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Two Months Later

I tightly hold Logans sweaty hand and ring the doorbell. This was it. Logan looks at me frantically and I regret ringing the doorbell, maybe we should just run away. But alas, it was too late, dad had already swinged the door open and was glaring holes at Logan. I watch as he evidently gulps and hold my hand tighter.

"Merry Christmas Dad," I try to get around him with Logan still in shock. But the man was big and the man was dramatic so he wasn't going to let us in so easily.

"It's Christmas Eve Bambi, and I see you bought a little guest," I roll my eyes and try again to move around him but he doesn't budge.

"Not just any guest, her boyfriend," I hear mom swoon from the kitchen that smelled absolutely heavenly. I look at Logan who was looking at me with starry eyes, we hadn't labeled our relationship yet.

"Dad...," I lean onto dad and use all my power to push him in but that still doesn't work and instead leaves me a panting and angry mess.

"Old man..."

"Young woman," he interrupts.

"If you continue with this behaviour I will move out of here earlier than you anticipated," I had moved out of my apartment the day after me and Maximus ended whatever we had together. Solely because I didn't want to associate with him any longer so I moved to my parents house until I could find a decent apartment. The Landlord of my previous apartment was still making me pay half the rent until he found someone else. Absurd! I even reported him but apparently he can do that which was crazy and infuriating because he made it harder to save my money to go to New Zealand.

"Ahh no Bambi don't be like that," I gesture towards the door and he obliges with a huff still squaring up to Logan who was more quiet than he'd ever been. The smell was now even more taunting as I was inside. Sam was already sleeping on the couch as he busied himself with a cookie that may chock him granting the position he was in. He always spent Christmas eve with us and I spent Christmas with his parents and him. It was a tradition I did not want to break ever.

"Hey Ma! Hey Sam! Look who I bought," I gesture towards Logan like a trophy and stand up on a chair so that I'm taller than him and twirl him around. I was proud to have a normal 'friend' that my parents kind of liked. My dad kind of liked him because Logan was extremely amazing in football and knew all about his football. Mom liked him because he could cook and was a gentleman. I liked him because he was sweet and lovely and normal.

"Ey Logan! I missed you ma! Welcome to the Adams Christmas!" Sam gets off the couch and grabs my man from me already changing the topic to last nights football that I had watched too but wasn't so intrigued like Sam and Logan had been. The two men went rogue, literally.

I walk away from them and towards my mom who was over stressing herself over food. We all knew she could make noodles and they'd still taste amazing. She kisses my forehead and points towards Logan, "are you sure you aren't using him as a rebound guy..." she pauses, "because of the whole Prince Maximus thing? I mean don't get me wrong but I wouldn't want you to hurt Logan, he is a sweet guy," It kind of hurt that my own mom thought I was capable of hurting him. I didn't have strong feelings for Logan as I did for Maximus but they'd develop over time. Plus he took my mind off Maximus who always lingered there and I was grateful for it, he made moving on easier but that doesn't make him a rebound guy. I just liked him around.

"No, I kind of like him," she looks at me concerned and wipes her hands on her apron.

"Kind of isn't enough to form a relationship. He loves you, not kinda likes you," I look over at Logan who was already looking at me with a huge smile. I look over to my mom than him again, slowly coming to terms that he was a rebound guy and now I felt absolutely terrible doing that to him. The only reason I dated him was because of Maximus and not because of how amazing he was and how he treated me like a queen.

"I'm not that terrible I'm I?" Tears were threatening to fall at the thought that I was a terrible human being. I didn't like him at all and yet here I was using him. He was always there for me then we started kissing and touching but we never really labeled it. We were somewhat like batman and cat woman, always together but having no label.

"You aren't a terrible person, just don't lead him on, it's going to hurt him more with time," I nod and watch dad come into the kitchen to place a small kiss on mom's forehead before cupping her face in his large hands and admiring his wife with big starry eyes. It made my stomach turn, Logan looked at me like that and yet I couldn't ever think of being anything more than this unlabelled relationship. I was a terrible person and I knew it. It was one sided love, something no one should be put through.

I look over at Logan who was laughing at something Sam said. Why couldn't I love this perfectly normal person who made me laugh? What was wrong with me? I've been with him way longer than I've been with Maximus yet I still couldn't completely get a man I knew for so little time out of mind. I replaced him but he was still there, lingering in the corners of my head, reminding me that it was going to be extremely hard to replace him. Why did I like Maximus who came with painful fame more than this man that came with starry eyes and gentle kisses? Why couldn't I have chemistry with Logan as I did with Maximus? I liked Logan but not as much as I liked Maximus and giving my feelings time to develop would only end up with a result I knew deep down was inevitable.

He was now looking at me and gesturing towards the television. I look at it and freeze, talk of the devil. Maximus was giving a speech, camera lights flashing on his face. Logan pats the space on the couch next to me. He knew what me and Maximus had but yet here he was convincing me to sit down and listen to whatever he had to say. He wasn't jealous or anything, Logan was perfect. The prince charming I couldn't love.

Maximus was smiling, he looked vibrant and confident. I was happy that he was doing well and not looking like when I first met him. Maybe me stepping out of his life was needed. I glance at Logan, if Maximus has really moved on, there was no going back. He was clearly doing way better without me. But that doesn't mean I should continue leading on Logan.

"Today I will be making a huge announcement..." he continues talking about something but I dismiss it as I desperately wait for the announcement that comes next, "Rumours of me being a murder have been circulating for far too long without any proof. Tonight I stand here to prove them wrong. I did not deny them at first because I did not want to be seen as a privileged person who gets their way all the time. Tonight I stand with solid evidence. Before Christmas I would like all of us to have the spirit of love within us and that is why I want to clear my name before this night we all value," I smile at the fact that he took my advice. He was standing confidently clad in a black suit with his hair neatly combed back and a seriousness on his face that was rather appealing than intimidating.

"What I'm about to show is not for children audiences so please if you have a child in the room, switch this off immediately," we were all now circling around the television, every one focused at what spilled out of the princes mouth, what claims he had and if they were to be believed or not.

"I know showing evidence to everyone may not be appropriate but I want people to restore trust in me as I don't like to be hated for something I have not done. Now the video." A bad quality video that was taken from a CCTV camera is zoomed in from behind the prince. It was a video of two men talking as they plotted the whole situation, how they needed to jeopardise Maximus' reputation for the story and how the story was going to be their life changer. One of them was skeptical but the other one, the more wicked one assured him that they needed this and he skeptically obliged, taking the other one in a hole they could not come out of. A bulletin board behind them with pictures of the prince, the bridge where it all took place and two separate pictures of the kids with the word missing plastered on them. He points towards the date that is zoomed in. It was right before the deaths and the video continues to play as the two wicked men laugh. The video is zoomed in again at two moving objects and undoubtedly it was the kids all tied up and distressed in a corner of the room. The video plays for a little while before he turns it off and we are looking at his serious face again. Agony that he tried so hard to bury behind his seriousness was plastered all over his face. He coughs and briefly closes his eyes before opening them again.

"Now some of you may not believe me or even say that I made this evidence up that it is not enough nor does it prove anything, that I have the power to do so considering the time I took to address this issue but this is the truth I present to you and with it I hope you can be able to forgive me. The families of the kids deserve closure and I hope we all provide them that and pray for them. They knew of all this before I made it known to the world," he had no paper to read from as most people announcing something would. This was all from him. He wanted to show how sincere he was. My smile grows, it may not be enough but it was good of him to clarify. Some may not believe him but many will and many will trust him again and the humid air that had settled on us because of this whole unaddressed situation will finally be gone. This was a huge milestone for him and I felt extremely proud of him, my smile never faltered.

"Now that we are all aware of how dangerous some of the media is, how low they'd go for a good story. There are some initiatives that have been introduced to protect people from them. To shut down this whole organisational criminal activities, there are going to be trained government agents that will frequently monitor media organisations. Any sketchy stories and suspicious story fetching will be investigated thoroughly and actions will be taken against anyone who has tried to achieve a good story illegally," he pauses, "7 years imprisonment if no one was harmed and life imprisonment if anyone has been harmed. We will try our level best to ensure the media is cleaned thoroughly and there is no room for scams who jeopardise reputations and make celebrity lives as well as ordinary peoples lives feel threatened," he stares at the camera and nods, "Thank you. I hope I have cleared the air and that we will all have a Merry Christmas with a light heart because the truth has been shone on," the news goes back to the lady reporting and we all turn to look at each other.

"I liked his seriousness," Logan breaks the silence in between the five of us and we all nod in unison.

"Yeah that confidence was top notch, I liked it," my dad says and I watch as my mom discreetly elbows him. Of course he can't like what my ex 'thing' did in front of my current 'thing.'

The loud ping from the oven breaks the second awkward silence, "Anyways dinners ready!" I jolt up from the couch and head to the kitchen to offer help when in fact I was just trying to hide the pride and happiness on my face from Logan.

I smile at the hot chicken, "He did it."