The next morning, I felt like I threw my back out and couldn't move without grunting in pain.

“Hey, you're up.”

I looked behind me, as I lay flat on my stomach and saw Nicholas, with a spatula in his hands and grinning handsomely, with pyjama bottoms hanging low around his hips.

It took me a moment to wake up and realize that he had slept here last night, and that he was actually here and I didn't just dream of having sex with him.

“I made us something with eggs.” He told me, an uncertain expression on his face.

I then watched as he walked over to me as I turned my body to sit up, regretting it instantly I felt a shock of pain from my ass almost knock me back down, but Nicholas came over and kissed me on the lips before I could open my mouth.

“You look so adorable when you sleep, did you know that?” He told me, before moving back.

Adorable? What was he talking about, first thing in the morning, and to a guy?

“Thanks, I didn't know.” I didn't know what to say, as I felt the back of my neck start to warm.

“How is your body?” He then asked, as I looked up at him, he was leading against the doorway, a concerned look in his eyes.

“I know I said I would go slow, but after round three, you kept begging for more.” He said, as I blushed.

“And I'm weak when you beg me so cutely.”

“So, does it hurt, do you need help getting up?”

This was probably the most embarrassing I had ever been in my life, not that I'd let him know, so I shook my head and covered my face.

“God… do you ever…” I mumbled to myself, before groaning out.

“I'm good, it hurts just a little.” I told him, as he stared.

“I don't even remember falling asleep.” I said seriously, as he then laughed out.

“Oh, I do.” That is all he said, with a grin on his face before he turned around and headed back into the kitchen, like he owned the place.

There was an overwhelming smell coming from the kitchen, and if I had to guess, it smelled like burned eggs, and burned toast, which made me wonder how anyone managed to burn eggs.

Looks like I'm getting up.

Standing on my feet was just as worse as sitting on my ass, Nicholas really fucked me last night, and from the looks of it, I was red as a baboons ass down there, which I was too afraid to look with him just in the next room.

Grabbing the nearest pair of pants, I put them on and head into the kitchen, where Nicholas is plating the food of very obviously burned eggs and toast and carrying them onto the dining table, with a proud look on his face.

“I'm just uh.” I clear my throat, catching Nicholas's attention. “Going to clean myself up.”

His eyes widened, and I felt heat rush to my face as he smiled, knowing exactly what I meant as I walked into the bathroom, and closed the door behind me.

All I could do when I closed the door behind me was cover my mouth with my hand and drop myself from smiling, as I stared at myself in the mirror in front of me.

Holy… crap…

I slept with Nicholas.

*****

“Don't you have to go back to the palace?” I ask Nicholas, as we both lounged on the sofa, watching TV together.

“Hmm.” His eyes stayed glued to the TV. “Nope.”

He then looked at me and then grinned. “Do you want me to go?” He asked, as I shifted in my seat, and shrugged.

“I mean you are eating all my food, and taking up all the space.” I joked, making him snort, as he reached out and put his hand on my leg.

This felt so surreal, Nicholas was in my tiny apartment watching soaps with me on my sofa, wearing my clothes and eating my food.

How many people could say that?

We had breakfast together, and he had been here all morning without the slightest hint that he wanted to leave, in fact, he kept insisting he was happy where he was.

I half expected him to wake up, and be gone by the time I woke up, but no, he made me food, burnt food, but I ate it anyway, with how hungry I was, I was hardly in a position to turn it down.

There was also the fact he looked so happy making it.

We continued to watch TV until there was a knock at my front door, which made us both flinch and look at each other.

“Were you expecting someone?” Nicholas asked as I shook my head, putting my feet on the ground to stand up.

“I don't think so, it's my week off.” I told him, jogging into my bedroom to grab a T-shirt.

“I'll go see who it is.” I told him, as he turned the TV off, and got up to grab a T-shirt to put on.

Walking over to my door to look in my peephole, I felt a chill go down my spine at who it was, making me step back, feeling as though I was soaked in freezing cold water.

What was she doing here?  And with him.

I went back into the living room and stopped Nicholas coming into the living room by grabbing hold of his hand, making his eyes widen at me.

“You need to hide.” I told him. “My mom and her husband are here.”

His eyes widen further as his eyes go behind me to the door, then back to my eyes. “Uh, right.”

“Um.” He looks around, smiling sheepishly. “Are you sure, I mean, we could just ignore them?”

The door knocked again, which made my hands start to shake, knowing just how this was going to turn out, if I ignored them.

“They have a key.” I pointed out. “They know I'm here… I-”

I look at him, almost begging him now. “Please just hide, if they find you here, they won't be the only ones to know about it..”

Nicholas just looked at me, a look in his eye I couldn't place, before he nodded his head, and rubbed the back of his head.

“Alright, I'll wait in your room.”

I nodded my head as Nicholas went further into my bedroom and I closed the door behind him, then I jogged over to my front door, where my Mom was now opening the door with the spare key I gave her.
The door opened, and we locked eyes.

“Oh.” She walked inside, that man following behind her. “So, you are here.” She said annoyed.

“Mom…” I couldn't believe what was happening, but I had to keep my calm.

If she finds out Nicholas is here, it would only blow up in our faces, as she couldn't keep her mouth shut if her life depended on it.

“Charlie, look at this place.” She walked further into the apartment, looking around. “Do you always live like this, like some bum?”

I held my tongue and ignored that man's presence, as I followed her into my living room.

“Mom, what are you doing here?” I asked her, as she looked and the two plates were still on the dining table.

“You didn't call me.” I pointed out. “We had an agreement that if you want to show up, you need to phone.”

“'I'm not making an appointment to see my son, just so you can lie and tell me you're busy.” She scoffed, as I sighed out, rubbing my face.

“Was someone here?” She asked, hinting at the two plates, and two cups.

Her eyes widened. “Are you seeing someone?”

“Mom-”

“Julie.”

I look at Rob, her husband, who hadn't said a word until now and stop myself from asking why he even bothered to come here.

“Charlie Samual Thornfill.” My mom says my name, in a tone that hasn't worked on me since my dad passed.

“Your sister is getting married, and you need to be there, you are a part of this family.” She firmly says, as I look away, my hands clenched at either side.

“Throwing a tantrum at your age is embarrassing, and not only are you letting us down, but living like this, with that ridiculous shop downstairs, you're throwing your life away!”

“Julie, come on now-” Rob tries to interfere, but Mom just carries on talking.

“After Lisa, you've only gone downhill, you had a great job, a beautiful girlfriend, and to throw that all away for some ridiculous fantasy-” She scoffed, closing her eyes.

I was afraid that if I looked at her, I would say something that would finally break any hope we had of having a normal relationship, so I kept my mouth shut.

Nicholas was also in the other room, he didn't need to hear me go off on my mom, I was already ashamed enough.

“Bethany is expecting you there Charlie, if you're not going to go for me, go for her, she looks up to you, god knows why.” She said, walking past me, heading for the front door, not before shoving the invitation into my chest.

With that, she left. “It's good to see you Charlie.” Rob said before he turned and left with her, closing the door behind them.

I stood there, staring at the door with the invitation now crumbled up in my hands, until I felt something- or someone touch me, making me snap out of it and look at who it was.

“Are you ok?” Nicholas asks, his eyes filled with worry, as he hovers his hand over my clenched one.
I was beyond words, what would someone say in this situation? After hearing all that, it didn't matter what I said, he heard it all from the horse's mouth.

“Sorry.” I rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache coming on. “She's… a bit much.”

Nicholas smiled, and then looks at the invitation he had taken from my clenched hands.

“We all have our family, Charlie, you don't need to be embarrassed.” He tells me, looking down at the pink card, with fancy writing.

“I only wished I could've told her to piss off.” He suddenly said, as I looked at him, then snorted out.
“Piss off, huh.” I sighed heavily, smiling guiltily at him.

“That would've only made things worse, and you know it.”

“Maybe.” He slowly said, as we stared at each other.

It felt awkward now, the quiet silence of what she left behind, with all her drama and all the things I wanted to forget.

That stupid wedding…

I had gotten the invitation a week ago and ignored it, having not spoken to any of them in years.
It felt like a pity invitation, so of course I wasn't going to go.

“What about we get away? Just the two of us.” Nicholas then suddenly says, as I look at him confused.

“What?

He then smirks, as he turns around and grabs his phone that he had left on the coffee table.

“My family has a place in the county, it's a perfect place to get away from it all.” He says, going into his phone and typing something.

“Nobody goes there, it'll just be us.” He says, finishing what he was doing on his phone, then coming back over to me to grab hold of my hand.

His offer felt tempting, so tempting, but it also felt like it was… too soon.

“Wouldn't your family... find out?”

Nicholas just laughed and shook his head.

“Even if they did, would it matter?” Nicholas said, turning to grab the jacket he wore last night, along with the rest of his things.

“They're not about to shout to the world that the Crown Prince of England is in love with a man, are they?” He turned around and grinned.

“As much as we butt heads, they won't care, Charlie.”

“So?” He looked at me, from across the room, those blue eyes staring right at me, like they knew something I didn't.

“Do you want to get away with me?” He asked. “Charlie Samual Thronfill.” He then said, in a deeper voice, miniking my mom, making me laugh.

Hearing him say he loved me again only made me lose all sense of thought, again, but it wasn't the worst idea…

I had already slept with him, so I didn't need to worry about that anymore.

But still…

This was crazy, the whole thing, yet it didn't feel like I was making a mistake, and despite witnessing a raging tornado coming in here and ruining the mood, Nicholas was still Nicholas.

For the longest time, I was happy, happy that someone was here, and not running the moment they smell toxic family drama at your doorstep.

“Ok.” I eventually say. “Fuck it.”

“Let's get out of here.” I say, making Nicholas happy, and comes over to grab my hand, then lean in to kiss me, his blue eyes shining bright in my dimly lit apartment.

“I promise, you're not going to regret this.”