “Thank you very much.”

“Stay for dinner. I haven’t spent much time with Thaddeus and you since you’ve been Matched.” Mr. Edwards’ command boomed.

“I haven’t cooked anything. I thought you two were going to be late, and Dina is over at the Johnson’s training again,” Mrs. Edwards said.

“Then we’ll all go out,” he said. “I need to put these in my office.” He held up a folder of papers and Mrs. Edwards followed him inside.

“Thaddeus, I’ll leave. I didn’t mean to cause trouble.” I stood up and headed around him.

He grabbed my wrist stopping me. “Stay, I want you to.” I could see the truth in his eyes, and a small smile on his face. “I was going to call you and let you know I was off early.” His thumb rubbed the inside of my wrist, running a shiver through me.

“I was here to talk to your mom. I wasn’t trying to intrude.” I look down at our connectionof his large hand on my small wrist.

“You’re not,” his deep voice rang in my ears and his thumb circles against my skin.

“Alright, kids, let’s go.” Mrs. Edwards came out, and we headed to her Mercedes. Thaddeus opened the door for his mother first, and then for me. I wonder if I’d ever grow old of the chivalrous act.

~~~

Dinner wasn’t awkward, but it was different being with the Edwards’ without my parents. I guess this was something I was going to have to learn to do on my own. I was the future leader of Unit.

Mr. Edwards had asked me questions about school and my future plans. I tried to answer everything as diplomatic as I could without stepping on anyone’s toes. Luckily, Thaddeus was there to save me a lot of the time.

The greatest part of the whole evening; Thaddeus held my hand the entire time except when we were eating.

The drive back to Unit was quieter and when we pulled into the driveway, I thanked the Edwards’ for a lovely evening. Mrs. Edwards hugged me wishing me good luck. Her talk helped me a lot, and I don’t think I could express how appreciative I was for it.

“I’m taking Xaviera home,” Thaddeus said to his parents as they went into the house.

Our drive was quiet, and I enjoyed it. I’ve become accustomed to Thaddeus holding my hand all the time now.

When he parked in the driveway, he didn’t get out right away. “I’m sorry that I have been busy lately.”

“I understand that you’ve been working. I get it,” I tell him. I figured that now was a good time to talk to him. “Thaddeus, do you feel that we’re rushing? I mean, I feel like we still need to know more about each other.”

“Well, I didn’t think we were moving fast, but I do agree that we need to spend more time together.” He winked at me causing me to laugh.