Page 81 of Prince Material
“Which was exactly what you needed to do.” He pressed a kiss to my temple. “I’m proud of you.”
I turned to look at him properly. “Is it always going to be like this?”
He hesitated. “Always? No, but for the first few months, yes. After that, it’ll be old news and things will calm down significantly.”
I leaned my head against his shoulder, processing this new reality. “Months of this?”
“It’ll get easier,” Floris promised, his fingers tracing soothing patterns on my arm. “And we have security now, plus the campus police will keep them off college grounds. They’ll have to lurk at a distance like the creepy stalkers they are.”
Despite my anxiety, I snorted. “Very diplomatic of you.”
“I save my diplomacy for press conferences.” He pulled me closer. “With you, I can just be me. The me who thinks paparazzi are basically legally sanctioned stalkers with expensive cameras.”
“And who apparently arranges security without telling me.” I poked his side gently. “When were you going to mention Nathan and Tim?”
He had the grace to look sheepish. “I was waiting for the right moment? I didn’t want you to feel handled. Or like I was making decisions for you.”
“Hey.” I shifted to face him properly. “I know why you did it. And I’m grateful. I can’t imagine facing that crowd without Nathan there to help.”
Relief flickered across his features. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” I kissed him softly. “Thank you for looking out for me while still letting me handle things my way.”
We sat in comfortable silence for a while, the events of the day settling around us like dust after a storm.
“You were amazing today,” Floris murmured into my hair, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on my back. “I know it wasn’t easy,but you handled it perfectly. Though I still think we should’ve gone with my suggestion of announcing our relationship via interpretive dance.”
I snorted against his chest, grateful for his ability to make me laugh even after the most stressful moments. “Maybe next time,” I said, snuggling closer. “For now, can we stay here like this?”
“As long as you want,lieverd,” he replied softly. “As long as you want.”
25
ORSON
Snow whirled past the windows like it was running from something. It kept coming and coming, piling up so high that Floris figured it would reach the second story by morning.
At least it gave us a good excuse to hole up into our room. True to their promise, campus police had kept the press off campus. Well, for the most part anyway. Apparently, some paparazzi had still managed to get some shots of us, walking back after dinner. We’d both been bundled up against the cold, holding hands with gloves on, so it hadn’t exactly been the most flattering shot, but whatever.
Nathan and Tim were still next door to us in a dorm room, following us wherever we went. I’d grown used to having Nathan shadow me. He had a dry sense of humor and knew when to cheer me up with a good joke. Also, he was gay, which had been a big shock. And even more shocking: he and Tim were together. Floris had joked they probably hoped this detail would last a long time because it gave them a chance to be together. But we probably wouldn’t need them for much longer, since everything had quieted down.
Because of the storm, classes were canceled today, so we were staying inside. I was on my back, my neck propped on the edge of my bed and my fluid mechanics book open on my stomach.
“We’re trapped,” Floris declared with his usual flair for drama after getting up once more to check on the snow levels outside. “Snowed in… with only one bed.”
I snorted. “Do we need to go over kindergarten math again? Because I’m pretty sure we have two beds in here.”
He gave me a dismissive wave. “Work with me here. Only one bed sounds much more romantic. Especially when you’re stuck with the actual Prince Charming.”
“Prince Charming? I had no idea. I didn’t sign up for that…”
“It’s in the small print. You should always read the small print.”
“Does this Prince Charming come with a money-back guarantee if I’m not fully satisfied?”
He put his hands on his hips. “Are you saying you’re not fully satisfied?”
I pretended to think about it, so he mimicked an arrow to the heart.
