Chapter 31: Don’t Smile at Him Like That

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Don’t Smile at Him Like That

Henry’s eyes widened.

He slowly turned toward Elisha, staring at him in disbelief.

"What did you just say?"

Elisha’s lips curved into a confident smile, his dark eyes never leaving Henry’s face. "Why are you acting so surprised?"

"Repeat what you just said," Henry demanded, his voice lowering as his heart skipped a beat despite his best effort to stay calm.

Elisha leaned closer, narrowing the space between them. "I said I might need to wife you soon. And I meant every word."

Henry stared at him, warmth spreading through his chest. He quickly turned toward the window, trying to hide the smile tugging at his lips. "Then you better be quick about it."

"You have to forgive me first," Elisha replied, his voice softening as he reached over and gently tipped Henry’s chin back toward him.

Henry pretended to examine his fingernails. "It’s not like I’m holding a grudge against you. You’re just not making the right moves yet."

Elisha frowned playfully and shifted closer. "Then tell me. What right move do I need to make, pretty boy?"

Henry tilted his head, a mischievous spark in his eyes. "I don’t know. Maybe you should take a page out of Raphael’s book and ask him for advice. He seems to know what he’s doing."

"Hell no," Elisha scoffed. "I’m not asking that guy for romance advice. I’ll find my own way to your heart, thank you very much."

Henry laughed softly. "Whatever you say. Just remember, time waits for nobody."

"Let it try," Elisha murmured, wrapping an arm around Henry’s shoulders and pulling him closer. "What’s mine is mine. No one is taking you away from me."

Henry laughed, shaking his head. "You’re just talking absolute nonsense, as if I’m going to sit around and wait indefinitely for you to figure your life out. Besides, when exactly did we even get to this stage where I’m sitting here having conversations like this with you?"

Elisha’s eyebrows drew together, a flash of jealousy crossing his face. "Why do you call it nonsense? Are you trying to tell me Raphael is your type and I’m somehow not?"

Henry scoffed, a teasing glint in his eyes. "When did I ever say he was my type? I was only telling you to take a cue from him and be more proactive."

"You must really admire him," Elisha muttered, clearly unconvinced. "Because let’s be honest, he’s not as hot, sexy, or good-looking as me. And he’s older too."

Henry stared at him for a moment before bursting into loud laughter. "Who told you that you’re hot, Elisha?"

Elisha looked genuinely offended. "Are you saying I’m not hot?"

"Oh, God. Please leave me alone," Henry groaned, laughing as he tried to push Elisha away.

Elisha only grinned and moved closer. "No, no. You’re not getting away that easily. Tell me. Am I hot or not?"

Henry rolled his eyes, trying to maintain a look of annoyance, but a fond smile broke across his face as he glanced at the ridiculous, gorgeous man beside him. Elisha kept asking if he was hot, but Henry ignored him and kept his attention on the road.

Meanwhile, back with Raphael and Frank, Raphael sat on the plush velvet sofa, tossing his phone onto the coffee table with a soft clatter. A warm smile still lingered on his lips.

Across the room, Frank walked over with a steaming mug of coffee. He noticed the smile on Raphael’s face, placed the mug on the glass table, and crossed his arms.

"What’s so funny, Your Highness? Are you still celebrating your big victory, or did you just inherit another country?"

Raphael chuckled and shook his head. "No, Frank. It’s about my friend, the one who was with me when I first met you. I was just finishing up a chat with him."

Frank narrowed his eyes slightly. "Henry, right?"

"Yes, exactly." Raphael leaned back, a smile spreading across his face. "He’s really fun to talk to. I always end up laughing whenever he starts with his dry remarks. Half the time, he doesn’t even realize how funny he is."

Raphael continued talking, completely unaware of the slight change in Frank’s expression.

Frank listened for a moment before finally interrupting. "You must really like him a lot."

Raphael smiled, completely missing the hint of jealousy in his voice. "Of course. He’s a dear friend, almost like a brother to me."

"Oh, I see." Frank’s lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. "I’ve noticed that whenever you talk about him, you always have this special smile on your face. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you smile at me quite like that."

Raphael’s smile faded. He sat up straighter, looking at Frank in surprise. "Hey. What are you talking about?"

"Nothing," Frank muttered as he stood up, ready to walk away. "Anyway, I’m leaving tomorrow morning. I’ll let you know when I get another chance to come back and visit."

Raphael blinked. "You already told me that earlier."

Frank glanced back at him. "Oh... I did?"

"Yes," Raphael replied, getting to his feet.

Frank raised an eyebrow. "Well, you could at least smile about it. Don’t you find it funny?"

"It’s not funny because it’s not a joke, Frank," Raphael said reasonably.

"Just laugh anyway. It doesn’t have to be funny," Frank shot back, turning toward the hallway.

"Alright, alright," Raphael sighed, throwing his hands up.

Frank stopped and turned around. When he saw that Raphael still wasn’t smiling, he muttered, "See? You’re still not smiling. Forget it."

Raphael frowned, clearly confused. "What’s going on, Frank? What do you mean?"

Frank scoffed, then turned and walked back toward the table. He picked up his coffee mug before turning around and heading down the hallway toward the bedroom.

Raphael stood there for a moment, staring after him in confusion. What the hell is going on? he wondered. Is he... actually jealous? Of Henry?

Realizing he couldn’t just let Frank walk away upset, especially with his trip coming up the next morning, Raphael quickly followed him.

"Frank, wait!" he called, hurrying down the hallway. "Hold on. Let’s talk about this."

Raphael caught up with him just as Frank reached for the brass handle of the bedroom door. He stepped in front of him, placing a hand against the door.

Frank stopped and frowned. "Move, Raphael."

"Not until you tell me what’s wrong," Raphael said, genuinely confused. "One minute we’re talking normally, and the next you’re walking away from me. Are you jealous?"

Frank let out a short laugh and finally looked at him. "Jealous? Of Henry? Please. Do I look like the jealous type?"

Raphael raised an eyebrow. "You’re certainly acting like it. You were the one who brought up the way I smile whenever I talk about him."

"Because you were smiling!" Frank shot back. "You were sitting there smiling while talking about how funny he is and how much you enjoy listening to him. Then I mention that I’m leaving tomorrow, and suddenly you’re not smiling anymore. Can you really blame me for feeling a little left out?"

Raphael stared at him for a moment. He hadn’t expected Frank to be this honest. "Frank," he said softly, reaching up to cup his jaw. "Look at me."

Frank tried to look away, but Raphael gently turned his face back toward him.

"Henry is like a brother to me," Raphael said. "I was smiling because of the conversation we were having. He’s funny, and I enjoy talking to him. That’s all. There’s nothing romantic about it."

Frank’s shoulders relaxed slightly, though he still looked unconvinced. "And what about the way you smile at me?"

Raphael smiled.

This time, he made sure Frank saw it.

"You mean like this?" he asked.

Frank’s lips parted slightly as he took in the warmth in Raphael’s expression.

"I don’t smile at you because you amuse me, Frank," Raphael whispered, leaning closer until his lips brushed the shell of Frank’s ear. "You make me feel completely crazy. You’re arrogant, you’re impossible, and somehow, you still manage to get under my skin in the best way. And now you’re leaving tomorrow morning, which is probably the most annoying thing about you right now."

A smirk finally crept back onto Frank’s face. He tilted his head back, his eyes darkening with heat as he looked up at the prince. "Is that so?"

"It is," Raphael murmured against his lips. "So drop the coffee mug, stop threatening to pack your bags over a text message, and let me prove to you right now exactly how much I care about your smile."

Frank smiled, then added, "But I still don’t want you smiling at anyone else like that again, okay?"

Raphael chuckled softly. "Okay, baby. Can I call you that?"

Frank nodded. "Yes."

A pleased smile spread across Raphael’s face.