Summary: Drake Walker knows he’s not good enough for MC (Annie Hartford). Now he just needs to convince her of the same.
Author Note: I used TRR as inspiration, obviously, but this story strays pretty far from canon Drake x MC. Starts with some of the events from Book One, goes through what we know of Book Three, then beyond. Rated for language and (eventual) sexy times.
Drake gaped at Annie as she stumbled through the snow-covered clearing outside the Nevrakis estate. He’d needed to get away from Olivia before saying something he would truly regret – that bitch never knew when to stop needling him – and left the manor hoping to clear his head, to cool down a bit. Now, his hopes were dashed as he watched Annie stride toward him.
“What the hell are you doing out here, Hartford?”
He tried to keep the exasperation out of his voice, but damn, this girl would not leave well-enough alone. She was constantly pushing, challenging, making him face the things he wanted to escape. He wanted to dislike her, truly. It would be so much easier if he could just write her off as another of Liam’s suitors, gone after the social season. Instead, she’s wormed her way into the Prince’s heart and Drake’s afraid he may be stuck with her; stuck with her sassy comebacks, and her persistent questions, and her gorgeous, chocolate eyes that he nearly falls into every time she looks his way. Yeah. He really wished he disliked her.
“I came to find you, Drake. What were you thinking, storming off without a coat when there’s a storm coming? That’s stupid and pigheaded, even for you.”
Her cheeks were flushed from the cold, her breath coming out toward him in steamy little puffs as she ranted. The fashionable, camel-colored coat she sported wasn’t going to keep out the snow any better than his worn chambray shirt. As he evaluated her lack of cold-weather gear, Drake realized she was still spouting off.
“ …and I swear, if Olivia doesn’t keep your name out of her mouth, I’ll smack it outta there myself.” She finished with a huff and crossed her arms, glaring at him where he stood. She was pretty cute when she was all worked up, although he’d never tell her that. Instead, he schooled his expression into one of disdain before replying.
“Well, you found me, Hartford. I’m fine, and you can go back to Liam and your little fan club and leave me to be pissed off in peace. I don’t need you to fight my fucking battles for me, okay?” His tone is harsh, sharper than he meant it to be, but he really needed this girl to stay away from him. Drake watched the hurt flash in Annie’s eyes and felt a pang of remorse. He hadn’t set out to be such a dick to her, it just happened. And, if he was honest, it was easier to keep his feelings for her tightly under wraps if she was continuously pissed off at him.
Annie reached out with both hands and furiously shoved Drake back, catching him off guard. He fell backwards to the snowy ground, sitting down hard, while Annie seethed above him.
“God, you just can’t be civil, can you, Drake? What the hell did I do to you to make you hate me so much? I try to be nice, I try to show you that I’m not just some … some … crown chaser, that I care about you, and you – you -”
Annie’s voice broke and tears flooded her eyes, leaking over her lashes to course down her smooth, tanned cheeks. Drake scrambled to his feet. This wasn’t how he’d wanted this to go. He wanted to make her angry, make her want to stay away from him; he never wanted to hurt her. “God, Hartford, I’m sorry,” Drake lamented, reaching out a hand to her. Even crying, she was beautiful.
She peered at the hand he offered to her, then gazed up into his eyes. Tears still ran down her face as she whispered, “Why do you try so hard to push me away, Drake?” Annie stepped toward Drake and, for once, he stood still, letting her come near him. Grasping the hand he held out, she laced her fingers through his, causing a tingle of excitement to rush through Drake. He knew he should stop this, was sure that nothing good could come out of getting close to Annie Hartford. She had the power to destroy him, and he could never let her know how he truly felt about her, that she was his one weakness in this godforsaken court. She was nearly toe-to-toe with him, and from there he could see the flecks of burnished gold in her irises. Silently, Drake raised his free hand to Annie’s face, wiping her tears away with his thumb. They stood together in the wintry air, eyes transfixed on one another’s faces, unspoken words hanging between them.
Drake swallowed hard. He knew what he should do. He should let Annie go, tell her to return to the manor and be with Liam and their friends. He couldn’t let himself do the things he wanted to do, feel the things he was starting to feel. She was here for Liam, not for him. Drake Walker could never be enough for a woman like Annie. He was nobody, a poor commoner to whom Liam felt obligated. Annie was brilliant, beautiful, the brightest spot of hope that any of them had seen in years. She could change this country for the better, and Drake refused to be the one who prevented that from happening.
Summoning all his willpower, Drake dropped his hand from Annie’s face and stepped back, releasing her hand and crossing his arms against his chest. He fixed his face into an impassive expression, his protective stance helping to keep his emotions at bay.
“Don’t be so dramatic, Hartford, I’m not pushing anyone away. All I care about is that Liam is happy, and you being out here with me isn’t going to make that happen. So do me a favor and go back inside to the man you’re in love with.”
His words made him physically sick. He hated the idea of sending Annie into Liam’s arms, which made him hate himself for falling for his best friend’s woman. Annie sucked in a breath as though Drake had actually hit her. Fresh tears pooled in her eyes and her mouth opened to respond. Drake steeled himself for whatever Annie would say next; however, nothing prepared him for the words she uttered:
“I’m not in love with Liam. I’m in love with you, you jackass.”
Annie spun away from Drake and trudged through the snow back toward the estate, leaving Drake staring, dumbfounded, behind her. He brought up a hand, scrubbing it over his face as her words sunk in. This was not how things were supposed to go. He could live his life quietly in love with Annie, as long as she was happy with Liam. But this, this was … disastrous. Drake knew he would ruin Annie’s life if he let her in, let her get too close. She had conjured up some image of Drake in her mind, seeing something in him that just wasn’t there, and once she found out who he really was …
No. Drake couldn’t bring himself to imagine that spark inside her, the fire that made her so strong, so wonderful, so Annie, dying because of his own inadequacies. He resolved himself to do everything he could to stay away from her, to make her realize how much more she deserved. She was actually worthy of being Liam’s queen, unlike the rest of the women clamoring for his affections. Annie deserved the world, and Drake vowed to make sure she got it.
He just had to make her realize how worthless he actually was.