Her Betrothed Prince CHAPTER 6 by Jennifer Brunner (books suggested by elon musk .txt) 📖

Chapter 6
Landon’s P.O.V.
***
As I pulled my shirt cleanly over my head I heard a knock on the door. “Yeah?” I looked up as it slowly creaked open.
Symphony peeked her head in the door shyly and I smiled back at her.
“The party is tomorrow. Is there anything I should be a wear of? I dunno, like something I should never mention?” She walked into the room as graceful as a prompt cat would and sat on the edge of the bed.
I walked over to my hamper and put my shirt in, then I took off my sweat pants.
“Oh! Sorry.” A wobbly smile was forced onto her face. “I-I will just go.” She got up to leave.
“No, no!” I rushed over to her side. “If this makes you uncomfortable I can just put them back on.”
Her mouth screwed to one side of her face and her eyes were squinted. “Hmm...? I just thought you would want your privacy. You don’t have to,” She mumbled something, “Besides, it is really hot and humid.”
“I have air conditioning.” I was starting to think she wanted to see me undressed fully. I smiled a little.
“What?” Her face went back to normal except her eyebrows rose. “Did you hear that?”
“Hear what?” I grabbed her hand and raised it to my lips.
Then a knock came. “Mr. Taylor?” Colin called through the closed door.
I dropped Symphony’s hand back down to her side. “What?” I called back. It was nearly eleven at night, for crying out loud!
I opened the door enough for him to see I was getting ready for bed. “Can it wait until the morning?”
“You have a guest.”
“Tell them I am in bed—.” I replied.
“With Miss Symphony?”
“Not like that!” I hissed and he laughed. “And I am not to be disturbed.”
He put the subject back onto the more inappropriate convocations. He looked me up and down. “By the looks of it...” Colin trailed off.
“I was getting ready to go to sleep.” He nodded with a smile—a smile—on his face. I don’t think I had ever seen him smile. “And if you bring it up again—”
“Landon?” Symphony asked in a small voice. That made Colin’s smile go from ear to ear.
“Just get a room ready for whoever it is. I will see them tomorrow.”
“Do you want to know who it is?”
I jerked my head towards the room, “If you want me to spill the beans,” I sighed lightly, “I was working up to it before you knocked.”
Colin smiled in smugness. “Do you want to know?”
“Damn it Colin! No, NO! Leave me alone.” I slammed the door in his face.
I went into the bathroom and brushed my teeth. When I walked back out Symphony was changing taking off her t-shirt. Her back was towards me.
I looked to see if the marks I saw were just an illusion of the mind. Like my brain was creating bruises and scratches so that I felt like a hero. Like someone to save Symphony from something bad in her life.
The marks were there still and it looked like it could fit a fist the size of mine. I walked over to her and touched the small of her back.
“Ohmigod!” She jumped, but then she turned to face me. “You scared me.” Her arms wound around my neck.
“Sorry.” I kissed her forehead gently. I was debating if I should ask about the bruises when another knock echoed the room. “Damn, just when things get interesting.” I gave her a swift kiss on the mouth. “I’ll be right back.”
She grabbed my hand. “No. I’ll get it. You sit and relax. Besides, if it’s Colin you probably will punch him.” She drew her robe off the hook and slid into it.
I climbed into our bed and settled back into the cushiony pillows.
“Landon?” Symphony called in a shaky voice.
I jolted over to her side and slid the door open wider.
“Landino!”
“Kim.” I nodded towards her. “How are you?”
“Hayden divorced me, I have no place to go, and I’m seven months pregnant.”
“I see that. I’m so sorry about the divorce though.” She kept a sharp eye on Symphony and I did not like that. I turned to Symph. “Kim, this is my fiancée Symphony. Symphony this is my ex-best friends ex-wife Kim—who I have not seen sense—” My face fell.
“Actually, that is why I am here. Can I talk to you alone?”
I nodded. “Symph, will you get my robe.” She was back in a matter of seconds. “I’ll be right back. It won’t take long.”
“Okay.” She nodded, assuring me she would still be here when I came back. I kissed her softly and gave her a quick squeeze.
Kim and I went into my office. I closed the door softly and walked over to my desk. “Is it mine?”
“What do you mean?”
I put my head in my hands. “The baby.” I pointed to her stomach. “Is it mine?”
“Landon...” She whispered. “I’m so sorry.” A tear rolled down her face and she reached out to touch my shoulder. “I’m not sure. I mean I think that she’s Hayden’s but—”
“It has been six months sense we have talked last and you just show up a week before my wedding and then what? Did you think I would forgive you? Take you back? Kim, I don’t think so. I am happy with Symphony and if you think that I will give up the one person who cares for me for you—you have me mistaken. Now, when the baby is born, we can have a fraternity test.”
“Where am I going to go? What happens if it is yours?”
“You can stay in your old room for now but if the baby is not mine I will give you one month to find a place to move out—”
“One month!” She retorted.
“That is more than generous.” I waved her into silence. “And if the baby is mine, which will change nothing between us. I will take her whenever is best on your convenience.
“You broke my heart, left me for my best friend, cheated on me with my best friend. You know the one who was going to be my best man at our wedding.”
“Sorry. I told you sorry like a million times.” She covered her face.
“That doesn’t cut it.”
“Are you going to tell her everything?”
“Symphony deserves to know. I will not let her come into this marriage if she doesn’t want to be a possible step-mother. If you will excuse me I would like to go to bed now.”
Kim grabbed my wrist and spun me around like she had done so many times before. She stood on her tip toes. I yanked free before she could kiss me. “Stop! I don’t love you. I love Symphony.”
“You choose a teenager over me?”
“No, I choose someone faithful over you.” I walked to the door and swung it open, “If you try to kiss me again you are out. I am being more kind than I should be.” I turned towards her, “In another act of kindness I will warn you to stay away from my mom. She hates you.” Then I strode out of of my office with pride.
I thought that if I saw her again that I would break down into tears, but I didn’t, all because of Symphony.
“I love Symphony.” The words rung in my ears telling me that I had to tell her everything, even if she wouldn’t open up about herself.
Maybe telling her the truth would help with that. I mean what bad could happen? She couldn’t leave me.
But she could hate me.
I absent mindedly walked into the bedroom and took off my robe. I crawled back into bed and closed my eyes.
Symphony was already asleep so I would just have to tell her in the morning.
I looked at the clock. I had spent an hour and thirty minutes arguing with Kim. What happened to “I’ll be right back”?
I leaned over and gave Symphony a kiss on her swollen lips and got under the covers. I stopped when I saw that she wasn’t wearing any cloths and the fact that there was swelling on her upper arms and her neck was red.
I tried not to let my eyes linger on the other parts of her body.
I smoothed her hair back. “Symphony?” I whispered into the silence. “Hon, wake up.”
Her breathing was jagged. “Don’t touch me!”
“Sh sh. It’s me Symphony. You know, Landon?” I gulped, “What happened?”
“Landon.... Hold me, please.” She opened her eyes and I could see that they were wet with tears. “Don’t let him hurt me again.” She pleaded.
“Who did this?”
She answered me in a raspy voice as if she were screaming for hours. “Mick.”
“Your dad?” She nodded. “Did he rape you?” She nodded. “How long has he been raping you for?”
“Sense I was eight.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I tried to stay calm.
“I-I thought I could avoid it. I thought it was over. I thought—I’m so sorry Landon.” She cried out.
“Sh. It’s not your fault baby.” Then my head jerked up. “Is he still here? How long ago did this happen?”
“He came right after you left.” I rubbed her cheeks with my thumbs, “It hurts Landon. All over.” A shutter ran through me.
“I know.” I wanted him dead. A tear ran down my cheek and landed in her hair. “I am so sorry. I will never leave you again.” I picked up my phone.
“Wh-who are you calling?”
“The cops, then I’m gonna take you to the hospital.”
She bolted up and I knew she felt pain because I felt it too. She grabbed my phone. “No. He will kill you Landon.”
I slid my arms back around her waist. “I don’t care. This is not up for discussion.”
She looked at me, her eyes so deep with fear, I thought I would die, just not from Mick, but from her own pain. “I just don’t want anything to happen to you.” I leaned down and kissed her softly.
“I’ll be fine.” I grabbed my phone out of her hand and dialed my father’s number.
It rang a couple times then his deep voice came on the phone. “Hello?” He sounded groggy. I checked my clock. It was late.
“Hey, sorry I called so late. I have an emergency.” At that moment my body decided to team up with my mind and panic. I cradled Symphony lightly in my arms.
“What is it Landon? Are you hurt?” His urgency startled me.
“Er, no. It’s Symphony.” I gave a long pause. I couldn’t catch my breath. If I did, I knew I would start crying like a seven year old boy. Then it came, the tears, the real pain of losing something you had.
“Landon my head hurts. It’s throbbing.” Then she went limp in my arms.
“Dad,” I cried out. “Mick raped her.”
“I’ll be right there.” I heard my mom in the background then heard him reply, “Symphony was raped.”
“I’m taking her to the hospital. Get Kyle to track him down.”
I ran over to my dresser and pulled out the first shirt I could get my hands on. I held her up and put my AC DC shirt on her. I got my pants and shirt on and grabbed her robe. I picked up her shoes