Summer in Scotland (Prince Harry #1)

Chapter Eight

Nerves threatened to make Meredith vomit. She couldn't truly believe that she had just done that, but she had. It was out of character for her. Meredith wanted to kiss him, and she liked it. It was the first time she ever liked kissing someone. It was the first time she wanted to do it again. It wasn't easy not to do it again when they didn't just walk arm in arm, but his arm was curled around her waist. Her arm was curled around his waist. This was too quick; she flew too high. She needed to come back down to earth.

Looking to her left, where Harry stood next to her, she realized she couldn't. Somehow she managed to fly higher. When his eyes flashed over to her, she melted on the inside.

"What?" he asked with a smirk.

Meredith shrugged, and they continued on their path toward civilization on the beach. She was willing to give a lot to know what Harry thought on the inside. He wasn't stoic, but he was well experienced. He felt this way before, where all of this was a new feeling to Meredith. She hadn't felt this way about a person before. She wasn't sure how to ask.

"You're happy." Harry's blue eyes flashed over to her. "Why?"

She smirked and shrugged.

"That's helpful." He rolled his eyes, and they continued to walk along the beach.

Sand kicked up around them. Their feet sunk deep. Water washed up on their toes. Harry cringed at the chill. Meredith took it with happiness. The grin on her face grew. It was contagious. Happiness filled him too. His arms slipped around her a little tighter. She didn't want to escape.

Lobster Shack rested on the boardwalk with chairs and people around. Harry still wore a hat and sunglasses, and no one had noticed him yet. He slowed down as people crowded around. No one paid any attention to them, but Meredith waited back beside him. After a few seconds, Harry returned to normal pace. No one paid any attention to them.

Nerves made her stomach flutter so food wasn't actually something she wanted to do. Harry ordered lobster and chips while Meredith just got the double fried chips.

"I got you," Harry said, handing over his own cash to the man, but Meredith stuck her hand out faster. The man grabbed her cash and didn't look back. Harry's eyes watched her.

"I can pay for myself," she said.

He held up his hands in peace and moved out of the way. Meredith stepped beside him as they waited for food. "Most girls pay I pay for them," Harry said.

"I think at this point I'm supposed to say I'm like most girls." Meredith snorted. "I have money. I can pay for myself."

"It's four pounds."

"Yeah, but do you know the exchange rate?" she joked. "It's costly."

Their numbers were called and they sat down on the pier. Boats crowded around, almost knocking into each other as the wind started to pick up off the water. Gray clouds moved closer to land. Harry glanced in all directions before sitting down. He took a few peeks behind himself to make sure no one watched him. No one did. Meredith sat there in her own mind.

This was his life: constantly followed. Yet he chose to go outside. It was better for him to get out of Edinburgh. More people were going to notice him there. Yet he was in Edinburgh. Granted, it wasn't London, where most photographs were taken and most paparazzi resided, but Edinburgh had a big enough population. Paparazzi were bound to follow him up here. He didn't stay out of sight for long.

"Harry," Meredith said, "how long are you going to be in Edinburgh?"

"Until September." He took a bite. "How about you?" Harry asked. "You're not studying at Edinburgh University and you are staying at Dalkeith Palace. Are you here for a month or less than?"

"Do you expect that?" she asked with a smirk. "I'm here for two months. I leave August fifth."

Harry nodded. "Do you miss your family?"

"Not yet," Meredith said. "I've been away from them before, but this is the first time I have been away from for so long."

Harry smiled. "Do miss anything about home?"

"I don't get to watch baseball."

"You like sport?" Astonishment crossed his face.

"Can you say that without shock?" Meredith laughed and nibbled on her double-fried chips. "I like sports. I like watching sports. I like playing sports. I'm not good at it, but I like it."

Laughing, Harry shoveled more food onto his mouth. He enjoyed his lobster.

"Why are you up here?" Meredith asked. "Shouldn't you be in London or something?"

"If I was in London, we wouldn't have met."

"Good point, but aren't you supposed to be somewhere else? Aren't you supposed to be doing something else?"

"Usually but not during summer. In summer, we..." he chose his words wisely, "we have it off. We only work on certain days doing certain things."

"And you have those things this summer?"

"No."

"No?"

"No." Harry wiped his hands on a napkin. "And I am, this summer, supposed to be staying out of the light of paparazzi."

Meredith tilted her head to the side. "Why?"

"Party Prince, Bad Boy." Harry didn't want to continue. "I must clean up my act and return to my society." Swallowing, it was hard to believe he just admitted that aloud to a stranger. Meredith wasn't a complete stranger, but there were forms she hadn't signed yet and he didn't know everything about her.

Her eyes weighted upon him. "Once again, you chose me?" The words tasted bad in her mouth, but what was he doing with her if he was supposed to be cleaning up his act or something. Meredith wasn't a bad influence, but she doubted she was going to be welcomed wherever she went. Though she didn't know much about royalty and his society, but she knew that wasn't her world.

"Yes." Harry paused. "You don't think you're good enough?"

"I think that if you're trying to clean up your act and trying to be known as good, I'm not falling into that category. Shouldn't you get something with some royal background, wants to have some children, she's super nice and happy all the time? And she's super pretty."

"You're stunning."

Meredith grew hot immediately. Her face turned into a ripened tomato. She couldn't hide it. "Thanks."

"I guess you're right in some stand point. Some people would prefer that, but I'm not looking for marriage right now. I'm looking for someone I can trust and someone who can be my friend."

Slowly, she drew back. "Are you just looking for friendship? I kissed you earlier. I thought you liked it. I'm so sorry." Her face grew red for a different reason now. "I thought... um... well, I thought--"

"Meredith," he said, "I liked it. I want it. Thank you."

She sighed in relief. A smile crossed her face again.

Suddenly a crack of thunder came from offshore. The coldness had been slow to creep in but now it stained the air. The chill made all hair stand on end. The breeze had certainly picked up while they were on the pier, and now it threatened to blow most things over. Harry didn't say anything as he grabbed his things and then gripped her hand. Mist flew off the ocean. They began to jog to the car as rain started to pour.