Page 43 of The Billionaire's Royal Secret

She rubbed a hand across his shoulders. “It’s all right. If you don’t want to talk–”

“No, I do. I…do. I just…this isn’t going to be easy.”

“Take your time.”

His features crinkled as he faced her. “That woman in the museum…she was my ex-fiancée.”

Elena’s eyebrows raised at the words. She couldn’t help but make a comparison to her boyfriend’s former flame. She was dark to the woman’s light. Their styles were entirely different. They didn’t seem to share the same taste in anything, except perhaps, men.

“I assume it did not end well,” Elena said, wondering if she was the rebound. Did Nate pine for the woman?

“It didn’t,” he said. “She…umm…she wasn’t interested in me for me. She…cheated. With my brother.”

“Oh,” Elena said, her voice filled with a rueful concern. “I am sorry.”

His features flinched as he gave a slight shake of his head. His fingers tapped out a nervous rhythm against his thigh. “Seeing Chloe…it brought a lot of bad stuff back, but…”

He shifted his gaze to her for the first time as he reached for her, cupping her cheek in his hand. “I need you to know, Ellie, that I’m not sorry things ended with her. Because if they hadn’t, I never would have met you. And you have…brought a light into my life that I didn’t think was possible after all that darkness.”

Elena offered him a reassuring smile. “I am quite pleased we met, too.”

The smile on his features faded quickly, his eyebrows pinching again. “There is something else, though.”

She braced herself for what revelation may come.

He licked his lips before continuing. “After everything ended with Chloe, I didn’t handle it well.” His voice faltered, betraying his deep upset. “I…started drinking. A lot. It was a really dark time for me. I’ve been working to move past it, but…it’s part of my history. Part of me. I thought you should know.”

He offered her a tentative glance, his eyes filled with remorse and vulnerability.

She wrapped her hand in his. “And have you? Moved past it?”

His fingers tightened around hers as he bobbed his head. “Yes, and no. I’m sober. I’ve been sober for months. Every day is…a battle, but it’s one that’s been far easier to win with you in my life.”

She smiled at him again. “Months? Well, that is a big step. When did this happen?”

“A little over a year ago. I…we actually met on the anniversary of my break-up with Chloe.” He huffed out a laugh at the irony.

“And you had already been sober for months then?”

He nodded. “Yes, yes. I haven’t touched a drop in months. And I’ve never been drunk since I’ve known you. I…I’m working really hard to put the past behind me. It’s easier when there’s hope that I have a future.” He squeezed her hand. “Do I? Have a future with you? Or have I ruined it with my past stupidity?”

Her features melted into a genuine smile at his words. “Nothing could ruin our future if we are both committed to each other. What happened…it’s a part of you, Nathan, but it’s not all of you.”

His questioning gaze melted into an expression of relief as he pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her in a tight embrace. “Ellie, I can’t tell you how muchthat means to me.”

“I will support you in any way I can. Just let me know what I can do.”

He pulled back, his thumb rubbing her cheek. “You already do it every single day. Honestly, Ellie, the day we met went from the darkest day to the brightest spot in my life.”

“I’m afraid you may be giving me too much credit. Your darkest days were far behind you when you picked yourself up and decided to move on with your life.”

“Well, I have a lot of people to thank for that, too.”

“I’m certain, but the biggest one to thank is you. No one can stop us from behaving how we choose, no matter how much they want to. You took that step yourself. And I’m proud of you for that.”

He beamed at her. “Thank you, Ellie, you, as always, have been amazing about this. It’s been weighing on me.”

“Whatever for?”

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