Page 26 of Matched with the Grumpy Secret Prince

“If you’re not worried about time, I am. I need to do a bunch of other stuff, but I gave them up just to be here.”

“And I’m genuinely grateful for that. And if you’re in such a hurry to leave, you could just make videos of the area and leave.”

Did she just say that to me? And why did it sound so dismissive?

I scoff. “Are you dismissing me?”

“No. But if you have other things to do, I’m afraid I have to offer a solution that works for both of us.” She smiles, but I can see through it; she can already tell I’m starting to get rattled, and she’s enjoying it.

I sigh. “It’s okay; I can spare a bit more time.”

“Thank you, Graham.” She walks ahead of me before turning her head back around to look at me. I stop in my tracks at the bright smile on her face and how beautiful she looks under the sunlight. “I think we should check the lake now. I remember it being on that side.”

She points to the far north and starts making her way there without getting a response from me.

I sigh, walking as fast as I can. “Careful! The ground is muddy.”

Just what did I let Mia rope me into?

SOPHIE

“It’s so beautiful and serene,” I say with a smile as I stare at the lake in front of us. The sun makes the water sparkle, and I can imagine how this would look when I’m done. Riley chose this spot well because it’s perfect for the ceremony and reception. “What do you think? Are you getting any inspiration already? Because I know I am.”

I look at Graham, trying to gauge his expression. A few moments ago, before coming to the lake, I could have sworn he was getting so impatient that he wanted to get out of here as soon as possible. This is weird because I don’t think Mia coerced him into doing anything. All of this is supposed to be free will.

Graham stares at me for a second before he stares back out at the lake; even though he looks at me for a few seconds, I can’t help but feel so self-aware when his eyes land on mine. It’s strange how my body reacts like this to Graham; I’ve never experienced it with any other man, and I’m not sure how to feel about it.

He clears his throat, and I force myself to focus on the task at hand as he speaks. “Like I said, this place is perfect, and I’ve got a good feeling so far.”

“Then should we head back? Since we have everything covered, you could email me whatever you come up with when it’s done,” I say, but he shakes his head.

“I think I want to stay here for a bit,” he says, and I cannot hide my disbelief. He is so indecisive right now, and I don’t understand why.

“You know, you’re a little odd.” I let out a small chuckle as I say it, searching the grass for a leveled spot. I finally find a comfortable position, so I sit.

“What do you mean?” he says as he sits too, though he maintains a reasonable distance from me.

“You almost bit my head off minutes ago before I suggested coming out to the lake. You said you had a few other errands to run, making me feel like I was in your way.”

There’s silence for a while as neither of us speaks. I don’t entirely know what kind of response I’m expecting from him as I wait for him to speak.

“It can wait. Being out here in the quiet like this is good for my head,” he says as I nod.

“You must love living alone, then.”

“You don’t?” he asks me, and for a second, I pause. I’ve lived alone in Manhattan for the last seven years but still miss the ruckus I grew up with.

“I do, but sometimes I miss my family too. You know, you never realize how short life is until everyone grows up and does their own thing. Growing up with Mia and Sam, I sometimes wished I was an only child with all the noise and fighting. But now we areall grown up, and everyone is just facing life.” I sigh, feeling the wind touch my face.

Graham’s eyes are so unreadable now that I wonder if I said something wrong. He opens his mouth like he wants to say something, then gets up from the ground, dusting off the back of his jeans.

“We should get going. I’ll email you whatever I work on,” he says.

He doesn’t even wait for my response before walking off in the opposite direction. I stare at his retreating figure for a bit before finally standing up, utterly perplexed at how his mood switched.

It was definitely something I said. I catch up to him as he walks, addressing the elephant in the room. “Did I say something wrong?”

He does not stop walking, and he does not speak to me. “Graham, please let me know if I said something wrong.”

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