The British Princess

Part 53

I enter the day room, first noting how quiet it was now that majority of the selected boys were gone.

I scan the space, spotting two of the boys out of the three remaining in here.

"Hi guys." I say casually as I come in, sitting down opposite Tate and Liam.

"Hey Charlotte." Tate says with a smile.

Liam nods to me too, "Hey. How are you?"

"Good." I say, looking between the pair who seem pretty relaxed beside one another, "What are you guys up to?"

"Just chatting." Tate says, with a genuine look that tells me they had actually been getting along. He looks to Liam and he nods in agreement.

"Where's Raydon?"

Liam shrugs, "No clue. He said something about a workout in the training room."

"Ah ok." I say with a nod.

"Charlotte, can I speak with you please?" Tate asks.

"Of course."

"I'll see you guys later then." Liam says, standing from the couch, turning to Tate briefly, "Good luck Tate."

Why was he wishing Tate good luck? That made me anxious to know what this conversation was going to be about. Neither of the boys seemed to stressed though.

Liam leaves the room and it's just Tate and I. He starts fiddling with his hands anxiously.

"Tate is everything alright?"

"You want me to be honest?"

"Of course."

He takes a deep breath, standing from his seat to be closer in front of me.

"Before I say anything, I want you to know this isn't about you or the other guys, I think you're all nice people."

"Ok..."

"I hate it here." He says and starts pacing so he doesn't meet my eyes, running a hand through his short brown hair with frustration, "It is not my kind of environment. I'm constantly uncomfortable and stressed. The cameras following us everywhere bother me, because I'm extremely self conscious. I feel every day here that I'm being judged. Your parents clearly don't approve of me or whatever, but it's not even just them, it's the whole country. My face is plastered everywhere negatively because I can't do any sort of public speaking without freezing up."

"I know it's hard Tate, I know. But it's my life, I can't change that. No matter what there will always be people talking about me and what I do."

"That's what I don't like. Even if the selection ends and we are together it will still be a life of hell for me."

"I'm sorry." Is all I can say, because this is upsetting me.

"And I'm homesick Charlotte. I miss my family. They're across the globe and I can't see them. Even though I've been in the palace for a while it still seems foreign and uncomfortable. I just...I just don't think this will work for me realistically."

"So you want to go home?" I ask, becoming choked up.

I really didn't want to cry, but I really liked Tate. The thought of him leaving made me upset.

"I really, really like you Charlotte. I do. You're perfect and gorgeous and amazing in every way. You're the kind of girl a guy dreams of being with, but I really don't think that guy can be me. Not when you're who you are. I don't want to be a prince."

"Is there anything I can say to convince you to stay?"

Tate shakes his head, then he takes my hands and tugs me up from my seat towards him. He kisses me then, softly and slowly, like a goodbye. I feel the tears on his face, pulling back and feeling my heart break at the sight of him. He was shattered.