章 406: Chapter 406
Christian looked at his phone. The third message from Nora lit up the home screen.
"I've been waiting for over an hour. I hope you are alright. I am extremely worried." It said. He had asked Derek and the hired driver along with the security behind them to stop halfway between the Detroit airport, where his jet landed, and her home. He sat there and collected his thoughts.
Should he let her go, should he just close it off and do what's right? He knew letting her go was the best thing for her. He knew she was in over her head and he was in no way going to be someone that could give her a normal life. And did he even want a normal life? He was 21. Was he ready for this? His mother was right. He was in no place to casually date. He shook his head. The thought of never seeing her again was more painful than the thought of hurting her by being in her life. Was that just selfish want?
"Derek." Christian said.
Derek turned around in the seat. "Yes, your majesty?"
"Can we talk? Outside?" He asked.
Derek looked around along the isolated road. He nodded and opened his door, then Christian's.
They stood there in silence as Derek lit a cigarette.
"May I?" Christian asked.
Derek looked at him, surprised.
"Of course." Derek said. He handed him one and lit it as Christian inhaled, choking and coughing.
After he got himself together, Christian sighed as he looked across a field of soy beans.
"I don't know what in the hell I am doing." He said to Derek. Derek nodded.
"Does anyone, really?" Derek asked.
"Probably not. But I should have it together a little more than most." Christian said.
"This is about the girl, isn't it?" Derek asked.
Christian nodded his head.
"I thought we were here, on the way to pick her up?" He asked.
Christian nodded again.
Derek paused and took a drag from his smoke. He looked out over the field and sighed.
"You never ask me about my personal life." Derek asked.
"Because personal means not to ask about it and that it's none of my business." Christian said.
"Or you assume I don't have one." Derek said.
"Well, I mean, you live at the palace and work pretty much 24/7 so it's a likely assumption." Christian said.
"I married my high school sweetheart when I was 20 years old, at the height of my rugby career. She was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She was cool, too. Like one of the fellas. Smart." He said. Christian looked over at him.
"We were best mates. Inseparable before my career really took off. But then, well, then came the fame. And all the things fame brought. Women practically threw themselves at me. And I gave in. There were so many women." He said, looking down. "I thought that because I married so young, that I was missing out. I thought that I'd regret only being with one woman, that I'd miss out on some amazing things that she held me back from."
Christian listened to him intently.
"So I cheated. I was out of control. And one day, she had enough and left me. I was still at the height of my career so I minimized it, pushed it to the side. Thought, I can do better anyway, I'm a famous rugby star." He said. "But the next year, I broke my ankle. Shattered it. It was repaired but career ending. And I went home to an empty house and bed. I had no one. I had to hire people to help me take care of myself during my recovery. Gone were the groupies, the party and hype friends, I was completely alone."
"I'm so sorry Derek." Christian said.
"And the worst part? She found a wonderful man, a musician. They married not long after my injury. They have three beautiful children, a lovely home in Cobham, Surrey. And me? I thought there would be so many better options, so many fish in the sea, right? Wrong. To this day, nearly 10 years later, no woman has even come close to comparing to her and I have no family, no best mate, and no partner for life." Derek said as he took the last drag from his cigarette and threw it on the ground.
"I would ask why you are telling me all this, but I believe I know." Christian said.
Derek nodded. "You already know the answers, you knew them before I told you anything."
Christian nodded. "Let's get back to it then, Kalamazoo is still 30 minutes away."
Derek patted Christian's shoulder. "Of course, your majesty." He said.
Christian smiled and took out his phone. "Terribly sorry. Car trouble. 30 minutes away. Cannot wait to see you." He wrote.
"Oh good! I was so worried. Thank god you are alright. I'm two drinks in so consider this your warning." She wrote. He smiled.
"Have another so I can take advantage of you on the plane." He wrote.
"I was hoping you would. ;)" she sent back. He made up his mind, regardless of all the fish in the sea, she was the catch he knew he couldn't throw back.
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