Author's note: Yes, another part! This one is a bit longer than the others. Just as a little thank you for the sweet messages that helped me churn out this one. Let me know what ya think xo
Rayna was torn. She thought by now she would be used to the surprises of her life. But this one, she was surprised. She didn't know why she was so surprised. He already had two children with Kate. Why? Why was she so surprised?
It had already been a week.
She bit her lips as she scrolled through the news lines. She didn't want to, but she couldn't help it.
They looked happy, so what in the hell was she doing? She smacked her laptop closed and took a big sigh, laying on her bed.
Soon, her phone rang.
Harry.
"Hello?" She answered a bit curious.
His voice was low,
"Rayn, hey can we meet up? I know a pub, very lowkey,"
"Uh, I guess.. what's up, H?" She asked.
"Just need to talk to ya," he answered.
He was good at hiding whatever in the hell he was hiding.
"Alright, when?"
"Now, I got it covered, they'll be there to pick ya up in five, see you then,"
She had never heard Harry so serious, she thought.
She combed her hair a little, left her lacy black number she had on, and paired it with some black pumps.
With some lipstick, she grabbed her little red clutch and was out of her condo.
When she arrived, it was very lowkey. She would have never guessed this little gem of a pub was hidden. Of course, Harry knew there was always a possibility that paparazzi could lurk. But this time, Rayna was confident no one would find it.
She entered and was greeted by Harry, numerous men gazed upon her as he gave her a short hug.
He introduced her to a couple. One of them mistaken Rayna as his girlfriend, Harry politely corrected him the best he could. But to no avail. The guy was convinced.
Harry led her to a little booth by the small of her back, and sat her down, he across from her.
They both ordered a beer, Rayna noticed he hadn't touched it though. That was very unlike him.
He seemed nervous.
"Is... is something wrong?" She asked, touching his hand gently on the table.
He took a deep breath,
"Will told me," he spoke.
She was puzzled,
"Told you what?"
"About you two,"
She was speechless for a second.
"What do you mean?"
"The kiss, everything," he murmured.
"Oh..." Rayna bit her lip and took a sip of her beer. Harry still wouldn't touch his.
"Look, I know you have always cared for Will, but someone leaked it to the press,"
"What?!" She raised her voice a tad mistakenly.
Harry held her hand across the table for comfort. He looked handsome under the dim pub lights.
His eyes popped.
"Who?" She asked.
"We dunno, but someone did," He sighed shaking his head, giving her hand a quick squeeze before letting go, rubbing the back of his neck.
She held her fingers on her temple, elbow on the table.
"No one knows, H," She pondered.
"Anyone you can think of?"
"N-no," she stammered,
"I'm just as dumbfounded as you,"
"On which part? About you and Will or the fact it leaked?" He quipped a bit smartly.
Is he... jealous? Mad?
"Har, it was just a kiss, yes, I get the magnitude of this leaking, but no one has proof," She countered trying to soften the blow of the press bringing this out.
"Well, if it isn't true, no worries,"
He pursed his lips,
"Except, Will shut it down instantly, the press won't dare do that to the future king," he finished, he raised his brows for a second.
She sighed of relief,
"Thank God," she took a swig of her beer.
Harry looked at her incredulously. He still seemed irritable.
"You seem relieved," He openly observed.
"Yeah, aren't you?" She asked, his behavior was weirder by the minute.
"Yeah, I'm happy for you, but when did this thing with Will start?" He questioned.
"Not too long ago, and a kiss just happened. I had been drinking," she lied. It was very unlike her to feel the need to lie. Let alone to Harry, but this time she felt like she had to.
"I don't wanna be that girl," she finished.
Harry nodded.
"So that's all?" She asked.
"Yeah, I just wanted to tell you, just the two of us. You and I haven't spent time together alone in ages," He answered.
"True, so drink up, Har," She said.
"I'm trying to stop drinking, Rayn," he shrugged.
"She wants ya to stop?" Rayna smartly commented, taking a drink of her own beer.
"Seems so," he pursed his lips.
Rayna couldn't help but giggle softly.
"Man, it's only been a couple of months? Has it?"
"Yeah," he nodded.
Harry was off tonight. She didn't know why, but he wasn't being himself. Was it him finding out about her and Will? Or was it.. Meghan?
"Look, Har, you know you can always tell me anything, right? What's up?" She asked.
"I could say the same thing about you. Will wouldn't have told me if there wasn't a press threat, why hadn't you told me?" he countered.
She was stumped. He was right.
"Because, How do I go about telling you something like that? Seriously," She admitted.
"I've thought about whether you knew or not, but I doubted it," she added, tinkling with her necklace.
"Did you not think I'd understand? After everything we've been through?" He asked, sounding a bit hurt.
She didn't know what was in the air tonight, but both Harry and Rayna felt something that made them want to confess these things to one another.
"I admitted my feelings for you back then, in my own way. Because I felt like you needed to know. Y'know how that made me feel to be pining for you while you and my brother were a thing?"
He sighed after a moment. Rayna gaped at him a bit, surprised at his honesty.
"So yeah.." He chuckled.
"Oh, fuck it," he took his first chug of his beer.
Rayna giggled, joining him, taking a chug of her own.
The pair laughed off their ways. That's just how their dynamic was. They still felt that click in the air, that they always had.
Soon enough, another beer was brought to their booth.
"So, did you have to sneak out to come see me?" She poked fun at him.
"No, actually Meghan's back in America right now," he shrugged.
"Long distance? Interesting Har," she smirked, feeling the warm buzz in her head from the beer right about now.
"Guess so," he answered.
"I don't know, Rayn. She seems really into me, she said she didn't know who I was when we first met and that was refreshing,"
Rayna couldn't help but hear the bullshit in that statement, and made a choking chuckle sound as she swallowed the beer.
"Bullshit, H, she didn't know who you were?"
Harry naively chuckled,
"I know, I know. It sounds hard to believe,"
"That's because something like that isn't supposed to believed," she chuckled.
Harry gave her a "okay stop now" playful look.
"Okay, okay, I'll stop," she giggled, and he joined along with her.
The jukebox was on in this dim pub, people were shooting the shit. Nothing a place like a Prince would be. That's what she liked about him. He wanted to be lowkey, almost always. She had never known Harry wanted to be in the media. She had noticed ever since Meghan came around he was everywhere suddenly. She brought it down to Meghan probably calling the paps. She had relatives in America, and she seemed to be a bit unknown there. Despite the claims in the UK of her being a big star.
Harry broke her out of her thoughts, him suddenly holding out his hand.
"Dance with me?" He asked.
A Leonard Cohen song played softly in the background.
Rayna nodded simply, taking his hand. A few couples were slow dancing along with them.
His hand went to her waist. Hers on his shoulder, their free hands interlocked softly.
They gazed at one another.
"This is nice," she murmured.
"Yeah? Yeah, I think so too," he mumbled back.
"Why haven't we done this before?" She boldly murmured, looking at him expectantly.
He gave her a little chuckle and looked away at nothing in particular.
"You know why," he answered.
She nodded,
"Mhm,"
"I'm a sad girl, aren't I?" She murmured after them slowly moving to the sweet sound of Leonard Cohen's voice.
"No, how can you say that?" He asked, she felt his hand on her waist grew tighter a bit.
"Because H, I kissed Will, and he's married. I don't plan on doing it again. It was a mistake. And here I am dancing with you, and I feel stupid for not knowing," she confessed, her feelings flowing.
"Not knowing what?" He asked.
"You," she answered.
Their noses touched, and she felt like she was in a daydream.
She felt his breath on her face, and her knees felt weak.
"I'm not married," He swayed with her as she felt his lips on her ear.
He faced her, and looked from her eyes to her lips.
As if asking for permission to go with what he really wanted to do.
In the end she let him.
Her hands traveled to the nape of his neck. Both of his hands on her back.
It was a longing kiss, that felt like it should have happened ages ago she somehow felt. For some reason, it felt right. It didn't feel wrong like with Will's, besides the obvious reasons. It just felt right with Harry, and she didn't fully understand why. She wasn't sure if Harry understood it either.
As the kiss broke, they gazed at one another still hungry for one another.
"I'm sorry," Harry bashfully said,
"I dunno what got into me,"
"No, no Har, don't be sorry,"
She said as they broke apart,
"I'm fine," she reassured him.
Harry appreciated it, and understood. So much so, that he offered her to stay at his place. She was again, surprised.
"Har, do you think that's a good idea?" She asked as he escorted her out of the pub.
"Of course, why not?" He countered as his driver was called up to the curb.
"What'aya say?" He asked with a gleam in his eye, opening the door for her.
Who was she to deny him?
"Okay," she agreed as she hopped in.
As they arrived at Nottingham Cottage, she couldn't help but think of the fact that her and Harry hadn't spoke of the magnitude of the timing with Will and Kate announcing her pregnancy. Had he known she was pregnant when they had kissed? Surely, he had to.
Harry welcomed her, as he opened the door. It was spacious and perfectly fit Harry somehow.
"Last I went to your place, it was a one bedroom apartment," she poked at him, as he closed the door behind him.
He chuckled,
"This one better?" He asked playfully, facing her.
"A little bit," she made a funny face, and he made one back.
Before she knew it she was backed up against the wall, Harry enclosing her with his arm on the wall. They were close once more.
She straightened his collar on his button up.
"You need to stop, Har, you have a girlfriend," Rayna mumbled, not able to say it to his face.
He clicked his tongue,
"I know," he said looking down at her.
"What if I were to tell you, that I like you a bit more?" He added.
She perked up at him,
"I would say, that it's no surprise," she pursed her lips.
He cupped her face, and his lips were on hers once more.
She didn't know why she kept finding herself in these situations. But she had. She couldn't deny the feeling in her bones that Harry gives her, and always kind of has. She had missed him.
The kiss grew deeper, and she played with his tongue.
They got lost in it, as Harry hopped her up in one swift movement to his bedroom.
She unbuttoned his shirt quite fast, as she slipped off her pumps rather easy.
He worked on her neck, as she let a moan slip from her lips.
She noticed how Harry already seemed to know her body without ever touching it in the past. There was a vast difference in Harry and William and she had already noticed.
In the middle of their lips being interlocked, he stopped,
"Is this okay?"
She nodded, pecking his lips,
"I want you to lay me down tonight, H," she finished.
And they did. With no regrets between the two, once they were done. She laid on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. His arm around her, playing with her hair.
"I'm sorry, H" She mumbled breaking their comfortable silence.
"For what?" He asked.
"Not seeing you, I was so hung up on my own things.. that I didn't know," She murmured.
"Shh.." he said pecking her forehead.
"I've always seen you," he murmured.
She grinned. She already felt so loved by him. And did he love her? Yes, she knew he did. Would he ever say it? She didn't know.
"This thing," she sighed, sitting up on her elbow facing him
"With Will is done, I can't keep torturing myself over my past. It was one kiss. Did I feel something for him? Hell yeah," she admitted.
Harry sat there, his hand resting on his face, elbow sat up as well, listening intently.
"But Kate being pregnant.. I can't be that girl," she shook her head.
"And I don't want you to think you're the second option, H. Because you're not, because I honestly believe you're the greatest man I know," she said from her heart.
He lightly grazed his hand on her bare back.
"You hafta know that I've always had a crush on you," He said lighting the mood a little.
She nodded,
"Yeah, yeah I think I did," she admitted.
He cleared his throat,
"I'm willing to end it with Meghan for you," He said shocking her.
She didn't know what to say.
"Har, what?" Her eyes probably grew round to him.
"What I just said, Rayn," His eyes looked full of honesty. She didn't understand.
"You make me feel like no one has before, yes, Meghan is great. But, she has this Hollywood thing in her eyes that just isn't me," he confessed.
She nodded, understanding.
"Why me?"
"Why not?" He asked.
They smirked at one another, before finding one another's lips again.
---
It was never her intention to be with Harry. Not for one second. She didn't know what to tell Bea or Eugenie at this point.
Harry had taken her back home quietly that morning. He gave her a peck on the lips and said he would call her as soon as possible.
When she arrived at home, her head was spinning. She hadn't known what to think. How a week could make such a difference, she thought.
What was my life? She asked herself, touching her own lips, remembering Harry was just on them.
Surprisingly, William was no longer on her mind. Her night with Harry completely overtook it, but she didn't mind.
She hadn't known Harry would know exactly what to do when it came to making love. She lit a cigarette on her patio pondering her love life.
It's not like her and William had a full blown affair, she thought. There was never a chance for her and Will. As long as he was married, there would be no chance. Ever.
She got a text.
Bea.
Love! Call me, i miss you
Rayna texted back
Miss you too! Call ya after the shower.
And she did.
Bea was clueless to nearly everything. Except for the fact that she noticed Rayna hadn't mentioned Will once.
"You okay with Will?" She said bringing him up.
"I don't see why not, but I haven't seen him a bit," she responded cooly.
"And are you okay..?" She pushed.
"Yeah, Bea. What happened was ridiculous. He has a baby on the way, and that's where it has to end," Rayna bit her lip.
"Well, I'm proud of you," Beatrice said happily. She was probably just happy that one of her best friends wasn't in a royal affair.
"Me too," she murmured.
"Oh, anyways, love. Wanna catch some lunch or dinner?"
"Sure, just tell me where and when," she answered.
"Great, see you then,"
"Ta ta for now," Rayna hung up.
---
Bea always had good taste in restaurants, Rayna thought as the women were being seated.
With their usual gossip, Bea couldn't help but notice that Rayna had a little extra pep in her step.
"Did you have sex last night?" Bea said, chewing on her straw.
Rayna almost spit out her drink, before thankfully swallowing the water before.
"Bee," she looked at her with wide eyes.
"Wot? As if it isn't obvious, I haven't seen ya this peachy in a while," She quipped.
How in the hell does Beatrice seem to know her so well?
Rayna rolled her eyes as she ordered herself a salad with a side of bread, Bea ordered the same.
"So... who's the guy?" Bea had this waiting in her eyes.
"Does it matter?" She asked.
"Well, ya whoever he is, good for you," She smirked squeezing her lemon into the icy water.
Should she tell Bea? Surely, not, right? Would it be that controversial to tell one of her best friends?
"It was Harry," she blurted out.
Beatrice looked at her puzzled but then bursted into laughter,
"You're so funny, Rayn!"
Rayna couldn't help but giggle a little herself at her reaction.
"Wait.. wait, you're serious, aren't you?" She stopped in her tracks.
"Well... yeah," she confessed.
"Bloody hells," she took a long drink of her lemon water as if it was alcohol.
"Harry?" Bea asked for another confirmation.
Rayna nodded.
"Well, I can't say I'm not surprised," she quipped moreso to herself then to her very good friend.
"So... are you two's like together now?" She asked.
"Oh, no, Bea, I mean, I'm not too sure? Right now, we just slept together. There's feelings there on both ends for sure," she began eating her food that had just been served.
"And what of Meghan?" Bea asked 21 questions, putting some butter on her bread.
"Har said he would leave her,"
Beatrice gave her wide eyes, again.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, Bea," she answered.
"Oh, hells,"
And that's how their conversation went for a while. Rayna spilling what had happened and Beatrice reacting to it as if it was the greatest thing. She trusted Beatrice. She would never be the one to ever leak anything to the press.
She would soon find out though who actually did.
---
Rayna had Harry on her mind. And ironically, there was Harry on her cellphone.
Dinner tonight?
Rayna responded,
Of course, where to?
Harry responded,
My place?
She forgot how real butterflies felt. Not necessarily how they felt because she had felt them with William, but Harry was different.
Roasted chicken and I'm there.
Rayna responded.
As you wish
She smiled at his response and prepared herself for dinner tonight.
She threw on a simple little black dress with straps and paired it with the same black pumps.
Perfect.
As usual, Harry had his security pick her up.
When she arrived at Nottingham Cottage, she noticed there was no paparazzi to be seen. She was thankful for it.
Harry reeled her in the door excitedly, and greeted her with a sweet kiss.
She had to speak to him about Meghan, her intuition told her.
As they were cracking on with preparing the chicken, Rayna asked,
"So, you hear from Meghan?"
"Not as of late, no, I sort of wanted to break it off in person, but she hasn't contacted, she must be busy. It's unlike her, I would say though," he pondered.
"Why do you really want to end it with her, H?" She asked as her hands were in the butter, and herbs for the chicken.
"Well, Will had caught her taking photographs inside the palace. And she had this journal where she was saying what happened every day in the palace, I found, It was very odd. She was very secretive of it, and I didn't know what to make of it. I thought it was something innocent, but once Grandmother said she didn't feel comfortable with it. Then I think I understood what was really going on. She was particularly jealous very early on," he quipped, preparing the oven.
She was happy that her and Harry had a safe spot to be completely honest with one another. She hadn't known a thing about what was going on with Meghan. She already sounded shady.
"Jealous of what?" She asked, as she seasoned the chicken generously.
"Well, from the beginning, you," he murmured, helping her coat the chicken in Rayna's buttery herb mixture.
"How? We only met twice," she said gazing at him as he continued coating it.
"See, that's what I thought. But I think she was crafty enough to do her research and had seen how we go way back with our friendship, and that's all she had known. And I think once you two met, she didn't appreciate how we spoke alone," He admitted.
"How we spoke alone?" She looked at him puzzled.
That's right at the banquet when Harry approached her asking her what she thought of Meghan.
Harry just nodded,
"Wow," Rayna said aloud, as they finished up filling the chicken pan with carrots and potatoes, with a little bit of rosemary too.
They slipped in the chicken to roast.
"So, yeah. We were supposed to have our first speaking event. But Grandmother didn't want her in the palace anymore. So, we were going to throw it somewhere else. Most likely outdoors," He shrugged.
Rayna couldn't believe her ears.
"Do you think she was the one who called the paps relentlessly?" She asked.
"Most likely, I thought I was more dodgy of them than I thought," He pursed his lips.
Rayna helped herself up on the counter, swinging her feet absentmindedly.
"I talked to Will today though," He cleared his throat, obviously a touchy subject.
"And..?"
"Meghan didn't like Kate much, either," He stated.
"Geez, in what way?"
"No clue, Will said it was a competitive thing, Kate was just trying to be helpful, I suppose. Maybe she took it the wrong way," He answered.
"Sounds like she takes a lot of things the wrong way," She mumbled.
"There's something else.." He trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck.
"What, Har?"
Did Harry tell Will about them, already?
"Uh, Will thinks it was Meghan," He sighed.
"Wait, what?"
"Will thinks Meghan is the one who tried leaking it about you two," He clammered.
Rayna was shocked. How in the hell did Meghan already do this much damage in such a short amount of months? She couldn't imagine if her and Harry had stayed together longer what that would've been like.
"No one in the palace ever speaks out to the press, ever," Harry reassured her.
"So, he thinks that for sure?" She shook her head, unbelievably.
"Well, as soon as Meghan came around, it was almost immediately. Things started leaking out of the palace, which was uncanny," He said, setting a timer for the chicken.
"Jesus, H," She made a breathy chuckle.
"I know," He said his eyes rolling, with a shake of the head.
"Why.. Why do you think she did it? I mean, all of it? And that's only the things you know of," She murmured, chewing on her fingernail.
"I dunno, really. I've been trying to think whether or not, she was all just a lie," His essence became disappointed.
Rayna felt for him. It seems that he actually really did care for her.
"I'm sorry, H, I really am, but you couldn't have known," She looked at him sympathetically.
"Oh, I know, Rayn, it just pesters me that Will saw it, and I didn't," He said now facing her on the kitchen counter.
"You're a prince, Har, there's always gonna be people who just want you for that simple reason," She gave him her honest opinion.
"Yeah.." He trailed off. He seemed sad. Awfully.
So, she did the first thing on her mind to try to make him feel a bit better.
She kissed him gently, her arms around his neck. She must have taken him for surprise, because she felt it on his lips.
Rayna didn't know what the hell they were, but she knew she didn't wanna miss his touch.
They took a break from one another's lips to just smile at each other. Why hadn't they done this before? She knew how it looked. For her to move on to Will's brother, she thought as she went to the bathroom to touch up her makeup.
She sighed and texted Bea.
What am I doing, Bea? I'm falling for him.
She texted back within seconds.
Oh, enjoy it love! This one isn't married. ;)
She smiled at her text, chewing on her nail.
Lol, funny B. I love you!
Love you much xo
---
Rayna stayed the night at Harry's. Again. He didn't know when he would speak to Meghan again. That was until he got a call from her that morning, while they were still in bed.
Rayna's eyes grew wide. For some reason, she got nervous as if Meghan herself was going to burst through the door. She didn't know what she was capable of at this point. Besides trying to ruin her and Will's reputation?
Harry motioned for Rayna to chill out, and cupped her cheek a little before Rayna raised out of bed to make some tea for the both of them. She put the kettle on, and back in the bedroom.
"Oh, I see, Meghan," He said moving the receiver from his mouth,
"One scoop of sugar," He mouthed with a smile.
She had no idea how Harry could seem so calm with someone like her on the phone. She didn't understand, but she trusted him to handle it.
While pouring the hot water in both of their mugs, she overheard Harry asking Meghan when he will able to see her again.
"Tomorrow?" He reinstated what she had just said. She didn't know whether Harry said that for her or Meghan's benefit.
"Alright, great I'll see you then," Harry hung up. She heard him get out of the bed, with nothing but his boxers on, he put his arms around her waist as she began steeping their tea.
"That sounded promising," She said.
"Hope so, because I want you to move in with me," He murmured in her ear.
Rayna looked at him puzzled, as he had something in his hand, that he put into her palm. A key.
"Har, what?" She tried giggling it off.
"I'm serious, Rayn, why not move in with me?" He asked with hopefulness in his eyes.
"This is a big step, isn't it?" She said, staring at the key in her palm back to him.
"I want you in my life, you make me happy," He said innocently. She could tell he was being genuine.
"Yes, I will, but maybe a bit after this whole Meghan debacle dies down, huh?"
"Yes!" Harry funnily put his hands up in fists as if for victory.
She laughed as he spun her in his arms.
"You're crazy," She laughed as he put her down to the ground.
Their morning went on with the news, and tea. She was shocked how normal they were. Is this how it would be if they were a couple? Maybe? William still popped in her head though, how would he feel about this? She doubted that Harry even spoke with him about it. She skipped the last couple of events just to avoid Will. She knew she couldn't avoid him forever, Beatrice understood and covered for her absence. Blaming work, and a stomach bug.
Harry seemed to be gazing at her as she read the newspaper, she felt it.
"You're staring," She said still reading.
"Just admiring," He said, his hand resting on his face.
She perked up at him,
"Dork,"
They both laughed it off.
----
With Harry's key still in her clutch, the pair bid their farewells. She knew she wouldn't be able to see him tomorrow as much as she liked. Given, Meghan would be around. She didn't mind though. She would be home, that is until it was time for her to face the music. Tonight, was Beatrice's wedding planner dinner. She wanted to taste her wedding cake options, the works. They had no set date, but she still wanted to have some fun. Beatrice obviously invited Rayna. William would be in attendance, but according to Bea only for a short amount of time, just for the photos to show that Will supports her.
Rayna thought that was sweet, but the fact of the matter was that Rayna would have to see Will in full form. She didn't know what to feel or say as she arrived. She took a deep breath, and reminded herself she was here for Beatrice. No one else. Eugenie was there of course, and greeted her with a big smile that somehow made her anxiety lessen.
The festivities went on as Rayna mingled with Beatrice's different family members, and friends.
Rayna felt eyes on her. She happened to gaze at the source of the eyes, with a mimosa in her hand.
William.
He looked handsome as ever, in a suit.
He nodded his head at her as to greet her. Rayna gave it right back to him.
Beatrice looked happy as she tried her assortment of cakes, and choosing the theme of her wedding. She wanted a vintage flowery breezy type, Rayna noted in her head. With the thought of marriage on her mind, she didn't notice that Will was coming her way.
Shit.
William greeted her, and she got the butterflies in her stomach. She was already annoyed with herself.
"Rayna," he greeted as he also greeted and congratulated Beatrice. Edo smiled in accordance.
"Will," Rayna felt silly keeping up with the slang and terms that the royal family made, but when cameras were around you sort of had to.
Pictures were taken, all smiles and such. Rayna posed with Bea and Eugenie happily. No one would probably guess what had happened between her and Will.
Things started dying down as people bid their farewells. Rayna survived, she sighed to herself as Beatrice looked happy. That's all that mattered to her.
William wanted to speak to her in private. Rayna reluctantly followed him.
"I hope you don't mind, I haven't seen you in a while," Will observed as he shut the door behind him.
"No, no it's fine," She murmured under her breath. She walked about, admiring the art on the walls.
He joined beside her at a particular painting. It was an abstract of a woman.
He stared at her profile every now and then as they observed in a quiet way.
"Harry told you?" He asked breaking the silence.
She cleared her throat, and nodded.
"Everything?" He added.
"Yes," She simply stated.
"Thank you," She sighed and looked into his eyes.
"No need for a thank you, I did what I had to do," He nodded, looking back at the painting.
"What do you interpret this as?"
"A woman, crying," She ran her hand through her waves.
"Really?" He pursed his lips, looking from her back to the painting.
"I see it as a woman, waiting for someone,"
She gulped, and put her hair behind her ear.
"Maybe, she does look like she's looking out of a window," She bit her lip.
"Kinda looks like you, actually, with your hair," He said, taking a strand of her hair between his fingers.
He doesn't know about her and Harry. And why should he?
She gave him a weak little grin, and took a hold of his hand, and set it down beside him.
"I have to tell you something," She said turning around to another art piece.
"Go on," Will said noticing her difference in her behavior towards him.
"Me, and-" She was cut off by someone walking in their little area.
"Can I please have a moment?" Will asked with his hand in the air.
They simply nodded, and apologized for their intrusion and shut the doors.
She swallowed and let it out,
"Harry, and I.." She trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence. Hoping he would get the message. He had this puzzled look on his face. He was not expecting this.
"We're sort of together," She wishes she could walk out of this room without another word. But she knew she couldn't.
William looked as if he wanted to say something, with his mouth open, but then quickly closed it. Clearly shocked.
"Oh, uhh, didn't expect that," He mumbled, scratching his nose. His sheer elegance seemed to be gone in that moment. Will was always someone she viewed who always had it together.
"I'm sorry," She didn't know what else to say. Was an apology really necessary? Most likely not. It's not like her and Will would have been anything.
"No, don't apologize, Rayna, I didn't expect it is all. And Meghan?" He asked not looking her in the eyes.
"Harry is handling it," She blurted out.
"Today, he says he wants to end it amicably," She tried to assure him the best she could.
He sniffed and nodded,
"Perhaps, this is good news then," He awkwardly chuckled.
"Maybe," She tried to laugh with him.
"Will..." She stood in front of him taking his hands.
"You know back then I would always run to you when I didn't feel the best. When I would party all night, and you were always there. And those times were fun, you made me feel... good," She poured her heart out. He looked at her intently, and actually seemed to be listening.
"But I need to move on, I don't know what is going on with you and-and Kate," She stammered and Will must have taken the wrong message, as he leaned to her lips and kissed her with such intensity that she didn't expect. She pulled off, confused as ever,
"Will..."
"Sorry, I just wanted one more kiss," He murmured his hand draped on the back of her neck.
Rayna nodded, and their foreheads touched. She realized she was sad. Sad about what? She didn't know. She felt like Will would always be a constant temptation, for now. Or at least that's how she guessed he felt.
This was goodbye, and she felt very sudden melancholy. He whispered something in her ear. She felt her eyes become teary eyed. He kissed her temple, and quickly exited the room.
She wouldn't tell anyone what he whispered in her ear for years to come.
---
After their goodbye, she no longer wanted any more surprises.
That was until she heard from Harry that night.
Meghan went mental according to him. She threatened to out her and Will, and to release several more things through the grapevine. The lie that the royal family kicked her out because of the color of her skin, which Rayna didn't believe for one second. She didn't realize how wickedly people could be.
"It's going to be okay, Rayn, I don't know what else to say. But that it'll be okay. I promise," He murmured to her on the phone.
For a while, she believed him.