Page 68 of Royal Fling
“My family expects me back home at the end of the summer,” he finally said and turned his gray eyes on me. “Do you think you'd like to come with me?”
Four more weeks? That was all we had together? I didn't like it. I didn't like it one bit.
It wasn’t as if I didn’t know that it would have to end come September, but where had the summer even gone? Why was it already almost over?
“Maybe,” I said. “But what would I do in Elysia?”
“You could teach. I could get you a job as a teacher. And I could come to your house every night, and we can spend every evening watching movies, eating popcorn, making love.”
Yeah, it sounded good. Except for one thing.
“You'd be coming to my apartment every night? Does that mean no one would know about me?”
“Does it matter?” he asked. “As long as we're together, does it matter if anyone knows?”
I brought my hand to his chest and patted it gently. A weight settled on my chest.
“August, I… I really, really like you. I want to spend more time with you, and I’m not ready to say goodbye, not by a long shot. But I won't be anyone's secret.”
“I know. I don't want you to be one, either.” He looked behind me as if searching for answers in the water or the skyline. “What if we just kept it a secretfor now? Until we figure out what this thing between us is?”
“And then what? Would you present me to your family and your people as your boyfriend?” I asked, not liking the direction this conversation was going.
“I don't know,” he admitted. “I would like to.”
It didn’t matter what he said; I already felt the sting on my eyes.
For crying out loud, what was wrong with me? I wasn't one to cry easily, unless I was watching a movie. There was absolutely no reason for me to be tearful over this. And yet I couldn't help myself.
It felt like the end of an era. If an era could even be four weeks. I wasn't sure if I was getting emotional because I didn't want to be a secret or because I didn't want to lose him.
“From the way you're reacting, I can tell I'm saying all the wrong things, aren’t I?” he asked.
“It's not your fault. You can't help who you are.”
I smiled and leaned my forehead on his, gazing deep into his eyes.
“Yes, I can. I can abdicate. I can give up the throne,” he said.
I huffed.
“Sweet, sweet August. You can't abdicate for me. You barely know me. I could never ask you to do that.”
“But there has to be another way. What if I stay here? Would you stay with me?”
“I can't stay in London. My life is in Virginia. My job. My family.”
“I can get you a job. I can get you anything you want. I don't want to lose you, Lucas. I can't lose you.”
I took a deep breath and tamed the storm inside me. I combed the sides of his head, tucking a tuft of hair behind his ear.
“Let's just enjoy the here and now, shall we? Like you said, we've got four weeks until the end of summer. Let's… let’s just see what happens.”
I leaned in to kiss him, and he relaxed against my body.
It wasn't a nice conversation to have. None of it was. It wasn't a sane conversation to have when we’d only known each other for so little time.
But I guess the heart wanted what it wanted, and I couldn't help it if it wanted August and August’s wanted me.
