by Ana Ashley
This time I did chuckle.
"Can we get back to the real issue here?"
Tom sighed, and I heard him turn the coffee machine on.
"To be honest, I don't see a problem, Charlie. If you like each other and everyone thinks you're already in a relationship, why not try it out and see what happens?"
Tom made it seem so easy.
"I literally have nothing to offer him."
"What are you talking about? You have everything to offer. You're my best friend, and you know how I'm picky with what I wear, so on that alone you should know I wouldn't just have any old best friend."
"Oh, Tom." I choked.
"Seriously, Charlie. I don't know the guy other than what I've seen in the magazines. If you fell for him, then he has to be a good person, too, because I know you. You wouldn't give your heart to just anyone. Trust that and let the rest fall into place."
"Thank you, Tinker Bell."
"You're welcome, honeybun."
Kris hadn't stirred next door, so I stepped out to the diner across the square and picked up coffee and pancakes for brunch. There was a lot to talk through today, and I couldn't do it on an empty stomach.
21
Kris
It didn't immediately occur to me the reason why my back hurt so much when I woke up until I heard Charlie's soft voice telling me to open my eyes.
"Hi," Charlie said softly. He was running his hands down my arm.
I sat up and leaned against the bed, bunching the comforter to cover my morning wood. I'd been dreaming about Charlie. It had been a nice dream, hence the hardness in the tracksuit pants I'd worn to sleep, but now I couldn't do anything about it.
"Morning."
"I went over to the diner and got us some breakfast."
"Thanks."
We stared at each other for a minute. I didn't dare say anything for fear of breaking the spell. My hands were itching to touch Charlie, to tell him once again that I was sorry and that my feelings for him were more real than anything I'd felt my whole life.
Charlie broke the gaze first.
"Um, maybe you should get dressed."
"Yeah, sure."
I grabbed my stuff and went into my apartment. I was placing the comforter back on the bed when I caught sight of Charlie's drawing, which I'd put on the mantelpiece. I hovered my hand over Charlie's face on the drawing, tracing the outline of his cheek, his lips. It was time to face reality.
By the time we'd finished eating, Carl had already called twice with the arrangements for the rest of the day. It looked like the papers were still recycling yesterday's news, which gave us some time.
"I think they're waiting for us to either be silent about the reports or deny that they're true so they can print your real identity and run with it," I told Charlie.
"Okay, so we're meeting my family at my parents' and then we're recording a statement for the press, right?" Charlie asked. He looked unsure.
"Are you sure you want to go ahead with this?"
"Yes, um, I just don't know how to act with the press… I mean, I've never met anyone famous or royal before. I don't know if I'm not allowed to look at you in public or touch you." Charlie blushed. "What if I do everything wrong and make you look bad?"
I wanted to hug Charlie something fierce. This was the kind Charlie I'd fallen for. Even though he'd been thrown in this situation, he was still thinking about me. I really didn't deserve him.
"Just act like you did before. I'm still me, warts and all."
Charlie sighed. "This would be so much easier if you did have warts."
I laughed.
"Right, are you ready for this? James should be waiting for us downstairs."
"James?"
"Oh yeah, um, the taxi we took yesterday? Wasn't a taxi. The driver, James, is my protection detail here."
"But I haven't seen him around."
"When I first arrived in America, the press found out I was staying with him, so they camped outside his property. He's been trying to distract them so they don't know I'm here."
Charlie nodded and got up to leave.
Just like the day before, I met James's eyes in the rearview mirror and nodded to let him know everything was okay.
James didn't leave our side as we walked into Charlie's family home. Charlie had called his parents and asked them to get the immediate family all gathered at theirs.
It wasn't totally unexpected that Charlie's mom virtually attacked us both with a warm hug. She was visibly worried, and considering Charlie hadn't given them any details, I wasn't surprised by her reaction.
"Hi, Mom," Charlie said.
I looked around the room and saw all the faces that were now familiar to me, but I did notice Ceecee wasn't there.
She'd mercilessly outed me to Charlie, but her magazine hadn't printed his name. It was hard to know what her angle was or what she was getting out of all of this, other than her prized promotion.
We took a seat on one of the sofas while some of the family sat on the other sofa. Hannah and Ellie, as usual, sat on the floor, and Charlie's dad and uncle were standing by the window. I took a deep breath to find my words.
All eyes were on me. I saw curiosity, kindness, and acceptance. Charlie's family, despite the lack of royal status, were just like mine. Or maybe it was the other way around, that my family, despite the royal status, still managed to be somewhat normal. There were things we disagreed on, but we were always there for one another. My mother's legacy.
Charlie interlaced his hand with mine. I hadn't even realized that at some point I'd looked down and closed my eyes.
"What's the matter, boys?" Charlie's dad asked. "Are you in some kind of trouble?"
"Caroline, Martin, Gina, John, Hannah, Ellie, and Connor, there's a reason we asked you to get together today," I said. "There is something you need to know about me and Charlie, but first, let me introduce you to Captain James Bennet."
It seemed no one had noticed James had walked into the room behind us. Everybody waved at James, and he simply nodded, although I didn't miss the tips of James's ears go a little pink when he set eyes on Connor, who'd narrowed his own. Any other time I'd have teased my friend about his attraction to Charlie's straight brother.
"James is my protection detail while I'm in America."
I let that sit and waited for the questions. Once again, I noticed Connor's reaction to my words and wondered if maybe he knew James. It was possible, after all, James had grown up in the area.
"Why do you need protection?" Charlie's mom asked.
"What do you mean while you're in America?" Hannah asked.
"When we met, I was introduced to you simply as Kris. The reality is that my name is Kristof Ivan Maxim, and I am the prince of Lydovia."
Charlie's hand tightened around mine as we heard the collective gasp. I looked at Charlie. This was the hard part now. Telling the family our relationship wasn't real. I didn't want to do it because in my heart, I'd be lying. To me, our relationship was the most real thing that had ever happened to me.
"Don't," Charlie whispered. He shook his head the tiniest bit, but I got it. Charlie didn't want me to tell his family our relationship wasn't real. I didn't know why. Maybe it was because he was embarrassed to say this had all started because he didn't want to turn up at the wedding on his own. I chose to believe that deep down, Charlie's feelings matched mine, and maybe, just maybe, there was a sliver of hope.
"Yeah," I said, turning back to the family. "I am so grateful and honored that you accepted me into the family, but I'm afraid I come with a caveat. The press got hold of photos of Charlie and me together on a walk the other day."
"That was you?" Ellie shrieked. "See, babe? I told you he looked familiar," she said to Hannah.
"My press officer is working hard to make sure no more photos are published. At this stage, Charlie's identity isn't known, but…" I looked at Connor who had his eyes down on the floor.
"My dear, no one in the family would tell on
you," Charlie's mom said.
Charlie looked at me and then Connor. "Mom, Ceecee knows."
I couldn't read Connor's expression as he got up to leave the room. He apologized and walked to the door. James stepped in front of Connor and crossed his arms to stop him from going out. They were equal in size, so if their staring match escalated, there would be some damage.
"James," I called, "let him go."
"Kris, you don't know—" I raised my hand. Connor was Charlie's brother, so while I didn't know him well, I trusted Charlie, and so far, apart from Ceecee, I had no reason to distrust the family.
Maybe it was a testament to how stupid I was or to how stupidly I'd fallen for Charlie. At the moment, it was a toss-up between the two.
James let Connor pass, but not without first giving him a warning look.
"Son," Charlie's father spoke, "are you sure this is what you want? I can see you two care for each other, but a relationship with someone famous isn't easy, for either of you."
"Yes, Dad. I want to be with Kris, whatever it takes."
Martin nodded. "Kris, can you look after my son and make sure he's safe? And I don't just mean from the press."
I got the silent message. Charlie's dad was asking me if I could look after Charlie's heart.
"Martin, I won't let any harm come to Charlie," I said to Martin and then looked at Charlie, "from the press or otherwise. And that extends to all of you."
Charlie smiled. It was a warm, affectionate smile, almost intimate, like he was communicating something only we could understand.
"So, what happens now?" Ellie asked.
"We're going to intercept the press's plans by releasing a short video introducing me as Kris's boyfriend," Charlie said.
"I have my press officer working on this to make sure we can control the information that goes out. The public will be interested in Charlie, and I can't say I blame them," I said, putting my arm around Charlie, all my tension dissipating when he leaned into me.
"You might wonder how this will affect you once Charlie's identity is known. James is working with some friends he knows in personal security. We can arrange to have your homes secured as well as someone to accompany you wherever you go."
"Like bodyguards?" Gina asked. This time there were no jokes or flirtatious innuendos from Charlie's bubbly aunt.
"Yes. Neither you nor anyone else would know they're there, but if you needed assistance, they'd be there for you."
A knock on the door startled me.
"We're not waiting for anyone unless it's Connor coming back," Hannah said.
James opened the door and in walked Connor and Ceecee.
I noticed James's murderous look toward Connor's girlfriend, but my main concern was Charlie, who'd gone stiff beside me.
"Are you okay?"
"What is she doing here?" he asked.
"Charlie, Kris," Connor said, "we need to speak to you in private."
"Come on, people. Who wants a peak of the wedding dress?" Hannah said in a bossy voice. I caught her eye and smiled. She really was so much like Aleks.
"I’m going to check in with the wedding planner at the hotel," Ellie said, giving Hannah a kiss as she walked out of the main door, supposedly so she wouldn’t see the dress herself.
As soon as everyone was upstairs, Connor and Ceecee sat on the sofa opposite. Connor kept looking at James.
"I'm sorry, Connor, he has to stay," I said.
Ceecee didn't look as made up as she had the night before. In fact, she was wearing a cotton dress and tennis shoes. It was like she was a different person, she almost looked pretty in a natural kind of way.
"I'm sorry," she said.
No one spoke or acknowledged her apology. She stiffened and took a breath.
"I've been under a lot of pressure at work to bring a new story in. I've been following the scandal with the Lydovian royal family, so when I saw Prince Kristof, I figured this was my opportunity to have the scoop on it."
"Do you really know what you've done, Ceecee?" Charlie almost shouted and she flinched. "Just because someone has a title or is famous doesn't give you the right to intrude in their lives. How would you like to have a strange person photograph an intimate moment between you and Connor and then go splash it all over the papers?"
Charlie got up and walked to the window. His fists were clenched, and his face was red. I followed and wrapped my arms around him. Charlie hugged me back, relaxing slightly.
"Shhh, that's okay, baby."
"No, it's not okay." He turned to Ceecee. "Why do you always ignore me when you walk past?"
Ceecee looked uncomfortable. Connor just looked puzzled.
"I don't ignore you," she said.
Charlie stared at her, almost daring her.
"Okay, fine. I'm somewhat jealous of you, of your family, and how close you all are." Tears started running down her face, and I thought Connor would comfort her, but he didn't move an inch. It was like he was seeing his girlfriend in a new light.
"Why?" Connor asked.
"It's always been me and my mom. She raised me to fight for a better life. When you come from the poor housing developments, people look down at you. My mom always told me I was better than that life, that I deserved more."
"And it doesn't matter to you who you hurt along the way?" Connor asked.
Ceecee had the decency to look embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm. I was under so much pressure at work, so when I saw the opportunity, I jumped on it. I didn't think."
Charlie's eyes softened slightly, and I could see he was trying to empathize with her. Another reason as to why I needed to figure out a way to keep him.
22
Charlie
"Ceecee, is there any way to stop the article you have coming out?" Charlie asked.
I was trying hard to not jump down her throat; unfortunately, her story did make me feel somewhat sorry for her. Not entirely, though.
"I don't know. My editor was quite excited about this, so I can't see how I could stop her now."
I looked at Kris, knowing we'd need to do the live press statement before Ceecee's article came out.
"I'll quit my job," Ceecee blurted. We all looked at her. "I know you won't believe me, but I am sorry."
She got up and left. Connor stayed where he was, his elbows on his knees, and his head resting on his hands. I wasn't sure if he looked deflated or relieved. James was staring at Connor with furrowed brows, looking like he wanted to do something but unsure of what.
"Right," I said, straightening my back. "Shall we get this show on the road?"
"You are amazing, you know that?" Kris said.
I wasn't sure what he meant. I was scared shitless of what we were about to do and what would come next. Most of all, I was scared I wouldn't have the courage to tell Kris how I felt, and that we'd part ways, and I'd never see him again.
Kris came forward and pulled me into a kiss. He kept it tame, but I felt it all the way down to my core. When I opened my eyes, Kris was looking at me like he was staring right into my soul.
"Charlie, I…" Kris didn't finish what he was about to say because at that moment, there was a knock on the door. Connor went to open it, and a second later, Rory came in followed by a giant of a guy I'd never seen before.
"I found this jackass in the hotel reception area being rude to people and asking for a Prince Kristof of Lydovia," Rory said, the last part in a deep voice as though he was imitating the other man, who still hadn't said a word. "Anyway, Ellie was walking past with the wedding planner and told me to bring him here. What's going on?"
My heart sank when Kris uttered one word, "Sergei," before he met the man halfway across the room and hugged him.
"Holy fuck," Rory said. "Charlie, is this true? Is he a prince?"
I found myself again in an alternate universe. My head started hurting. How had I found myself in a room with my ex-boyfriend, who was my brother's best friend and in the closet, my fake boyfriend who I wasn't sure w
as so fake anymore, my fake boyfriend's ex-boyfriend, my brother, who may have just been dumped by the maybe not-so-wicked Witch, and my fake boyfriend's security guard who seemed to have not got the memo that my brother was straight.
I needed to get some fresh air.
Kris caught up with me in the yard, and we walked in silence to the far end where a grouping of small trees offered some privacy.
"I'm sorry, it was getting too crowded in there," I said.
"Yeah, it was. I'm sorry. I've been trying to get hold of Sergei for ages, but I didn't realize he'd be coming to meet me. I thought he'd just call. Maybe Mimi did give him a good kick in the ass."
I laughed.
"What?"
"You said ass. Can princes say ass?"
"I must have missed that class. But it would be a shame," Kris said, coming closer with a heated look, "because I really do love ass. Yours in particular."
I did a twirl in front of him, jiggling my ass on purpose. Kris caught me as I turned back around, and I put my arms around Kris's neck, and we smiled at each other.
"We're not pretending anymore, are we?" I asked.
Kris shook his head. "I never was, Charlie. I never was."
Our lips met softly at first, almost like we were kissing for the first time. Kris's hands ran down my back, making me shiver under the touch, but it was when he touched my cheek after our kiss had ended that the final brick that was protecting my heart was obliterated to dust.
"I have totally fallen for you, Prince Kristof Ivan Maxim, or is it the other way around, of Lydovia," I said into Kris's eyes. "I don't know what the hell a prince would want with someone like me, but I really hope you—"
Kris stopped me with a kiss and then whispered against my lips, "I feel the same, Charlie Williams. I think I fell for you at the same time you fell on me."
"I'll never live it down, will I?"
Kris laughed. "I hope you keep falling on me and for me for the rest of our lives."
I knew this was only the beginning because, as far as the press was concerned, nothing had changed. Prince Kristof was still gallivanting with his new love interest in the American countryside.
