The Tattooed Prince 2

77.

Adalyn's Point of View

Mateo quickly looked away from me and shook his head in embarrassment. "I didn't mean to say that."

I wasn't trying to awkward about the whole ordeal but he caught me off guard. I didn't know how to react to it. It was obvious there were mutual feelings yet, we hadn't made it clear. It was a mutual agreement to know secretly about our interest with each and the necessity to keep it as friends.

"I'm sorry, I made things awkward now." He placed his hand on the nape of his neck, giving me a small smile.

"Mateo, it's okay. I like you, it just right now isn't the time for me. I need to finish discovering myself and getting over my demons. A relationship seems like the last thing I need to involve myself in."

"I totally understand. I'm not pressuring you into anything." He assured me. "It's been some time someone has made me feel normal."

I gave him an odd look. "Normal? You're above normal. You seem to have your life very glued together. I am barely getting a grip on reality so I'm glad I make you feel normal." I laughed.

He rolled his eyes.  "Aren't you slightly curious why I'm not in college? Why I do things for my parents? I'm a twenty-three year old traveling trying to find myself while not doing anything to give myself a future?"

Suddenly, I felt guilty for never questioning him. For the last month it's been all about me, although I doubt he wanted the mutual treatment as he had given me. Yet, if I cared about him as much as he has cared for me, I'd ask. I'm not the only person battling demons.

"Truthfully, when you told me you left your hometown to find a new scenery I figured you were on the same mission as me." I told him. I've learned not to ask many questions, it wasn't a thing life taught but merely something I learned in the palace. With Sebastian the less I knew the chances of me getting hurt or involved decreased. Mateo reason on leaving his ex-girlfriend and looking for a different home seemed as if we were on the same boat.

I reached out and touched his hand. "Hey, in my eyes you're doing everything you have to do to keep surviving. Freedom always comes with a price. Yours tends to be doing things for your parents. I cannot judge you for what you're doing."

Mateo gave me a smile. "I needed this adventure...I needed to find a girl like you to show me you can make any place feel like home."

"People with broken hearts always tend to help other people with broken hearts." I shrugged. "Mateo, I can't promise you we will end up together but we can see how far this adventure takes us. I still miss Sebastian and it's a bump I'm trying really hard to get over."

"Yeah, Brenda, my ex girlfriend continues to call me. I don't want to be with her but it's a bump I have to get over too."

He pulled me towards him and my head landed on his chest. "Let's enjoy our time here."

"Okay." I smiled hugging him back.

When we were returning back to the hotel I received a call from a very upset Delilah. I hadn't kept in contact with her as I had promised. It had been the first tome in two weeks I answered her calls.

"Well, well, look who finally answered!" She glared at me. I waved at her shyly.

"I can explain!" I defended myself. "I have been in out of the country and being in the mountains gives me really shitty service. I'm alive!"

She frowned. "Yeah, but Sophia and I have been on a frenzy trying to get a hold of you!" She scolded.

Mateo turned around to give me a smirk. He has been pestering me to let my sister and Sophia know where we were at, but I felt as if checking in made me feel like a kid.

"Stop being dramatic, if you truly wanted to know where I was at you'd get you Officer to look at my passport entries."

"That's not the point you were suppose to check in."

"I'm not a child." I snapped.

"You were Spain's Queen, don't you think people can try to use that for their advantage! What if you get kidnapped?" She questioned me.

"I'm here protecting her." Mateo said getting in the camera view.

Delilah took in a deep breath. "Mateo, hello, but you aren't with her all the time. Thanks for trying to reassure me."

A door open behind Delilah and Esther walked in, with Baby Yemila. She had gotten so big from the last time I had seen her.

"I can hear you scream from down the hall what's happening?" He asked her. Delilah showed him the phone and I waved at him.

He gave me the same disappointed look as her. "Do you know how fucking worried we have been? You fell off the face of the earth!"

"Geez, you two sound like my parents." I laughed.

"You know regardless of you stepping down from your title, you still are a responsibility for the Royal Family. You die and shit will hit the fan." He mentioned.

"Yeah, Sophia explained it to me. I'm assuming that's why she's sticking around, well besides her being a sweetheart."

"You should come to Barcelona after your trip and visit us. Yemila should be able to see her aunt in person." Delilah raised a brow.

I turned to look at Mateo. "You think you can extend your vacation?" I gave him a innocent smile.

He chuckled. "I can see what I can do."

"Alright, we leave Cancun on Sunday, so I'll be in Barcelona on Tuesday."

Esther took the phone from Delilah and said, "just catch a plane to Miami, we will send the jet for you guys."

"Got it! I have to go, but I'll see you soon! Love you guys! Bye." I quickly said and ended the call.

"That's been the first call since I left the palace that's been extremely nerve wrecking." I chuckled.

"They care about you, I'm sure you'd act the same way."

"Yeah, yeah." I rolled my eyes.

I wished I had confessed to Mateo returning back to Spain scared me. I had promised myself I wouldn't step foot back on my countries soil. America was suppose to be my home now and going back made me feel as if I'm going to get trapped there again.