Prince Harry spends his summer away from the public eye. He's trying to clean up his image. No longer will he be known as the Party Prince or Spare. He wants to be known as Harry. And a summer in Scotland away from the eyes of the world will be good...
Meredith inhaled all of her fish and chips. Usually Franco's fish and chips lasted a few meals. All of it rested in her stomach now. She didn't regret it at all. Harry watched her, noticing small things about her that seemed off. It was more than tiredness. She hesitated about something. Meredith stared off into oblivion.
"Mere?" he asked.
"Let's go for walk."
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The sun was starting to set on the horizon, but it was always there. More shadows had just started to move in. Trees stretched out above them. Meredith had stayed on the beaten path instead of a hilly one, and they walked on in silence. Eventually they reached a field with few trees, and the grass blew in the breeze. The horses were just down the way. It was a nice walk.
"Ask me anything," Meredith said, keeping her hands to herself.
Harry wanted to hold her hand, something, but kept his hands to himself too. "Why were you jumpy earlier?" he asked.
"Easy. I thought someone was watching us."
"Why?"
She thought about it. "I didn't see anyone, but I just felt like someone was watching us. And, we were close to the palace, where I'm staying. I was nervous someone might see us. I'm not sure why I did it." Meredith kicked a rock in the grass.
"Why did you do it?"
Meredith did say ask anything. "I was lazy. I'm tired. I didn't want to go out, but I wanted to spend time with you."
"Why?"
"Why I wanted to spend time with you?" Meredith clarified. When she looked at Harry, it was the right question. "I feel like I don't have many days left here, but I've only started. There is so much to do and see, and I don't want to be stuck around you all the time," she admitted. "I don't want to think about you all the time. I don't want to have think about you all the time. But I do."
"I'm sorry."
"That's not a question."
"I'm sorry?" Harry rephrased. Meredith laughed. Her hand slipped into his. Harry felt more comfortable now. "Do you still think about me all the time?"
"I do when I'm here, but in the Highlands, there was so much to do. I didn't think about you that much. When I was moving, I didn't even think about you. Sorry." Meredith wasn't too sorry because she had experienced so many wonderful and beautiful things. "It was freeing and good, but," she looked back over to him, "this is wonderful." Her fingers squeezed his hand.
Harry pulled her to a stop in the field. "What makes me wonderful?"
"You're very full of yourself," she responded.
"That's not answer," he pushed lightly.
Below her feet, the grass oozed wetness onto her shoes. The grass squeaked under her shoes. Taking a step forward, she got as close to his face as she could. Her nose touched his. "Well, for starters, you're kind... sometimes, when you're not sassing me."
"I sass you?"
Meredith shrugged sassily. "You're hot and charming, and you make me feel giddy on the inside. You make me feel like a girl, and it sucks to be honest."
"Why does it suck?" Harry's hot breath made her cheeks burn.
"Because I have feelings."
"You have feelings in general, Meredith. You just don't show them." For a split second, hesitation shined in his eyes. Meredith knew the next question. He wanted to know why. "Why?"
"Why what?" she deflected.
"Tell me why."
"You have to give me a proper question." She didn't back down. Deep down, she dreaded this. As much as she thought she was ready for the question, Meredith wasn't. She thought she had an answer. She was wrong. As Meredith stared into Harry's eyes, she was scared. Somehow that didn't show.
"Why don't you have feelings?" Harry asked. Slowly, his hand reached up and caught her hair. "Why, Meredith?"
Staring into his eyes, Meredith had a decision to make. How much did she care about Harry? How much was she willing to share? She couldn't just lie to him. Well, she could. It had to be convincing, though. But if Meredith really did love Harry, he deserved the truth, right? He deserved to know why she kept her heart hidden. He deserved to know why she deflected. He deserved to know why Meredith didn't do many things. She didn't like to fail.
She was told she was wrong. She was told she would never be good enough. She was told no one would ever love her. She was told she was fat, ugly and dumb. She was called bitch over and over again. She was told that no one cared about her. She was told to go kill herself. She was told no one would miss her. She was told that no one would notice.
To some people, the bullying that she faced at school, every day for six years, was just a joke. Some people didn't take it seriously. Others didn't understand. "Kids will be kids," people said. They were wrong. Perhaps he wouldn't understand like others didn't. This would just gloss over in his mind. Perhaps he would say, "You're taking it too seriously." Then she didn't want to be with him. He wasn't worth it.
But in this moment, she had to decide to tell him everything. She had to decide how much she cared and loved him.
"Mere?"
Meredith swallowed and explained. Her voice cracked for a few times, but she kept it together. She told him as much as she could, but Meredith stopped short at a few details. Some of the more graphic bullying times and hazes were said quickly. And Meredith tried to make it as short as possible. The whole time, Meredith's eyes never left Harry, and she didn't allow him to look away.
It seemed like Meredith got everything out in one breath. By the time, she knew where she was again, the sun was gone behind the trees. It had gotten so dark that they would have to use their cell phone lights on the way back. And the wind had picked up. The air had gotten cold. Some clouds started to work their way in.
Not being able to read him, Meredith didn't back down. Her eyes burned even brighter her now. She was ready for a fight. Harry didn't look like he wanted to fight her; he looked like he wanted to pull her into a hug. Meredith didn't want pity. It wasn't pity in his eyes. Meredith didn't know what he was feeling, and it terrified her.
"Do you have authority problems?" Harry asked.
"Yes."
Rolling his eyes, he gripped her hands. "That's what I thought." Tipping her back, Harry planted a kiss on her lips.
