XXVII

XXVII

"Shirley, you're here."

I heard him, but my brain did not process whatever my ears caught. It was still Shelton's words that covered my thoughts, like a poison creeping through my veins and anytime, it would kill me. I knew, a lot of people told how I looked like Princess Emily. However, every time there was someone saying it to me, I felt there was something wrong with it. There was trouble.

Seriously? I was paranoid. It was nothing if we shared same features or whatever, I should believe that it was nothing, but my senses said different. As if it was related why I was here in England or why Prince Alexander treated me like that.

"Shirley, are you all right?" I looked at Princess Victoria whose forehead was wrinkled.

I nodded and looked over my shoulder to see the man behind me. I greeted him, "Paulo," I tried to smile, "What are you doing here?"

He silently laughed and brought his camera up, "This is the wedding I told you the last time."

"Oh," I paused, remembering the last time, "Yeah, the wedding you have been invited by Caleb."

He hesitated at first, but he still asked, "Is it okay if we talk somewhere?"

"Uh," was all I could respond because the villain interrupted, in other words, answered for me.

"No, it isn't okay," he smirked when I transferred my attention to him, "You have already forgotten what I have told you, about that talking." He emphasized the last words, as though it was the dirtiest thing.

I did not know if he was speaking to me, or to Paulo. But, his eyes never left me. The idea of me talking Paulo was not in his vocabulary. Nevertheless, if he was not talking to me, when did he say that to Paulo, anyway?

Once the silence conquered our table, Prince Alexander spoke again, "Please excuse us," he held my arm, "We will give respect to the newly wed." That was the time he faced Paulo, "Who knows, we might marry next," he whispered.

He tugged me, and I had no choice but to stand and follow him. I stared at Paulo for a moment, as if sending him a message of apology. He did not give me at least a glance. His face was dark, and I knew how upset he was.

When we were out of earshot, I brushed his hand off. He narrowed his eyes, "What now?"

"What now?" I mimicked his question in a more exaggerated way, "Don't throw your tantrums in your best friend's wedding. So, please, I'll return to our table."

"Stop," I did what I had been told, "You're mine, Shirley. That wolf will never take you back again."

I wanted to slap him in front of these hundreds, or maybe thousands of people, but I kept my cool in level. "No one owns me. Okay?"

He reached out my hand, and when he locked his fingers in mine, he squeezed it immediately. I stared at him, to see the remorse fighting on his face. "I'm sorry, I know, I'm a jerk. But, please, I don't want that Paulo getting near to you."

"Why?" I stepped closer to him, with a distance that would able us to whisper, "Are you afraid?"

His breathing was as deep as a well when he heard my question. He looked at me directly in the eyes, as if he was looking straight into my soul. "What if I am," he paused and avoided my gazes, "It's not the time to talk about it, Shirley."

"Okay," I agreed, I thought I did not care what he would say. However, I was wrong because I was not ready to hear his answer. I was not ready to hurt his feelings again because I had no answer if he ever confessed his feelings to me for the third time. He needed an answer and everything was complicated.

Without a word, he guided me toward the residential table. He removed his grasp on my hand when there were people watching us. I was a little disappointed, for the reason I was thinking if he was embarrassed in my company. By the way, I was nothing compared to these richest of the richest.

He put his hand on my lower back, which sent a million volts in my body, once we were standing on the side of the newly wed. The bride, Ella, stood immediately when she acknowledged our presence, or Prince Alexander's presence, to do respect. Her husband just followed and shook hands with the prince.

"Enjoying the party?" Mr. Isaac Warden asked, his deep musical baritone was his asset to make girls fell in love with him. No doubt, Ella was one of them.

Prince Alexander shrugged. "I think, I will enjoy more this kind of party when I am already the one who sits in that chair."

Both men laughed. Ella and I just smiled at each other. The billionaire who owned the largest security company in the world looked younger when he was acting this way than when he was all business appearance like at the wedding ceremony earlier. It was like his bride and he had a little age gap where the reality, they were fifteen years apart.

"Everyone is waiting when you will have your own wedding," Mr. Isaac Warden suddenly looked at me, and curiosity played on his face. "Who is this cute accompany of yours, anyway?"

"Warden, shut up," His Highness snapped, and wrapped his arm around me, "May I introduce to you, Shirley Woodman."

"Oh, Shirley," the businessman smiled from ear to ear, and transferred his gaze to his best friend, "She's the one you're always tal.."

"Yes, you don't need to broadcast it," Prince Alexander snapped again. What was wrong with him?

"Hi, Shirley," the bride spoke for the very first time, the softness of her voice would tell everyone who heard it, that she could not say bad words. "Tory told me about you maybe twice or thrice, it's nice to finally meet you."

"Princess Victoria?" I knew how the princess really liked to be friends with me, but saying who I was with her best friend was amazing.

"Yeah, based on her stories, you are really great," she spoke faster as if there was a race somewhere, I did not expect her to speak like that. I was much fluttered so I found it difficult to speak.

Mr. Warden smirked, and in his tone, I knew he was teasing Prince Alexander, "That's why I have no doubt that Alexander and Victoria are more alike than any of them to Nicholas."

Prince Alexander rolled his eyes. He was really cute, and at the same time, scorching when he did that. I bit my lower lip when I realized the thought crossed my mind. Anyways, who could do the rolling eyes that would make him still charming and hot at the same time?

"Thank you for being my friend, Isaac Warden," Prince Alexander sarcastically responded.

Mr. Warden laughed as well as his bride, "Our prince," he said, "is now fully matured." He moved and held his bride's hand. He tapped His Highness' shoulder and said, "You should dance Shirley. Who would know you will get married next month?"

He looked at his best friend, "How I wish, Warden, but I have difficulty in terms of persuading."

The prince's best friend was shocked for a moment and his jasper eyes got bigger. "Oh, that's a news. I did not imagine before that this time will come. I thought all girls were wild when they stand in front of you."

"Not all," I interrupted them. I was the one who they talked about, I concluded. So, it was not wrong to intercept.

Mr. Isaac Warden flashed his perfect white teeth at me, and nodded to Prince Alexander, "Good luck, bro, you already found your match."

Ella waved at me and they started walking toward the center of the hall. A romantic music started to play, and the newlywed started to dance slowly. They looked perfect and happy. This was one of the best examples that not all love story ended in break up. Some ended in flawless wedding.

I thought, or let us say, I assumed that the man beside me would invite me to have a dance with him once a few couples started to dance with the bride and the groom. However, instead of inviting me, he just said:

"Go to the garden, and wait for me there."

"What? Where are you going?" I was irritated and upset that I wanted to punch him again. Oh, speaking, I had not yet apologized to him.

As if on cue, the answer came to the background, "Oh honey, I'm searching for you, and you're only just here." The real-life Barbie doll held the arm of His Highness, and pasting her chest on his biceps. All I wanted to do now, is to make them both bald. My cheeks were so hot, and I knew that all my blood occupied my head.

"Please.." I did not finish him because I already walked as fast as I could, just to be away from them. I trembled with anger, I did not know what my reason was. But, it really raised my anger when I saw them both, like a couple. Like they were really in a romantic relationship. Even though, I knew they were flirting. Deep inside, I knew that they shared the same bed, and did whatever they wanted.

The more I was thinking about it, the more I felt the hurt tracing my heart. The hurt that I could not escape anymore. The hurt that I was starting to feel because of this affection planting on my chest. The hurt that I did not know if it was right to feel it.

I did not know where the garden was. I forgot where Princess Victoria and company's table located. I was keeping on walking until I saw a door and got out through it.

The cold air welcomed me. We were at the top of the building where the beautiful scenery of the city could see. The area where I ended up looked like a garden. I stood on Bermuda grass, while the place was designed by bushes, different kind of flowers and plants. I wanted to busy myself observing each leaf and petals, but Prince Alexander was holding that Barbie doll could not eliminate in my brain.

I closed my eyes, and focused on the different sounds. The music inside the reception was still audible here. However, the sound of two living things where I shifted my attention. I knew they were nearby, so I hid in the bush and accidentally eavesdropped them.

"Michaela, you know my feelings for you, why you're not believing me?" it was a boy's voice. He sounded frustrated and, a little more pushed, he might cry.

"You can't love me, because I am poor, you only feel sympathy on me," that line was familiar, it was the response of the girl, Michaela. I was pretty sure, I said a little like that before to Prince Alexander.

"I love you, even the world is against us, I promise, I will give up all of this just for you," when the boy said this, I looked at them through the small hole in the bush. The hole was enough to see them both standing in front of one another.

The boy was Eleazar Warden, the son of the groom, while the other was a pretty young girl, who I presumed was Italian because of her features. She was Michaela, I supposed.

"No, you're lying," Michaela accused, "You're the heir of this security company, you can't give up this just because of your puppy love."

"It's not puppy love," Eleazar defended, "It's true love, Michaela, can't you see it?"

There was a total silence. I pitied the boy because I felt Michaela did not believe on him and would never believe on him. Even in young age, I could see that Eleazar was a real man and his feelings toward the girl was not an ordinary teenage sick love.

I was not able to listen to them anymore, because someone scooped me on the ground and carried me. I was going to shout, but his big hand covered my mouth. He placed his other hand on the back of my knees. He walked away from the young lovebirds. I tried to escape by slapping his chest, and waggling my feet. Yet, he had a body of military.

Prince Alexander stopped and put me down on my feet. We were now in the isolated part of the garden. The music inside the hall was still perceptible here.

I glared at him, "Why are you here? Where is your mistress? Already done with her? Why? You're not satisfied with her? Didn't she make your bed, hot?"

"Shirley," his tone was a warning.

"Yes?" I mockingly responded, "I'm no help because I have no idea in that sex."

"Shirley," he said again, in the same level of authority.

"Stop calling me," I turned my back on him, for him not to see that I was fighting the tears forming in my eyes, "What's your mistress name again? Oh, I forgot, you have a lot, I don't think that you can remember all those names."

"Stop," when he said that, he hugged me on the back, crushing my bones. I could not breathe, not because of his tight embrace, but because of his warmness. All the anger that I should feel right now was gone. He whispered, "I'm tired, Shirley, I'm tired."

"You're tired?" I took a deep breath to stop my tears from falling, "If you're tired, just leave me alone."

"No, not that," I felt he smelled my hair and kissed the side of my head, "I'm tired of always having fights with you. When we're done to one problem, we have one again immediately. There is no day that I can't stop worrying that you will leave the palace because I upset you, and never see you again."

We were quiet in a few minutes, listening to sound of our breaths with the rhythm of the romantic song inside the reception hall.

In a voice with full of fears, he continued, "What will I do if I lose you? Our fights and that lover boy of yours will be the reasons you will leave me. I'm afraid, Shirley, of everything because in just a blink of an eye, you might go away."

Emotions stirred in my stomach that I might throw up all the food I ate earlier. His heart beat was not ordinary. It was quicker. It synchronized my own heartbeat.

"I won't leave you," I muttered, but solid and promising. He heard it because he was immovable the next moment. It was not an accident that I told him that, it was one of the things I wanted him to know. "I won't leave you," I repeated and turned again to face him. I hugged him back by putting my face on his chest, hearing clearly the beautiful tempo of his heartbeat.

He finally recovered, and pressed me again on him, "Shirley," in a low voice, "The first day I saw you, I wanted you to leave because I'm afraid that I would have this feeling for you. But now, it's better to die than to live without you."

I looked up at him and narrowed my eyes, "You're speaking well to me when we are alone, but earlier, you have driven me away."

"What? No," he immediately explained, "I said wait for me here, and I was not rude when I said that." He sighed, "You want to know why I wanted you and me to be alone in this garden?"

"I'm not curious," I said honestly, "Anyway, just tell me."

"If those paparazzi has seen you with me, for sure, they won't stop digging all information about you," he replied. "I want you to be all mine, and I don't want you to live in misery because of those reporters."

I smiled secretly while I returned my head on his chest, "I thought you were embarrassed having me in your side."

"Of course not," his hand brushed my hair, "Time will come that they will know about you. Not now. I want you to live a life like your ordinary days in Chicago even though you are with me." He removed my embrace on him, so I stood a foot away from him. He held both my arms and put it around his neck. He grasped my hips. "You hear the music, one of my favourite songs."

The song played in the hall was 'You and Me' by Lifehouse. It was a popular song and I also enjoyed listening to it when I was still in the US.

We were swaying slowly. Prince Alexander knew how to dance, but I was really awkward with it because I did not how to dance. My feet were both left, and I had no idea how to follow a tune. I stopped in the middle, and he just looked at me.

"I can't dance, sorry," I confessed, embarrassment and disappointment filled me. If only I knew that this night would turn into our slow dance, I practiced it yesterday.

"It's okay," he assured me, and all of a sudden, I felt sad because this might be the end of our moment together. But, he kneeled down, and touched my shoe.

"What are you doing?" I grabbed his shoulder for support because he elevated my foot and removed my high heels.  After he removed both, he placed it on the grass.

He stood again and returned to our original position. "Nothing can spoil our night," he grinned, "Put your feet on top of my shoes." When I was going to protest, he pulled me to him until there was no gap anymore between our bodies. "Faster," he was already impatient, so I had no choice but to do what he wanted.

Once I was standing on his shiny black shoes, he wrapped his arms around my waist, and we started to move again. Savouring the music and how he danced with me. He was good at dancing.

Without looking at him, I asked without thinking, "Your Highness, will you stop your flirting and sleeping with other women?"

"You don't need to worry," that made me stare at his green eyes, he shook his head, "I realize that I don't need them, and nothing will happen if I continue to be with them. So, I have already stopped having them in my life."

He stopped moving, and we were like that for like an hour or a day or, maybe, forever. Lastly, he declared.

"Because, someday, it is just you and me, Shirley Woodman."

(A/N: Sorry for late update. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Don't forget to vote and comment if you like it. GOD bless! And, belated Happy New Year ;) Want to hear what Prince Alexander and Shirley heard during their dance? There is a video at the side. Just click the play button. Enjoy!)