Page 50 of The Prince's Green Card Scheme

“Everything I’ve ever heard about you tells me the story of a selfish boy. An idiot. But every time I’m with you like this… I don’t see that at all.”

“Whatdoyou see?” He glances over at me again, his eyes blazing with a self-loathing I’ve never seen before.

I take a breath, then tell him the truth. “I see someone kind. I see someone who cares. I see a guy who’s spent his entire life feeling overshadowed and who never quite figured out how to deal with that.”

He says nothing for a long while, and I don’t think he’s going to reply. Until, so quietly I barely hear it, he says, “You’re right. It’s not exactly that I was neglected as a kid. I had everything I needed. But… well, Miguel’s the oldest. I guess you’ve probably heard the expression, ‘the heir and the spare.’”

I nod when he looks at me expectantly. He sighs deeply and chuckles bitterly. “Well, I’m the spare’s spare. It’s not that I wasn’t loved or looked after. It’s not that I didn’t have everything I ever wanted, could ever even dream of. I guess it’s just… oh, I don’t know.”

My hands act before my brain can tell myself it’s a bad idea, and I reach out for his hand. “You just wanted to be noticed as much as them.”

“I guess, yeah.”

“It makes sense,” I say, “that you rebelled. You just wanted someone to see you for who you were.”

“And that’s the first time that anyone’s ever told me that my actions weren’t just those of some reckless young idiot.”

“You were just a kid. It must be a hell of a lot of pressure to be royal on top of that.”

“Most people would call it cushy,” he says with a chuckle so bitter that I almost feel like he’s about to cry.

I guess all he’s ever needed was for someone to be kind to him, to show him that there can be more to life than just being a disobedient boy. That he can be loved forwhohe is rather thanwhathe is.

There’s that word again.Love.

He’s way too tender right now for me to start bringing something like that up. So, instead, I say, “You know, I like it when you’re like this.”

“Like what?”

“When you act like a human.”

“I’m always a human!” he says defensively.

“No, you’re not.”

I’m expecting him to argue more, but then he just sighs. “No, I’m not. I don’t think I’ve ever knownhowto be.”

“There’s still time for you to learn,” I say. He scoffs, and I push. He needs to hear this. “God knows I don’t know you that well, but I’ve seen it. If you could just show everybody else how kind and funny and cool you are, I’m sure they would all quickly change their minds about you being some stupid little boy.”

“Oh, so youdothink I’m a stupid little boy?” he snaps.

I shake my head, my tone calm. “Did I say that?”

“No,” he admits with a frown, and I see him gripping the steering wheel like he’s holding on for dear life.

“I mean it, you know,” I say. “I’ve had a great day today. I’ve had a great day with you.” My heart is racing hard in my chest now,like it wants to burst with words I don’t know how to form. Don’t know how to speak.

There aren’t any words to describe the way he’s changed my life.

Instead of more talking, I squeeze his hand. “We should do this again.”

“What?” he says, glancing over at me like he thinks he misheard.

“We should do this again,” I repeat. “You and me hanging out all day. You should show me some more of the country, or we could just do something fun. As long as I’m getting the real Paolo, I don’t mind. In fact, I’d like it.”

“I’d like that too.” He smiles for the first time since we started talking.

“I do like you, you know,” I confess quietly. “I like spending time with you.”

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