Across town Serena arrived at the Children's Hospital. She got out of the car. It was different not seeing a sea of paparazzi all the way to the entrance. The building was beautiful. Tall glass windows. She just smiled.
"Oh my god, you're princess Serena!" A female voice squealed, causing Serena to turn her attention away from the building.
"Yes, I am." She beamed.
"Oh my god! Is Prince Darien here?!" The girl started looking around. "Wait? Why would Prince Darien be here..." She popped her forehead. "You two are divorced." She paused with eyes wide opened. "Oh my god are you two getting back together. Did you take him back?! Oh my god! Did he confess his undying love for you and you forgave him!?" The girl gushed.
"Yes to the first part and no to the second." A hand landed on Serena's lower back. She turned to her right to see Darien, and another royal car. "But if you kindly excuse us, the princess came to visit the children, and we want to get her in before sleep hours. Good day." He nodded.
"What are you doing here?" She whispered waving to the young lady.
"Saving you from the paparazzi what does it look like?" The door to the hospital was opened and he guided her in.
"She was not a paparazzi." Serena started to refute.
"Just because she did not have a giant camera in your face does not mean anything." Darien explained nodding to the guards at the front desk.
"Why are you here? I said I could take care of myself." Serena insisted again.
"I don't doubt that at all, but I did have a meeting planned for tonight already." Darien fixed his tie as they waited for an elevator.
"Really you had a meeting scheduled this late?" She looked at Darien in disbelief.
"Yes I did, this was the only time the executives could meet." Darien explained
"What a coincidence." Serena scoffed and rolled her eyes.
The elevator door opened.
"Listen Serena, you made it very clear you want nothing to do with me. I am here to discuss the expansion of the hospital, that is all." Darien signaled her in the elevator first. "Don't worry I will stay out of your way." His eyes went cold.
"You're expanding the hospital?" Serena smiled.
"Yup." He simply answered, no emotion.
"Well, that is great." Serena just nodded. "I am going to get off the baby ward. Have a great meeting."
He didn't respond. The elevator door opened. She walked out. The doors came together as Darien banged his head against the back wall. He exhaled in disappointment.
On the baby ward, Serena was greeted by the nurses.
"No need to bow ladies. You are the true heroes, in this place."
"No you and your husband-" The nurse paused. Cleared her throat. "I mean prince Darien..."
"She means what you two have done for this hospital, and these kids." An older nurse came from around the desk. "You know, princess, I have worked with the prince a few times, and I have to say, this hospital is like the modern day Taj Mahal if you ask me."
Serena looked at the nurse confused.
"I know you know the story of the Taj Mahal." She put her hand on her hip.
"Well of course I do, but how is it relevant to me." Serena smiled crossing her arms.
"Simple. His love for you. Since the divorce, most his attention has been here." She smirked.
"It is like everything he adds to this hospital is inspired by you!" A nurse gushed.
"Oh my god, you all..." Serena shook her head. "Can I please go see the babies now?"
The nurses showed her the way, and that was where she stayed, watching the parents with their little ones. Getting to know the families one by one. She took pictures holding the babies, and she beamed. She must have lost track of time because before she knew it the announcement of closing visiting hours came on. She made a frowning face, and waved bye to the families. She walked to the nurses station, where she saw Darien speaking to that older nurse she was talking to earlier.
"Thought we were going to have to drag you out of there." The nurse teased. Darien turned around.
"There was a little issue with the cars."
"Let me guess, we have to share one back?"
"I am sorry, I tried."
She waved to the nurses, and the two rode the elevator down. Three floors down, but it felt like the ride was never going to end. Darien stood there like a statue. Hands together in front of him.
"How did you meeting go?" Serena finally asked to end the awkward silence. She could not imagine being in a car with Darien and having to deal with this.
"Fine." He answered short.
Serena just shook her head, and like music to her ears the elevator dinged, and both doors opened. Serena rushed out.
"Your majesties, they just started swarming the building." The security guard expressed.
Both Darien and Serena looked outside to see the sea of paparazzi, but this time there was no red carpet down the middle for them.
"I called every guard I could sire."
Darien just nodded. "We get Serena to the car, I don't care if you need to throw her over your shoulders. She gets to that car."
"Wait what?" Serena asked confused.
"Please argue with me." Darien demanded.
The doors opened and the flashing lights went off. People again yelling at them, shoving them. The guards doing everything they could to secure space around them them. The crowd was rough and Serena's feet kept getting stepped on, while she was being blinded by flashes inches from her face. Finally she felt herself being pushed into the car, and heard the door slamming. People continued to bang on the door, as they drove off.
Serena took off her shoe, to examine her toes. The redness caught the eye of Darien, who without a second thought, went down to the ground to check on her feet. "Nothing looks broken." He continued to observe.
"They just really hurt." She admitted.
"Both of them."
She just nodded.
"Stupid paparazzi. I told you that girl-"
"Really Darien you want to hear you're right? Like is that what you want?"
"Did I say that?" His eyes shot up at her.
"You implied it. Is that what you want to hear? Is that why you were here tonight? Because you just wanted to prove me wrong so I can tell you that you were right?" Serena's voice went up.
"No, that is not what I want! What I want you for some reason won't give."
"And what is that." She pulled her foot from his hand.
"I want to know the hell you are so guarded. I would do anything for you and I feel like I have proved it over and over again. I go out of my way, for you."
"So what I am just supposed to let you stomp all over me!"
"No Serena, it is you who walk all over me! I tell you how much I love you and how much I would do anything for you, and I get nothing!" Darien pulled himself on the seat across from her.
"What do you expect Darien, we don't talk, we yell at each other. And the second you hear something you do not like you throw your little tantrum. Like now." She pointed out.
"Because I can't understand why, I can never do anything right with you. You would frustrated too!" Darien yelled.
"You want to know why Darien?"
"Yes I do, Serena. I have loved you for years and I know you do not understand, but I knew the second I saw you love at first site. My heart pounded, my palms got sweaty. I could not figure out one damn word to say. That was not me!"
"All words Darien, and every time I think I can believe you guess what happens, your mistress comes around, a tabloid story pops up, what do you expect from me. We never knew each other! Out of nowhere I get a wedding proposal and it is you? How am I supposed to believe everything you say, when there a hundreds of people in back saying something else?"
"And yet, you believe all that garbage, but cannot believe that I fell in love with you the very first time I met you. My words are lies, and all theirs are truth? For god sake I have never told any women I loved them. Other than my mother, not one!" He pointed up his index finger.
"I have never been one to be insecure Darien, never. And I hate feeling this way. I get mad, I get sad, I cannot figure what I want. I feel like a fool. I got back and forth in my head. And I can't keep feeling this way. Darien I would rather be alone for the rest of my life, than to be in a marriage where I have to constantly wonder if you're with Beryl, or with some other whoever, or if one day you are going to wake up and realize this marriage was a mistake." She started to tear up. "And everyone talks about this trust thing, it is nobody's fault. We never got to know each other. We got married way too young. Everything happened so quickly, so many emotions, and we didn't know how to express them to each other. I never knew what dealing with paparazzi was like. I can't tell what is real and what is not." Her breathing got labored as her tears grew heavier.
With a pool of tears in her eyes, she stared at Darien staring back at her. She opened her mouth to make another comment, but before she should Darien lunged forward pressing her lips against hers.
"I am sorry." He whispered, gently giving her a light kiss on the lips. "I am sorry for the paparazzi, I am sorry for my past, I am sorry for Beryl, I am so sorry." He kissed her again.
"Darien, I don't want you to apologize just to apologize."
"I am not. I am apologizing because I love you with every fiber of my being, and I am sorry I made you feel this way. If I would have known. "
"Even I don't know how to fix this Darien."
He kissed her forehead.
"Start with this, do you love me?"
"What?" She broke away from him.
"You wouldn't feel that way if you didn't care. So I am asking you, do you love me?"
She just looked into his eyes.
"We will never get anywhere if we don't talk, so I am asking you... Do you love me?"
Her heart started to pound, her hands became sweating, she could not get a word out, all she could think about was him kissing her and how easy it was for him to comfort her, even when she was mad, just looking in those eyes of his... she knew people would say she gave in too easily, and that she was fool for going back and forth like this.
"Serena, I will keep asking until I get an answer. I will make the car drive in circles if I have too. I am not letting you go until you answer."
"Yes." She finally whispered.
"I am sorry?" Darien turned his ear to her.
"Yes, okay I love you."