~ Time can't cure eternal longing. ~

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Important note: The chapter which was previously marked as Chapter 2 has been merged together with Chapter1 and Chapter 3 as CHAPTER 1 now. Chapter 4 and 5 is CHAPTER 2. You might want to go back and re-read Chapter 1 again, just to get a hang of the story. Also, I apologize for the inconvenience.

***

Then fucking do it now!!!!" I yell into the phone before tossing it across the room, letting it shatter against the wall. I am not angry. I am fucking furious right now. The need to go and strangle someone is too much. Do I seem like a joke to them? I have been staying calm ever since I reached here. It's been seventeen years now. Seventeen fucking years. How long do I have to wait for more? My whole life? I laugh to myself at the irony. Whole life? That would be very exhausting now.

I need to go for a drive and perhaps, catch hold of the waitress working at the Granny's breakfast diner. She was really good. I had a good time with her in the past couple of months. She never questions my intentions just surrenders obediently to my needs. Like a good girl. Just the way I like it. Sad that I will be leaving soon. Not that anyone can change my mind.

Taking my car keys in hand, I go down to the underground garage and drive one of my many cars towards the diner. I can't wait to release some frustration before leaving this godforsaken place once and for all.

I drive down the highway humming to one of the songs playing on the radio. Yeah, that's what my life has come down to ever since I decided to settle here. I mentally cringe. But then almost missing, my eyes suddenly catch a glimpse of a female figure in the rearview mirror walking down the pavement. My body jerks forward because of the sudden halt as I hit the brakes. I hurriedly get down from the car and the next thing I see, blows my mind away.

I looked at the girl walking down the street. Dressed in a black tube top and pants with a grey pleated blazer, she walked confidently in her Chucks oblivious to the people around her as she seemed to be in her own world while typing into her phone furiously. She looked around like she was waiting for someone until a car came from the opposite side of the road and stopped right in front of her. Her eyes lit up and she beamed at the guy who got down from the car and placed his hand at the small of her back, guiding her towards the passenger seat. After that, they drove off just like that.

I could just stand there. Honestly, I just needed time to process. It was her and yet it wasn't. I have waited for so long to get her back and now just when I have reached the brink and decided to give up, she appears in my life like an angel. I have not led a carefree life here. Every time I needed to keep in mind that my actions had consequences that I might not be able to deal with later so yes, I was patient for the first few years but then slowly it started to run thin.

That's when I decided to have a little fun with others. I did not know how to express my emotions back then. I felt defeated. I had no way out and no one to guide me anymore. For years, I have been waiting to have her back in my life even though everyone said I was being ridiculous and I had too much pride to admit that she would never be back. Not once, did I give up on her? She promised, right? She did promise.

But time takes its toll too. In due course of time, our hearts start craving for affection again. It needs to be tended with love. But when it has stayed barren for a long time, feelings start to wither just like those flowers left unattended.

That is how I ended up having fun with other women here. I knew and had to accept at the end that she wasn't coming back to me ever. She was gone and I had to come to terms with that fact. In the beginning, it wasn't all that bad but then it started to get on my nerves. Women would cling just after one night stands when they were already informed earlier that I am only up for the sex and don't really give two fucks about relationship and shit. They come bawling their eyes out and keep waiting outside my house gate.

Thanks to my father for arranging an excellent security system otherwise by now there would have been a long queue of girls inside my house waiting to massacre me. Like they could even if they wanted? I thought to myself. But then eventually, it started to bore me. I was tired and I found it monotonous. Yes, I was laughing and I had beautiful, gorgeous women in my arms all day long yet the nights felt cold and harsh. I felt terribly lonely and regardless of what I did, dreams about her would haunt me whenever sleep came. I will never be ready to let her go.

That is why I tried calling up my father today to inform I have had enough and was planning to come back soon. But instead, I got to talk to his right-hand man who upon hearing the news that I planned to come back, didn't take it in a good way. Long story short, we argued for a couple of minutes back and forth, then I finally lost it and yelled at him before hanging up and breaking my phone.

But now, I finally have a purpose. She is here and looks like being here all these years wasn't a waste after all. With that thought, I smiled to myself and walked back towards the car. I decided to take a U-turn and head back to my place. Now I have to plan. A lot of planning is to be done. In the midst of all these thoughts encircling my mind, I somehow felt my heart start to beat again. I fell like I was falling in love all over once again.

***

So the next couple of weeks, I simply followed her. I hired another one of my close friends to follow her whenever I had work to do.

Apparently, her name is June Morrison and she is seventeen years old. An only child to Robert and Julia Morisson. She has three friends who are close to her- Naomi, Nick and Ricky. Ricky. I don't even know this guy personally but I am already suppressing this urge inside me to smash his face. He was the guy who drove her away the other day. They seemed impossibly close and I did not like that, not even a bit.

Drumming my fingers on the table, I wait for Scott to show up here and further update me about her. June.

Just then there is a knock on the door and I reply with an "Enter." Seeing Scott my mood immediately perks up cause I can't wait to know more about her.

''What have you got for me? I hope some good news," I question Scott as I gesture for him to take a seat on one of the couches and pour both of us a drink. Leaning back against the couch while swirling my drink around in my glass, I eye him suspiciously as he looks reluctant to speak up.

"Is anything bothering you?" I try it again.

He sighs before shaking his head and looking up at me. "It's time to go back Your Highness."

I didn't miss how he addressed me as highness and not by my name. That is quite unusual unless there is someone creating trouble outside.

Just then the door to my study flew open and in walked my father's right-hand man, Mr Ostemis. Hiding my surprise on seeing his sudden visit behind a fake smile, I already knew he had bad news for me.

"To what do I owe this pleasure of you personally coming down to visit me Mr Ostemis?" I asked while raising my eyebrow at him.

"The King has ordered for you to come back immediately Prince. You have already delayed your coronation for a long time now and things are required to be set in place." I didn't miss how he emphasized on the word length.

"Last we spoke, you weren't exactly okay with me returning back. In fact, I remember you arguing trying to persuade me to stay here a little longer, "I finished while taking another sip of my drink and setting the glass down on the table.

"So, my question now is what changed your mind?" my gaze hardens as I stare at him.

He flinches under my gaze as if I burn him. Then slowly he looks up and smirks while saying, "The king has arranged for you to marry Lady Catherina and soon after that, you both can take your place as rightful king and queen. The sooner the better, your father's words, not mine." He completes bowing slightly.

There was absolute silence in the room. I was seething with anger and all I saw was red. How dare he? How dare my father go behind my back and arrange my marriage? And Lady Catherina is like a sister to me. Well, half-sister if that even counts. But I have been nothing but kind towards her.

I knew her mother was behind this idea. That woman has been eyeing the throne for a while now. So, she somehow wants to make sure that Catherina sits on the throne as queen beside me. That greedy bitch. She might have convinced father but she has to go through me and moreover, Catherina needs to spend her life with someone she loves and cherishes and I sure as hell am not the suitable candidate.

"You can leave now," that's all I say to Mr Ostemis before turning my back and walking towards the stack of files I had in June.

"But..." he starts and even before he has a chance to continue, I calmly speak, "You have ten seconds to leave the room. Don't leave and there will be consequences."

I don't know if I actually intimidated him or it was the finality in my voice while I spoke but soon after, he left without a word. I know he was running his ass off to report things to father. Or my dear stepmother, maybe.

"You know you need to go back," Scott starts.

I completely forgot his presence in the room. Surprised, I look up at him. "You too think that?"

"Listen here. I have always been there for both you and her. It's never going to be Catherina or any other woman for that matter. But you need to take your responsibilities too. You have never returned once you settled here. It's been seventeen years. War is about to break out soon and your father is ageing. He has already given you a lot of time. You need to take responsibility for the kingdom and its people as the next king."

"And talking about June, we have already found her. The wait is finally over. How long do you plan on following her around like a creep?" he finished and looked up at me waiting for an answer.

I knew he was right. He didn't have to list those things down for me. But I did not even meet June yet. I just saw her and she doesn't even know who I am. Why didn't I ever think that? Was I expecting her to jump into my arms the moment she recognized me?

She will never recognize me. She won't even be remembering anything. I thought to myself.

"Let me pay my father a visit soon. I know how to deal with him but before that, I just want to meet her once," I reply to Scott.

"Good plan. You need to go and restore your powers too before coming back here. You haven't used them in a while and now since the news of June appearing in your life again will be all over the kingdom once you inform the king that means her life will be under threat," he finished.

"I hear there is a party today at her friend's place which means she will be there. I am definitely going." I say to my friend.

So fast forward few hours and here I am now at a high school party among a bunch of immatures who thinks they know it all and search among the faces for my girl.

I hear some commotion more like laughter and wooting on my right and follow the crowd. There she is drunk and dancing standing on top of a table with only a bra and jean on.

Where is the fucking top?

Doesn't she see how these horny fucks are eyeing and ogling at her? And people are recording it on their phones. Kids these days are ridiculous.

Just then I see her friend Ricky helping and guiding her inside the house. That brat better not take advantage of her. With that, I slowly follow behind them. He supports her up the stairs as she puts her arm around his neck and he holds her waist lightly and takes her to a room. He closes the door but I can still hear her giggles. She is drunk. I was about to barge into the room without a second thought, but a hand stops me. I look up and realize its Scott.

"You don't want to fuck this up. Trust me," he warns and as much as I hate to admit, I know he is right.

"I just want to look at her closely. That's all."

Just then as if on cue, Ricky emerges from the room and closes the door behind him. Without wasting another moment, I peek into the darkroom first and then slowly start walking towards the small sleeping figure. She has a quilt on her so her bare body is hidden. Thank god maybe this Ricky is not really an indecent guy.

I hover over her sleeping figure for a while before deciding to sit down beside her and before I can comprehend my next actions, I find myself caressing her cheek lightly. She is real and I have to fight back the tears that threaten to fall at this moment. It's been so long that I quite find it difficult to believe it myself.

She slowly stirs and my hand freezes on her cheek. I didn't mean to wake her up. She smiles and reaches out to hold my hand. Seizing the opportunity, I intertwine my fingers with her little ones. They fit perfectly.

But then as if she suddenly realised something, she opens up her eyes and stares at me. I can see the look of surprise and disappointment in her eyes. Of course, she was surprised to see a random stranger holding her hand but I think she was expecting someone else. That explains her look of disappointment. I figured she could see my eyes clearly if not my face and I place a hand over her mouth, as she opens it to scream.

Then slowly I move towards her ear and whisper "Sleep June. We will be meeting soon."

After glancing back at her sleeping figure one last time, I finally decide it's time to pay the King a visit.

***

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