***
“Oh my gosh, it feels good to be back in the suite,” she said as she collapsed onto the couch.
I went into the kitchen and got us a bottle of wine. “Here, have a glass, it will relax you.”
She took a sip and put the glass on the table. “I appreciate why you did what you did.”
“Why I did what?” I asked.
“You know, why you took me out into the public eye like that. I know that you were trying to prove to me that you're not embarrassed about who I am.”
She was right. I had done it to prove a point to her and to the world. I wanted nothing more than for everyone to see just how much Eliza meant to me and how little their opinion of her mattered.
“I did it for us,” I said.
She smiled, and my heart melted. I loved her smile and the way her eyes twinkled when she looked at me.
“Listen, don't get too comfortable,” I told her.
“Why not?”
“Because I have a romantic evening planned for us.”
I plopped down on the couch next to her and heard my phone ding. “Who is texting me now?”
I looked at the screen and saw that it was Edward.
>>>Brother, you and Eliza have already made the papers and the news. Take a look.
I reached for the remote control. “Prepare yourself,” I told her as I turned on the telly.
“Oh my gosh, they didn't waste any time,” she said when she saw us hand-in-hand leaving the cafe.
“No, they sure don't. Eliza, every move my family makes usually ends up on television and in the papers. I'm sure you know that.”
“Yeah, I mean, I never really followed that type of stuff, but you're right. Apparently we are big news.”
Her phone began to ring.
“And I'll bet that's either your mum or dad,” I said to her as I laughed.
“It's Mum,” she said. “Hello?”
There was a silence, and Eliza rolled her eyes and smiled. “Yes, Mum. I know. We're watching it now.”
More silence followed, and I assumed her mother was giving her some kind of lecture about staying out of public.
“Yes, Mum. I love you too. Bye.”
Eliza laid her phone down and laughed.
My phone rang. It was Clayton. “Shit, it's Clayton.”
“Maybe you shouldn't answer it. He probably only wants to argue with you.”
I turned my ringer off and tossed my phone onto the table. I was happy, and I wasn't about to let Clayton or anyone else take that away with their lectures about who I should or shouldn't date.
I moved closer to her and took her hand in mine. “Thank you for hanging in there with me when things got rough with my friends. I know they can be real pricks at times.”
“Drew, I’m not going anywhere. Let's forget about what happened and just be happy with each other.”
As we kissed again, her phone dinged.
“How to bloody hell did that knob get my number,” she scoffed as she looked at her phone.
“What?”
“Clayton! He texted me.”
“Let me read it,” I said as I took the phone.
>>>Eliza, tell your boyfriend that he needs to surf the net. He's not going to be very happy about what he sees. I told him that I would pay him back.”
“Oh my god,” I said. I had no idea what Clayton was talking about, but knowing him as well as I did, I could tell that it was not good.
“Drew, what's going on?” Eliza asked. She was scared and, quite frankly, so was I. What if he made up some elaborate story about Poppy and took it to the press? What if Poppy agreed to lie to them as well?
After a quick search of my name, over three million articles popped up.
“Prince Andrew Fights Over a Pauper,” one headline read.
“The Prince Beats His Friend Over a Commoner named Eliza Noble,” another printed.
“Drew, what is it?” she asked, her voice full of concern.
“Eliza, don't read it. Stay away from the news and the Internet. Trust me, you can't read everything they print.”
I clicked on the video that went along with the article and saw myself beating Clayton at the stadium.
“Bloody hell!! Some asshole was recording me?” I screamed.
“Drew, what's going on?” Eliza was upset with good reason. She had no idea what was happening. The day had been overwhelming, and now to be followed by this was inexcusable. I was well aware who leaked the fight to the press. It was Clayton. He said he'd see that I paid for what I had done to him. Well, here was something that I didn’t want my mother to see.
“Eliza, look, I have to tell you something before you see it anywhere else.”
The look of terror in her eyes hurt me.
“There is a video out there of me and Clayton fighting. It's pretty brutal, and I don't want you to watch it.”
I realized that I couldn't stop her from seeing it if she wanted to, but I felt it was best if she didn’t view me as a violent person. I didn't want her to see me acting that way.
“Drew, it's going to be hard not watching it, don't you think? It will be everywhere.”
She was right. It would be everywhere for eternity, and she would seeing it eventually. She might as well go ahead and look at it while I was there to explain things.
I watched her face as she watched me beat my friend. The tears that fell from her eyes hurt me to my heart.
“Eliza, I'm so sorry. You know I’m not a violent person. I tried to settle things with Clayton without resorting to violence, but I had so much pent-up anger, and although I had told him I was tired of him disrespecting you, he continued on and one with it. Before I even realized it, Riley was pulling me off Clayton. I must have snapped. Please forgive me for being stupid.”
She wiped her cheek. “Drew, promise me that you'll never allow yourself to get that upset again.”
It was apparent that she was afraid of me at that moment. “Please understand that I would never do that to you or to anyone else. Clayton had me at the end of my rope with all the vile and hateful things he had said about you.”
She took a deep breath and stared at me. “I understand, but please, no more fighting about me. Let them all say what they want to say. I don't care. I only care about us being together.”
“Eliza, I promise, no more fighting. Those people don't matter anymore.”
I meant what I said to her. No one in the world mattered except us.
***
After the obligatory calls to Mum, Edward, and Abigail, I had finally gotten everyone settled down enough to actually be able to talk to Eliza. She explained that she had called her family, reassuring them that I wasn't some half-crazed monster who went around picking fights.
“Well, since everyone is alright, I think it's time that we get ready to go out to dinner.”
She looked at me with surprise. “You mean, you want to go out again after today?”
After a chuckle, I answered, “Yes, because what I have planned is going to be very private.”
She tilted her head and grinned. “Okay, just no more cameramen in our faces. Those guys made me a nervous wreck.”
“No more, I promise.” I kissed her. “Now, go and shower. You'll find your clothes have been laid out for you on the bed.”
“Oh wow, you've already picked out my clothes? Well, isn't that lovely?” she said with a smile. “Andrew Harrington, I think you're trying to spoil me.”
“I'm trying my best to spoil you. You deserve the best of everything, Eliza.”
“I have the best of everything because I have you,” she said as she tiptoed to kiss me.
My heart no longer belonged to me; it was all hers.
I went into the guest bath to have my shower as she got ready in our bathroom. As I stood in front of the mirror, I looked at myself in a way that I never had before. I no longer saw the boy that I had always been, but now I saw the man that I was becoming. A man of compassion and empathy for
those who weren't as fortunate as I was; a man who was full of love for a woman who shared his values and beliefs. I saw a man who didn't want to be without the woman of his dreams any longer. It was in my power to make it happen and that was exactly what I had planned to do that night.
***
Eliza looked beautiful as she sat across the table from me. I had reserved the entire restaurant, every table, and we were the only ones there.
“Drew, where is everyone?” she questioned when we first walked in.
I chuckled and told her what I had done. The look on her face was priceless as she realized that we were going to have the place and all of its staff at our beck and call for the whole night.
After dinner, I couldn't wait to get to our destination. I could feel the excitement and nervousness battling to win over my emotions.
“Are you ready?” I asked when she laid her napkin on the table.
“Ready for what?” she asked with a sneaky look.
“You'll see.”
I stood and took her by her tiny hand. Eliza seemed fragile at times, and it made me want to take care of her.
Outside, our car was waiting to take us to the magical place that would play a major part in our love story. Surrounded by guards, our car stopped, and I instructed her to sit still as I walked around to her side. I opened the door and took her hand. The look in her eyes when she stood on the street was one I had never seen in another person before. She was mesmerized and spellbound by the beauty before her.
“Oh my god, Drew, it's spectacular.”
I looked up at the Eiffel Tower that was lit up as bright as the stars in the heavens. “It's all for you, Eliza.”
“What do you mean?” she was curious.
“I mean, look around you. Do you see anyone else?”
She turned her head from side to side and then looked behind us. “No, actually, I don't. Where is everyone?”
“Well, I wanted this to be a special moment for us, so Mum asked that the streets be blocked off so that I could do the this the right way.”
I knelt before her and took her hand in mine, and she immediately began to cry as I told her how I felt about her.
“Eliza, these past few months with you have been the most amazing of my life. I've never met another woman like you. You're kind, sweet, caring, and you have an amazing mind and heart for others. I treasure those values in a person. You are the most wonderful woman I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. From the moment I saw you in the parking lot at the cafe, I knew there was something special about you. You weren't impressed with me at all; actually, you all but told me to get lost,” I said as I laughed.
She giggled and wiped tears from her cheeks.
“You have never exhibited anything other than love for me. You accepted me for just being Drew and not a Prince, and I love you for that. Eliza Noble, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
I felt my heart almost stop when I finally finished my speech. I waited for what seemed an eternity for her to answer ,but in reality it was more like a couple of seconds.
“Oh, Drew, yes!! Yes, I will marry you!” she said exclaimed.
I slipped the emerald ring on her finger and stood to embrace her. “Eliza, you've made me the happiest man on the planet.”
“Andrew Harrington, you've made me the happiest woman. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
That night, after my proposal and a private walk by the Seine, we went to our suite at Hotel Etienne and celebrated our love for each other.
“Eliza, I promise that you will have a life of extraordinary happiness with me. You are the princess that I was destined to marry, and I'm so grateful that we found each other.”
The smile on her face told me that she was as happy as I was and that life was going to be perfect for us.
The End.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Royal Academy Page 18