his fingertips and brought it up and over my head, just like a groom would do to his bride at their wedding with her veil.
My smile grew at the look in his eyes as he studied my face, and my heart ached some more, realizing that this could be the very last time I would ever see this loving look. The very last time I ever get to see those kind eyes. The very last time I see this beautiful smile.
“Wow! You look absolutely stunning, Princess,” he said in genuine awe, and I felt as if the tears I was choking with were going to fall so soon. “Let me guess, Janna’s idea?” he asked and I just smiled. I was glad when Mona interrupted us with her, ‘‘I’m ready,” seeing that she was now dressed all in black, as well.
“I should go,” I said when I turned to look back at him, my voice shaking slightly.
“Are you alright?” the prince asked in a whisper, stepping even closer to me. His hand touched my cheek tenderly, and without any effort from me, my eyes closed and my head leaned into his touch.
“Yeah,” I said when I’d composed myself the slightest bit, smiling a small smile.
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to, you know that, right?” he asked with now concerned eyes.
Oh, I wanted to go. But I still didn’t…
I nodded my answer, then asked, “Will you be okay?” as if he needed me to keep him okay or something. The truth was, I wanted to hear that he would be okay, just to please something inside of me. The ‘something’ that told me I could be hurting him by doing this.
The prince chuckled lightly. “Yeah, I’ll watch a movie or something to keep me company until you get back.” The big smile never left his beautiful face.
But I’m not coming back…
“Okay. Good,” was all I said, before turning to take a few steps towards where Mona was standing.
My steps were heavy, my heart was heavier, and I couldn’t understand why I was finding it so hard to get out of that living room. I should be running out of it like a bat out of hell or whatever. Why was I being like that?
My legs stopped in their tracks on their own, and out of nowhere, I found myself running back to the prince and standing in front of him just like I’d been before, or maybe closer. I answered his questioning look about my actions by pressing my lips to his, kissing him with everything in me that screamed at me to do it before I’ve lost it forever, because everything in me knew, that if I didn’t do just that right now, I’d wonder for the rest of my life why I didn’t, or how that very kiss–that I was kissing completely, willingly, and absolutely eagerly–would’ve felt.
His lips were hesitant for less than a moment before they started kissing mine with just as much passion as I was kissing him. His hand moved to hold me around my waist, hugging me to his body; my own hands did the same as they surrounded his neck, bringing him even closer to me–if it was possible–tangling my fingers in the soft, so very soft hairs on the back of his head.
I got to taste him when he deepened our kiss, got to feel his need for me when he pressed me tighter to his body, and got to hear his soft moan when I pulled his lip into my mouth.
One last time, I got to taste him. One last time, I got to feel him. One last time, I got to hear him. One last time.
When our kiss ended, there was a tear on the side of my face. The prince brushed it away with his thumb, then kissed my cheek right where the tear had lived just a second ago, whispering to me with his smiling lips, “We will talk when you come back, Beautiful Princess.”
I smiled with all of the power I could manage to force my lips, that were aching to touch his again, and then joined Mona by the door, who–by the way–was looking down at the floor and blushing deeply like a schoolgirl who’d just met her first crush. If I had it in me, I would’ve chuckled at how our kiss had made her look, so shy and almost embarrassed.
What I did, though, was touch my cross and hold it over