Chapter 19

I had blast the whole evening. James was so out of his comfort zone with baby Rose around him. But I must admit he learned a few things tonight. Like how to hold her or how to feed her. The only thing he didn't master tonight was how to change her diaper. The look on his face when I mentioned it was time for the change was priceless. That was too much for him and he immediately handed her to me. But at the end of our babysitting adventure the two of them became really close.

"Look. I think she is asleep." He whispered to me when I came back from the kitchen to the living room where he was cradling her. I came closer to them.

"Yes she is." I whispered back and caressed her small hair. "You know she never fall asleep in my arms." I said and looked at him. "I am a bit jealous now." I said to him and his face lit up with a huge smile.

"I told you I am good with ladies." He said.

"Yes I know it very well." I said thinking about his playboy habits. But also thinking to myself about our first time together at my eighteenth birthday and how he immediately went to Meghan after that breaking my heart. It still hurts even now.

"You know for all the time I was wondering." I started looking at him as he was happily looking at content Rosie sleeping in his arms.

"Yes?" he asked me. His eyes so kind and expecting making me wonder even more.

"I don't even know if I want to know that." I whispered afraid of what his answer will be.

"Come on you know you can ask me anything." He said reassuring me. I was looking at him for a while thinking if I should really ask. What if his answer will ruin our current relationship? Should I really dig in the past? But my curiosity won and I finally got the courage to ask.

"You remember my eighteenth birthday right?" I asked him carefully and he frowned.

"Of course I remember it." He replied waiting for me to get to the point.

"You know I was wondering all that time..." I started my heart beating like crazy. Here goes everything. "After we were together... I just don't understand why did you..."

"Hey we are already here." Emily said walking into the living room interrupting the question I wanted to ask for such a long time. I cursed to myself. Emily stopped at the door looking shocked at James holding a sleeping Rosie.

"Hah. The house is still standing and there are no signs of a battle here. I'm surprised." Philip said walking into the living room.

"We are adults after all." James said smiling at them from ear to ear.

"You are back early." I finally said.

"And he is holding our baby." Emily said quickly walking to him making sure Rosie was alright.

"Of course I am holding her." He said proudly.

"Oh look how content she looks." Philip said looking at Rosie.

"Now I can tell that I am good with the ladies and babies too." James smiled at them triumphantly.

"Well hold on there with that high ego of yours." I said to him.

"Nope. Still the same frenemies." Philip said.

"As I know you still didn't master one thing." I finished.

"Aaand I am happy to leave that smelly thing to her parents next time." He said as he handled Rosie to Emily.

"I thought so." She said laughing.

James left their house first with me following few minutes later. Philip offered me his car to get to my house but I declined his offer. After all it was only one kilometer. I could take a night walk through the gardens. As I was walking through the dark gardens I was enjoying the silence and beauty of the night sky. I felt so relaxed. But the relaxed feeling was interrupted by my thoughts about the possibility of James answering my question tonight. What he would say? Would it change everything? And then the thoughts of the letter resurfaced and the fear was there again and I quickened my pace.

As I was walking to the entrance to my house I stopped when I saw James standing there leaning his back to the door waiting for me. When he saw me his face lid up. He lift up his right hand holding a big but faded red rose.

"I am sorry. It faded while I was looking after another Rose." He said making me laugh. I came closer to him and wrapped my arms around his neck looking into his blue eyes thinking how much I love him.

"It's forgiven." I whispered and pressed my lips on his gently savoring the moment.

"Let's go inside." I said and opened the door walking in.

"Uff. I was afraid you will leave me here bagging for you again." He said and I punched him slightly into his shoulder.

"Ouch." He said.

"You deserved it." I said but then I wrapped my arms around him and cuddled.

"I learned my lesson. It will not happen again." He said and kissed me on my forehead making me smile.

"Ehm. What did you wanted to ask me earlier tonight? Right before Emily walked in." he said making me freeze.

"Nothing." I said and he frowned.

"Are you sure?" he asked me and I kissed him.

"I am sure." I replied. I wasn't going to ask him anymore. Maybe the interruption from Emily was a sign not to ask. Either way it's past. We were too young. What matters now is the present. And right now he is the greatest guy I have ever dated. I have never been so happy in my life. I laugh with him so much. I can't get enough of his body and presence. He is like a drug to me. Seeing him at my door with that faded rose just made me to realize that. He spend the night taking care of a baby just to be with me. And I was not going to ruin this because of our foolish young selfs.

Of course we spend the night together. I certainly didn't get my beauty sleep as we couldn't get our hands off of each other. In the morning he quickly sneaked out of my house so the guards wouldn't see him. He left his car parked at the street where the secret entrance was. But I couldn't wait to see him tonight. We are having the ball for the team of the Olympics and he will be a guest there with his family.

So after me and my brothers visited the sport centers on the behalf of our father the king we went to Buckingham Palace to prepare for the ball where the rest of our family will join us.

As always at this kind of events the Palace was full of decorations and staff running around making sure everything has to be perfect. I walked into the kitchen full of people running around preparing the luxurious food for at least three hundred people. I sat down at the kitchen bar stool next to Tom who was frowning at his coffee.

"What did the coffee do to you?" I asked him and he looked at me surprised.

"I hate all these people around." He said looking at me.

I knew he was nervous. After all there were a hundreds of people walking around making it harder for him to keep an eye on me. And maybe it was because we were in Buckingham Palace. A place where the letter was found.

"Oh my god. Can I prepare something for you Your Highness?" one of the maids asked me. I looked at her surprised. It was the same new maid that asked me last time.

"No thank you..." I said. "I am sorry what is your name?" I asked her.

"Rita...Your Highness." She replied nervous but excited.

"Nice name." I said to her and she smiled at me. I could say she was a fan. "And don't worry about me Rita. When I will need something I will take it." I said to her smiling and she bowed to me and went to work on something else.

"Sweet girl." I said to Tom. She is still not used to me. After all I haven't been spending a lot of time in Buckingham palace lately. There is no such thing as privacy here. And after that letter. Well I didn't even dare to walk into my room even when Tom made sure it was safe. Nothing could change my feeling about it. I just had to take a guest room to change into my ball gown.

"Yes she is." He replied.

"I came here to tell you that I am not going to spend the night here." I said to him and he nodded with understanding.

"I am not surprised." He said. "Did you already asked your father?" he asked me about our deal with my secret job.

"No. Tomorrow." I replied and he finished his coffee and stood up. I quickly grabbed a mini sandwich from one tray and we walked out of the kitchen.

"If we could catch that bastard who send it to you so we both could live more peacefully." He said looking around the halls. He was so nervous.

"I know." I said.

"But don't worry. I don't think somebody would try something tonight. There is at least hundred guards around. Just calm down Tom okay?" I said to him and he smiled at me.

"I am not a good bodyguard when my client is trying to calm me down. I should be reasuring you." he said and I laughed. "But really don't worry. We got your back." He said as Henry and Eva walked through the hall to us.

"Wow you two look gorgeous." I said to them quickly changing the topic. Gosh they were such a beautiful couple. They really look like from front page of a magazine. Tom excused himself and walked away.

"You look beautiful too." Eva said and I spin around in my long grey dress.

"Thank you." I said to her and looked at my brother.

"What no compliment?" I asked him and he laughed.

"Like you need one." He said and I punched him into his shoulder.

"You look beautiful." He finally said and hugged me.

"How are you feeling?" I asked Eva.

"It's better then yesterday but I am tired all the time." She said and caressed her belly. It wasn't showing yet.

"We will go home earlier." Henry said gently caressing her back.

"I heard you were babysitting instead of us." Eva said as we started to walk into the entrance hall.

"Yes." I replied.

"With James." She added amused.

"And you two didn't killed each other." Henry added laughing.

"Well he insisted to stay there. I wouldn't kill him in front of my niece. I wouldn't set up a good example." I said and they both laughed.

"Well James trading a Friday night at the club with ladies to a babysitting is very unusual." Henry said making me freeze. I hope they don't suspect anything.

"Hmm I wonder if there is some lady behind that. Didn't he say something to you?" Eva looked at him and I followed curiously and terrified at the same time.

"No. I haven't met him at least for a week." He said counting in his head. "Now that I think about it there has to be a woman behind that behavior."

"Speaking of the devil." He said looking straight as James was walking towards us with his grandmother The Duchess of Antrim Adele at his side and his parents behind them.

"My dear." Adele came to Eva and hugged her. "How are you grandma." Eva asked her as Adele caressed her belly.

"I am doing well. But tell me how are you feeling?" Adele said to her not paying much attention to me or Henry. Amelia and Robert greeted us. James sneaked a small smile at me while nobody was watching and greeted my brother. It was going to be a hard night trying to look like we hate each other.

The officialities of the evening started as the sport teams started to arrive. Our father gave a speech and then there was a dinner. During the whole evening me and James were giving each other small glances. He looked so damn good in that tuxedo he was wearing. I couldn't wait to take it off of him tonight. That chemistry between the two of us was incredible. Even though he was sitting two tables from us I could feel his presence and that tension.

After the dinner it was a time for the dance. Everyone from our family had to dance with at least one of the team members tonight. As I was dancing with one footballer I took a glance at James and I saw his murderous look. He was jealous. I smiled to myself while making a polite conversation with Mr. Drier. He was after all a handsome man. I bet he has a lot of female fans too. But not me. I have my eyes only on one guy. I looked at his direction but my heart stopped. He was talking with Meghan who was now sitting at his table right next to him. She was flirting with him as she always does touching his hand and laughing. I felt a pressure on my foot.

"I am so sorry." Mr. Drier said. "I was so afraid I will step on your foot. I told them not to let me dance with you." He said and I laughed nervously.

"Don't worry. I am used to it." I replied and glanced back at James. Meghan was still there flirting with him. Making my almost healed wound resurface and the memories came back. The song ended and I quickly excused myself and went to the rest rooms.

Breath Emma. Breath. It's nothing he is just talking with her. But what if he will walk out of here with her? What if he will do the same thing he did before? No, no, no. You have to trust him. Don't be jealous. He proven to me he is meaning it seriously. I quickly freshened myself looking into the mirror trying to calm myself down and I walked out of the rest rooms. I was walking through the halls when someone grabbed my hand from a side hall. It was like a déjà vu. Last time someone grabbed me like this was James. So I turned around excited but my smile froze when I saw the person I really didn't expected holding my hand this time.

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Woooo. Who do you think is that mystery person?  I hope you liked this chapter. If you did please VOTE and let me know what you think in the COMMENTS. Have a nice day(night) :-)