Yet, here I was, deciding to trust Drew in such a short time. Not only that, I also agreed to date him! There was something in his eyes, an unspoken promise to not break my trust because doing so would also hurt him more than it would hurt me. Come to think of it, he mentioned last night he waited three years—three whole years of waiting and preparing.
“You won’t regret it, I promise. I would literally treat you as my queen,” he said, smiling. He then stood up, carried me, and twirled me around. “You just made me the happiest person in the world.” Unfortunately, I was too distracted by my little happy dance inside my head to make sure if he truly uttered those words.
“Drew,” I said.
“Yeah,” he said. He was evidently happy looking at me.
How would I put this? There were still some aspects of my life that I needed to settle before we start things.
Okay, I should have said this before I said yes. Oh, well, here goes nothing.
“I do have some conditions, if that’s okay with you. I mean, I never really thought I would ever end up in this kind of situation. I read about it, but I never expect to live through it. For the longest time, I have found this plot too cliché. Guess I’m eating up those thoughts now, huh? Really, I need some time to get used to things.
“Can we please keep this secret for a while? You know, just between the gang? I’m really not ready to face your world yet, so please give me at least until graduation to enjoy my anonymous status. Don’t get me wrong; I’m proud to tell people I’m dating you. The thing is, as you said, there are some aspects I need to settle into first,” I said really fast. I was not sure if he even understood what I said.
“You have to agree, though, I just found out you’re the freaking crown prince of some place Jam has been talking about for days, and now I’m dating you. I just need to find that normalcy first before we announce it to the world and such,” I said this time slower.
He just looked at me and did not say anything. He let me say my piece and nodded, respecting my decision.
“I respect your decision. We will keep this between us until your graduation, but is there any possibility that I can introduce you to my parents some time sooner than that? I need to introduce you to them, so they don’t make an official statement that I’m engaged to Cat or anything crazy like that. Skype would be great,” he pleaded. This was my turn to nod my head.
We then went back to the blanket and sat down. Drew sat behind me with his arms wrapped around my shoulders as we looked into the ocean. I couldn’t help but feel like I’m living some clichéd story plot made by someone with a weird name like Vanya.
What do I know, right? I might as well enjoy the moment with my new boyfriend.
“Want to know something funny?” Drew asked.
I nodded and looked at him, willing him to continue.
“The only reason my parents are forcing me to marry Cat is because they secretly think I’m staying single for the rest of my life,” Drew said, shaking his head with amusement written all over his eyes. I just couldn’t help but laugh.
“Why would they even think that? Sorry, but you scream straight man to me. I know you will get married someday,” I said.
“Hey, don’t laugh. Any parent would probably think so if your son suddenly stopped dating different girls every month. They even thought I only dated before because I was trying to cover up something. Trust me, that conversation was awkward as hell, but I didn’t want to tell them I was waiting for a certain someone to turn eighteen,” he said, smiling at me.
It was really cute that he waited that long just to make a move, even if it made people question his personal life.
Time went by, and we kept talking about a lot of things, mostly about how royal life was like. He was giving me a run through of the protocols. I couldn’t say I was born to do this because I was not. Right now, I was scared of what I have agreed to. Then again, no one forced me into it.
He was talking about his sister, Andie, and how excited she was to meet me. Apparently, the only person aside from Chad that knew of my existence was her. She had been nagging Drew to make a move since he mentioned me and showed her my picture. I wouldn’t ask how he got it though. So now, he was arranging her visit in a few weeks, depending on her royal duties. She had more work to do since her brother was here hiding to be with me. I kind of felt guilty.
As I looked into his eyes, I couldn’t help but want to kiss him. All I needed to do was move a little closer. But as soon as I thought about it, I felt it would be going too fast. He took this as a sign, though, and slightly moved forward. I immediately stood up.
“Wow, we need to go. Jam is getting back soon, and I still need to drop her to the airport. Uhhh…This sounds weird, but do you want to meet my crazy cousin? A warning though, she is somewhat a crazy fan of yours,” I said with a laugh to try and shake off the awkwardness of trying to avoid his kiss.
I just couldn’t do it yet. It was my first. Even if there wouldn’t be a more special time than now, I just couldn’t. Call me a prude, but I really wasn’t ready.
He took my bait and smiled.
“Sure, I would love to meet at least one member of your family. She must be special if she’s the first one I meet.”
“Yeah, definitely. She’s the sister I never had. She’s an artist. My gosh, you need to see one of her works. She made me this painting before that’s so realistic. At first glance, you would think it was a picture and not a painting. It was that good.”
Just like that, we went back to normal as we drove home.
When we got to my front porch, I could see that my parents were still awake, but I felt it wasn’t the right time yet to introduce my boyfriend. I was not keeping this from them; I just wanted to tell them first that someone was indeed courting me. I was lucky that Teresa, our housekeeper, was the one who opened the door earlier for Drew.
“Is there a problem, Liz?” Drew asked.
“No, it’s just that my parents are still awake. I don’t think this is the perfect time to introduce you yet,” I said while looking at my lap. I really had to start owning up to my decisions because right now, I could be nominated as the worst girlfriend in the world.
“Hey, no worries. I’ll meet them when you want me to meet them, alright?” Drew said even though I felt guilty when I sensed something in his voice.
I hated keeping him a secret, and I felt stupid for it. Other girls would jump at this opportunity and shout it to the world, but here I was, keeping it a secret and doing the opposite. Right then and there, I womaned up and told Drew he was meeting my parents.
“Mom? Dad?” I called out. I knew they’re somewhere in the kitchen. Our family loved to eat. As I saw them approaching us, my dad’s eyes focused in on Drew.
“She said yes then, my boy?” Dad said, leaving me stunned.
“Uhh… What’s going on? Care to tell me?” I asked Drew, who was scratching the back of his head.
“You see, Lizzie. I met them earlier today when you were reading. I kind of asked your dad if I could date you, his daughter. I mean, that was how I was raised. Well, now, you know why I couldn’t ask you out before. He would have specific parts of me cut if I did,” Drew said, nervously laughing.
I couldn’t help but feel annoyed that he went behind my back, but I understood his point. Hey, at least my parents were supportive. That was a plus. Now, I couldn’t help but feel that he did that so I wouldn’t see the wrath of my father if ever he didn’t approve of him. So, I decided to just let it go. There was still a part of me though that felt giddy; he respected my parents that much to ask permission.
“So, what is everyone doing huddled around there? Am I missing something important?” Jam asked as she entered. She stopped when she saw who was beside me with his arm wrapped around my shoulder.
“Wow, so she finally took the hint, huh? I’m so happy for you. You finally have a life beyond your books. That book ban has done wonders this time around,” Jam said, hugging me. She th
en turned around to look at Drew. “Oh, prince or not, hurt her, and I will personally kill you. I will not hire a professional hitman.”
“Uhh… Well. Jam, meet Drew, my boyfriend. Drew, meet my lovable cousin, Jam. I promise she’s not a killer… She’s more of a serial killer. Please be nice, Jam.” They shook hands, and this was the time the fangirl was unleashed.
I laughed hard when she fired questions about him one after another about his life as a royal, which my parents found confusing at first. Jam explained it, and they were shocked. Shocked was actually an understatement, but what could they do? They had given him their blessing, and other than his royal title, he was a decent guy.
The thing they noticed and apparently won them over was the way he looked at me. It was full of pure adoration and a certain four-letter word that was too early for me to think about.
I was not saying they wouldn’t have him investigated, though. I was pretty sure they would do it, prince or not.
Thinking about my life before all this, there was nothing like it. Now, I was dating a crown prince, and he seemed like the person I could only read about in books. I just hoped and prayed things would still be like this when we’d go public about everything.
Chapter 11
Being Paranoid Leads to a Conflict
It was now Monday, and I sincerely felt happy. Maybe this was what people were talking about when you’re at the beginning of a relationship. You’d have those moments when you’d just smile no matter what. You feel like you’re on cloud nine.
“So, I heard I have officially lost the battle,” a familiar voice I haven’t heard for a while said.
“Huh?” I said. Was it sad that I had totally forgotten Ryan over the weekend because of all the craziness that had happened?
“You and Drew?” Ryan asked, looking like I betrayed him or something.
“Yeah, we’re together. Though, I asked him not to mention it to anyone for now. I’m not really ready yet for the whole chaos that’d come from dating him,” I said. I was not sure why I was explaining all of this to Ryan, but we agreed to be friends. Wasn’t this what friends do? I just hoped sharing this information wasn’t going to create trouble for me and that this would hopefully make him back off.
“So, I haven’t lost the war yet. I’ll see you later,” Ryan said as he walked away.
I guess I spoke too soon. I really wanted him to move on and see other people.
“Was that Ryan I just saw?” Drew said as he made his way towards me, smiling. Wow, he really was a looker. With that white polo, blue jeans, and loafers, he really looked amazing.
Wait, does this mean I can ogle him all I want because I’m his girlfriend? This was really making me like the idea more and more.
Nonetheless, I was shocked to see him there. I couldn’t help but feel like he was making sure Ryan wasn’t bugging me or anything. I hoped this was just in my head.
“Yeah, he was just confirming some news from me. I’m happy you’re here, but what are you doing here?” I asked.
“I wanted to see my girlfriend, and well, I have to see people regarding the library,” Drew said, embracing me.
I started to feel uncomfortable with the looks the bystanders were giving us; they were full of curiosity and envy. I mean, I got the fact that I was dating a cutie that I didn’t deserve, but couldn’t they just mind their own business?
“Oh, well, I’ll see you later after school then,” I said, removing his hands from my waist and collecting my books.
He looked a bit annoyed but quickly covered it up and nodded. He then made his way through the people to meet with the student board.
I hoped that annoyed look wasn’t a sign of something.
My relationship with Drew was really doing well. It had been two weeks now since we agreed to date, and for me, everything was somehow in the right place. We didn’t really go out that much because I was afraid of being found out, but Drew had been really understanding.
I was collecting my books for my next class in my locker when someone hugged me from behind.
“Hey, Les Misérables is currently showing in a cinema near me, and it has great reviews. I’m not sure if you’ve seen it, but I know you love the book so, why don’t we check it out and see if they really gave it justice? It doesn’t hurt that your favorite actress, Anne Hathaway, is there singing her heart out. We can eat out in the next town after. There’s this new Italian restaurant I want to take you. They serve your favorite pasta. So, what do you say? Game?” Drew asked with a hopeful face.
“Uhh…Drew, I think that isn’t a good idea. I mean what if… You remember what mom said? She’s making her famous lasagna, your favorite, and I rented out some of my all-time favorite films at home. I even got some for you like Transformers, LOTR, and some Harry Potter films we hadn’t seen together. Maybe next time we can go, okay?” I reasoned.
I still hadn’t told him about the black SUV I had spotted following me on more than one occasion because I was afraid of what he might do. Call me stupid, but what if I was just being paranoid?
“Right. Ok, whatever,” he said with a slightly irritated voice. He changed the topic after that even if I could still feel the tension of our previous conversation. Why was he being like this?
“Hey, lovebirds. So, what are you guys doing tonight? Chad and I are going to see that movie Life of Pi that we heard is great. Want to go double?” Rissa asked.
“I don’t think Liz would want that, Rissa. I’m going,” Drew said while kissing my forehead, and after that, he walked away.
“What’s the matter with lover boy, Lizzie?” Rissa asked while bumping my hip. I shrugged and kept quiet. I think he was irritated with me because that was the third time I turned down a date outside this week.
“Lizzie, you have to cut him some slack. I noticed that you guys barely go out, and that isn’t healthy, you know. You have to learn that there are more people other than the two of you, especially in your case. You might as well be used to the fact that no matter what you do, people are going to stare at you guys. You can’t hide forever. This is the first step towards you accepting the fact you’re dating that royal over there. Might be less of a shock if you guys go out every now and then before the big announcement. Just saying.”
She might have felt my guilt because she suddenly changed the subject.
“Anyways, when is Jam returning? I thought she is returning for Christmas break? I’m so excited to see her and ask about those photography techniques she knows. Mom and Dad are buying me that camera I want for Christmas. I figure I can learn how to use it through Jam,” Rissa said.
“She told me she’d text me when she had booked a ticket,” I said, and then promptly excused myself to go to class.
That night, Drew and I were having our weekly dinner date at home with my parents. This would sound weird to other people, but we were really trying to go for a low profile. People were still suspecting that the crown prince was here somewhere. So, besides a few slip-ups at school, Drew was really keeping it low. To keep things a secret, we decided that our dates would mostly comprise of movies at the couch, dinner at home, or take-outs. Mostly, we had just been bumming around at home, and it was all great.
While we were eating, I could sense something was clearly wrong with Drew. I couldn’t point it out while my parents were looking, but I knew something was bothering him.
After dinner, I decided to talk to him. Communication was the key to a good relationship, according to one of the love advice books I read. Sorry, but it was a habit I couldn’t break. I’d research everything through a book.
“Hey, is everything alright? You have been awfully quiet during dinner. I’m not used it. You’re usually very talkative,” I said, trying to lighten his gloomy mood.
“It’s just, you basically want our relationship to be stuck at home. You don’t want to go out to a restaurant because someone might spot us. You don’t want to go to the mall because someone might recognize me, and you basically
avoid any human contact when you’re with me. I get that you want to keep this hush-hush while you haven’t graduated. I respect that, but aren’t you somehow showing me that you’re ashamed of me? Sorry if I feel this way, but isn’t this the part where you’re supposed to be singing with the animals with joy or something because someone is trying to sweep you off your feet like in your novels and movies?” Drew said, trying to put a lighter mood even if he really wasn’t feeling it.
I was speechless; I never wanted him to feel I was ashamed of him, but I always had this constant fear of being found out.
Oh, my! This is our first fight. What if we couldn’t resolve this? I couldn’t let that happen.
He made me so happy, I’d do anything to return the favor.
“Drew, you know it’s not like that. We have to keep a low profile. What if someone finally does recognize you? I’m not yet ready for it to become public knowledge.” I tried to reason with him, but his rant was still not over.
“Somehow, I feel like my title is like a disease you want to get rid of. I’m sorry I’m not an average joe. Sorry if I’m a prince that has to keep all his pictures from the public just to be with you, and sorry if you can’t ever be normal when you’re with me. I laid all my cards to you, and somehow, you still haven’t fully accepted me as me. I’m a royal; I had no say in the matter, but I won’t change it if I could,” Drew said with a stern voice.
I didn’t know why, but that last sentence hurt. I wouldn’t want him to renounce his title because of me, but I thought he understood the fact that I needed time to adjust.
“Let me make this clearer for you, Liz. In the Hunger Games, do you ever feel that Peeta loves Katniss more than Katniss can ever love Peeta? Sometimes, I feel like that. It’s like I care more about you than you do with me,” he said, looking really serious. When he said that, I realized I haven’t been the best girlfriend this past few weeks. I could see the hurt in his eyes, something I never wanted to make him feel.
The Bookworm Meets the Prince Page 7