Chapter 33

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When Maddie stepped into Harry's home, she was fuming. Even more so when she realized that he hadn't returned from his meeting. Taking a seat on the stairs, ensuring she would be the first thing he saw, she thought over what had just happened.

She hated being told what to do.

She hated people doing what they thought was best for her.

And she hated somebody stepping into her professional life to make things happen.

And he had just, in her mind, done all three.

Holding the paper in her hand, she sat and waited; her anger intensifying with every tick of the clock.

It was eleven minutes before the door opened; eleven minutes for Maddie's mind to spiral out. Eleven minutes before Harry stepped back into his home—the scene of his eminent demise.

"Hey," he smiled wide when he saw her. Taking a breath, he tried to ready himself for what was about to unfold. "How did the meeting go?"

"The meeting went..." Maddie laughed bitterly as she rose to her feet. "I think you know how the meeting went."

"What? I don't...I don't know what you mean," he sat his briefcase down in the foyer and moved further into his house; loosening his tie as he went.

"You know exactly what I mean." Harry stopped what he was doing then and really looked at her. She was mad—no, pissed. And he was incredibly confused.

"Maddie I..."

"You want to tell me what the hell this is?!" She waved the piece of paper in the air.

"Oh!" He grinned. "Is that the gift I left for you..."

"Gift?!" Her voice echoed in the foyer. "This is your idea of a GIFT!"

"I..." His forehead wrinkled. "I thought you would like it."

"Like what?!" Maddie couldn't believe this was happening. She couldn't believe that he had stepped over her in such an important way. "You thought I would like you playing royal puppet master with my life? With my career?!"

"What?" Harry almost laughed because it was almost funny. Almost. "I don't know what you're..."

"I mean...even if you weren't going to stay out of it out of respect for me, I would think you would stay out of it because of the nature of your life!" She was so furious she could barely form complete sentences. "I mean honestly, Harry! What would your people think if they knew you were finding jobs for..."

"Finding jobs? My people?" His eyes were wide with confusion as he watched her pace his main floor. "Okay seriously, Maddie, what in the hell are you talking about?" His initial amusement at this craziness was dwindling, making way for frustration.

"The job interview. In London. That magically fell in my lap." She slapped the paper against his chest and walked away from him.

"Wait..." He caught the paper in his hand and looked to her. "You were offered a job in....

"Oh pretend you don't know about it! Right after she offered me Bendal, she tossed that in my face." She threw her hands in the air. "She said it came from the top! She said it was falling in my lap...That's incredibly coincidental, don't you think?"

"Maddie why would you think I would ever do something like..."

"You told me you wanted me in London. You told me you wanted me close..."

"Yes!" His voice rose to match hers; tired of beating around the bush. "Yes! I want you here in London! But because you WANTED to be! Not because you had to be tricked or...God DAMN it Maddie!" He yelled in frustration. "I am not somebody you should have to be talked into! Being with me is hard enough when you want to be! If I have to talk you into it, it will never be worth it! Don't you get it?! Yes. I want you here. I told you that. But I want you to WANT to be here."

"This is my life, Harry! I have worked all of my life to be where I was in Bendal. Years of school and training and...do you have any idea the amount of responsibility and devotion that comes with something like this?!"

"You really think I don't understand the sense of duty and obligation?!" He hated how out of control he felt in the moment; hated that they were yelling over each other over something he didn't yet fully understand. "I get it. I really do. I understand it on a level that most people never even get a glimpse of but..."

"BUT?!"

"But yes, YES!" He was not afraid to admit it. "Yes. I want you here. I want you to stay in London with me. I don't care what kind of man that means that I am. I want you here! But I would never, in a million years go over your head and..."

"Then who in the hell did?!" Harry opened his mouth to protest; opened his mouth to tell her that he had no earthly idea who had done something like this, but she rushed ahead of him, too furious to argue. "You know what, I can't do this anymore." Turning on her heel, she headed for the stairs.

"Can't do what? Maddie!" He reached for her arm, but she jerked away from him, moving swiftly up the stairs. He followed her through the hallway to the room he had offered her the first night she arrived in London.

"Stop!" She turned on him. "I am really mad at you right now and I want to storm off but I can't because I'm in Kensington Palace! And I don't know where to go! Or how I would even get back if I did! So I'm going in here!" She pointed at the room that she had never slept in. "I...I need to be able to storm away from you right now and this is the only place I can go! I want to be alone, Harry! Please respect that!"

His hands moved up in surrender, his eyes growing incredibly sad. And Maddie, full of fire and anger and confusion, walked into the room; slamming the door behind her.

Stepping into the room, Maddie's anger began to slip as every other emotion bubbled to the surface. She looked around the room frantically. She felt suddenly claustrophobic, which was absurd since the room was massive. She moved to a window, seeking fresh air. Taking deep breaths, she tried to calm herself.

What in the hell had just happened? What was she doing? What was she thinking?

She needed help. She needed advice.

She needed her mother.

Without a thought or concern about the time difference, she pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed.

"Madeline? Are you okay?" Her mother was full of concern. Just as water released by a broken dam, Maddie let go. She gushed tears; flowed emotion. Through her sobs and deep breaths, she told her mother the entire story; meeting Harry at the Food Bank opening, the candy, the dancing, the greenhouse, the shooting, the recovery, the time in London, the time at Highgrove. She told her mom about her loyalty to Bendal, to the kids, to the community.

She told her that Bendal was what saved her when her dad died.

She told her that Harry was what saved her when Bendal was pulled out from underneath her.

And then she told her about the meeting; the meeting where everything she had believed to be true about Harry was tossed up in the air—how she felt betrayed and manipulated and controlled and how he had denied every bit of it when she had confronted him.

And when she was done, her mother allowed a minute for her to calm down, a minute for her to breathe before she told her the last thing Maddie ever expected to hear.

"Hold on," Maddie shook her head as she sat on the large, fluffy bed. "Mom, are you really telling me to...give up my life just to be close to some guy?"

"Oh Maddie, you're seeing it all wrong," her mother's voice was soft, caring; that of a wise sage bestowing advice on a young child. "Choosing to be closer to the person you love, who loves you...that's not giving up your life, that's living it." Maddie's heart thudded.

"But..." Her protest was already weakened; already dwindling. And her mother delivered the next hit.

"And since when is Harry just some guy?"

"So he's a Prince, big deal. I didn't think that sort of thing mattered to you."

"It doesn't," she laughed. "I don't care that he's a Prince. I care that he is good to you, that he is there for you, that he makes you happy. Does he do those things?"

"Yes, I..." Maddie moved her legs up onto the bed then, knocking against a gift wrapped box that had been waiting for her. And then, as her mother continued, Maddie curiously opened the box.

"Yes. He does. And when your life fell apart, after you were shot in Bendal, who was right there, the entire time? Slept by your bedside, called your mother three times a day, gave you space when you needed it, sheltered you from..." And though her mother was talking, Maddie could no longer hear her.

Because there, in that box was a gift.

From Harry.

Maddie pulled a piece of paper from the box and tried to read the words. Her eyes were teary as she tried to figure it out. It appeared to be a map and maybe a plane ticket and...

Oh God.

Maddie held the paper in her hand as she began to cry. This was what he had been talking about. Could it be possible that he really didn't know about the interview?

"Oh my God. Mom...I think I made a mistake."

"Yes I think you did."

"Mom!" Her heart ached in her chest.

"What do you want from me Madeline? I will always be honest with you. That's what family does..."

"Honest and loyal...." Maddie repeated; sure she was going to be sick. "I have to go mom. I'm sorry I called you so upset...I love you."

"You too dear. Be smart. Be brave."

Maddie couldn't disconnect the phone quick enough. Tossing it to the bed, she held tight to the paper from the box and hurried to the hallway; determined to find him.

She didn't have to look far. Defeated, Harry was sitting on the floor about halfway between his room and hers.

"It was Khenda," he spoke to her without looking up. "I made some phone calls and, the royal puppet master...was Khenda. ..." He pulled himself up to a standing position; avoiding her eyes. "She wanted you to have what you wanted and she stupidly thought that was me. She asked that you call her so she can explain...so..."

"Harry," Maddie's entire body ached as she looked to him. "In the box..." She held up the paper and his eyes focused on that.

"I found a place halfway between London and Bendal. There's a resort and..." His eyes teared up. "It's a map and an open ticket for you to meet me there. I figured that you would choose Bendal and I wasn't quite ready to give you up..." She had been so horrifically wrong. And this was the outcome; this look on his face, this coldness in his voice.

"I..." Maddie couldn't find words over the tears she was crying. But it didn't matter, because Harry was all but done.

"Let's not go round and round, Maddie. I do not want to fight with you. If you'll be happier in Bendal, then you should...you should be there." Maddie moved to go to him then, wanting to kiss away all of the hurt she saw in him. But he held up a hand, stopping her in her tracks. "I really want to be alone right now Maddie...I'm not mad. I am tired and confused and I just...I need some time to...deal with this. Please respect that." And then, his head hung low, Harry moved away from her into his room; closing his door quietly behind him.



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