Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
MELINDA
Ididn’t want to leave our bubble.
The last few days had been perfect.
Alex and I had been going horseback riding daily, watching tv shows, and cooking together.
We were both going to be behind on university work, but I couldn’t help but feel like it was worth it. I had gotten to know so much about him, what his favourite royal jobs were, and stories about Elizabeth. I knew so much more about him now. I also realised how much he carried on his shoulders.
We were currently on our way to London for our meeting with his parents. I was nervous as hell, and it didn’t help that Alex looked cool as a cucumber. He looked so fucking hot, too.
I looked at my phone to see Megan had texted me back. I shook my head as I saw that she texted me a row of GIFs.
My best friend was so helpful.
Not.
I felt a hand on my knee looking at Alex with a frown. “What?” I asked.
“You’re tapping your feet. You don’t need to be nervous,” Alex said softly.
“Easy for you to say,” I muttered, shaking my head. “It’s just your family.”
He rolled his eyes. “They’re normal people, Ella.”
I snorted. “Only you would think that, Alex.”
I looked out the window as the streets of London passed by. The city looked beautiful.
One day, I would have enough money to explore.
I heard sirens and then one passed by us, but it didn’t speed ahead like I thought it would.
Instead, it remained in front of us. I looked behind us to see we were also being followed by police.
“Why are we being followed by the police?” My eyes widened looking back and forth.
“Oh, it’s an escort. I forget that it’s not normal for you,” he said, shaking his head amused.
“An escort?” I asked.
“Yeah, Ella. The closer we get to the Palace, the more we need an escort. Although, my travel plans haven’t been leaked yet. We have to be ready in case anybody is watching the Palace and attempts to kill me,” he said.
“I have a question, and I promise I’m not a killer or terrorist,” I told him with a little laugh.
“You’re really selling this, Ella.”
I laughed. “So the police…Are they here to make sure nobody is going to ram the car or kidnap you? Who says that someone can’t throw a bomb at your car or hit you with a missile?”
Alex pursed his lips. and I couldn’t help but chuckle a little.
Clearly, this is something he had never thought about before.
“Well, usually, we have dummy cars, too, so it’s not actually clear which one we are in. Maybe I should worry about you.”
I laughed. “Or watch a crime show and that would tell you that these are completely normal questions, potato.”
Alex grimaced at the nickname, and I couldn’t help but smile.
Who knew the man could be set off by being called a potato?
“I should put you on some kind of watchlist,” Alex said, looking at me suspiciously.
I scoffed. “You better put everyone who watches Criminal Minds, Swat, FBI, NCIS, and Law and Order on your watchlist then.”
“Maybe we need to limit your screen time,” Alex said, shaking his head.
“I’m not a toddler.” I scowled. “It’s good background noise and these shows help me escape.”
“I wish I could relate to finding a good TV show,” Alex mumbled.
“Oh, potato. I can open your eyes to many good television shows,” I said with a smile. “Maybe that’s what we should do one date night. A little television binge-watching.”
“Hide away from the real world forever. I like it,” Alex smiled.
I smiled. “I wish.”
Pretty soon I would have to go back to the real world. I’d have to go back to working, studying, dealing with my mother and sperm donor, and the debt. This week had been a good distraction from all of that, but I wasn’t going to be able to be distracted forever.
I watched as the gates to the Palace opened, and we drove in with the police cars splitting away from us. We pulled to a stop, and I put my hand on the car door. “No,” Alex shook his head.
“What?”
“You won’t be able to do things like this. You have to wait for the car door to be opened,” Alex explained. “Just in case.”
I nodded.
Is this what his world was like? Always wondering when danger was going to hit. Was I going to be in danger?
The car door opened. He stepped out before offering his hand to help me out. I stepped out of the car, seeing two people stand there in suits.
I looked down at my leggings and baggy t-shirt and back at Alex. “The staff here are dressed better than me.”
Alex shook his head, “Don’t be silly. You’re beautiful.”
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t need your corny compliments.”
He grabbed my hand, leading me inside my eyes widened as I took everything in.
The palace was stunning. It was everything the history books said it would be.
The one thing that the history books didn’t take into account was the little girl running down the corridor covered in flour. She ran straight to Alex, wrapping her arms around his legs. “Ander! You’re home!”
He laughed, letting go of my hand and picking her up. He didn’t care that she was covered in flour. She hugged him and cocked her head as she saw me.
“Hi,” I said softly.
“She’s talking to me, Ander,” she whispered, making me laugh a little. “Can I say hi?”
“Of course, little El,” he said.
“Hi,” she said. “I’m El. You’re El. We’re El.”
I laughed. “Yeah we’re El.”
“Can we keep her?” El asked, turning back to Alex.
I smiled, it was amazing how much she was like Alex. I could find myself getting attached to her that was for sure. I had to wonder how often Elizabeth came to him covered in things because Alex didn’t bat an eyelid to it.
“So, Little Princess,” Alex said, tickling her. “What trouble have you been up to today?”
She gasped in fake shock, and I couldn’t help but giggle slightly.
“Nothing, Ander. Absolutely nothing.”
“Hmm, I don’t believe you,” he said flatly.
“Nope. Innocent until proven guilty!” I declared defending whatever the little princess had been up to.
“I like her,” El said, matter of factly. “Down.”
Alex did as she said.
She ran ahead, and he let out a sigh. “I don’t know what chaos I am going to be walking into.”
“Does she do this a lot?”
“Way too often to count.”
He reached for my hand, pulling me through the house. As we got closer and closer to the loudness, I looked at Alex in concern.
“I’m going to kill you!” I heard someone yell.
My eyes widened.
He smiled. “Welcome to chaos, baby.” He pushed open a door and chaos was right.
There was a trail of flour all over the floor and two teenage boys covered in flour and Elizabeth stood with another child looking very proud of herself.
“How did a four-year-old cause this much chaos?” I asked with shock in my voice.
Alex chuckled. “This is nothing.”
“I hate you!” A boy screamed.
“That’s enough, Charles,” Alex said, his voice cold. “She is a baby.”
“I’m not a baby!” El stamped her feet in anger.
I pressed my lips into a thin line to keep from laughing.
I loved her. She was great.
“Charles and Arthur, go and clean yourselves off. Henry, stop helping Elizabeth with her pranks.”
Henry’s mouth dropped open. “I didn’t.”
Alex scoffed. “Are you telling me the four-year-old climbed up to put flour on top of doors and was smart enough to put all of this together?”
“Yes,” Henry offered with a smile. “She’s a really smart four-year-old.”
“Henry.”
“What? I’m getting tired of them picking on me,” he snapped. “So, what if Elizabeth wants to pull some stupid harmless pranks?!” He stormed off, slamming what I could only assume was his bedroom door.
Alex sighed and rubbed his forehead. He turned to the two teens shaking their heads. “Are you two for real? Leave him alone.”
“We’ll just call it character building,” one of them shrugged.
“I call it being a dickhead to your brother,” Alex snapped.
“You shouldn’t swear. Anyway, who is this thing?”
My mouth dropped open in surprise.
“Talk about her like that again, and we will have a problem,” Alex threatened. He grabbed my hand, pulling me away. “Don’t kill your brothers,” he whispered to himself.
I squeezed his hand, reassuring him. “I love El. She is my second best friend,” I told him, trying to cheer him up.
Alex laughed and pushed me against the wall, pressing two hands either side of my head.
I bit my lip as I looked up at him.
“Do I have competition?”
I laughed. “Are you jealous?” I raised an eyebrow. “Are you jealous of your baby sister? My poor potato.”
He rested his forehead against mine. “I don’t know what pisses me off more Ella, that you’re amused by this or that you keep calling me a potato.”
I smiled, batting my eyelashes.
Was it wrong that I loved seeing him like this? Something about it was incredibly hot.
He pressed his lips to mine and deepened the kiss, almost immediately pressing my body to his. He pulled away, and I smiled. “Alright. Let’s go to the lion’s den before I change my mind and decide to throw you away.”
He grabbed my hand as we walked through more of the palace until we reached an office.
Alex knocked and walked in, pulling me in with him. He sat down, pulling me to sit on his lap. I tried to get up, but Alex held me in place. “Stop moving,” he whispered.
“I am not going to sit in your lap,” I hissed.
“Ella—”
I glared at him, “Do you need another lesson again?”
I heard a chuckle and turned to see the Queen sitting next to the desk.
My eyes widened.
“I love hearing someone put my baby boy in his place,” she mused.
I stared at her not knowing what to say. Alex released his grip on me and moved up on the seat allowing me to sit next to him.
“Alexander, I think I broke your girlfriend,” the Queen said amused.
“I’m not his girlfriend,” I mumbled.
Alex looked at me. “You said you were giving me a chance?”
I grinned. “I am, but you haven’t asked me to be your girlfriend yet.”
“I think I like you already, Melinda,” she said. “I need to hear this story of slapping my son though.”
“Mother,” Alex frowned.
She groaned, throwing her hands up dramatically. “Nobody lets me have any fun anymore.”
I couldn’t fathom how this woman ran the country, especially when she was standing there acting so normal.
“Mother,” Alex said. “Can we get on with the meeting?”
She sighed. “Alex will fill you in with the nitty gritty in regard to the reporters. It won’t be easy, but I hope you like my son enough to stay by his side. It won’t be nice—”
“Yeah, I already read some of the lovely comments,” I said, pressing my lips into a thin line.
“Yes, so there will be that. I’d like for you to attend some formal events with Alexander,” she said. “In fact, we have a royal ball happening next weekend. I’d like for you to attend. We will have you dressed and get your makeup done here.”
“The balls are boring, but we will make it fun,” Alex grinned.
I nodded.
“I hope you understand the importance of keeping things that happen in the palace and with Alexander. We do not need our business splashed all over the papers—”
“Mother, she isn’t like that,” Alex defended.
“Alex, it’s okay. She’s protecting your family,” I defended his mother.
I could understand why she felt the need to say it. I couldn’t help but wonder how many times they had been burned by allowing people into their life.
“I still think she should sign an NDA,” a new voice said. I turned to see the King walking into the office and standing by his wife. “Alexander can be too trusting. For all we know, this girl could be a spy or a gold digger.”
I looked to see Alex’s fist clenching in his hand, “We aren’t going through this again.”
“Alex, if it would make your family happy I’ll sign—”
“No,” he snapped. “I am not tainting my relationship with a NDA or a background check. I trust her.” I bit my lip not knowing where to look. I could feel the tension between them both.
“She is not—”
“We aren’t having this discussion again,” Alex snapped, standing up. “Do not test me father.”
I bit my lip as I had never seen Alex this angry and annoyed before. He wasn’t kidding when he said that his relationship with his father was strained.
“Look, if it will make everyone happy to do a background check…” I trailed off.
“Melinda,” Alex said sharply.
I couldn’t help but flinch slightly at my full name.
“A word,” he said.
I followed him obediently out of the office.
“You don’t need to offer bullshit like that.”
“Alex, if it gets your dad off your back, do it. I have nothing to hide.”
“It feels like I’m slapping you in the face by making you do this, Ella.” He sighed.
“You aren’t making me do anything. I’m the one who’s offering to do it. I’d rather do a background check than an NDA. Like, could you imagine if I couldn’t tell Megan things? Um, no thank you,” I said. “Let me make things a little easier for you.”
“What did I do to deserve you?” Alex asked, wrapping an arm around my waist. He pressed a small kiss onto my forehead as he reached for my hand and peered his head back into the office.
“Do the background check.”
I didn’t really care about the background check if it made the King feel better about me and Alex being together. I was more than willing to do it. There wasn’t anything they’d find that would put major red flags. So, I didn’t worry.