The Royal Contract

Damn! That hurt.

He silently contemplated within himself as he gently touched his broken lips and bruised cheeks. He just confirmed that his friend knew how to throw a mean punch.

He could tell that black and blue would cover his skin by morning, feeling the soreness of his injuries and a few blood stains covering his fingers and clothes.

"Fuck!" He cussed, realizing he was not alone in the room, sensing a movement near him.

He had initially thought she had left with David or walked out after what had happened. But he was mistaken as he felt her presence.

She probably wanted to slap him or curse him for his unforgivable actions. He could not blame her. He believed he deserved it. His physical pain was no match for what he had caused her.

He also thought apologizing would never be enough, especially after the humiliation she experienced because of him.

"Are you alright?" He heard her ask as he felt her fingers on his shoulder.

He was not expecting the concern in her voice. He thought she would lash out at him and call him names after the earlier incident, but not the calmness he detected in her tone.

When he tilted his head and looked up, he was surprised to see hesitation, a bit of awkwardness, but not a sign of anger in her sad smile.

"If you are waiting for another apology, Roseann, I am sorry." He stated as he stared into her eyes. "But I don't think that would be adequate for making up for what I did." He admitted how wrong he was.

How could he be so stupid and careless with his actions? He should not be drinking more than his limit, knowing that irrational things happen when under the influence of alcohol.

He should have known better. Now, he could only regret the mess he had made. Still, he should not use drunkenness as an excuse.

He made a mistake, and he should own to it. But that was not all. He had to find a way to rectify it. However, how could he correct such a mistake?

"I don't deserve your forgiveness, but if you wish to slap my face or throw things at me, go ahead." He mentally prepared himself for what would happen next, but she neither said nor did anything.

He helped himself off the floor while she insisted on assisting him back on his feet. Still, she remained silent as if contemplating her following words.

"I won't take it against you if you don't want to see me again." He paused as he stretched his body to his full height. "If you hate me..."

He closed his eyes, feeling the pain in his sides. "I deserved it." But the ache was nothing compared to the guilt that consumed him.

He opened his eyes, shifting his face down until he was face to face with her as he waited for her reaction, already resigning to his fate.

However, he would hate to lose a friend. In the short time he had known her, he had liked her. Unfortunately, he only saw her as a friend, nothing more.

His heart belonged to one woman. Damn! Suddenly, his heart sunk to the bottom of his stomach, seeing her face in his mind. How could he explain this to her?

"I don't hate you, Adam. I don't think that..." She halted as she slightly hesitated while fidgeting with her fingers before her. "I meant we are equally at fault. It would not have happened if I did not let it."

He could hear the jitter in her voice as she admitted to being at fault. Still, he could not let her take the blame. His friend was right. He had taken advantage of her.

"No. You..." Adam negated her statement. However, she also interrupted him.

"Hey, I understand that this is just a misunderstanding. Besides, we are friends. I am sure we can clear this matter as two reasonable adults." She rationalized, giving him hope to salvage the situation.

"My actions were hardly acceptable and forgivable." He still felt terrible about his uncharacteristic behavior.

"Why don't you sit down so we can talk about it?" She looked at the couch before turning toward the kitchen, probably deciding that was not a good idea.

"And let me look at your face." She suggested as she strode to his fridge. He had no choice but to follow her.

"You know you don't have to do that." He did not need her to fix his injuries. He had dealt with worse, but she was already taking some ice cubes from his freezer.

He watched her wrap the ice cubes in a clean blanket while he sat on one of the stools by the kitchen counter.

"But I want to, and besides, I have some questions. I think you owe me some answers while I deal with those bruises." She also moved to his bathroom to get his first aid kit.

He could not help but agree with her. He also thought he should give her some explanation. Besides, he also had questions of his own.

Like, how did Roseann know David? He noticed how his friend had addressed her with concern, at the same time, anger. He believed they were somewhat close. Friends? Relatives?

It appeared he barely knew her much, although they had discussed a few personal things. It was apparent he still had more to discover about her.

"David?" He stated and quickly added his clarification. "How do you know him?" He was curious as she sat on the vacant chair beside him. Stay tuned with m,v le,mpyr

She dropped the pack of ice on the counter while she had arranged the antiseptic, cotton, and bandages on the counter.

"I am about to ask you the same question." She mildly made a nervous laugh as if wanting to dispel the awkwardness of their situation.

Then, she cleared her throat while she faced him with cotton and the antiseptic in her hands. He could still see her anxiousness, but she still kept her composure.

"This might hurt." She warned him as he waited for her answer.

"Ouccchhh!" That stung as he slightly winced. He had worse injuries than this before, but it did not mean he was immune to the pain.

"I told you." She pulled the cotton away from his wound while busying her other hand with the bandage.

"Anyway, David is my soon-to-be brother-in-law." She casually told him as she gently dabbed the medication on the cut on his lower lip. "What about Serena? What is her story?"

He guessed the only way to clear the air and explain things would be by telling the truth. He had to make her understand their situation.

He could only conclude that it was storytelling time for both of them.