Page 23 of Defying the Crown
My phone suddenly chirps, the low battery warning flashing across the screen. I chuckle, shaking my head in disbelief. "Daniel, I hate to cut this short, but my phone is about to die on me. I should probably let it charge before it completely shuts down."
Daniel's warm laughter fills my ear, sending a pleasant shiver down my spine. "Wow, five hours? I can't remember the last time I talked to someone for that long. I guess time really does fly when you're enjoying yourself."
"It certainly does," I agree, a soft smile playing at the corners of my lips. "I could talk to you for hours more and never get bored."
"Me too, Harry," Daniel murmurs, his voice low and intimate. "I wish I could be there with you right now. I wish I could fall asleep in your arms, feeling safe and cherished and...home."
My breath catches in my throat at his words, my heart swelling with an emotion I can't quite name. "I wish that too, Daniel," I whisper, my voice rough with longing. "More than anything."
We lapse into silence for a moment, the weight of our feelings hanging heavy in the air between us. Finally, I clear my throat, breaking the spell. "I should let you get some rest. It's late there, isn't it? It's already 4am here."
"Yeah, I suppose I should try to get some sleep," Daniel agrees reluctantly. "But I'll be dreaming of you, Harry."
"Sweet dreams, my dear Daniel," I murmur, the endearment slipping from my lips before I can stop it. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Harry," Daniel whispers, his voice soft and tender. "Thank you for tonight. For everything."
I hang up the phone, my heart full to bursting with the depth of my feelings for this man who has so quickly become such an integral part of my life. As I plug my phone in to charge, I can't help but smile, already counting down the hours until I can hear his voice again.
Chapter 9
Daniel
"Morning, everyone!" I say, yawning as I stumble out of my room. Jayda and Caleb are practically glued to each other on the couch watching some obscure anime flashing on the tv screen, all cuddled up under a blanket they've somehow managed to split between them.
Jayda springs up beside Caleb, planting a quick kiss on his lips, then she looks over at me. "Morning, sleepyhead! How was your night?"
I can't stop myself from smiling like an idiot. "It was fantastic, Harald and I chatted for five hours nonstop! He's incredible and his voice is absolutely dreamy and he's so thoughtful and attentive and sweet and..."
Jayda laughs and gestures to cut me off. "Hold up, let's circle back. You actually talked to Harald? Like, real-time human interaction using your phone—not some fake profile or catfish situation?"
"Five hours straight of it!" I exclaim excitedly, buzzing with energy as I step closer to the couch. Jayda's features melt into an affectionate grin when I sink onto the cushions beside her, careful to avoid the blanket draped across their laps. "But really—it was mind-blowing," I continue after a beat, my words tumbling out fast. "His voice is all rich and velvety, like melted chocolate." I pause to catch my breath, adding with a quiet chuckle, "Plus he's got that way of listening that makes you feel like you're the only person in the world."
Jayda sinks deeper into the sofa, her gaze gleaming playfully at my overflowing enthusiasm. "Sounds dreamy. So now that we've covered how amazing your chat was," she teases, smooth voice curling with amusement, "maybe we could discuss what you actually found out about the guy?"
"Right yeah, so Harald's in... like, the family corporation thing. Mega corporate environment, he spends a lot of time in stuffy budget meetings and at charitable events." I tugged a cushion into my lap, plucking loose threads from the corner. "His father's a total nightmare—sky-high demands, impossible standards. Turns out we both drew the short straw with family. He got toxic, I got..." My voice trailed off, thumb rubbing the fabric's worn spot where stuffing peeked through.
Caleb snorted into his coffee. "So you’re dating a nepo baby?"
"Talkingto," Jayda corrected, swatting his arm. "What else?"
I shrugged. "He’s into weird Danish punk bands, apparently they really bug his dad so both him and his sister take every opportunity to use it against him. We both hate kale." My knee bounced as I fought the urge to check my phone. "And he’s coming to New York soon. For work."
The porcelain mug burned my palms as Jayda leaned closer, her smirk widening in that dangerous way that always preceded a line of questioning capable of unraveling me. My stomach flipped when she drummed black-painted nails against her coffee-stained Nirvana tee.
"Work orwork?" Her voice dripped with innuendo, crescent-moon eyebrows bouncing like she'd just cracked some secret code.
Caleb didn't bother looking up from his avocado toast. "Translation—is this rich boy swinging through JFK to sign merger papers, or dick papers?"
Coffee coated my throat like sludge, the half-trapped mouthful making me sputter and gag. "Jesus, can you two contain your collective porn brain for five seconds. Not everyone is as horny as the two of you!"
Jayda laughs and snatches my phone from my hands, quickly opening up my chat history with Harald. "Oh my would you look at these photos and these texts" she singsonged, tilting the screen for Caleb. "Danny you dog, such a shameless flirt too!"
I snatched my phone away forcefully, wincing as it left a dent in my palm. "I'll take that back, thank you very much," I retorted, trying to maintain a semblance of dignity. "And I will have you know, I am not a shameless flirt. I am a sophisticated and refined gentleman!" I added, chuckling as Jayda appraised me with a skeptical gaze and let out a snort.
"So tell me, Mr. Refined Gentleman, what's your plan if this guy turns out to be legitimate? How do you intend to handle a real relationship?" Caleb chimes in, his attention fixed on the breakfast in front of him.
"Don’t know. Don’t care. Just..." The pillow tumbled to the floor as I stood, suddenly needing to move. "It’s nice. Not being treated like I’m made of glass for once. Let me just be happy with what I've got, at least for now."
