The Princess & the Football Player

Chapter 38

"Good morning, your Royal Highness."

"Good morning, Declan Rice" I smile. "See? It still sounds ok."

"Yeah" he chuckles. "What is all this?"

"This is the first breakfast of the first day of the rest of your life."

"The what?" he laughs as he sits at the table.

"Your first breakfast as a retired football player. But it sounded better the other way. At least in my head. Anyway, do you like it?"

"I love it, Eleanor. But did you make all this?" he asks, arching an eyebrow.

"I may have had a bit of help."

"Just a bit?" he teases me.

"Ok, a lot of help. But I picked everything myself, all your favourite things. And now you can eat as much as you want, you don't have to worry about counting calories."

"I thought you liked my abs. Why do you want me to get rid of them?"

"Oh, shut up and eat" I say, rolling my eyes.

"I was just teasing you, you silly" he says, grabbing me by the waist and making me sit on his lap. "Thank you for the surprise, Eleanor. I love it."

"And I love you. Even if you are being an annoying little shit."

"Who? Me?"

"Yes, you. But c'mon, let's eat. There is a chocolate donut that has my name written all over it and I can't wait to see if it tastes as good as it looks."

"Ok" Declan laughs. "But can I get a kiss that will be the first kiss of the first day of the rest of my life?"

"Of course you can. But then we are eating."

"The food or each other?"

"Declan!"

"Ok, ok" he laughs again. "I love you, Eleanor."

"I love you too" I say before kissing him.

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"That was the best breakfast ever."

"Worth it of the first day of the rest of your life?"

"Definitely worth it" Declan smiles. "And I was thinking... Why don't we go back to bed and celebrate that it is the first day of the rest of my life?"

"Maybe later. There is something else."

"Something else?"

"Yes, wait here."

"What is that? A present?" he asks me when I'm back.

"Kind of" I say, putting the small box on the table. "Open it."

"A card?" he asks, inspecting the little piece of paper inside it.

"Yes, a card. But does it look familiar?"

"It is... It is from the jewelry shop where I took you years ago. The one where..."

"Where you got me this bracelet and asked me to be your girlfriend" I say, touching the thin silver chain as I always do when I think of him.

"Can't believe you still wear it. Why didn't you take it off?"

"I didn't want to. And I couldn't either" I chuckle. "But the main reason was that I didn't want to. I wanted to remember you, and deep down I felt that as long as I wore it, there was a chance of us getting back together."

"Even when you were with Charles?"

"Even then, yes."

"But I... I don't get why you are giving me this card now."