Page 112 of How to Date a Prince

“I’m in love, and the nation will hear about me being gay and in love with Thomas tomorrow night in the live audience forRenaissance Man.”

He still stares. Harder.

“I don’t know if Thomas loves me back or if there’s a chance to be together, which I would love, but he’s a good man. I have to take the risk of being honest with him and the world about who I am. Thomas has a great heart. And he sees me. Who I really am. And I see him. And he means everything to me.” I pause for a breath. “You were in love with Mum. You know how love feels. Don’t you want that for me too?”

Father’s pale again as he grips his remote.

“I’ll always love you, Father. Even if we don’t agree on some things.”

“I love you too, son,” he says finally. “More than anything else. You, Anne, and your mum. Even if I’m… concerned, shall we say. An anti-monarchist of any gender isn’t who I would want my son to fall in love with. Then again, I remember falling in love with your mother, and the scandal that brought, since some people didn’t believe she was a suitable match. But what we did believe in was love. And each other...” He falls quiet.

My eyes flood then. I wipe them with the cuff of my sleeve.

His eyes well up slightly too, and then he looks away. “I’ll be watching tomorrow night. To see you. And this man you’ve fallen in love with.”

“Thanks,” I whisper.

And I realize then that he watches all the shows he does as an escape, in the absence of my mother, to fill the space in his heart she left behind. It explains the workaholism too.

But that means maybe there’s also a space for me to build a relationship with my father that hasn’t existed before. Like there’s some kind of renewal for both of us, to find a way to truly know each other.

ChapterForty

Apparently, being a prince means you get your own private dressing room. The rest of theRenaissance Mancast cool their heels in the green room before our call. When I see a couple of the men backstage, like Jax and David, I get warm hellos and people are thrilled to see me upright after the accident.

My stomach dances with all the butterflies and then some, both for the live show and more so at knowing I’ll see Thomas tonight. I adjust my collar, tug at my jacket, check myself out on my phone camera. I check my messages again. I’m one hundred percent nerves.

We gather backstage in the wings. From here, I see the podium seating onstage under the dazzle of the stage lights. There’s the din of the audience, the chatter backstage. My senses are already overloaded. I draw in another deep breath to steady myself.

And I see Thomas out of the corner of my eye, and I swear I stop breathing.

He’s on the other side of the men. I can’t get to him easily. Plus, he’s deep in conversation with Travis. When it’s time, we file out to the studio at the stage manager’s cue as the audience roars. Two rows of five chairs face the waiting studio audience.

I’m the last to walk out on stage. To my surprise, I get a standing ovation and cheers from the audience. I squint under the bright lights and wave, smiling. Taken aback, I’m startled by the intensity of their response at seeing me. I pause, nodding in acknowledgment with another wave before I turn to sit.

And my heart stops when I see my father and Anne in the audience, in their own special section to the side. My father meets my gaze, a flicker of a smile across his lips. I could weep with relief at the sight of him, my heart pounding with the shock.

When I turn to sit, the only remaining chair is beside Thomas.

He gazes at me with a slight smile on his lips, but his eyes are shadowed, even under the makeup. I take a seat and murmur hello. I receive an unintelligible murmur back, but even so, it’s thrilling. Because Thomas. I shiver.

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the final episode ofRenaissance Man, where we announce the winner, along with the long-awaited final episode, the tell-all. We’re thrilled to welcome Prince Augustus back after his dreadful accident while filming. We are all very pleased to see you, Your Royal Highness,” Colin enthuses. More thundering applause and cheers follow. I blink and grin under the lights.

Everyone’s happy except Wilson, I’m sure. And as my guts twist, I can’t read Thomas.

The stage lights are dazzling, which guarantees a headache later. I try to ignore the lights and focus on Thomas. He is so close I could touch him.

The producers have put together a reel with highlights and lowlights of the ten weeks of filming with each contestant. Wilson is third from the end, and he basks in the mixed applause and jeers he gets from the audience, everyone’s favorite villain, it turns out. It turns out he’s given plenty of footage of him being an arse to everyone, and it’s implied that he’s the one responsible for ruining my pottery.

“I said what I said,” says Wilson, grinning and looking defiant. “It is what it is.”

“Anything else aside from that? Any regrets?” Colin asks. “It’s down to you and Thomas as the last men standing.”

“That I don’t have a million pounds already in my bank account.”

“We shall see.” Colin smiles, then breezes over to me. “Auggie, you’ve had a time.”

“You could say,” I concede, smiling. That earns laughter from the audience.

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