Summary: While Riley and Bastien are on their honeymoon, Liam and Drake commiserate with each other.
Liam began making his way to the wine cellar. He could really use a drink. He had kept hoping that Riley wouldn’t go through with marrying Drake, but he never dreamed that it would happen the way that it did. He wanted her to give him another chance, and realize that she was meant to be his queen. But no, instead she had married Bastien! He definitely hadn’t seen that coming. Now they were off on their honeymoon. He’d even let them use his private island. He just couldn’t stop trying to make her happy.
As he descended the staircase, he spotted Drake sitting on the floor, whiskey bottle in hand. He looked miserable, and why wouldn’t he be? Getting dumped for someone else right before your wedding was probably even more painful than having your proposal turned down because the woman you loved wanted to be with someone else.
“Hey, Liam,” Drake called out.
“What are you doing down here?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Drake held up the bottle of whiskey, then brought it to his mouth and took a big gulp.
“I mean, why are you drinking in the wine cellar?”
“So no one will bother me.”
“I’ll just get my wine and go, then.” Liam walked over to one of the wine racks and looked it over, searching for just the right bottle. What vintage goes with heartbreak?
“No, stay. You get it, right? Isn’t that why you’re drinking too?”
Liam nodded. “Riley.” He grabbed a bottle of wine, then spotted a glass on a basin and picked it up.
Drake sneered. “Just drink straight from the bottle. It’s easier.”
Liam shook his head. “I still have some dignity left.”
“Oh yeah? You’re so whipped, you’re letting Riley bang your bodyguard all over your island!”
Liam winced and poured himself a drink. “Now there’s an image I didn’t need.”
“Like you haven’t thought of that. I have.” Drake groaned and chugged some more whiskey. “At least he’s probably not as good as us. I mean, at his age…”
“I doubt he could keep up with me. You, on the other hand…” Liam pointed to Drake’s whiskey bottle.
“Are you saying I have whiskey dick?”
“You said it, not me,” Liam deflected.
“Riley always seemed satisfied!”
“She did with me too. But that wasn’t enough to hold on to her.”
“I don’t get it. What does he have that we don’t?”
“Riley.” Liam lifted his glass to his lips and gulped down some wine.
“Doesn’t that piss you off? She came here for you, then dumped you. The king! For a nobody like me, and now she’s with your bodyguard.”
“No, I’m just disappointed.”
“That’s all?” Drake looked at Liam in shock. “I feel like I’ve been backstabbed, by Riley and by Bastien. They said they cared about me, but that sure as hell didn’t stop them. I felt like such a shitty friend for wanting Riley when she was with you, but at least I didn’t sleep with her until it was over between you two. Riley actually asked me for a last fling before the wedding! She just wanted to screw Bastien again.”
“I’m sure they do care about you. I know it still hurts, though. I don’t think I’ll ever get over Riley. She was supposed to be my queen, and the mother of my children. Her duchy was supposed to be an engagement present, but I gave it to her even though she turned me down. That way I knew she would stay, and she’d still be in my life.”
“You really are whipped.” Drake took another swig of whiskey. “I don’t want to see her right now. It’s too hard.”
“It’s her loss. Two great men like us, and she let us get away!” Liam forced a smile, trying to put on a brave front. “And at least now she can’t come between us any more.”
“That’s the one good thing to come from this.” Drake raised his whiskey bottle. “Bros before hoes!”
Liam started to protest Drake’s choice of words, then thought about the night that Riley had turned down his proposal. She had told him that she was in love with Drake, but had slept with him anyway. She said it wasn’t cheating because she and Drake weren’t officially together yet. He raised his wine glass. “To friendship!”