“I am?”
“Totally.”
Okay, that’s enough.
“Hey, kid.” I pull Bran up and wrap my arm around his waist. “He’s my prince. Back off.”
“Nikolai!” He elbows me. “You’ll scare her. Stop it.”
“Shoo.” I wave her away.
“Nikolai!”
“Hmph.” She hikes a hand on her hip. “When I grow up, I’m going to marry him.”
“Dream on.”
Bran has dug a hole in my side by now.
“Nour!” an older woman calls as she hurries toward us, panting. “What did I say about running off…？”
She stops in front of us and stares, unlike all of Bran’s precious Londoners. He pulls away from me, and although it’s subtle, I don’t like it. But then again, many people are homophobic assholes, though I haven’t encountered that here and I’m thankful, not for my sake, but for Bran’s. I don’t give a fuck what people think, he does.
Though he didn’t seem to mind when he kissed me in public yesterday or the day before that.
I expect him to put distance between us, but he threads his fingers with mine.
Fuck me.
Maybe he really doesn’t care anymore. The fact that he’s holding my hand without feeling an ounce of shame—which he shouldn’t—makes me want to kiss him.
“Look, Mummy. I found a fairy-tale prince and his servant.”
“That’s not his servant, Nour.” She smiles apologetically. “I’m so sorry. She loves running around.”
“No worries.” Bran smiles. “She’s adorable.”
“Aw, thank you.” The woman grabs her daughter’s hand and starts dragging her away.
The kid has the audacity to tell Bran, “Wait for me. I’m going to come back for you when I grow up.”
Her mom apologizes again as she laughs and whisks the girl off before I go ahead and dump her in the lake a la serial killer.
“Stop glaring, Nikolai.”
“The nerve of that little shit.” I snatch the flower she gave him and throw it down.
“Are you seriously swearing at a kid?”
“What did she whisper to you?”
“You need help, fairy-tale prince?”
“That fucking—”
“I mean, you do give off scary vibes.”
“And what did you tell her?”
“That’s a secret.”
“What do you mean by secret? Don’t tell me you’re taking a fucking kid’s side over mine?”
“Don’t tell me you’re actually jealous of a kid?”
“What if I am?”
“You’re serious? I’ve never been in a real relationship before you, never been intimate with anyone until you, never liked someone despite disliking most things they do like I do with you. How can you still feel jealous?”
I try not to smile, then scrunch my nose up. “I don’t know. You clearly had a crush. You called him a prince, too. Jayden Adler. NASA Headquarters. DC.”
“Stop saying those details in that monotone voice. You really sound like you’re putting a target on his back.”
“Maybe I am.”
“Nikolai!”
“Yes, baby?”
He drills me with his dark glare that I’ve learned runs in the family. From his grandad to his dad, uncle, and even his psycho brother. “You will not hurt Jay. He has nothing to do with this.”
“You coming to his defense doesn’t help his case. Pretty sure Mom knows someone powerful in DC. Hmm…”
“I’d forgotten the entire thing until Mum mentioned it again. Jay and I are just friends and he barely has time to come back to the UK anymore.”
“So if he did have time, things would be different?”
“No. You know why?”
“Because I wouldn’t allow it?”
“Because I never wanted a prince. I prefer an unhinged motherfucker.”
“Hey! That’s me!” I grin so wide, I can see my reflection in his bright eyes.
“Don’t smile. You’ll grow on me.”
“Awe. I thought I was already.”
“Seriously, stop grinning. I don’t like sharing it with others.”
“Who’s the jealous one now?”
“I don’t share, Niko. Am I clear?”
“One thing we have in common.”
“You still didn’t wipe that look off your face.”
“Jesus, chill. I can’t believe everyone thinks you’re such a golden boy when you’re, in fact, a fucking control freak.”