Chapter 11: Confessions

Alissa Moore's Point of View:

Rafael and I were on another date today. We were at a hot dog stand grabbing some hot dogs but I couldn't help but feel as if he had a lot on his mind. He wasn't as into the date as he was yesterday.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly "if you're not feeling up to a date right now you can just tell me"

"What?" He shook his head. "No, no. I’m sorry. I want to be here. I just have a lot on my mind"

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He looked hesitant, "I don't want to bore you"

I lead him over to a park bench and sat down, "I'm all ears"

He smiled softly before speaking, "my dad, the king, wants me to do something that I think shouldn't be forced"

"Is he forcing you to do this?" I questioned him trying to get a better grip of the situation.

"Not really, the council is forcing me to do it my dad just got caught in the middle"

"The council?" I was confused.

"Oh right... they’re a select group who assists the monarchy in ruling the country"

"I thought you guys had absolutely power"

"In some aspects we do, but a successfully run country can't be run by one man alone"

I nodded completely agreeing with what he was saying, "so you don't want to do what they're forcing you to do?"

He shook his head as confirmation, "can they do that, bully the future king into something?"

He sighed, "it's apparently a tradition that has to be upheld but quite frankly I don't agree"

"Well I don't know much about the situation but if you can't get out of the situation you should do the next best thing"

"And what's that?"

"Make the situation work for you"

He looked at me in awe, "you would make a wise queen"

I blushed, "thank you"

"I'm sorry for being so distracted, how can I make it up to you?"

"You don't have to do that," I told him "I'm just glad I could give you some perspective"

He grinned, "you’re perfect, you know that"

I blushed hard, "no, I'm not"

He didn't bother to respond and instead took a bite of his hot dog. We devoured our little meal taking a sip of the ale that we had bought earlier. The silence between us wasn't awkward, it was just calm. 

"I was so busy talking about myself that I forgot to ask about you," he said eyes wide as if he just realized this.

"It’s okay," I assured him "I enjoyed learning about you and I can always tell you about me now"

He breathed a sigh of relief, "please do"

"Well I could tell you about my favorite color and my favorite food but I'll bare my soul to you now like you did with me"

"Ever since I was a little girl I always had to be careful of the people I surrounded myself with. Being the daughter of a billionaire really makes things difficult. People looking in from the outside think it’s all pitch perfect but it’s really not and I struggled for a while. That's particularly why I only have one person I consider a friend"

"I thought we were friends too," he murmured in a teasing tone.

I teased him in return, "I don't go on dates with friends"

He laughed, "that's good to know sweetheart"

I smiled, "anyways that made me have a greater appreciation for people. It hurts me to see someone being sad especially kids, that's why I was so glad when you took me to the orphanage. I would never visit some when I'm back home but I didn't think I would be able to do so since I'm here"

He looked slightly uncomfortable after I said that. "Is something wrong?"

"No, it’s just that I have a confession to make," he was really nervous "and I don't want you to be mad at me"

Now I was nervous thinking of all the things he probably wanted to say, "like I said before you can tell me anything"

"I really like you...I want you to know that first," He took a deep breath "the orphanage wasn't where I was planning on taking you at first"

"Where were you going to take me?"

"There was this restaurant that I um took other girls to," he grimaced when he caught sight of the blank look on my face. I truly didn't know what to think about his confession. 

"What made you change your mind?" I forced the words out and kept my emotions calm.

"On the way there the way you spoke to me it made me realize just how different you were and that I shouldn't hide myself behind the figure the media portrays me to be. That's why I brought you to the orphanage it was a step in showing you who I am and the person I want to be"

I looked down at my hands and considered his words. I couldn't really blame him for being guarded with himself. When he saw that I wasn't interested in his title he did have a shocked look on his face. It was as if that's all people ever saw him as so he automatically expected that from me. I could relate to that completely.

"So the stories about you being a playboy prince aren't true?"

He winced, "the paparazzi will see me with a woman and just assume that I'm dating her. I've only actually dated 5 women in all my life, two of them was only because my mom set me up with them"

"Oh wow"

"Please don't be mad," he pleaded with me "it’s all in the past"

I sighed, "it’s okay Rafe like you said it’s in the past"

My breathing hitched as I saw his eyes darken, "say that again"

"What?" I whispered. "that it’s in the past?"

He groaned pulling me impossibly closer to him, "say my name"

"Rafael," my voice sounded very breathy.

His eyes flickered to my lips then my eyes and back on my lips, "Can I kiss you Alissa?"

As soon as I said yes his lips were on mine for a slow sweet kiss. I groaned when he pulled away. He brushed away some of my baby hairs and leaned in to whisper in my hair.

"If we weren't in public I'd kiss you the way I've been waiting to for the longest time, passionately, until you have no choice but to surrender to me"

“Would you like that?” he kissed my cheek “because I would absolutely love it”