The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella and Romeo) novel Chapter 127

Arabella hopped out of the shower, fired up her laptop, and was knee-deep in her own business when a knock on the door interrupted her.

"Sweetie, are you asleep yet? I've brought you some grub," Louisa murmured gently.

"Not yet."

Arabella’s slender fingers tapped a few keys before she shut her laptop, got up, and opened the door.

"I figured you might not have eaten much since you had a date with Romeo, so I asked the cook to whip up something for you."

Arabella looked at the tray, rather surprised. "Barbecue?"

"I heard kids your age are crazy about this stuff. Take a whiff; it smells good, doesn't it?" Louisa put the tray down, beaming at her.

Arabella picked up a piece of meat, instinctively offering it to Louisa.

"I'm not big on this. You enjoy! You've been working your tail off these past couple of days, dealing with all that company stuff. You just got back home; you haven't had time to chill."

"No sweat," Arabella said, chowing down. "It's kind of fun."

At least it wasn't as dull as school.

Louisa was reassured by her words: "Just delegate those minor tasks. Let's go shopping, have afternoon tea, get a facial. We could even go on a short trip or a long one. Anywhere you like, we'll gladly accompany you."

Arabella looked up and gave a slight smile. "Sure."

"Romeo knows your likes and dislikes like the back of his hand. I can tell he's really into you. Whenever he looks at you, it's like you're the only one in his eyes. With a partner like that, you're bound to have a happy future."

Louisa's hand gently rested on Arabella's, her eyes shifting to the bracelet on her wrist.

"We've known Romeo for years; he's always been reserved, cold, and serious; he hardly cracks a smile. But he's like a different person around you; the love and tenderness in his eyes. We've never seen that before."

"And we've never heard of him designing bracelets for a girl. You should get him something in return; don't let his feelings go in vain."

"Sure." Arabella obediently nodded, her gaze falling back to the butterfly bracelet on her wrist. The dazzling diamonds sparkled under the light, just like Romeo's clear and devoted eyes.

She realized she hadn't really given Romeo anything.