She gripped my hand tighter. "Please, I need to say this. I just want you to know that I wish I had never said those things. I don't want you to leave, and Tudor told me that he loves you. Please don’t leave him because of me."
I squeezed her hand. "Now you listen to me, young lady, I never, ever want you to apologise again." I bent my head to meet her lowered gaze. "You can talk to me about anything, and I mean anything, okay?"
She lowered her head and wiped her nose with a tissue she took from the coffee table in front of us.
I continued, "What happened to you was despicable, Boleyn; someone your age should not have to deal with it, and for that I am so angry and upset at the universe. But I also know from experience that feeling so low and scared over something you’ve been through won't last forever if you don't let it.
“When I was young, I was very poorly, and in theory I shouldn't be here today talking to you, but I am. You are strong and will get through this, even if it doesn't seem like it at the moment. You will have days when it’s harder than others, but on those days you rely on your family and friends to get you through. You can even talk to me."
I took both her hands in mine and made her look up. "You're strong, Boleyn, you are going to get through this, and when you do and you come back to school, I am going to help you in any way I can. Oh, and you are soo gonna be singing again. Now you've shown the world your talent, they're going to want you to keep going, to keep showing off them pipes."
She giggled a little at that. "Thank you, Miss," she sniffed.
I stood, pulling her off the sofa and giving her a cuddle. "Don't thank me yet, hun. I brought Tink with me this evening, and you won't be too grateful to me after a few hours in his company!"
She giggled again, with more energy this time.
"Now come on, let's go downstairs – I'm bloody starving!"
Boleyn and I entered the room, her arm linked in mine, and everyone seemed relieved at the sight. As we began making our way through to the dining room I felt a tug on my arm.
“Everything okay with Bee?” Tudor asked, turning me around and bending his knees so he was level with my line of sight.
I pressed a kiss to his inviting lips and nodded. “Yeah, she apologised, but I told her there was no need.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “The room is lovely, babes.”
He kissed me on my cheek, my lips and my neck. “Thanks, we just wanted her to be happy, you know? Well, as happy as she can be after what she’s been through.”
I placed a hand on his cheek in comfort. “She will be, in time.”
He looked off to the distance, clearly fighting the horrific images of his sister being attacked. I pulled his face back to mine. “She showed me something else too.”
He looked intrigued. “She did?”
I smiled and reached back, taking one of his hands and entwining his fingers with mine, his other hand lying flat on my back. He looked down, content at the feel of our hands playing together. I met his questioning eyes. “She showed me the glass sunflower you gave her today.”
“She did?” he whispered.
I pursed my lips. “Mmm… Hmm.”
“And?” he pushed.
“And, she told me what you said about it… about me.”
I could see his blush rising up his body, smothering his face, and he buried his face in my neck in embarrassment. I let out a loud laugh at his reaction, my big softie getting all coy, and I stroked the back of his head.
Putting a hand under his chin, I forced him to look at me; he was rubbing his lips together with nerves. “What you said, it… it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard,” I whispered.
He lifted his lip in a lopsided smirk and shrugged, glancing up at me shyly, “You’re the most beautiful thing in my life. It’s all true. I… I just love you, that’s all.”
My gaze softened, and I teased. “Soppy, Cheddary Tudor!” and wasted no time in crushing my lips against his, losing myself in his taste. Tudor groaned at my sudden attack and pushed me to the corner of the room, a large cabinet hiding us from view. He stepped back and leered at me before he opened the top few buttons of my shirt and launched his tongue at the tops of my super-pushed-up-boobs currently spilling over my black lace balcony bra.
My eyes rolled back in my head as I whispered, “Tudor, what the hell are you doing?”
He mumbled around a mouthful of flesh. “Just having a little taste to get me through the night.”