I whistled to myself as I watered the section of seedlings in the far left corner of the flower shop. The little green stems were fighters even as I watered them they stood tall under the torrent of water, much like a miffed William. Nothing was better than the look of horror on his highness' face when he heard we would be working together. 

I smiled at myself remembering the small tick of his jaw and the way his eyes had cut across to me in disbelief. My day was turning out to be one of the best days I had had in a long time. Not only had it been entertaining to watch Mr Perfection himself break out of his shell but it had also been very enlightening to know that beneath that perfectly curated persona there was actually a real boy, a real boy with a very hot temper. In the years I had known William Fucking Hartley, which was his whole life the guy had never broken his cool, easy demeanor for anything. 

Not when rumours of his then best friend broke their friendship of four years, not when some players had falsely accused him of doping and not even when he fractured his arm in the fourth grade. That guy was made of rock and he kept everything in check like one too. Except now. 

Now that I had glimpsed the lava bubbling at the surface of that rock I couldn't wait for another chance to shake things up again. After all, he needed someone like me to teach him how to let loose. 

I opened my Snapchat and typed out a message 

BY99 : What? No thirst traps tonight? 

The reply came back in an instant

Will'os: Delete the first screenshot you have and I might reconsider my stance on thirst traps. 

I laughed at the response as I typed out one of my own.

BY99: sorry, no can do. You're going to need more than that to bribe me.

I watched as William's Bitmoji popped up and disappeared as he tried to figure out what to reply. The action seemed to increase whatever endorphins were already coursing through my bloodstream. After five minutes of staring at the chat a message finally came through. 

Willo's: If you tell me your name I will send you a thirst trap with your name on it. 

I grinned at the message.

 William didn't know who he was texting? The idea of that sent a thrilling zap down my spine, that alone made my soul sing. Although it meant I had to be extremely careful about the words I used if I didn't want him catching on. The idea of him flirting with me without him realising it was me sounded fun, especially since he would be livid when he eventually found out who I really was. 

BY99: Your secret admirer ♥ 

I replied before locking my phone and placing it in my pocket. So what if I had to pretend I liked him. The guy was hot. It wasn't his fault he had a stick shoved up his backside that stopped him from having fun. Now, if I could remove that, maybe the person hiding underneath all that ‘perfection’ would actually be a fun guy. 

William Hartley aka the fucking prince of Portmornt was what parents dreamed about when they genetically engineered their perfect offspring. 

The guy was an unbearable, football jock, business major with a 3.5 GPA and the perfect catholic boy. Not only was he a literal model student, he was a model citizen. His parents were filthy rich with an actual work ethic. Like excuse me, but if I had that type of money I wouldn't lift a single finger. With multiple acres of land the Hartley's produced 70 percent of the town's food but not before instilling their work ethics in their children. 

Hence the golden boy of Portmornt, His fucking Majesty Prince William Hartley. He was so perfect the sun probably shined out of his ass. Unfortunately for the guy who grew up next door to his majesty, his parents just couldn't help but expect certain unattainable standards from their child, i.e. me. Because if the golden boy of Portmornt can do it, so can you. 

I smiled at the last message I had sent him wondering if the heart tacked on, at the end of the message ticked him off the way I thought it would. 

My grin was still plastered across my face when a familiar number flashed across my screen and my reality came crashing in on me. I flipped my phone over onto the counter and proceeded to sweep the shop as if my phone wasn't ringing. 

My past was calling and with it came people and consequences I wasn't ready to face. I frowned as I tried to block out the memories that seemed to flash within the corners of my mind. 

His radiant smile as he swung his arm over my shoulder. The sun beating against our naked chests as he tripped over the sandy beach. 

The look in his eyes when he grinned at me and our racing suits soaking up the champagne that fell on us. 

The cheers around us as we high fived each other under the spray of confetti. And the way his hand snaked around my waist to draw me in as he yelled, "THIS IS FANTASTIC MAN!"

The wind ruffled through our hair as we managed to evade police after triggering the speed limit buzzer. The grin on his face as he turned to me and whooped into the air.  

But with the good ... came the bad. 

The anger...His.

The tears...none of ours. 

And the shame and regret...mine. 

Yes, my past belonged where it was, in the past. I wouldn't let it suck me back again. It was better this way no one would get hurt again. Not if I kept that part of my life locked away. 

The quiet jingle of the door drew me out of my thoughts and I pressed my forefinger against my tear ducts before turning to the door. 

Teddy stood in the entryway with a smile on his face. And just like that all thoughts of my prior transgressions dissipated leaving nothing but the faint scent of burning rubber in its wake.