Caught in a Lie ~ h.s.

♕ XIX ♕

"So? How is it?" I peek one eye open to see Harry smirking over at me.

"It wasn't awful; but it's also not that great." Harry smiles at my admittance, briefly hovering over his chair so that he can press a chaste kiss to my lips. He pulls away with an atta girl from those kissable lips before taking his seat again. I'm usually not one for PDA, but I almost wish his lips had been on mine longer. "I like you." I find myself saying, my cheeks heating immediately.

"I like you too, baby."

"No, I really, really like you." Harry's grin matches my own as I speak. My heart feels absolutely full and in the best way possible. If I could, I'd leave everything I've ever known, just to stay like this for the rest of my life. I'd give up the fortune, the status, my entire life for him, and if that's not the scariest yet best feeling ever I don't know what is.

"In that case, I really, really, really like you."

God, we really are that couple.

We spend the next twenty minutes sipping on mimosas and eating our food. The French toast Harry had ordered me was delightful, perhaps better than any French toast Jack has ever made my sisters and I growing up. And I won't deny that I stole a few bites of whatever it was that Harry had ordered himself, despite the texture of the dish.

"I feel bad that you're missing work today because of me."

"Nonsense." Harry shakes his and connects our hands on the top of the cleared table. "I'd much rather be here with you. Besides, I have a couple personal days saved up for occasions like this." It scares me how much I like Harry, those three relationship-changing words threatening to spill everytime he does something cute, say something cute, or just look so dåmn cute. "I have something to ask you." I swallow back the words I so desperately want to say and smile over at him; to others we must look like the most loved-up couple in here.

"You can ask me anything." You can even ask if I'm a princess, to which I may just spill my truth.

"Gemma and her husband are having this dinner party next week, well it's more like a small family gathering. And since I talk about you so much with her -"

"You talk about me with your sister?" I interrupt, clamping my mouth shut with an apologetic look on my face. Harry doesn't take it personally though, only smiling in return.

"Of course I do, you're my girlfriend." Again, Harry stands from his chair and kisses me sweetly, his hand cupping my bruised skin. I kiss him back before pushing him back into his chair. "Am I supposed to keep you a secret?" Harry smirks over at me and I don't bother hiding the playful roll of my eyes in his direction.

You're not supposed to keep me as a secret, but unfortunately, I do.

"As I was saying, they're having this gathering and I want to bring you with me." My heart thumps in my chest at a rapid pace. I feel so incredibly happy, but so angry with myself. "What do you say? Would you like to meet some of my family?"

I open my mouth to say yes, but find that no words come out when I do. I want more than anything to take this step with him, it's only natural with the amount of time we've known each other, but I can't do it. All the guilt of the last two months has finally caught up to me, either that or the breakfast we just ate isn't sitting well with me. I feel hot all of a sudden and my chest feels tight, like I can't breathe. My eyes immediately avert from Harry's as I slide my hand from his.

I can't keep lying to him. I can't meet his family under a false identity. He wants to introduce his family to Mary not Mabel, a princess not a solicitor, a truthful woman not a liar. I can't do that to him, to myself.