Summary: Liam talks to Hana and Drake about Jade’s return to court, while Jade deals with the guilt of pushing Liam away and the other ladies mean comments in the worst way.
Warning: This chapter contains psychological issues about eating disorders and slut-shaming which might be a trigger for some people. Reader discretion is advised.
Sitting by the fire at Madeleine’s estate, Drake told Jade what happened after Liam’s Coronation. She listened quietly. The more she knew, the more guilty she felt about their discussion in the previous night. When he finished the story, Jade was shocked. “Bourbon?” Drake narrowed his eyes.
“Err…” She still didn’t know what to say.
“Did I manage to shut you up? That’s a first.” He smirked. “Next time you start talking too much, I’ll crack up another one of Our King’s outbursts.”
“I just… I mean, he did try to defend me.”
“Of course he did.”
“And I was so cruel the last time we talked.”
“Why would you be cruel to him?”
“Because he kept me out of the loop. I was alone, exiled at Ramsford, being lectured by Bertrand about goddamn forks. I thought he chose her because he didn’t think I was worthy to be queen.”
“Well, you didn’t know the whole story and we all had to play along with it.”
“Yeah, but still… It was bad. I pushed him away. I was drunk, all rage and tears. And that arrangement with Madeleine… I kinda said I needed a break.”
“You pulled a Rachel on him? Oh, Bourbon, Bourbon…” Drake facepalmed.
“I screwed up, didn’t I?” Her lower lip quivered.
“And I thought I’ve made stupid drunk decisions.”
“Not helping, Drake!” She crossed her arms, looking away.
“Calm down, Bourbon. It’s not all lost here. You’ll have time to fix it.”
“You think so?” Her eyes were glossy.
“You may have freaked him out a little. Girls usually throw themselves at him and you pushed him away. But he’s madly in love with you, he won’t stay away from you for too long. And you’re lucky he doesn’t really understand the idea of a break.”
“He doesn’t? But he told me he had girlfriends before.”
“Let’s just say his past relationships didn’t include the rules a normal one would. There was always parents intervening, clingy girlfriends, press hiding in the bushes to take pictures of him with them. It was a hassle.”
“That sounds awful. And it makes me feel worse about it.” Jade frowned.
“Don’t overthink this, Bourbon. You’ll be fine.” Drake took her hand and gave a gentle squeeze.
“Thank you for telling me. I needed to know all of that.” She smiled sadly.
“I know you did. Don’t worry about Liam. You guys will figure it out.”
…
Liam fidgeted with a pen flipping through pages of a large document when he heard a knock. “It’s open. Come in,” he ordered. Drake opened the door, letting Hana enter Liam’s office first. “Hello, Hana. Drake,” Liam smiled softly, motioning for them to sit on the couch.
“Hi, Liam,” she replied with a smile before adjusting her dress and sitting gracefully on the couch across Liam’s desk. Drake poured himself a scotch while Liam offered a glass of Rioja to Hana.
“I’m glad you’re back, Hana. We’ve missed you.” Liam sat on the edge of his desk.
“I’ve missed you too. It’s good to be among friends again.” She replied warmly.
“I believe you both had a chance to talked to her now that she’s back, so I need to know how is she.”
“She was happy to see me. I guess she was relieved to know she wouldn’t face the engagement tour alone since all the ladies are boxing her out. We caught up on everything drinking hot cocoa, but first, we had a pillow fight.” Hana beamed.
Liam chuckled. “Her idea, I presume.”
“Yes,” she sipped her wine beaming.
“Is she in her room now?”
“No, I was with her when Maxwell escorted her to the limo. They left to Applewood manor about an hour ago. She was okay, I guess. A little relieved to see me. I told her what happened after you were crowned king. She was surprised about how you reacted, but the s’mores helped to ease out the tension.”
“Maybe I should’ve included chocolate desserts in my last encounter with her.” Liam looked down frowning.
“What do you mean?” Hana placed her glass on the table next to the couch.
“The last time we spoke was intense. She was furious and emotional, she hugged me then she pushed me away.” Liam ran his hands through his perfectly groomed hair. “I managed to calm her, but it took a while.” He frowned, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Oh yeah, she did mention the break situation.”
“The what?” Hana and Liam questioned in unison.
“When someone you’re dating says they need to think, it means they want to take a break from the relationship. That’s what happened the last time you were alone with her.”
“Oh,” Liam’s heart sank.
“But when I told her everything, she regretted it. She’s really sorry.”
“She said that?” His eyes glinted as Drake nodded, giving him a half smile.
“Yeah, she only blew up on you because she thought we all abandoned her.”
“Oh, that’s true. She can’t stand being alone. Maxwell is a great company, but being away from you and all of us for a whole month definitely made her feel insecure. I know you were only trying to protect her, but you really hit a nerve there, Liam.” Hana acknowledged.
“So she was mad because we seemed to abandon her, but she only chastened me. That’s just great.” Liam frowned.
“Of three of us, you were the first one she saw after she got back. And you’re the one who declared your love for her, but got engaged to someone else and ghosted her for a month.” Drake teased.
Liam crossed his arms. “I should’ve let one of you take the hit.”
“Hey, I just got here,” Hana pouted. “And she knows I only left because I was obliged by my parents.”
“The woman is feisty as hell and I knew she would come back with guns blazing. That’s why I only met tonight. Sorry, dude.” Drake exchanged glances with Hana, both of them trying not to laugh as Liam glared at them.
Hana nudged Drake with her elbows, stood up and walked to Liam’s side, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Liam, you’ll be fine. You’ just have to talk to each other and sort it out.” Liam looked sullenly at Hana, but she smiled fondly at him. Before they could say anything else, his phone buzzed. “I think my car is waiting to take me to the Applewood Manor. I’ll see you guys there.”
“Yes, the Royal motorcade is ready us for too, Drake. We should go.” Liam put his phone back into his pocket. “Have a safe trip, Hana.”
“You too.” Hana hugged both of them briefly and left.
…
Jade couldn’t sleep. She was back into the same room where everything started. She felt lonely again. She wished she could talk to somebody, however, everyone she wanted to talk to was already sleeping. Well, not everyone. She saw when Liam arrived at the Applewood Manor and went straight to the study. He certainly was still awake working.
But It’s not like she could walk into the study and interrupt him. People would notice If she went there. And also… I was so rude to him. Who knows if he doesn’t want to talk to me at all? God, I’m so stupid. The insecurity was slowly torturing her. I need something to help me sleep. Maybe a glass of wine can do the trick.
On her way to the bar, she crossed paths with the other ladies. They ignored her. She didn’t miss Kiara, but she liked Penelope. Either way, she just didn’t want to feel so alone. “Excuse me,” she tapped a servant on the shoulder, “Hi. Where can I get a glass of wine?”
“We have a cool bottle of Chardonnay in the kitchen. I can deliver it in your room, my lady. Will you want something from the buffet?”
“A Caesar salad should be fine.”
“Can I also recommend you a Camembert cheese to complement the flavor of the vintage? The chicken terrine is also an excellent option for combination with a Chardonnay.”
“Uh… I’m not that hungry. And I don’t know what to choose.”
“We can deliver all the options we have and you decide what to eat later.”
“Oh…” Having food in her room was never a good idea for her. But she wasn’t thinking clearly enough to avoid the temptation. “Okay then. Thank you.”
Walking back to her room, she passed by a few other ladies. They greeted her nodding, but as she moved away, she heard them whisper.
“I can’t believe the commoner had the audacity to come back.”
“Oh, I do. She’s disgraced and must have become the King’s mistress. Madeleine can’t handle a man like the King.”
“And that wench can?”
“Of course. It’s just like it happened in her country. J.F. Kennedy had Jackie as the perfect wife and Marilyn as his lady friend. And we all know how much of a lady Marilyn was.”
They giggled walking into a room. Jade couldn’t believe this was happening to her. Again. What’s wrong with me? Why am I always the other woman? As she entered her room and closed the doors, she couldn’t stop the tears from falling. The wine and food she ordered were already there. She popped out the cork and took a huge swing from the bottle alternating the wine with the cheese, the salad, and the terrine.
The food was gone in a matter of minutes. That’s the exact moment when the guilt comes again. She rushes to the bathroom, lifts the toilet seat and forces herself to throw up. She sits on the floor breathing harshly. But it’s done. The familiar wave of relief spreads through her mind and body. Suddenly someone knocks on the door. She quickly washes her mouth and walks towards the door to answer.
“Good evening, my lady. I was told to pick up the food you didn’t eat from the buffet.”
“It’s fine. A friend of mine was here and we had a little feast.” She faked a smile and the servant entered the room to take the empty tray.
“Have a good night.”
“Thank you. Good night to you too.” She closed the door. Good to know the lock works now. After a few minutes watching a music channel, tiredness eventually hit her and she finally could sleep.
