And I’d gotten upset. Very upset. And I’d raged against the tabloid press when his entire life was most likely lived in front of the exact same paparazzi.
No wonder he hadn’t told me.
Chapter 17
Lio
The minute the security team had barged into Felix’s room, I’d known it was all going to go to shit. Regardless of the reason for the alert, Felix surely wasn’t going to get through the experience without finding out who I was. And, sure enough, he hadn’t.
He looked so small and pale sitting on the chair with old blankets wrapped around him. I wondered if I’d fucked it all up. If I’d ruined whatever respect he might have had for me.
“I’m so sorry,” I said again. I honestly didn’t know what else to say to him.
His brown eyes peered up at me from under his dark lashes. “I understand why you didn’t want to tell me,” he said in a soft voice. “You just wanted to be normal with someone. Be with a person who didn’t know the public bullshit side, right?”
I felt a breath of relief exit my tight chest. “Yes, exactly. How did you know?”
Felix’s eyes darted away from mine. “Because I know that feeling. I-I mean… not like you do, of course. I could never know what that’s like. But with my mom… well, I know what it’s like to be the focus of the media’s attention. And if it’s bad for me, I can’t even begin to imagine what it’s like for someone in a royal family.”
I still held his hands in mine and rubbed them idly while he spoke. “Still,” I began. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t want to lie to you. I really wanted to tell you.”
My sister spoke up from her perch on the edge of the sofa to my left. “Then you should have. No one wants to be with a liar, you freak.”
I glared at her. “Thanks a lot, Hen. What are you even doing here?”
“I told you I was coming to keep you company for Christmas.”
“Yeah, and I thought you were joking. You haven’t been to Gadleigh in years. You hate it here.”
She rolled her eyes, but I could still see affection soften her face. “Maybe, you idiot. But I don’t hate you. And I was worried about you. Didn’t want you to be alone on Christmas. Turns out, I needn’t have worried so much.” Henriette’s grin was mischievous, and I worried at the teasing she had in store for Felix.
“Hen,” I warned.
“What? Introduce me properly to your boyfriend, Lior,” she said with a false innocence.
I blew out a breath and looked back at Felix. “I’m sorry,” I murmured. “Sisters are assholes.”
His grin curved the corner of his mouth slightly, causing me to imagine teasing it with the tip of my tongue.
“Why does she call you Lior?”
Before I had a chance to downplay Hen’s slip of the tongue, she cut in.
“Because that’s his name—the name of the king of Liorland and all of the kings before him.”
If it was possible, Felix’s complexion went even paler. I shot daggers at my sister.
“Cut it out, Hen. Can’t you give him a minute to wrap his head around this? And, besides, I’m not the king.”
Her delicate eyebrow arched. “That’s not what I heard.”
“Fuck,” I snapped through clenched teeth before looking over at Jon. “Can we go yet?”
“No, sir. We don’t have the all clear. Someone was spotted on the grounds, so we need to finish securing the estate before we can let you go.”
“Then can you at least send someone for Felix’s clothes?” I gave Jon a look that brooked no argument and saw him say something to the other guard by the door. Before the guard could respond, Arthur offered to go up to my room and grab something of mine. When I turned back to Felix, I noticed he was shaking. “Scoot over and let me sit with you.”
I nudged him over to the side of the chair and then pulled him back on my lap and wrapped my arms around him, forcing him to curl against my chest. “You’re freezing,” I murmured into his hair. “I’m so sorry. This whole thing must have freaked you out.”
“I thought they were kidnapping you,” Felix admitted. “So, yeah. You could say it freaked me out.”
I kissed his hair and forehead before tucking his face back into my neck. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t need to keep apologizing, Lio. I told you I understand.”
“You shouldn’t have to,” I muttered. “It’s fucked-up. I hate it.”
“I can’t imagine.”
Silence descended for a moment before I remembered my sister was on the sofa next to us. I glanced at her and noticed her shocked expression and wide eyes.
“What?” I asked.
“You… you like him.” Her voice was reverent, and the tone of it caused Felix to lift his head up to look at her before turning to look at me.