The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella and Romeo) novel Chapter 1368

Arabella stepped out of the shower well past midnight, her skin still tingling from the hot water, and realized it was already 2 AM.

Checking her phone, she noticed a few missed calls and unread messages, all from Romeo.

She quickly shot him a text asking if he was still up.

No sooner had she hit send than Romeo's call came through.

"Have you been waiting by your phone this whole time?" Arabella teased, a playful smirk dancing on her lips.

Hearing her voice seemed to ease something deep inside Romeo. "Must've been quite the night for you to miss my messages. Just hearing you now, I can tell things went smoothly."

He was genuinely happy for her, knowing she had a lot on her plate that evening and could guess what sort of things might have happened.

"It did go well, but it was a lot for Grandpa, you know. He's not young anymore, and tonight took a toll on him," Arabella shared, her voice softening. Just then, she heard Romeo chuckle and couldn't help but ask, "What's so funny?"

"Have you noticed you're talking to me more and sharing more? You used to barely reply to my messages, let alone open up about your experiences."

"Is that enough for you?" Arabella's smile warmed her voice, "Aren't you setting the bar a bit low?"

"Just hearing a few extra words from you and knowing you're thinking of me are all the satisfaction I need."

Arabella laughed, "So, can you sleep peacefully now?"

"Are you free tomorrow?" Romeo's voice was gentle, "I'd like to take you to a few places."

He'd been in Dawnstar for a few days now and hadn't yet taken her out to explore.