“Come away with me,” Drake pleaded, his face hopeful.
Christy just stared at him in shock, didn’t he have any idea of what he was asking of her, what mess he could cause? She couldn’t think, she couldn’t speak, she was rooted in place only able to stare at him.
“I love you, just come away with me, live the in between with me.” Drake implored.
She stood unblinking, she knew the answer ‘no I love Liam!’ but she was unable to voice it.
“You wouldn’t have slept with me if you didn’t have feelings for me Mills.” Drake said stepping closer to her.
“Excuse me?” Liam asked as he stepped into the room.
This is what she was afraid of the minute Drake asked her to run away with him. Everything was going to come crashing down around her and she was at least partly to blame. She knew it had been a mistake to have sex with him during the homecoming ball, and then to have sex with Liam, her fiancé, all she could hope was it would never come out. Then Drake had to beg her to run away with him, a week before she was to be married to the man she loves and it’s all coming crashing down around her.
“Liam.” She croaked, if she had thought she was shocked before that was nothing compared to the feeling she felt now. How was she ever going to explain this without hurting Liam? She couldn’t, he was going to be crushed and it was her fault. She gave into her lust filled desires and now everything she had would be gone.
“When?” Liam asked, his voice was hard but still wavered.
“The homecoming ball.” Christy whispered, there was no saving her, she knew this, she was watching her whole life tumble down around her.
“What?” Liam asked his voice cracking with emotion, they were engaged, she’d slept with him that night. She’d slept with them both? Was that why she said she needed more warmth when he’d tried to go down on her? She was trying to cover up that she’d just slept with his best friend?
His blood felt like it was starting to boil in his veins, they’d betrayed him, both of them. He straightened his back, he needed to go into king mode, he couldn’t let them see how they’d hurt him. That’s what he’s been taught, hide his true feelings.
“Liam, I can explain.” Christy pleaded, she needed to fix things, somehow, she wouldn’t let Drake make her lose the man she loved.
“How you have feelings for my best friend or how you fucked him when we were engaged?” Liam asked, practically spitting out the words. What was there to explain? They’d gone behind his back, they both had feelings for each other, they’d lied to him.
Christy felt like she had been slapped across the face by Liam’s words. Tears welled in her eyes, her lip started to shake, she couldn’t lose him, not over this, not after everything they had overcome to be together.
“Liam.” Christy said, her voice breaking, she felt like everything was crumbling around her.
“Don’t,” Liam said putting his hand up stopping her. “We are done.” He continued his tone surprisingly even.
She stood there mouth agape staring at the man she loved, just tossing her aside a week before their wedding. She let out a sob as the tears started streaming down her face. Her heart felt like it was cracked in two.
Liam stood there straight faced, not letting out any emotion as he put his hand out for her ring.
She let out another broken sob as she pulled in off her finger and placed it in his outstretched hand. They were done, they barely were together, truly together and she had ruined it.
Liam’s fingers curled around the ring that now meant nothing, he turned on his heal and left not daring to look at either. He fought back tears all the way back to his room, where he finally let himself feel the true pain of their betrayal.
***
Christy sank to the floor, soundless sobs racking her body. She’d broken everything, this was her fault, she was alone all because she gave into her feelings one night. A few words, Drake’s overheard confession made the truth come out, and caused her to lose everything. Her body shook, as she sat crumpled on the floor mourning what she lost in an instant.
“Mills.” Drake said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. He had been in shock when Liam came in, he just wanted her, he wasn’t trying to break her, break them. If he had known Liam would walk in he wouldn’t have ever said anything, and just continued pining for her, knowing he’d never have her.
“I need to leave, I can’t stay here anymore.” She stammered, pulling herself to her feet, wiping her cheeks to clear the tears which just kept coming. She needed to get away, far away, somewhere he couldn’t find her, where no one from this damn country could find her.
“Where are you going to go?” Drake asked following her, he started this mess he couldn’t leave her unsure if she was ok.
“Anywhere that’s far far away from here.” She choked out, still sobbing.
Christy made it to her room to and started throwing everything into her suitcase, she didn’t care if it all came out wrinkled she had to get out of here as quickly as possible. She couldn’t be here when word got out that the engagement was called off and why. She couldn’t be the topic of discussion for the court to gossip about once again.
Grabbing her things from the bathroom, she found the test she’d taken that morning, she was so excited to tell him, but that was now over, they were no longer together, it didn’t matter anymore, she was leaving.
Drake watched as Christy threw all of her things into her bag, she was leaving and it was his fault.
“I’m coming with you.” He announced, Liam wasn’t going to talk to him anyways, he might as well leave.
She looked up at him shocked, he’d leave everything behind for her, but he’d asked, that’s how they got into this mess. He really did love her.
“Be quick, I want to get out of here as quick as possible.” Christy said, her voice only cracking slightly. The tears were still coming, but she was no longer sobbing. She wasn’t sure the tears would ever stop coming. Her entire future changed in an instance once again.
Drake rushed to grab his things while Christy made sure she had everything she needed. She looked down at the test one last time. She knew she shouldn’t, but she needed to let him know everything he’d thrown away so quickly.
She quickly scrawled a note on some stationary, leaving the positive test beside it.
