His Innocent Queen

Chapter 5

Berkley's POV

After I finished my shift at work, I headed home exhausted. I was not expecting everyone to be in Ace's room this morning. I had been going and checking on him every morning and it had always been Reign. He was always polite and told me that he hadn't had any changes. Well, I guess it had only been two mornings that I had checked in, but I was surprised to see all of them there and that Ace was awake. When Tate told me to leave, I was humiliated and then he followed me out of the room and chased me down the hallway and caught me at the elevator.

He told me to stay away from him and to get over my silly little crush and that he forbids me from seeing him. Stating that Ace wasn't a good guy and that all he would do was break my heart. Use me and leave me, were his exact words. I simply nodded and forced the tears down. I wasn't crying because I was mad about them knowing about me liking him but about how he talked to me and kicked me out of the room.

Once I got home, I filled my bath with the hottest water and a bath bomb. I got in and turned some soft music on needing to relax and forget about today. When I went back up to his room per the request of his nurse, he was alone, and I told him goodbye and it was meant as forever. I would leave him alone and try to get over this crush of mine.

My water was starting to cool down, so I flipped the drain up and let the water empty and got out. I grabbed my phone and called Mila.

"Hey girl, what are you doing?"

"Nothing. Bad day at work, thought I would see what you were doing and if you wanted to grab some dinner."

"Yes. Why don't I grab some take out and bring it over to your house."

"Perfect."

"What do you want?"

"I don't care. Surprise me."

"OK be there in thirty," she said and hung up.

I threw on some comfy clothes and went out to my living room and flipped through my social media waiting for Mila to show up. There really wasn't anything on there that was good.

She finally rang the bell to my apartment, and I went and let her up and went to my door and unlocked it.

"I brought Chinese's," she said holding up a couple of bags of food and just came right in and went to my living room and set the food down on the table and just made herself at home. That's one thing I love about Mila. She just did what she wanted and said whatever was on her mind with no filter.

"So, what made your day so bad?" she asked pulling all the food out for us.

"My brother. He's an ass."

"Well, I already knew that. They are all that way."

"He said he forbids me from seeing Ace and that I need to move on with my life."

"I'm sorry that was uncalled for, and I will handle him."

"Well, it had me thinking and I think I'm going to move. There is nothing here for me besides you and Ellie and you guys are moving on with your lives. Ellie is trying to have another baby and you are just living your life and having a great time. I work and do nothing else."

"You don't have to work, and you can live the life you want but please don't leave. You're one of my best friends, I don't want to lose you. Quit your job and let's have fun. You have enough money from your father and the off shores accounts."

"I do but I like working but I could go part time, but what would I do?"

"Take up day drinking with me."

"I don't drink."

"I know and we need to fix that, and we also need to get you laid. Oh god we need to put you on a dating site," she said shoving her mouth full of food.

"No, we don't."

"Yes, I'm doing it now." she said as she grabbed her phone off the table and started typing away on it and a few seconds later it beeped.

"Perfect Ellie is on her way over."

"Why?"

"Because she is going to help us get you out of this funk, plus she's bringing the wine."

"Look if I agree to the dating app will you leave the alcohol alone?"

"Yes buzzkill."

We sat there going through the pictures on my phone trying to figure out the best pictures to use and Mila was adamant that we use the one from the costume party. I wasn't so sure about that. After what happened when we got to the ER, I would never be dressing like that again.

After we settled on a few pictures, nothing to risky we hit submit and my profile was set up and Ellie started buzzing my door. I got up and let her in and unlocked my door. Our guards that were sitting in the hallway were annoying, but Tate felt they were necessary.

"I have the wine," Ellie said holding up two bottles, "now what is the big emergency that I had to rush over here with two bottles of wine?"

I started laughing and pointed and Mila and Ellie just rolled her eyes and walked into the living room. I grabbed two glasses for them, and I hoped that they had a wine opener because I didn't.

"I don't have a wine opener," I told them, taking them the glasses.

"I got it," Mila said and grabbed her purse rummaging through it.

"You carry a wine opener with you?"

"You never know when you are going to need it."

We spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing and they did make me feel better. They also talked me out of moving. It was a rash though on my end. I really had nowhere else to go. They were all I really had. Ellie even talked me into looking into buying a house.

After they left, I cleaned up the mess and went to bed. I had to be up at five and it was already ten thirty. I tried to go to sleep but my mind kept wondering back to the dating app we had installed. I rolled over and grabbed my phone and opened it up. I already had a few messages. Opening them the first was just some guy being nasty.

"Hey baby, you look hot and I'm hot, so we should be hot together," it read, and I deleted it and blocked him. The next one wasn't any better and so I did the same, but the third one caught my eye.

"Hi Berkley, I'm not really sure what to say. You are beautiful and I would love it if you messaged me back." The message read and it was signed with his name Cole.

"Hi Cole, Thank you. You're not so bad looking yourself."

"What do you do for a living?" he instantly messaged back.

"I'm an RN. How about you?"

"I'm in finance. I know this is a little forward, but I would love to meet you in person. Can I buy you dinner tomorrow night?"

"I work but am free Saturday night."

"Even better. Can I pick you up?"

"I would prefer if I met you somewhere."

"You're choosing, anywhere you would like."

"How about the steak house at The Royal."

"Good choice. I have been wanting to try there and haven't yet. I will make some reservations. Any particular time?"

"No, I'm off all day so any time works."

Cole and I continued to talk for the next hour and my nerves died down and I told Cole good night and shut down my phone and finally feel asleep.

The rest of my week flew by with text from Cole all week. We had exchanged numbers and started texting but had yet to talk on the phone. I had mistakenly told Mila and Ellie about our date this morning at breakfast and now Mila was headed here with a pile of dresses for me to wear and Ellie was coming with makeup and hair product. They had banned together and bullied me into letting them get me ready. Well, that's what I told them when I finally agreed. They said it was just being good friends.

I let them into my apartment at the same time. Somehow, they both showed up at the same time.

"OK, I have ten dresses with me." Mila said, throwing them down on the bed and then had a huge bag of shoes.

"What's wrong with the dresses in my closet?"

"Nothing if you're going on a date with your grandpa."

"I agree. Mila's got good taste. Not that you don't but you need to dress to impress."

"What are you saying Ellie?" I knew she was trying to be kind about my clothing choice, but I was more of the type to cover up and not be seen.

"Nothing. Damn it Berkley I just mean you dress." she said and started fumbling over her words.

"It's fine Ellie. I'm kidding. I know I don't have much of a fashion sense. Remember I didn't have much to go on growing up and I always just stuck with what I know. Jeans and a T-shirt. I do have a few dresses though."

"How about this?" Mila asked, holding up a white dress that is way too short and way too low cut. Ellie and I both shook our heads at her. She held up four more before a black one that I liked. It was a black halter top that would cover me completely. It was completely backless, but I could live with that. It was also form fitting but long enough it covered my butt.

They did my hair with long lose curls and Mila did some dark smokey eye shadow look. Similar to when we went out to the costume party. I will never get over how I look when they make me up like this. I went and put my dress on, and my confidence went through the roof. I had never felt this beautiful. I stepped out of my bedroom and went to the living room where the girls were.

"Holy s**t, I would do you," Mila said.

"Um, thanks I think." I said and I knew my face was turning red.

"Go have fun on your date and we expect a text tonight with how it went," Ellie said and they both stood up and hugged me goodbye. I went and made sure that everything I needed was in my purse and locked up my apartment and headed to the hotel.

I pulled in and gave my keys to a valet and went inside. I went to the hostess, and she showed me to our seat and told me that he hadn't arrived yet. I sat down and they brought me a glass of water and a few minutes later he showed up.

"Berkley," he said coming to the table.

"Hi Cole," I said smiling up at him.

"Wow you are beautiful. I mean I knew that from your picture, but your pictures don't do you justice." he said and sat down.

"Thank you."

We talked through the whole dinner, and it was a great time. We both laughed and genuinely had a great time. I was floating on cloud nine with how this evening went. We were still sitting at the table two hours later just talking and I knew the waiter was getting irritated with us but had yet to say anything about us leaving.

"I should probably get going, I have to work early tomorrow," I told him grabbing my purse and taking out my wallet. I wasn't ready for it to end but I did have to work, and it was getting late.