The Royal Contract

Chapter 260 – Actions Speak Louder Than Words

She looked at him from her seat, avoiding seeming like she was staring. She did like gazing at him from her angle. He was so charming, like the way a prince should be.

"Are you sure you don't want to go anywhere else?" He asked as they cruised down the street towards her apartment.

He was hoping that he could spend more time with her. He was looking forward to a night where she would show him around town. Instead, she asked him to bring her home.

"I'm sorry, but I don't feel like painting the town red." She smiled at him, pointing to her red stiletto shoes. "But I will offer you wine and a movie if you like to join me." 

This time, she turned to him, watching his reaction to her offer.. Just like him, she did not wish for the night to end, but for some reason, going out and sharing him with other people did not seem romantic with her.

Not that she was planning to seduce him. She just wanted some alone time with him where they could share a quiet moment. Maybe talking about life in general or just watching the movie silently.

"That seems more appealing. Don't mind if I do." He accepted anything as long as it would keep him at her side.

He seemed desperate, but somehow it was what he felt, especially when he thought that the night was about to end. He was not even sure if she planned to go out with him again.

He was finding it hard to read her after she told him about her past. But he never cared about it since fate must have dealt her with a hard life, but how she rose above it. That was more relevant.

"Then, prepare to cry because I save a good movie I want to watch." She teased him, knowing how men never like dramatic scenes. 

Most of them would look for actions, sports, and anything other than romantic and crying scenes. But Jacky did remember Marcus, watching with her whatever she wanted.

She quickly erased her memory of him. Well, if that was even possible, instead, she placed it at the back of her consciousness, hoping to bury it at the deepest portion of her mind. 

"You can't scare me with that. My sister already made me endure such torture." He jokingly said, but something was missing in his smile.

He never mentioned his sister to her before because he did not feel its relevance. But her name just rushed out as if it was necessary to include her in the discussion.

"Well, she is one wise girl. I can already tell." She uttered with a bit of surprise and curiosity. It never occurred to her that he might have siblings.

She thought that just like Alex, he would be an only child. But she was glad to hear that he had someone to share his childhood with, not just his cousins and friends. 

She always wanted a big family, not having a real one. She always dreamed of kids running around when she finally settled down with a husband. But it would only happen if she found a man to love her.

"Well, she was. She was younger than me but always had been mature for her age. Sometimes, I believed she was born in a young body but an old mind." He stated as he recalled his sister's face.

He did miss her. Every year that he visited her, he wished that their memories and her face would always remain in his mind. But some of it was slowly fading away.

But he knew that his love for her would never, ever change. He might forget most of what they shared growing up, but the feeling of her next to him would always stay in his heart.

She noticed the way he talked about his sister in the past tense. She knew that she understood him correctly, based on the solemn expression on his face.

"What happened to her?" She finally asked, knowing that her presumption was correct. "But you don't have to answer me. It is none of my business."

She suddenly realized that it was not the time to be nosy about his life. It was not a topic that she should be prying about him. It might be a sensitive subject that he did not want to discuss further.

"She died because of a tumor in her brain five years ago. She was still very young, but there was nothing we could do." He smiled at her, glancing at her as he continued to drive them home.

After that, both fell into silence as he relieved the past, and she processed his revelation. She extended her hand on his, which rested on the steering wheel, and gave it a slight squeeze.

She might never understand the feeling of loss because she was yet to lose a loved one. Her parents never counted since she never met them anyway. But she knew the feeling of having a sibling.

After twenty minutes, he sat in her living room with a glass of wine, waiting for the movie to start. She took the remote and sat beside him, making herself comfortable as she turned on the screen.

"I'm not good at talking about Sydney. She was my baby sister. Losing her had been hard for us. But I am glad that I was able to share that with you." He held her hand as he stared at her face.

He moved closer to her on the couch until they were inches apart. He could see the many questions swirling in her eyes but was afraid to ask. He could see that she was holding back.

Maybe someday, they could talk about all of this with ease, but as for now, he was thankful that she kept quiet about it. It was as if she sensed that he was not ready to tell her. 

Finally, he pulled her in his arms, letting her body rest on his as they began to watch the movie. It was not romantic, but it was comforting. 

Getting to know someone did not always have to involve talking. Sometimes even silent actions speak louder than words.