Chapter Three
As Prince Diego and his friend Nathan exit the restaurant, our paths unexpectedly cross.
Nathan glances at me, then at Prince Rex, before focusing on me. "What brings you here?"
Prince Rex, puzzled, searches for the source of Nathan's attention. I laugh and turn to Prince Rex. "Nate is addressing me."
Prince Rex questions, gesturing towards Nathan, "How do you know him? And when did people start calling you Nate?"
"Curious, what brings you here?" Nate inquires, furrowing his eyebrows and leading me aside.
"I was assisting the prince," I respond. "And you?"
Nate sighs, his expression softening. "Diego is my friend."
"I never pegged you for having friends," I tease with a smirk.
"Surprise," Nate rolls his eyes. "Nobody knows about my friendship with the prince. Can you keep it under wraps?"
"Not until you promise the same for me and Rex-"
He cuts me off. "Promise I won't spill the beans on you being with Rex."
"Perfect," I nod, extending my hand for a shake. "Deal?"
"Deal," he shakes my hand before returning to the perplexed duo. "Apologies for the interruption."
Prince Rex glances between Nate and me, inquiring, "How do you two know each other?"
"Nate is my brother's closest friend," I respond, directing my gaze towards Nate. "And coincidentally, he also happens to be the older brother of my boyfriend."
"How small our world is," Prince Diego chuckles, surveying the dynamic between Nate and me.
A sudden realization widens my eyes as I point at Nate. "Wait, is Ethan in town as well?"
"No," Nate shakes his head. "He opted to stay back, citing an overwhelming workload for his studies."
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise at Nate's word choices. "Since when do you use such elaborate language?"
Nate silences me with a gesture, placing a finger on his lips. "Excuse me, but my penchant for expansive vocabulary may account for my consistent academic success with straight A's."
Suppressing laughter, I sense Nate concealing the truth. Ethan is a true straight-A student; Nate, on the other hand, leans more toward straight D's.
Nate's presence was so constant that I was surprised when I discovered Ethan was his brother during high school. Nate often mentioned his siblings, but I only knew Ethan by name. When we finally met, their distinct personalities made it hard to believe they were related.
Not that siblings always share similar traits – take Grace and me, for example. Ethan, raised with politeness and respect, contrasts sharply with Nate, who's had a more challenging time being friendly.
In high school, Nate had a reputation as a bully, so, understandably, Prince Rex expressed his dislike for him.
Prince Rex seemed surprised that I knew Nate, but I get it—I might not have been on good terms with Nate if he wasn't best friends with my brother, Ben. Despite Nate considering me the closest thing to a sister, it's a bit awkward given my relationship with Ethan.
"It's quite bewildering," Prince Rex mutters, his expression sinking. Despite his attempt to conceal his feelings, I find myself surprisingly adept at cracking his emotions.
The look on his face appears a blend of confusion and sorrow. Now, a curiosity arises within me, compelling me to uncover the cause behind these emotions, while secretly hoping that my instincts are mistaken.
My phone rings, and Ben's name flashes on the screen. I greet him with a simple hello.
"What's up?" he replies. "Where are you?"
I chuckle, glancing at Nate, who anxiously eyes me, expecting me to spill his secret.
"Guess who I bumped into?" I tease.
"Who?" Ben inquires.
"Nate," I reveal.
There's a brief silence. "What's he doing downtown?" Ben questions.
"He's with Oliver," I fib, and I notice Nate exhale in relief. It intrigues me why he's reluctant to disclose his friendship with Prince Diego.
My secrecy stems from the desire to personally share the news with Grace. I want to witness her reaction when she learns that I not only encountered the prince she admires but also hung out at the library and on a car ride with Prince Rex.
Ben insists, "Remind him to be punctual for my pickup; he should arrive by twelve."
While Ben and Nate enjoy frequenting clubs, expressing my desire to join them leads to heated arguments. Ben would say, "I go there to socialize and dance with girls; I can't fathom boys doing the same with you."
Ben needs to consider the perspective and exercise some common sense. Because like me, those girls probably have brothers too.
"I assure you," I nod, urging him to end the call, mindful of the onlookers.
"Need a ride from downtown?" he offers.
I shake my head virtually. "No, thanks. I'll grab a cab."
"Alright," he says, bidding farewell at last.
"Nate, Ben emphasizes not being tardy at twelve," I relay before refocusing on Prince Rex.
"It was a pleasure meeting you," I grin. "I can now check off a goal I have been trying to achieve for 8,202 days."
"I'm delighted," Prince Rex nods, playfully winking at me. "But why not stick around and join our company?"
"I apologize, but I have to leave," I say, turning to face Nate. "By the way, Ben emphasized not being late to pick him up."
Ben nudges me aside for a private conversation, leaving me curious about his actions.
"I almost forgot about that," Nate tousles my hair. "To avoid Ben's wrath, why not stay with us? I'll drop you off when I pick up Ben later."
"You're picking him up at twelve," I say, pulling his hand away from my head.
"Vee, you're twenty-two," Nate reminds me. "You can be fashionably late and have some fun."
"My idea of fun starts at twelve – in bed," I tease, sticking my tongue out.
Nate's eyes widen. "Wait, my brother's in California. Who are you having fun with?"
I gasp, playfully hitting his arm. "No, you jerk! I mean sleeping at twelve."
His face falls in mock disappointment. "Come on! Join us now, and you'll be part of the party when we head out with Ben."
Ignoring him, I stride back to the perplexed men. "I'll catch a cab now. It was great seeing you both."
Prince Diego nods, a small smile playing on his lips. "Always a pleasure to talk to a beautiful woman like you."
Prince Rex nudges Diego and shoots him a quick glare, then focuses on me with a charming smile that momentarily erases my name from my mind. Shaking off the thoughts, I remind myself of my boyfriend in California.
"Don't bother with a cab," Nate intervenes, tugging my arm. "I've arranged an Uber for you."
"They take too long," I protest, recalling a past experience where an Uber took longer than a taxi due to the driver being occupied with another customer.
Nate's announcement echoes, "The driver's here," and as he swings open the back door of the sleek black BMW, he hands me a message for Ben – a threat about punctuality that I refuse to deliver.
Rolling my eyes, I settle into the backseat, only to be interrupted by Prince Rex, who redirects me to the other side. Confusion clouds my thoughts as he joins me in the back, leaving Nate with a puzzled expression.
"What are you doing?" I question, bewildered.
"Going with you," Prince Rex replies, a smirk dancing on his lips.
"I'm going back home," I assert, but Prince Rex shakes his head with a confident smirk, "No, we're not."
And with that, the unexpected chapter unfolded, taking an unforeseen turn into a night that promised more than solitude on the way home.