Beautiful Sins: Leigha Lowery Read online

  "Maybe, not everyone enjoys your weird cuisine." I joked. She threw the spoon at me.

  "Ouch! Mom, no need to get on the defensive." I winced, rubbing my shoulder.

  "So, what were you cooking anyway?" I asked. She shrugged and took the pan of frying produce and tossed it into the sink.

  "I was going to make some chili. But I guess we can go out. Oh, that reminds me… That small Escape is your car. Randy bought me an Escalade." I frowned at her. I did not want that truck.

  "Mom, I told you something small!" I cried.

  "I know honey, but Randy thinks that an SUV would be safer for you to drive." I rolled my eyes. I couldn't complain though. Randy was the first man in my life to put my needs first. I would respect his wishes, and just deal with the Escape.

  "Maybe we could go out to eat… Let's see how good these diners are around town." I frowned. I didn't want to tell my mother I had plans to go into the city already. However, I couldn't invite her either. What would the girls think of me if I had my lonely mother tagging along side me?

  "Mom, I already promised some friends that I would meet them in Portland already." She sighed. I knew she didn't want to be away from me but, I couldn't just avoid the girls. They would be in town.

  "It's alright honey. Go on, have a good time. Just make sure you get back at a decent hour." She said as she walked into the living room. I felt guilty for leaving her but, I simply didn't have much of a choice. You don't just stand up the most popular girls in school. I sighed, grabbed my purse and keys along with my coat and headed off to Portland. This would be an interesting night…

  * * * * *

  Café Voila

  Portland was dead, just as I assumed. So it wasn't difficult to find a parking spot. I fluffed out my hair and put on some lip-gloss to brighten my features. The night sky was beautiful, and I could see myself here on the Coast for a long time. I decided not to carry my purse, and pulled some cash and my pepper spray out and tucked them into my back pockets. I'm sure the pepper spray was a little unnecessary but, I grew up in Detroit. You could never be too careful these days.

  The café was unlike any place I had imagined. I had missed their movie outing, so I would try to make up for it by buying them a latte or something. I really needed to at least attempt to try to fit in. I was never the "type" to be considered popular at all. So the fact that they were paying attention to me was all that mattered.

  Jenny gasped in shock as I took a seat between her and Tiffany.

  "What?" I asked anxiously. Jenny reached out for my charm necklace and held it gently in her palm.

  "I didn't know you were a part of Royce's court? Why didn't you say anything?" She chided. I shrugged.

  "Court? Oh yeah, my stepfather Randy has a high position with King Royce. I forgot all about that." I muttered.

  "Well, what is his position? How often does he go up to the Islands?"

  "Er… I really don't know. I'll ask him though." I answered. Naomi glowered at me.

  "So when are your etiquette courses? You should be prepping yourself for marriage if you want a nice decent man from the court." Naomi chided.

  "I heard they are all monsters on the Island, and that King Royce and his family are vampires." Tiffany gossiped in a whisper.

  "Shh… You cannot talk like that here." Naomi chided, slapping her on the wrist.

  "Oh why not? We are hundreds of miles from the Islands. What would it matter to them what was said?" Tiffany defended. I groaned. My attempt to fit in was a complete failure.

  "I'm going to head to the bar to get a latte or something. Do you guys want anything?" I asked.

  I was happy to be at the bar. All those questions about King Royce, and courtship made me feel like I was on an old King Henry film or something.

  "Good evening, can I get you anything?" The pretty barista offered.

  "Yes, I'll have a small vanilla latte. With non-fat milk of course." The barista smiled back at me and began to make my drink.

  "Vanilla huh? That explains why you smell of it." A man spoke, startling me.

  "Oh!" I gasped, turning towards him. He was hands-down the most handsome man I had ever seen. He looked as if he didn't belong here, at this café. He pulled down his black hood and his spiky auburn hair stood perfectly in place.

  His beautiful chocolate brown eyes bored into mine, keeping me frozen in place. It was the strangest feeling I had ever experienced. He looked shocked, almost horrified as he continued to meet my gaze. His perfectly tan skin looked softer than silk, I could see every curve around his muscular torso, and his teeth were so white and perfect, so unusual. I tried to focus; I could feel my heart accelerating, almost as if it were trying to pound itself right out of my chest.

  He turned swiftly away from me, and I was so glad that he had. I had to take a few deep breaths before the barista startled me with my drink.

  "Here's your beverage ma'am. Are you all set?" She asked.

  "Ye-Yes." I stuttered. I pulled out a five and preceded to hand it to the barista. The mysterious handsome man's hand reached out; almost instinctively and caught my hand. It was so cold, but it didn't bother me at all. Randy had always touched me with his cool hands and it was normal, welcoming. No, what made me pull back was the volt of electricity from his body that flowed through every inch of my flesh.

  "Don't worry about it. I can pay for this." He murmured and smiled his perfect smile at me.

  "You should go back to your friends Leigha." He suggested. I didn't know how he knew my name hell, I didn't care. As his eyes bored into mine once more, I felt like I no longer had control over my body. I had given myself to him without even knowing it. How could someone like that have such a power over me? He was a stranger, someone I wouldn't think twice of speaking to on the street. I was so out of his league. Why was he even here? I gasped as I realized he had reached out to me, gripping the charm lightly in his palm.

  "You're connected to the courtship of the King? That's funny; I don't remember ever seeing you around court."

  "I just moved here." I answered too quickly. He chuckled.

  "Well it's good that you still know the rules. Go back to your friends love." He murmured.

  "Okay." I said stupidly. I grabbed my latte and walked back over to the table.

  "Who was that?" Tiffany asked defensively.

  "You have to be careful Leigha. You can't just go around conversing with strangers. You are of royal standing. You have to be careful. King Royce is extremely strict about his women. I'm surprised to see you so far away from the Islands. Have you even been introduced yet?"

  "Guys, please calm down. I've only been here a weekend. Give me a chance to understand all of this?" I complained. Jenny and Naomi sighed in defeat. They were still very anxious about being in the company with someone of courtship standing.

  "Ignore the girls Leigha. Just take our advice and be careful okay?" Tiffany warned.

  "Alright!" I muttered. They were starting to get on my nerves. I couldn't keep my eyes off the mysterious handsome man that captured my gaze. I looked over to the bar and he was staring at me. It was the most welcoming feeling I had ever experienced. Wow, what a feeling. I never imagined in my life that I would be so attracted to someone the way I was with him. He smiled that perfect smile of his, and pulled his hood back over his head as my friends became curious.

  "Stop staring at him." Tiffany chided, nudging my arm.

  "Alright… It's just that… I don't know, there's something about him." I murmured. Tiffany was glaring daggers at me.

  "Let's get out of here. Had I known of your social status, I would not have had you come out here. No wonder Mina was staring at you so curiously." Tiffany complained.

  "Oh give her a break Tiffany. Do you know how wonderful this is?" Naomi argued.

  "We have to get her home." Tiffany countered. Naomi and Jenny sighed in defeat.

  "We'll walk you to your car." Tiffany offered as she and the others grabbed their coats.

  "No,
I'm a big girl. I can get to my car just fine. I don't need escorts." I retorted as I stomped angrily out of the café. My car was just up the block; I bundled up my coat and began jog to my SUV. As I turned the corner, I bumped into something hard, falling down to the hard wet pavement.

  "Ouch!" I winced, as I looked up at my bruised and scared hand.

  "Sorry Miss. You should watch where you're going." The man in the darkness chuckled. I couldn't see his face; only his eyes. Those glowing green eyes. I flinched, fear shaking through my body. There was something unnatural about him.

  "Now what's a little lady like you doing out here all alone?" He asked in the darkness. His tone seemed playful. I quickly reached into my pocket for my pepper spray.

  "I'm okay. Just let me pass." I demanded, as I pulled myself off the ground and began to leave. He blocked me, pushing himself into me.

  "You smell so delicious. It's almost a sin to just let you walk by." He murmured, burying his face into my neck. He inhaled deeply, almost as if he was enjoying the smell of me.

  "Hmm…" He sighed.

  "Let go of me!" I yelled. "Help me! Somebody…" He pulled back angrily and the back of his hand flew across my face so swiftly, that I didn't even see it coming. I fell back onto the hard wet pavement, wincing from the pain of his swift smack.

  "I'm going to enjoy this." He laughed.

  "Leigha! Oh my god Leigha!" Tiffany screamed. I looked up to see her running towards me; Naomi and Jenny behind her.

  "We'll have to continue this somewhere else." The man in the darkness said. He reached down and gripped me tightly around the waist, pulling me effortlessly from the ground.

  "Somebody help! Please!" Tiffany yelled out into the empty streets. Suddenly, something happened. I couldn't fathom what happened, but apparently Tiffany's screams had worked. I was suddenly thrown into pillar of snow. As I shook off the stupor, I tried to focus my vision onto what was happening. There were screams in the darkness, just behind the trees.

  "Please… I didn't know. Please! Have mercy on me!" The man yelled. His loud pleading was suddenly muffled by screams of pain. I winced as I heard the cracking of bones, and what sounded like the tearing of flesh, being removed from his body.

  I tried to sit up; my body ached so horribly. A pair of black eyes struck fear in me and I began to scream.

  "Help! Help!" I screamed.

  "Shh love, I'm not going to hurt you." He crooned. The voice was familiar, my handsome knight and shining armor from the café.

  "You…" I sighed.

  "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" He asked curiously.

  "I'm okay. Help me up please." He sighed and with one swift movement, I was on my feet. I looked up into his midnight eyes, and they were glowing. I looked around for my attacker, but he was nowhere to be found.

  "Where did he go? We have to catch him before he hurts someone else!" I complained. I winced, my side was sore from his tight grip. My savior quickly hurried to my aid, pulling me to his side.

  "Maybe I should get you to a hospital." He offered.

  "NO!" I roared. My mother would freak. And I don't even want to think about how Randy would react.

  "But you're hurt." He countered.

  "My stepfather is a doctor. Just help me to my car." He frowned.

  "I'm not letting you drive in your condition. I'll take you home. Now where do you live?"

  "Leigha! Oh my god!" Tiffany yelled as he hurried over to us. Tiffany, Jenny, and Naomi began beating my savior with their expensive purses.

  "Get off of her you pervert!" Tiffany roared.

  "Tiffany stop! He's not the guy you're looking for!" I yelled, shielding myself from the current attack he was receiving. The girls froze, staring at us as my savior tried fixing himself.

  "Ladies." He crowed, fixing his clothing. His hood fell from his head, and the girls gasped in shock, dropping to their knees.

  "Oh my god, I'm so sorry your highness." Tiffany and the girls murmured in unison.

  "Your highness?" I stared at him blankly.

  * * * * *

  Prince Alexander

  I fainted. The most handsome, popular Prince in the entire world rescued me, and I fainted. My eyes fluttered open to see the most beautiful deep chocolate brown eyes boring into mine.

  "Are you okay?" He murmured. I looked away from him, wincing from the pain on my side. My goodness, just how hard was that guy gripping onto me. I was stunned to find myself in a bright white room. Was I in heaven? Did I die? My questions were answered as my hysterical mother entered the room.

  "Oh god, my baby!" She shouted as she hurried over to my side. I groaned, staring into my savior's eyes once more before my mother pulled me into a tight hug.

  "Ouch mother ow." I complained. She pulled away. My handsome chocolate-eyed savior stared at me warily.

  "Maybe you should let her rest." He suggested. My mother scowled at my bandaged hand.

  "How did this happen?" My mother scolded. I flinched. Here comes the torrent.

  Randy entered the room in his perfect white lab coat, holding my chart on a clipboard.

  "How are you Leigha?" He asked. He flashed a bright light in between my eyes and I frowned.

  "I'm fine. What happened to me? Why am I in a hospital bed?" I grumbled. Randy turned to my savior and bowed.

  "Your highness… I am not sure where to begin expressing my gratitude." He murmured. My savior pursed his lips as he met my gaze, and then turned his attention to Randy.

  "You should be more careful if you plan to have her around court. No one will want her if she's all bruised up." He grumbled.

  "Of course, you're highness." Randy quickly replied. My savior nodded for Randy and my Mother to rise, and then he left the room. Randy sighed in relief.

  "He's royalty? I don't understand…" I complained.

  "Shh… You should be thankful. We are new residents, and you haven't even been introduced to court. We could have gotten into a lot of trouble for this." My mother explained. Ahh, the rules—the rules that my "parents" neglected to inform me of. The Coast was no longer apart of the Americas. I had to remember that. But it was so damn difficult. In a world that seemed free, I had to be conscious that my freedom had its limitations.

  I looked over to Randy to find him glaring at me. I frowned, and held my head down in shame. I did not want to put a wedge in my mother's relationship, yet I was already causing problems in the family. Randy sighed and turned to my mother.

  "Could you give us a moment alone love?" He crooned to my mother. She nodded and kissed my forehead once more before leaving. I was not looking forward to this conversation.

  "Randy I never meant…" I didn't get the chance to finish. He gently pressed his cool finger to my lips, silencing me from any further pleading.

  "I'm not angry with you Leigha. I was just worried about you. Do you have any idea how important you are to me?" He asked, tucking a lock of my wild hair behind my ear. I sighed, turning my head away from him.

  "I meant to have a talk with you about your social standing but, I've been so busy. I didn't realize that you would make friends so quickly. Your mother said that you were more of an outcast in school, and I shouldn't worry." He chuckled.

  "Oh Leigha, my beloved daughter; you are a very special child in the Kings court. You are now the daughter of his personal physician. You'll be in the company of the King, and his royal family more than most. Do you understand what that means?" He asked. I took in a deep breath as I began to process this information.

  "Well yes—so long as you don't try to marry me off to someone." I joked. Randy chuckled.

  "I have a feeling that's something I won't ever have to worry about." He laughed. Randy sat down beside me on the small white bed.

  "Randy, you all said the guy that saved me was royalty? Who is he and what was he doing away from the Island?" I asked.

  "That was Prince Alexander Sommers." He's the son of King Royce and heir to his throne."

  "Oh." I said stupidly. Wel
l that would explain my strong attraction to him. I was always attracted to what I couldn't have. Take handsome savior off your list Leigha. I rolled my eyes and a loud "huff" escaped my lips.

  "Are you alright sweet heart?" He asked as he lifted my wrapped hand to inspect it.

  "I'm not in any pain." I groaned. He laughed.

  "Well, I should let you rest. Your mother and I will be back to pick you up in the morning." My face twisted between horror and chagrin.

  "What? Why can't I just go home with you and mom tonight?" I whined. Randy chuckled and buried his lips into my hair.

  "I knew you bring prosperity into this family. I just didn't realize that it would be so soon." He murmured into my hair. Just what the hell was he talking about? He planted one final kiss on my forehead and moved to turn off the light.

  "Wait!" I yelled out in the darkness. But he was gone. I pouted and let my head fall back down onto the bed.

  The next morning, I awoke heavily bewildered, I couldn’t fathom the dream I had last night. All I could remember was the dark figure in my dream. Randy graciously pushed me in my wheelchair through the lobby as my mother signed the discharge forms.

  "So, when do I get to go back to school?" I only fainted—sure enough, that wasn't grounds for a week off from school.

  "I think maybe a few days of rest may just suit you. Besides, there's a surprise waiting for you at home." I frowned. I hated missing school and I hated surprises.

  "Honey, you look like you could use a day at the spa." My mother chanted as she ran her slender fingers through my hair. I glared at my mother. Who was this woman? It was as if she had transferred from "Cinderella" to "Upper Class" within a matter of hours. She looked so… different. I leaned back in my chair as Randy guided me through the sliding doors while valet pulled the SUV up front.

  Wait… hospitals have valet? I groaned. The Coast was giving me a headache.

  "Are you alright sweet heart?" Randy asked. He seemed anxious. I sighed.

  "Yeah, I'm just getting a light headache." I murmured. Randy eased my pain, placing his cool hand over my forehead. There was something different about him that I didn't notice. In the grey gloomy light—what was assumed as daylight, Randy seemed to look "normal". Back home in Michigan, he seemed so pale—out of place. It was so odd.