Chapter Fourteen

“Hey, bud. You ditched math.” Josh said, as he strolled into Nik’s dorm room at lunchtime, a can of soda in one hand and an apple in the other.

Nik hadn’t moved from his room since returning after Amber had walked out on him. He’d spent the intervening time alternating between pacing the floor and staring out of his window, hoping that the reporters hadn’t managed to actually get onto the school grounds to search him out. Kurt had texted and told Nik he’d be receiving a call from his father very soon. Nik hadn’t expected to hear from his parents until later because of the time difference, so their staff must have considered it a bad enough situation to wake them. He could just imagine the conversation that was about to take place. All the blame being firmly placed on his shoulders for being so foolhardy.

“I had a problem to sort out,” Nik replied, his tone cold.

“Problem?” Josh frowned.

“You haven’t heard from Lauren?” A rhetorical question. One look at Josh’s face was sufficient to convince Nik that he had no idea what had happened. He thought that by now the whole thing would be racing around the school. “My cover’s been blown.”

His tone might have sounded calm, but inside he was breaking up. The last few weeks with Amber had been…special. For the first time in his life, he’d been himself, without having to look over his shoulder all the time to see who was scrutinizing his every move—or trying to capture it on a mobile phone camera. Without having to second-guess the motives of the person he was with. It was so much better than he’d ever imagined it to be, and now it was slipping away from him.

“You’re kidding.” Josh let out a low whistle. “How?”

“Amber.” His hands clenched and unclenched by his side.

Shock coursed through his body from just saying her name out loud in relation to what had happened.

“How did she find out? Did you tell her?” Josh asked, sounding very concerned.

“Of course I didn’t,” Nik snapped. “It was down to that damn internship she applied for. She accidentally included a photograph of me. Someone at the agency who was apparently familiar with the Lutgenstadt royal family saw it.” He spat out the words.

Just thinking about the people at the agency, and how they must have pounced on the photograph of him with glee once they’d seen it, sent waves of anger shooting around his body. There were no words to articulate how much he despised them.

“You think she did it on purpose?” Josh’s brow furrowed.

He was asking all the right questions. But Nik didn’t have all the answers.

“Yes. No. I don’t know. She said no, but I’m not sure I believe her.” Nik threw his arms in the air in frustration. He needed to get a grip on the situation, but he couldn’t. He could hardly think straight. He just wanted to punch something—which the protocol office would be very much against.

“I do,” Josh said adamantly. “She wouldn’t do anything like that. She must be devastated by what’s happened.”

“I don’t know.” Nik shrugged.

But he did know. If Amber said it was an accident, then it was. Whatever he’d been thinking about it, deep down, he knew that what she’d said was true. For a start, she hadn’t known who he really was. That much was abundantly clear by the look in her eyes when they’d been arguing. Which meant there was no need for her to include the photograph. And considering that all her shots had been set up in minute detail, and whatever photo she had of him had to have been taken slyly, it was obvious that she hadn’t wanted to add it to her portfolio. However it got there, he didn’t know. All he knew was that it wasn’t deliberate.

“What did she say?” Josh probed.

“It wasn’t on purpose. But that doesn’t matter because the damage has been done, thanks to her.”

And that was something he couldn’t move forward from. Okay, so he accepted it was an accident. But some accidents have devastating effects, and this was one of them. Plus, he’d told her how important it was to him not to have his photo taken. Sure, the request must have seemed odd, but he would have honored a similar request if she’d made it. He couldn’t simply get over it. It had changed everything.

“Don’t tell me you haven’t accidentally done something wrong in the past.”

Nik gave Josh a side-eye. He didn’t understand, either. It seemed so simple to him. He should only walk a year in Nik’s shoes. Or even a day. Then he’d realize it wasn’t so easy having the public and the press hound your every move, checking out everything you did in minute detail. He’d see just how important that year of privacy had been.

“My father is calling soon, and he’ll no doubt be ordering me home.” His shoulders slumped.

“Tell them you don’t want to go.”

A hollow laugh erupted from him. “It’s not that simple. Disobeying my father is difficult. Disobeying the king is impossible.”

No one understood. However hard they tried. He couldn’t blame them; they weren’t in his privileged position. They wouldn’t want to be, either, despite what they thought.

“Even if you’re his son?” Josh quizzed.

King first. Father second. That’s the way it had always been, and there was no reason for it to change now. Nor did he expect it to. Just because he wanted his freedom didn’t mean he that didn’t understand the nature of their position.

“Yes. Even so.” His head pounded.

“Tell him it was an accident. He’ll understand,” Josh persisted.

“No, he won’t. And nor do I. I’m so mad at Amber. She should have checked her application thoroughly, and then the photograph of me wouldn’t have been included. That’s if she’s telling the truth. I’m still not one hundred percent sure.”

He’d never had trouble making up his mind before. Yet here he was stuck between accepting that it was an accident and wondering if she’d fooled him, like what had happened in the past with other girls he’d been dating. The ones who only wanted to be seen on the society pages because they’d thought it would improve their social standing. Or the ones who loved the idea of a televised royal wedding more than they cared about him.

“Amber doesn’t lie. She’s open and honest,” Josh said emphatically.

“Really? So honest that she took a sneaky photo of me when I wasn’t looking. Knowing that I didn’t want her to.”

Whichever way he looked at it, she had deceived him. Even if sending it was accidental, she still took the photo in the first place. End of story.

“If she’d known the real reason, she wouldn’t have done it. For all you know, she just thought it was you being stand-offish about not being snapped,” Josh reasoned.

Josh had a point. He’d been telling Nik for long enough about his attitude. If Amber had known the truth, this whole thing could’ve been avoided.

“You think I should’ve confided in her?” He had to admit that he’d thought about telling her his true identity often enough. Whenever they’d been together, at the back of his mind had always been the nagging thought that she didn’t know who he really was. But he’d rationalized his decision to keep it hidden. He’d agreed on this with his parents and hadn’t wanted to jeopardize his time in America.

And, to tell the truth, he just hadn’t wanted to see how it would change her attitude toward him.

“Maybe. I don’t know. You both seemed so right together that I thought you were in it for the long-term.” Josh took a drink from his can of soda.

“Yeah, well, we all made that mistake. I…” The sound of his cell interrupted him. He glanced down and saw that it was from home. “It’s my father. Will you please excuse me?”

“Sure. I’ll hang around in the common area.” Josh left the room.

Nik answered the call, a feeling of dread circling in the pit of his stomach. “Hello.” He pulled himself up to his full height, giving himself the confidence he needed to face up to it.

“Niklas, it’s your father.”

His father wasn’t great with cell phones and didn’t understand about caller id. His secretary took care of everything telephone related for him but actually talking to the person on the other end of the line.

“Yes, I know.” He clenched his teeth and waited for the inevitable onslaught.

“Your mother and I are very disappointed. The agreement was that you remain incognito, and within a very short time, you’ve been exposed.” His clipped tone was no different from usual, despite it being the middle of the night and the fact that he must have been woken up only a few moments ago.

“I’m sorry, Father. It wasn’t my fault.” He cringed at his words. They were hardly manly and not all like he’d been taught to behave. He sounded like a young child trying to pass the blame.

“How can that be so?”

He didn’t have any choice but to tell the truth about Amber. If he didn’t, his parents would soon find out, and that would be worse.

“A girl I’ve been seeing accidentally let a photograph of me get in the hands of an agency in her application for a photography internship.”

“Accidentally?” his father said, the incredulity in his voice marked. “I think you’ve been, how do they say over there, taken for a ride.”

“No. I don’t think so,” he countered.

“You’re a member of the royal family and a target for any person aspiring toward better things. Surely you know that by now. You’ve seen that many times for yourself. What better way to make an application stand out than to include a photograph of a prince?”

Nik swallowed hard. In so few words, his father had managed to make him feel like a small child being chastised for some elementary misdemeanor.

He’d spent the last seventeen years being in the public eye. Of course he knew that people tried to use the royal family for their own gains. But suddenly, he knew, deep in his bones, that it didn’t apply to Amber. Whatever happened to them now, she’d been honest before. She’d liked him for who he was before. “You’re wrong, Father. She didn’t know about me being a prince.”

His father paused, likely surprised by the strength and certainty in Nik’s voice. “That you know of,” his father finally replied.

“I’m sure she didn’t.”

I think.

I hope.

“It doesn’t matter,” his father said, clearly not either caring or believing what Nik was saying. “What we have to decide is how to remedy this situation. Your mother and I believe the most effective way is for you to leave America and come home. You can soon slot back into your old school. The press office can deal with any fallout.”

No discussion. The decision had been made. Nik’s thoughts on it all seemed unimportant. “I guess,” he muttered. He knew what his parents suggested made sense. It would certainly put an end to the mess he’d found himself in. But…

“Guess? What does that mean? What are you guessing?” his father asked.

“Sorry. It’s an American saying. It means that I agree with you. It probably is the best thing to do under the circumstances.”

So why doesn’t it feel right?

“Pia will sort out the flight details in the morning and get back to you. I’m returning to my bed.”

His father’s assistant, Pia, had worked for the family since before Nik had been born. She’d been like a second mother to him before he was sent to boarding school. They’d had nannies, but they were too concerned with their routines. Pia was different. She always had time for him. Nik wondered what she’d make of the whole situation.

“Okay. Good night, Father.”

Nik placed his cell on the bedside table and walked over to his closet. Reaching up, he pulled his suitcase down from the top. He rested it on the floor and opened it. Staring at his hanging clothes, he couldn’t bring himself to pack. He wasn’t ready to trade being Nik the student for being Prince Niklas. He looked at the jeans folded on the shelf. When would he be able to wear them again?

I don’t want to go back home. Not yet.

He kicked his suitcase to the side and headed out of his bedroom. Josh was leaning against the wall.

“I’m going out for a walk,” he said to Josh, as he strode past him.

“Want me to come with?” Josh asked, catching up.

No.

I want to have some time to get used to the idea that it’s over.

That my one shot at freedom is dead.

“If you would like to,” he replied instead. “Don’t expect me to be good company.”

“No worries.” They headed in silence down the corridor and out of the side entrance until they were on the path which ran alongside the boarding houses. “What did your father say?”

“What you’d expect. They want me out of here as soon as possible.” He clenched his fists by his side.

“Nik. Nik.”

He turned at the sound of his name and saw several girls from his class running toward them.

“Yes?”

“Is it true?” one of them asked. “Are you really a prince?”

His heart sank. Now he was back to being the center of attention. Great.

“Leave the guy alone,” Josh said, standing in front of Nik and blocking him from the others.

“It’s okay.” Nik stepped out from behind Josh. “Yes, I am.”

“That’s so cool. I thought there was something special about you,” Dana, the girl on the left said. She touched him on the arm. “Am I allowed to do that?” she asked, fluttering her eyelashes at him.

Here we go again. Now I’m special because I’m a prince.

“I’d rather you didn’t.” His voice was sterner than he’d intended, and Dana flushed. Damn. I sound like my father.

“Let’s get out of here,” Josh said. He nodded good-bye to the girls. “Come on.”

Probably good that Josh had decided to walk with him. They only managed to walk another hundred yards before a group of teachers headed toward them. One of them pointed at him and then spoke to the teacher next to her. As they got closer, Nik drew in a deep breath. But apart from staring at him, they refrained from speaking.

“It’s a good thing,” he said.

“What?” Josh replied, turning and frowning.

“Me leaving here. If this is what it’s going to be like. How could I have a normal existence with everyone staring or losing their minds over the crown when in front of me?”

“Give them a chance. Once they get over the shock. We’ve had movie stars and presidents’ kids come to this school. People eventually learned how to function. Eventually, it will all go back to normal.”

Normal. What was that?

“I’ll be flown out of here before that…” His attention got diverted by the sight of Amber and Lauren walking in their direction.

Crap.

He wanted to turn and head in the opposite direction. Except how manly did that make him seem? His chest constricted as Amber got closer, and he could see her red-ringed eyes.

…

Amber’s insides swirled as Nik and Josh got nearer. She wanted to run and hide, but her pride wouldn’t let her.

“We can just walk past and ignore them. Josh will understand,” Lauren suggested, a concerned expression on her face.

“No. It’s fine. I’ll have to see him sometime. Why not now?” She wished she felt as brave as she sounded.

“Because it’s been little more than two hours since you found out the truth about him.”

Lauren was right. And if she hadn’t persuaded Amber to leave her bedroom and come out for lunch, she wouldn’t be seeing him now. But she had to get it over with. And the next time, it would be easier. If there was a next time. She’d have thought that with his connections, he’d have already been on a plane out of there.

That’s if he is leaving.

Of course he is.

“I’m ready. Just don’t leave me alone with him.” She sucked in a breath and prayed that no one could hear her heart, which was pounding in her ears.

“Hi Josh. Nik,” Amber said as they approached.

The look on Nik’s face surprised her. She expected him to still be angry, but he looked sad more than anything else.

“Still here then?” Lauren said.

The blunt question was typical Lauren. Amber wanted to hear his reply.

“Yes. While things are being sorted.” He faced Amber, and his eyes narrowed, his cheeks flushed with anger. He turned and left without saying much of anything. Josh gave them a helpless shrug before following on Nik’s heels.

So much for me thinking that he was sad.

“I’ve already apologized. It was a mistake. Just give me a break, will you?” she yelled at his retreating back.

She stormed off in the opposite direction.

I hope I never see him again.