Chapter 11

CHAPTER ELEVEN

N OAH TAPPED HIS PEN against the desk, his mind racing miles ahead of him. He was thinking about Taylor, and he was thinking about Amy, and his family, and Christmas, but mostly, he was thinking about Louisa.

For years, he'd felt as though his life was a puzzle with so many pieces he just couldn't make fit together. His ex-wife had become someone he couldn't trust with their daughter. They didn't fit. His family hated his ex-wife. They didn't fit. His daughter resented him. They didn't fit.

And then, with Louisa, suddenly, the fact the puzzle pieces didn't fit didn't matter as much, because they fit. Maybe all that had been missing, all this time, was someone in his life who not only got him, but who also accepted him, and the messy complications he brought with him. Maybe life wasn't about making it all work out, all the time, but rather having someone by your side who wanted to weather the imperfections with you. To lean back in their chair and smile at you. The kind of smile that could warm you up, all the way through, even when your heart was breaking because your daughter was becoming someone you didn't recognize.

So, when Louisa walked into his office, a little before five, looking incredibly, edibly good in a silk blouse that was tucked into a high waisted pencil skirt, he felt that same warmth flood through him, but at volcanic lava heat levels.

"Hey," he practically growled, as she stood just inside the door, hand on hip, staring at him with eyes that were big and intense.

"I've been thinking about your trip suggestion," she said, fingers tapping her hip now. There was an energy to her, a sort of intensity that had him leaning forward, staring at her without the ability to look away. "And I've been thinking about Taylor, and you, and me."

"Yeah?"

"I know we said we'd go slow, give her time, but maybe what we need to do is go away somewhere after all." She stalked towards the window and stared out. Another day with bright blue skies and sparkling harbour water blinked back at them. "When I was a kid, we'd do a family holiday each year. My parents were busy so much of the time, but that was when they'd really slow things down. No phones, no laptops, just us, card games, toasting marshmallows, reading books. Connecting. Maybe we just need to push through this and find a way to connect with her." Her face was flushed when she turned back to Noah. "What do you think?"

"I think Taylor…"

"I know, she's not ready," Louisa said with a grimace. "It was a stupid idea."

"No, I love the idea," Noah insisted, standing up and walking across to her, pulling her against him so his whole body charged with the kind of energy only Louisa was capable of invoking in him. "I love that you care enough to think about this, and I love that you want to make it work." He kissed her. "When and where were you thinking?"

"Well, somewhere low-key," she said. "You mentioned a wine region in South Australia. Maybe we could go on a road trip? Drive across the country, sing cheesy songs, talk, hope to get through to her?"

"You'd seriously be into that?"

"I'm going to want to get away after Christmas," she said, lifting one shoulder, and Noah felt a blinding light of guilt. In the haze of everything pertaining to Taylor, he'd barely thought about Louisa's past life and the fact an engagement announcement was coming any day now. "We could go for New Year's."

"How are you feeling about it all?"

She furrowed her brow.

"The announcement."

"Oh, right." She chewed on her lip. "I just want it to be over."

"I know it might seem weird to say this, but if you want to talk about it…You must have some feelings about the man you were with for so long getting engaged."

"I've told you how I feel, and I was honest about that. I'm happy for him. I'm actually looking forward to meeting Sofia next time I'm in Moricosia. I promise I'm not harbouring even a hint of jealousy or regret. I've never been more certain that I made a right decision in my life." She stroked his back with her fingertips. "Have a think about it, while you're back with your family. If you decide it's a good idea, then…I'd like to do it."

"Okay," he said, recognizing that it was the least sufficient word he'd ever uttered. It did nothing to convey his wonder at her generosity and kindness, nothing to express how amazing he thought she was. The problem was, he felt those things in such abundance, he didn't know how to say them. "Now," he said, shifting his body a little so they were even closer, every part of them connected. "About tonight."

"Yes?" She asked, breathily.

"Taylor's staying at Melanie's, under the strictest supervision, so we have the house to ourselves." He moved again and her eyes shuttered a little, desire in her features so immediate and so obvious that it took all his self-control not to start undressing her then and there. "But," he said, focusing on the matter at hand, rather than letting his libido run away with him. "I want to take you for dinner."

She glanced up at him more fully. "Out?"

"When the press release comes out, it's going to be hard, for a while, right? So, let's make the most of the fact things are easier now, and go somewhere out of the way. Nowhere high profile, no likelihood of some paparazzi agency getting wind of you being there."

"Okay," she said, after a beat, and his chest tightened, because of the trust she was putting in him. "That sounds fun." She tilted her head to the side. "But for the record, I also have a lot of fun staying in with you…"

"There's plenty of that in our future, too," he promised. And even though the future was a cloud of fog, Louisa was there, in the centre of it, like some kind of beautiful, magnificent waypoint he would always steer himself towards. At least, in that moment, that's how it felt.

"You know the rules," he said to Taylor, as he started the car.

"No alcohol, no parties, no social media."

He gripped the steering wheel harder. "So, what will you guys get up to?"

"Watch Play School?" She said, but to Noah's surprise, she tilted him a smile. "We're going to watch the Blair Witch Project."

"A classic. Nice choice."

"We thought so." Silence. He turned towards Melanie's house. "What about you? Any plans?"

It was so unlike Taylor to ask, that he answered without thinking. "Actually, we're going out for dinner."

"You and Louisa?" He heard the hint of animosity, but chose to ignore it. His relationship with Louisa wasn't a problem Taylor could wish away.

"Yeah. Somewhere low-key, so she's not recognized."

Taylor rolled her eyes. "You're more famous than she is."

He laughed. "I'm not famous."

"You're a Fox , Dad."

"You're a Fox, too, Tay."

"But you know what I mean. You're in the news with regularity."

"I'm in the business papers, that's not the same thing as being famous."

"Okay, but what's she famous for? Dating some King for a while?"

"You act like you don't read gossip websites," he said, shaking his head. "You know how people like her get treated. It doesn't matter that they've broken up. Maybe in a year or two, it will matter less. But for now, the press still smells blood in the water, so we've been careful. But I want to take her out, like a normal relationship, before the press release comes out and it all goes a bit crazy."

"Riiiight," Taylor said, in that nuanced way teenagers had, that could make adults feel old and as though they made precisely no sense. "So where will you go?"

At least she was making conversation; that was new. He turned into Melanie's street. "Just a little Italian place I know," he said. "Somewhere quiet and out of the way."

"Nice," Taylor said, and his heart lifted, because she wasn't being sarcastic or cruel. "Well, have fun."

He watched as she grabbed her bag and slung it over one shoulder. "Tay?" He called, stepping out of the car and walking towards her. He stared at her, slightly lost for words. "I want to make this work."

She blinked at him.

"You and me. Louisa and me. You and Louisa. I want to make this work."

For a second, something passed over her face. Anger. Irritation. Impatience. But then she nodded. "Okay, whatever. See you later." She walked towards the house without looking back.

"Oh, crap." In the midst of lifting her prosecco glass to her lips, Louisa turned her face away from the window of the little Italian restaurant so quickly it almost didn't make sense, but then Noah, across the table from her, saw what she'd seen.

A flash.

And another flash.

She stood up quickly, keeping her face averted, and began to walk away from the table.

"Where are you going?" he asked, standing and following her.

"To the kitchens."

"The kitchens?"

He looked over his shoulder to the small scrum of photographers.

"The toilets. Anywhere that doesn't have a damned window," she muttered.

He followed her into the ladies' room, which was empty of other occupants. Guilt slammed into him, because this should never have happened. He should have just kept them home, at his place, where he could control this. Only, this restaurant was tiny and out of the way, just a little trattoria in a suburban area, beloved by locals, but hardly a paparazzi haunt.

"You're shaking," he said, grabbing her hands and lifting them between them. He remembered her reacting like this once before. On their first date, when the kid had scootered towards Louisa, and he'd pulled her aside. A car had come around the corner, the lights had flashed, and she'd clearly been upset.

Because she'd thought it was a photographer.

"I'm just—I hate this. I'm all the way on the other side of the world to him; why do they care what I'm doing? Why does anyone care?" she asked, eyes huge when they met his.

"I know, I know," he said, holding her against his body, stroking her back.

"I just sometimes feel like it's never going to end. I'm always going to be King Ares's ex-girlfriend. In ten years, twenty, it doesn't matter what I do. It's like the top line of my obituary is always going to feature his name. I hate that. This is so frustrating." She pulled away from Noah and walked quickly to the other side of the bathroom, then back again. "How did they get here so quickly?"

Something twisted in his gut. Something he refused to acknowledge.

"We only just ordered our meals. That's not long enough for any of the staff to have made a tip-off, even if they had recognized me. It's almost like they knew we were going to be here."

He shook his head, but he could see Louisa's mind going where Noah didn't want to.

"Noah," she closed her eyes on a wave of emotion he hated. "Did you happen to mention our plans to Taylor?"

He groaned. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't. "I did."

"God, Noah. Do you think it's possible…"

He stared at Louisa, thinking of the denials he could make. That he hadn't told Taylor exactly which restaurant they were going to, because he'd suspected he couldn't trust her. But then, how many little, out-of-the-way Italian restaurants did he go to? This had been his favourite for as long as he could remember. Taylor knew that; he'd brought her here on many occasions.

"Yes," he said, dragging a hand over his face. "I think it's possible."

Louisa's eyes met his and he felt a crushing sense of failure. Because he'd wanted to give Louisa the world and treat her like a normal woman, to take her out for dinner then bring her home, and instead, he'd walked her right into her worst nightmare. "I am so sorry."

She shook her head once. "It's not your fault."

"She's my daughter, my responsibility."

"She's fifteen. She makes her own decisions."

"But this is—I honestly can't believe she's capable of this."

At that moment, Louisa's phone buzzed. She pulled it from her pocket and closed her eyes. "It's the palace."

"The pala—oh, right."

He watched as she answered, her hands still trembling. "Yes? I know. I've seen them." She covered the receiver. "They're going to send a car for me."

Something speared through his gut. The feeling that she was walking away from him. That he was losing her. That she didn't trust him to keep her safe. And why would she?

"I have a car."

"It's surrounded."

"Then we'll wait it out."

"Noah—," she ran a hand through her hair, then focused back on the phone. "That's fine. Thank you." She disconnected the call.

"Listen, this is not a big deal," he said, frustration making his tone clipped.

"Not a big deal?" she repeated, staring at him as though he'd lost the plot. "Please, don't say that to me."

"I'm just?—,"

"You don't know what it's been like for me. You have no idea what my life in Moricosia was like. Being followed everywhere I went, having every single moment of my day documented online, with the least flattering pics getting the most hits, and therefore holding the most value, meaning there was a game to catch me out in weird expressions or from bad angles. And ever since the breakup, there's been this whole damned narrative about me being jilted, never mind that I dumped him. I hate this. I hate it. I came here to escape the press, Noah. I just needed…"

She'd needed something and he hadn't given it to her. He had failed her, all because he'd wanted this to seem normal. He'd wanted what their relationship wasn't, because they weren't a normal couple. They both had baggage and a high enough profile to have made this decision foolhardy.

"I know, I get it," he said.

"You don't," she responded, shaking her head once. "Or you would have never suggested this, you would have never told Taylor, and you would never, ever tell me that it's not a big deal."

He grimaced, because she was right. "I know. How can I fix this?"

She stared at him like he'd lost the plot. "You can't fix it. Don't you get that? I don't care about being photographed once, with you. I care about the narrative that this will now feed. The stories they'll write. I'll be seen as some kind of fortune hunter, jumping from a King to a King of Industry. I can see the clever, clickbait headlines already. And anytime anyone searches my name, this is what they'll come up with. Not my first class uni degree, not my charity work, nothing but this."

Okay, he hadn't got it. He hadn't understood because he'd never been on the receiving end of that kind of speculation. And yet… "But Louisa, correct me if I'm wrong, the way we've been talking, you weren't…this isn't exactly a temporary thing, for either of us, right? So, at some point, our relationship would have become public."

"At some point," she said with a tight nod. "Maybe. But when we wanted it to, how we wanted it to. When I was ready." Tears filled her eyes, and it was the worst thing he'd ever seen because Louisa was always so strong and in control. "I'm not ready, Noah." She pressed her hand to the centre of her chest. "What I've already been through this year…I just needed a break from it all. I'm not ready for it to start up again." She turned her back on him so all he saw was the way she vibrated as she sobbed.

His gut dropped to his feet. "Louisa…"

"Please, just leave now. If you go, it's one less logistic for me to consider."

"I'm not leaving you here."

"I'll be fine," she said, through another sob. "I've dealt with worse than this before."

"Louisa, listen to me?—,"

"No, you listen to me." She whirled around to face him. "I'm not angry with Taylor. She's a kid, and she's acting out, and we both knew that. And I'm not angry with you, either." Tears rolled down her cheeks. "But I do need you to go, and leave me alone, to deal with this. I'm asking you to respect my decision, and just go."

He scrunched his hands into fists, wanting to fight her, but how could he? How could he when she was being so clear?

"The embassy car will be here soon. They'll have security. I'll be fine."

"And how's that going to play in the papers?" he asked, not because he cared about his own image, per se . But Louisa was his. Not a part of the palace any longer.

"It will look like Ares and I are still friends, which we are. It will look like he's looking out for me."

"How did the palace even hear about this so fast?"

"They have a whole social media team, Noah. I guess an image is already online."

He swore, pulling his phone from his pocket and loading up Instagram. He'd only downloaded the app to keep an eye on what was being said about Amy, to shield Taylor, but he was glad he had it now. He typed in Louisa's name and saw that she was right. Photos of her from forty minutes ago, as they'd walked into the restaurant, meaning someone had been out there, taking photos before they'd become aware.

Billionaire Rebound, someone had captioned the first image. He clicked out of it before he could read the accompanying text. Or comments. His gut sank as he acknowledged that Louisa was right. None of this was good for her.

"I wanted us to have a normal night out together," he said, quietly.

"I know." She closed her eyes. "I wanted that, too."

"Listen, the photos are out there now. The story's there. You want to control the narrative? Walk out of here like everything's fine. Like you don't give a shit. Hold my hand and get in my car, and come home with me, and let them write whatever they're going to write. They're going to do it anyway. Come home with me and block out the world at my place."

She shook her head. "There's no blocking this out. My parents read this stuff, Noah. It's not…we all needed a break for a while."

He dropped his head forward, the reality of that hitting him hard. Her parents. Her sister. Her past life.

He was going to kill Taylor. Not literally, but he was going to think of some kind of consequence for this that would make her realise how much she'd stuffed up.

"Please go," she whispered.

He stared at her, and nodded once. "Okay."

She bit into her lip.

"But let me say this first." He moved across the tiled bathroom towards her and put his hands on her hips. "You are the best thing that's happened to me in a long time. Probably forever. And what I care about, almost most in the world, is being that for you, too. Tonight was a mistake; it won't happen again."

She shook her head sadly. "You can't promise me that."

"I can promise to try."

"I just need to think," she whispered, pulling away from him then, and he felt as though he couldn't breathe. "Let's talk tomorrow."