As he got ready for the Beaumont Bash, Drake was aware of feeling an aching thirst for alcohol. He figured getting wasted was his best chance at surviving the unbearable sight of Liam and Riley together and might even stop him from thinking about her all night.
With this in mind, he poured himself a glass of the unopened bottle of whiskey Liam had given him for his birthday. He swallowed with savage pleasure, as if Liam could know he was ignoring his request to share it with friends.
He debated whether to pour himself a second glass, then decided against it; he’d been to enough Beaumont parties to know this would be a long night. He should pace himself.
Having thrown his usual outfit on, he barely glanced at the mirror, not really caring much at all about his appearance tonight. It’s not like anyone will be looking.
He trudged down to the ballroom, only to find Lady Kiara at the foot of the stairs. In his current mood, he gladly would have avoided her, but it was unfortunately the only way down.
Nevertheless, he tried to keep their meeting short and discourage conversation by saying, “Lady Kiara,” as curtly as possible and not stopping.
He wasn’t fast enough, though, as a hand seized his forearm before he could make his getaway.
“And where do you think you’re going, Monsieur Walker?” she asked with a smirk. “I haven’t forgotten your promise of a legendary night, tu comprends?”
Oh fuck, not this. Why did I have to open my goddamn mouth?
Drake extricated his arm as politely as he could and averted his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I comprends or whatever.” This made Kiara giggle, so he added a very discouraging, “We’ll see,” for good measure.
He burst into the ballroom, eager to fade into the crowd and get drunk by himself. And who should be there to welcome here other than Riley. She was wearing a midnight blue dress that made her skin look radiant and her eyes a deeper color than usual. Her hair was up in an elegant bun. Drake privately decided – I shouldn’t even be thinking about this – that he preferred it down, but there was no denying she looked beautiful either way.
Of fucking course. Can’t have a moment of peace around here. Does she always have to look so… so…
His frustration was such that he couldn’t come up with a single word for her; he came up with too many. He realized he’d pursed his lips and balled his fists when he’s seen her. He relaxed as he stepped up to her.
“Welcome to the Beaumont Bash…” she said with a grin. You’d think nothing happened yesterday. “You’ll recognize some of these fine floral arrangements as yours…” she gestured to the centerpieces.
“Heh. After yesterday, I was skeptical about this place being ready in time, but…” he looked around the lavish room, appraising it. “Looks like you’re about to have an actual party here.”
“I know, right?” said Riley excitedly. She gave him a once over, seeing him fully for the first time. “Though… you don’t look like you’re dressed for the occasion.”
Drake opened his arms as if on display. “You don’t like my look? This shirt’s clean.”
Riley sighed and rolled her eyes. “I guess that’s the most I should expect. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dress up for these fancy events. It might be a nice change of pace.”
The comment stung more than it should have. Well, what did you expect? She’s marrying a prince! Why wouldn’t she think you look like crap? Anyway, me? Dressed like a fucking noble? No way.
He shrugged studiously. “Eh. Fashion is subjective. Besides, people are here to see the Prince, not me.” He attempted to keep the bitterness out of his voice at that last part; it was just a fact, after all. He thought he’d been successful until he saw Riley was shaking his head sadly at him.
He was about to reassure her that he didn’t mind, when Hana bounded up to them. She waved at him with a smile and he returned her greeting with the most cheerful nod he could muster. He felt an arm around his shoulder and turned to see Maxwell had joined them as well.
“Riley! Maxwell! I’ve never been to the Beaumont estate before. This looks wonderful,” admired Hana.
Maxwell replied, “Thank you, Hana…” as Drake shrugged his arm off.
“And you look lovely tonight, Riley,” said Hana, her eyes shining as she took in Riley’s elegant figure.
Riley beamed and returned the compliment, “As always, you look gorgeous too!”
Hana blushed deeply. To the unsuspecting eye, she might just seem like someone who was not used to receiving compliments, but Drake knew better; the corners of her lips were twitching and it was clear to him she was fighting back a smitten smile.
Luckily for Hana, at that moment, the waiters started bringing out the appetizers.
“Our creations!” Maxwell whispered.
“I hope people like them…” said Riley, biting her lip.
Lady Kiara, who was just behind them, wondered aloud, “Uhh… what is this dish?” when the waiter handed her one, along with a napkin.
Maxwell, doing his best pompous celebrity chef impression, explained, “What you have there is a deconstructed delicacy of caviar cultivated from pampered hake fish of the Swedish fjords with paprika harvested from a micro-nursery in Provence.”
Lady Penelope had bitten into it halfway through Maxwell’s bluffing description and now exclaimed, “Wow… so fancy… I like them! Spicy, salty, definitely unique.”
Encouraged by her friend’s reaction, Lady Kiara gave it a small bite too. “Mmmm… It reminds me of when I dined at the top of la Tour Eiffel in Paris! Did you use the same chef?”
She looked so impressed, Drake almost snorted. Rich people. Throw some food together, call it something fancy and they’re happy.
“Someone comparable,” choked out Maxwell, obviously holding back laughter.
The suitors moved on to mingling with other nobles and Maxwell turned to his friends, “Well, the reactions to our appetizers seem mostly positive.”
“They like the food? Really?” Riley’s smile was almost ear to ear. “I can’t believe we pulled that off.”
“Yeah. I really thought this would be a complete disaster,” agreed Drake.
“I told you… it’s all in the marketing!” Maxwell gave him finger guns.
Drake’s snide response was interrupted by the arrival of his two least favorite people – Or should I say my least favorite snake and possessed murder doll.
Judging by the grimace on Riley’s face, which she quickly covered up with a reluctant smile, she felt the same way. “Duchess Olivia… Countess Madeleine… welcome.”
Hell no. Maxwell seemed to be thinking similarly, for he walked away from the group with Drake.
They each grabbed a glass of champagne.
“To not being a part of that conversation,” toasted Drake.
Maxwell chuckled and clinked his glass, saying, “Oh, come on, Drake, they’re not that bad. Olivia has been very loyal to Liam.”
“So? Doesn’t change the fact she’s about as pleasant as a root canal. And don’t get me started on Madeleine!”
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Are you kidding? I’d trust her as far as I could throw… Liam; I could probably throw her pretty far, actually. At least Olivia’s open about how terrible she is.”
“That’s a fair point,” Maxwell conceded. “She’s definitely crafty.”
“That’s one way to put it.“
Noticing Madeleine and Olivia had moved on, Maxwell and Drake returned to where Riley and Hana were standing.
“Welcome, everyone,” rang out Bertrand’s clear voice. “If you’ll please take your seats, dinner will begin shortly.”
“That’s my cue. I have a seat in the back,” Drake said, pointing to his table, “so I’ll see you after dinner.”
“And I’d better go and take my seat with the other ladies,” chimed in Hana.
Riley pouted, “I wish we could have all sat together.”
Drake touched her arm lightly. “Hey, don’t look so disappointed, Addams. You’re sitting with royalty. I learned a long time ago I don’t fit in there.” He sighed in resignation. “But don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll be able to handle one dinner without us.”
“Right…” Riley replied dubiously.
“We’ll catch up later!” Hana reassured her.
On his way to his unglamorous table, Drake overheard Olivia whine, “What am I doing back here?” He automatically made eye contact with Riley across the room and they both burst into laughter.
Still chucking he sat down at a table with Bastien and other guards.
He tuned out most of the conversation throughout the meal, focusing instead on the food and drink. He had to admit, dinner hadn’t been half bad, considering it was fancy rich people nonsense. The champagne was the best part, though.
Feeling slightly less grumpy thanks to the food and – in large part – to the alcohol, he felt ready to start a conversation.
“So, Bastien,” he turned to his right, “did you find the person behind the photos?”
“Not yet. I haven’t been able to get ahold of the reporter to whom they were being sold,” the older man grimaced, clearing his plate.
“Bummer.” What Bastien had said reminded Drake of something else. “Oh, hey, what’s this I hear about a reporter being caught inside the grounds at the Manor? It it true?”
He gathered from Bastien’s exasperated sigh that it was.
“What the hell, Bastien?! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was under the impression that I reported to Prince Liam, not to you,” Bastien snapped with ice in his voice.
Drake was momentarily hurt into silence. The fact that he’d specifically said he reported to Liam instead of King Constantine seemed designed to make him feel smaller. Bastien sighed again and put a hand on his shoulder; Drake resisted the urge to brush it off.
“It was nothing, all right? I figured you had enough on your mind and didn’t want to add to it because of a meaningless incident. She was caught and promptly escorted out. End of story.”
“How can you be sure she didn’t do anything? Take pictures or… I don’t know.”
“Drake, we made sure, trust me.”
Bastien met his eyes earnestly. Drake felt ashamed at having doubted his old friend. Why would he tell you anyway? What have you ever done? He shook his head as if to rid himself of that spiteful little voice.
“I have had a lot on my mind lately,” he admitted. “What with Liam’s Coronation, and Riley–”
“I see Lady Kiara is still taken with you.”
“Wh-what?”
He whipped his head around to the suitors’ table and saw Lady Kiara engrossed in a conversation with Hana.
“What are you talking about? She’s not even looking this way.”
“You just missed it.” Bastien clicked his tongue regretfully. “I think she’d be good for you, if you don’t mind my saying.”
“Uh, really?”
“Definitely! She is charming and intelligent, and I’m sure I have heard you mention her physical, er, attributes.”
“Yeah, Bastien, she’s hot, you can say it.”
“I will not. But I hope you take my meaning.”
“Now that the dessert course has been served, the grand hall is now open,” came Bertrand’s voice from the main table. “Please join us there for the after-dinner festivities!”
Standing up, Bastien patted his shoulder before leaving the ballroom along with his men to take his position in the main hall, where the party was to be held. Drake filed out of the ballroom alone and stood among the crowd anonymously as Bertrand continued giving unnecessary speeches.
“Citizens, nobles, friends, we’ve gathered here today to celebrate the end of the social season. So if you’ll hear me out, I’d like to share a few words…”
At this point, Drake’s attention drifted. There’s only so much noble rambling I can take in one night.
He looked around and spotted Liam at the very front with his family. He wasn’t eager to join the King and Queen, so he kept searching the crowd. Hana was carrying what seemed like a tiresome conversation with Lady Penelope. Drake shuddered. I’d rather be alone than talk about poodles. Left with no other choices, he looked for Maxwell.
Disconcerted, he realized his friend was not part of the crowd. Where the hell is he?
Bertrand’s voice, once again, broke through his confusion, “… and so, with all of House Beaumont with me, let us propose a toast!”
Drake finally spotted Maxwell coming up the stairs carrying a mace. Close behind him – his eyes widened – was Riley, valiantly hauling a battle axe that looked like it weighed about as much as she did.
“To our gracious royal family…” Bertrand continued.
“To all those here tonight!” Maxwell added.
“And to the PARTTYYYY!” Riley yelled, hoisting the battle axe up precariously. “Let’s rock this place to the ground!”
“YEEEAAAHHH!” Maxwell pumped his fists.
He swung the mace at the champagne, shattering the bottle.
“We’ve never let a lost bottle stop us before. Bring out another!” called Bertrand to the staff.
“WOOOOOOOO!” Maxwell was almost buzzing with frantic energy, his hand and bottom half soaked in champagne.
Riley gripped her axe and sliced with difficulty at the bottle. Perhaps because it was so heavy and thus she had very little momentum, she managed to hack the cork clean off. Champagne immediately bubbled out and she took a drink directly from it. Beginner’s luck, scoffed Drake, though he had to admit to being a little impressed.
Maxwell, on the other hand, was very impressed, and possibly a bit jealous, “Whoa… It took me much longer to master that move.”
“From all of us at House Beaumont… thank you!” Bertrand brandished the bottle Riley had opened at the crowd and they cheered in unison. Waiters marched into the room with tray upon tray of champagne.
Thank God. Drake’s pleasant buzz had begun to subside and he knew he was only a few sober minutes away from getting sulky.
Meanwhile, Maxwell had raced to the top of the stairs.
“… Maxwell!” Bertrand said.
“What?” Maxwell called back.
“Let the revelry begin!”
“AWWWWWWWWW YEAH!” yelled the younger Beaumont, sliding down the banister.
Deafening pop music blared all around the room, and professional dancers and acrobats, dressed in colorful, circus-like costumes, made their entrance. The room now felt twice as crowded.
Drake stood in his spot, back against the wall, gulping down the champagne he’d snagged from a passing waiter. He didn’t notice his friends walking over to him until Liam spoke, “So, enjoying the party, Drake?”
“It’s been less than two minutes, and my ears hurt…” he grumbled.
Liam elbowed him, “Come on, Drake, you usually give it at least five minutes before tapping out.”
I usually don’t have a crush on the girl you’re marrying.
“There’s so much happening,” Hana marveled.
Drake rolled his eyes. “That’s the problem.”
As if on cue, he heard Bertrand shout, “Bring out the horses!”
“The horses!” Maxwell echoed.
“The horses?! You’re bringing horses in here?!” Riley asked over the music.
“Who’s ready for a little horse riding?” Bertrand led the horses to the center of the room.
“I am!” Maxwell piped up.
“Great…” Drake shook his head. He hated this tradition of theirs. The poor horses couldn’t understand what was happening and were obviously spooked. Fucking nobles and their “eccentricities”.
Maxwell, already mounted, asked, “Who will be my partner?”
“How about our king-to-be?” suggested Bertrand.
“I nominate Drake as my proxy.”
If looks could kill, Cordonia would have found itself without an heir. Liam held back a laugh at Drake’s irritation, but the latter merely said, “Oh, no, you’re not forcing me into the saddle tonight.”
Hana chose that moment to say, “I vote for Riley!”
“Riley!” Maxwell repeated.
“Come on up then, Lady Riley.” Bertrand offered her his hand. “Your saddle awaits.”
Riley was helped onto the horse, which whinnied uneasily. “Easy, girl.”
Riley scratched the horse’s mane and that seemed to help calm it down. She then led it in a gentle turn around the room.
She and Maxwell waved at the crowds.
“My fellow Cordonians, take a picture!” Riley proclaimed. “I want everyone to see my noble horseback pose.”
Drake snorted at that. She wasn’t a bad rider and her pose was not terrible but it was a far cry from “noble” as she put it. Not for the first time, he found himself wishing he could teach her better, before clamping down on that dumb instinct.
“Phones are not allowed inside these parties. Nobody wants to see embarrassing pictures of themselves in the news.”
Bertrand was right; phones were not allowed and yet… there were always exceptions, weren’t there? He thought back to Maxwell’s video of him dancing to Hayley Rose and felt his face grow warm. A lot more sinister were the pictures of the bachelor party that someone had tried to sell for profit.
“I’ll take mental pictures for you,” Hana consoled her.
After going around the room once more for their adoring fans, Maxwell said, “We should let some others ride around on the horses.”
“Fair enough.” Riley dismounted and made a beeline for Drake.
“Drake! I feel like I haven’t see you all day.”
That’s ‘cause I’ve been avoiding you.
“Well, you’re seeing me know,” he replied, noncommittal, looking down at his champagne.
“Yeah and guess what? I wish your face didn’t look like you just swallowed a lemon.”
He looked up sharply at that, eyes narrowed, and Riley laughed. As per usual, her laugh was too contagious to resist and he ended up chuckling along.
“See? That’s better,” she smiled and brushed her fingers against his. He stopped laughing instantly.
“I need a drink.”
“Me too! I’ll come with!”
He groaned a little but could think of no way to dissuade her without hurting her feelings, so he let her follow him to the makeshift bar.
He opened his mouth to order whiskey, when Riley elbowed him aside and spoke over him. “Do not give this man whiskey. Do not. We’ll have two shots instead.”
The bartender looked at her expectantly. When Riley didn’t elaborate, he asked, “Shots of what?”
“Surprise us.” Riley turned to Drake and smiled with that mischievous glint in her eyes. “Scared, Drake?”
“Pff, I can drink you under the table, no problem.”
“Then how about a bet?”
“What? Another one? We both have bets we never settled!”
“Then I guess they cancel each other out!”
“You just wanna get out of paying up, Addams.”
“How dare you! I’ll remember this insult against my honor when you lose, you know?”
Drake put on a whiny voice and begged, “Oh, please don’t, I’m so scared. I’m sorry I insulted your honor, Lady Riley the Waitress.”
“That’s Head Waitress to you, grumpy commoner.”
They were so busy trying to stare each other down, they didn’t realize their shots were ready. The bartender cleared his throat awkwardly.
Drake turned to him, “Er, right sorry,” and grabbed the two shot glasses.
Handing Riley hers, he proposed, “Okay, how about whoever makes a face or shows any difficulty in swallowing this, loses?”
Riley put on her best poker face, though he noticed her lips were still twitching. “You’re on.”
They clinked their glasses, maintaining eye contact the whole time – I have to, for the bet! – and then threw their heads back. The base was definitely vodka. Drake had only negative experiences from his teenage years to associate with that spirit, but he powered through his body’s rejection of it.
Riley was not faring as well; for a moment it seemed like she might actually throw it back up. In the end, she managed to keep it down, but she couldn’t help the pronounced grimace on her face as she did.
“HA! I knew it!”
“No! I demand a redo! I cannot handle vodka, okay? My body hates it!”
“Rules are rules, Addams, don’t tell me you’d back down from a bet? Surely your honor wouldn’t allow it,” he teased.
She took a step forward, “Well, maybe I’m not so honorable…”
Drake licked his lips unconsciously. “Neither am I.”
He hadn’t realized when it happened, but his breath had quickened. He felt his hand rising as if of its own accord, reaching toward her, to touch her.
A familiar tall figure was approaching them from behind Riley.
“I better go. Wouldn’t want to interrupt your time with the prince,” Drake said, leaving hurriedly back to the bar and ordering whiskey.
Leaning against it, he had a prime view of Liam and Riley talking. He went to take a swig of his whiskey only to find it empty. He ordered another one straight away. When the bartender handed it to him, he saw Olivia interrupt the couple.
Yes! Go Olivia! Oh my God, what the fuck. I’m actually happy to see Olivia.
Before leaving with a person that Drake considered to be in his personal bottom three and yet felt like hugging right now, Liam kissed Riley on the cheek. Drake downed his whiskey and ordered the next.
The rest of the party went by in a blur of alcohol, dancing – or, in Drake’s case, being forced to dance by Maxwell – and crazy hijinks, like trying to shoot an arrow through an apple on a bust’s head.
Nobody could do it. They hit other things, though… The bust, mostly. But there was an exciting moment when Penelope, swaying, very nearly hit Maxwell. He wouldn’t have been badly hurt – the arrows were blunt – and it hadn’t even brushed him, yet he still took it upon himself to act out a Shakespearean death scene, much to everyone’s amusement.
Drake hadn’t even tried. His level of drunkenness paired with how bad he was at archery at the best of times was a recipe for disaster; even drunk him knew that.
The party felt like it was winding down. Lady Kiara was sitting on the floor in the corner, moaning, “Too… too much… Je ne me sens pas bien.”
Penelope, in the meantime, was leaning against one of the horses, going, “You know, horse. You and I have so much in common… hair, bodies, an adoration of poodles. You’re like my equine soulmate.” She seemed to doze off at that point.
Liam and Olivia were chatting in very loud voices. Well, Olivia was; Liam was talking maybe a tiny bit louder than he normally would, but his cheeks were far more rosy than usual.
Bertrand was sitting against a column with an empty champagne bottle in one hand – Drake didn’t doubt he’d drank it all himself – and a sword in the other.
“We gave those apples what for,” he said proudly to no one in particular.
Maxwell, to no one’s surprise, was still dancing while Riley and Hana looked on, amazed at his energy.
Drake walked over, hoping the fact that everyone was pretty drunk meant he could go. “It’s over. I’m finally free.”
Maxwell stopped dancing and wheeled around to face Drake. “What do you mean ‘it’s over’? The party is just getting started.”
“Lady Penelope is literally talking to a horse,” he nodded toward her. “The party has done its job.”
“Your mane is so soft,” she was saying as she ran her fingers through it. “You have to tell me who does your hair.”
“Back home, this was always about the time we’d break out a game of Truth or Dare, but I bet you guys are too classy for that!” Riley raised an eyebrow.
“You’d be betting wrong! I love Truth or Dare.” Of course Maxwell would love a party game.
“’Truth or Dare’?” Hana met Drake’s eyes; they both seemed to be thinking the same thing: Truths could mean trouble. “That sounds dangerous…”
“Well… only if you have something to hide…” shrugged Riley. Drake almost laughed. “Or a fear of embarrassing stunts…”
She looked at Hana beseechingly and the latter couldn’t resist, “It sounds… Fun!”
Normally, Drake wouldn’t blame her, he knew by now how powerless he was to resist Riley’s requests but… Dammit, Hana! Not after yesterday!
Riley took Hana’s hands, “I can’t believe you’ve never played! Now we’ve go to do it.”
Drake shook his head over and over. “Oh no. I’m not playing Truth or Dare.”
“Come on, Drake, we should do it for Hana,” pleaded Riley.
Hana backtracked politely, “I don’t want to pressure you guys into doing something on my behalf.”
“But I would!” said Maxwell. “Do it! Do it!”
“I see where this is going…” Drake was already rubbing his face tiredly, waiting for what he knew was coming.
“Drake! Drake! Drake!”
Aaand there it is. Does this man ever not chant?!
“Okay… fine. I’ll play, just stop chanting my name.”
“Whoohoo! Someone’s going streaking tonight!” Maxwell wiggled his eyebrows.
“We can play in my room!” Hana offered, and she led the way upstairs.
Drake and Maxwell followed suit. Riley, for all her talk, lingered behind. Waiting for Liam? He didn’t know what to feel if that was the case. On the one hand, relief that he wouldn’t have to play a risky drinking game with her; on the other, pure, uncontrollable jealousy.
Who am I kidding? I’m no closer to controlling this stupid crush than I am to controlling the fucking weather.
To his immense relief and despite his hesitancy to play Truth or Dare with her, Riley joined them soon in Hana’s room. They were all sitting crosslegged on the floor in a circle. Riley took a spot between Hana and Maxwell, facing Drake.
“This is so exciting! How do we start?” asked Hana.
“Usually with a few drinks,” Drake replied.
“Oooh, there’s a full bar!” said Hana, noticing it for the first time. We are very different people. “What do you guys want?”
“Make me something fruity and delicious!” requested Maxwell. “I know! I want Sex on the Beach!”
Hana’s hand went to her mouth, her cheeks turning red, “Oh my! I don’t think…”
“It’s a drink…” explained Maxwell hastily. “Never mind, I’ll make it myself.” He stood up and joined her at the minibar.
“I’ll just have–”
Riley cut Drake off, “Let me guess. Whiskey.”
Drake rubbed the back of his neck, feeling his face heat up, “I’m getting predictable, aren’t I?”
“Maybe just a little bit,” she said with a small smile.
“What about you, Riley?” asked Hana.
“I’ll have a whiskey, too,” she winked at Drake, who couldn’t help grinning back.
Hana poured two whiskeys and a glass for champagne for herself, while Maxwell mixed himself a bright orange drink.
“Cheers, friends! Thank you for joining me tonight!” Hana extended her hand to the center of the circle.
“Cheers.” Drake followed.
Maxwell added, “To friendship!”
“To friendship!” agreed Riley, clinking her glass to the others’. “And Truth or Dare!”
Drake drank deeply, remembering what they were all there for. “Oh boy, this is going to be a long night.”
“Drinks have been accomplished! Now, what comes next?” Hana looked at them expectantly.
“Someone goes first,” said Maxwell.
“Addams should start.” Drake pointed at her. “This was her idea.”
Maxwell turned to her, “Okay, Riley… truth or dare?”
“I choose Truth.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Maxwell rubbed his hands together with relish. “I’ve got a great one for you. If you were stranded on a desert island, where you’ll never see anyone or any civilization ever again… Which one of us would you want with you?”
Riley pretended to think for a moment, tapping an exaggerated finger to her chin, then announced, “I’d want Drake!”
He could not have been more taken aback. He knew they were on good terms now, maybe even more than that if yesterday was anything to go by, but there was no denying he was a difficult person to be around, let alone be stuck with.
“Me? Be honest, Addams, you just want me there so I’m suffering as much as you are.”
“Mostly just to see how you’d look in a grass skirt,” she smirked.
“Hey!” Drake threw a nearby cushion at her, which she deflected with her arm, laughing.
“Ha ha!” Drake allowed Maxwell to laugh for a second before glaring at him.
“Just kidding. I think you’d be gruff and grumpy, but deep down, when it counts, you’d probably save me from a tiger or something,” continued Riley.
“Well, I’d feel terrible if a tiger ate my only companion,” joked Drake.
“And there wouldn’t be any nobles around, or courtly intrigue, or gossip…” Riley was now looking intensely at him, as if trying to say something other than what her words conveyed. “In fact, I think you might enjoy being stranded more than palace life.”
Staring into those hypnotizing blue eyes, all Drake could think was that he’d sell several body parts if it meant he could be alone with Riley anywhere. Even a deserted island.
The corner of his lip quirked up, “You never know.”
“Okay, Maxwell, it’s your turn.” Riley broke their eye contact before the others could wonder if there was something else to the innocent answer. “Truth or dare?”
“Dealer’s choice! I’m not afraid of anything!”
“Okay, then, tell us a secret that no one else knows about you.”
Maxwell’s bravado faded right away. “Aw, I’m an open book! Everyone knows everything about me!”
Drake scoffed, thinking back to how weird Maxwell had been just the day before. “Nope.”
He caught Riley’s eye and she nodded, remembering the same thing. “Not true at all.”
“We know almost nothing about you!” countered Hana.
“Well, all anyone ever had to do was ask. Okay, let’s see…” Maxwell reflected for a moment, then said, “I hate carousels.”
“Really?” asked Riley, incredulous. “I thought everyone loved carousels…”
Maxwell elaborated, “When I was little, the royal court took all the kids to a theme park for the Prince’s birthday. But when we were on the carousel, some reporters got in and mobbed us. The security team did their best to get us all out of there, but I was the last one they got to. So I was stuck on this dumb carousel for what seemed like forever with people taking pictures and shouting questions at me.”
He had a glassy look in his eyes, as if transported back to the horror of helplessly riding a fake horse round and round.
“I was only three… I had no idea what was really going on. And because our parents had spent so much time trying to warn us about dangers, I thought I was about to get murdered.”
Riley leaned her head on his shoulder, “Aww… Maxwell…”
He shook himself. “I’m fine. I was a long time ago.”
“Still…” Hana sounded disproportionately concerned.
“Aw, geez, this is why I don’t like to talk about serious stuff. I’m fine, you guys!” Maxwell reassured them. “Just forget it! Next up… Hana, truth or dare?”
It struck Drake that this was something Maxwell did all the time and he was an expert at it: seemingly divulging information about himself while at the same time withholding anything of meaning. The fact remained that he had no idea what his friend was going through right now and likely wouldn’t find out anytime soon if Maxwell insisted on bottling it up. Not that he was a model of mental health.
He turned his attention back to the game. Hana had just decided, “Oh… um… truth!”
“Tell us about your first kiss,” said Maxwell.
Hana bit her lip. “My first kiss?”
“You have been kissed, right?” Maxwell asked curiously.
Tactful.
Hana’s brow furrowed. “Yes, of course.”
“You were engaged, after all!” Riley shot Maxwell a reproachful look.
“Well… it was actually a very chaste courtship. Our first kiss was in front of a professional photographer for our engagement photo shoot. My parents were insistent that we publish a very public announcement in all of the papers. It was… somewhat awkward,” she finished, staring down at her hands.
“He wasn’t a great kisser?” grimaced Riley.
Hana sighed and said, “He missed.”
Drake had never been so confused. “Missed? How?”
“He kissed my ear. Well, he punctured his lip on my earring, actually. He started bleeding. I felt terrible. My parents were furious that he ruined my dress. It was a complete disaster.”
Drake had been about to burst out laughing, when he caught a subtle shake of Riley’s head. Okay, not the time. He carefully avoided looking at Maxwell, whom he knew would also be close to laughter. One glance and they’d both cave.
“Hana, you deserved a better first kiss than that!” Riley put her arm around Hana. Drake saw her smile in absolute delight, holding Riley’s hand.
“Thank you, Riley. But it wasn’t so bad. Looking back, it was actually pretty funny. I mean, who can miss that badly on a kiss?”
Feeling like he had permission, Drake laughed, expecting Maxwell to join him. However, he only gave a small, “Hah!”
Drake turned to him questioningly and Maxwell continued, “I know. I mean. What a loser…”
By now, Drake was excellent at knowing when his friend was hiding something. “Maxwell…”
Maxwell sighed and slumped his shoulders, “Okay, maybe I accidentally kissed someone’s chin but that’s, like, a totally understandable mistake, right? I mean, it’s right below the mouth…”
Hana did an amazing job of containing her laughter, only letting out a small giggle, “Hee hee. Yes, that’s completely normal.”
Riley and Drake however, were not so considerate, howling with laughter.
Annoyed after a minute of this, Maxwell talked loudly over their subsiding laughter, “Okay, my turn again! Riley, I dare you to go streak through the ballroom in your underwear!”
Uh oh.
The exact same thought seemed to have crossed Hana’s mind for her eyes widened and she glanced at Drake instantly. Fuck. I cannot see Addams in her underwear again. I might spontaneously combust.
Hana beat him to the punch, “That’s not fair! It’s not her turn.”
“Yeah, and she didn’t even choose ‘dare’,” Drake pointed out
“Well someone should streak tonight or this game is a bust. Come now, Riley, it’s your game. Who will it be?” asked Maxwell.
This time, she didn’t even pretend to think, “Drake.”
He rolled his eyes at her and felt his face grow warm.
“You trying to see me shirtless, Addams?”
“Not if you run fast enough!” she said cheerfully.
The group went down to the now deserted ballroom. The tables had already been cleared by the palace staff, leaving a vast, empty room perfect for something like running around half naked.
“The things I do for you people.” It had been his constant refrain lately, yet Drake had to admit that the phrase should be singular. It’s not like he’d do this just for Maxwell or Hana, as much as he liked them.
He took off his shirt and pants and stood there for a split second in his gray boxer briefs. He thought he saw Riley’s eyes glint.
Fuck it, let’s get this over with.
He sprinted the length of the room, the cool air feeling nice throughout his whole body. He realized he hadn’t known how drunk he was until this moment, when running proved more difficult than he’d anticipated. He managed not to trip, but it was a close thing.
“Woo! Go Drake!” Riley cheered from the other side of the room.
He ran back to them and stopped.
“Satisfied?”
“Yep!” said Maxwell, “Now what?”
Riley grinned. “I’m going to join in!”
For the love of God, NO.
She took her clothes off efficiently and yet even then, Drake couldn’t help but think how sexy her confidence was.
Fuck me, now she’s in her bra and undies. I’m gonna die. That’s it. RIP Drake Walker.
It took all of his concentration and strength not to look below her face at her amazing, perky breasts in a black bra; at her long, shapely legs; and most of all, at her ass, whose every tempting curve was hugged by her matching underwear.
“We can’t make Drake be the only one. Come on, Hana!” urged Riley.
Yes! Yes, that might make this feel more normal. More like a “friend” thing.
“Hee hee… okay! It does look fun!”
Hana took her clothes off as well. Drake barely registered her creamy underwear, although he would have to be an idiot not to see that she was a beautiful woman too.
“Let’s go!” Hana gestured for them to run.
Riley turned back, “Maxwell?”
“I’ll be the photographer.”
“Maxwell!”
“I mean, I’ll stand guard!”
The three of them took off running and immediately, Drake felt better. The other two were nothing but a blur and so he could be just a normal guy having fun with his friends, rather than a commoner pining for the prince’s fiancée-to-be.
“Wooooooooo!” squealed Riley.
“Freeeeeedom!” roared Drake.
Hana shouted, “Truth or Dare!”
They ran the length of the room twice and then collapsed next to Maxwell, out of breath and with spinning heads.
“Wow, that took a lot out of me,” mumbled Riley.
“Me too. I need to lie down.” said Hana, a hand on her head.
They returned to her room, carrying their clothes. The four friends threw themselves on Hana’s bed, resting for a moment. Drake found himself lying down next to Riley. Her head was resting on her arm and she was staring at him. She reached out and brushed his bare chest with her fingers.
He exhaled sharply and sprang off the bed. The others took this as a sign to do the same and got dressed. Riley stayed on the bed a moment longer, then put her clothes on as well.
“I can’t believe we just did that!” Hana was flushed and her hair was wilder than Drake had ever seen it. She also looked happier than ever.
Drake ruffled her hair further. “Ah, the magic of Truth or Dare.”
“This was so much fun tonight! Thank you,” she said to them all.
Riley smiled. “Any time.”
“Yeah, you know me. I don’t need much of an excuse to party.” Maxwell did the robot.
“And I’m… still not sure why I came this time, but I guess I’d do it again.” It had been a risk, and it had almost gotten too dangerous, but nothing happened.
“Drake, I think we’re graduating from friends to best friends!” Hana beamed.
Drake put his hands up defensively, “Whoa, whoa, whoa… Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”
“I dunno, man. We all drink together, goof off together, spend most of our time together…” Maxwell nudged him.
“No…”
Hana squeezed Drake’s arm. “It’s too late, Drake. We are best friends!”
“I guess I’m just going to have to accept this, huh?”
“It’s probably for the best. You could do much worse than the three of us,” said Riley.
Oh, I know. It’s you guys who should be thinking this twice.
“That’s true, isn’t it?” He sighed. “Okay. You got me.”
“Yay!” exclaimed Maxwell.
“Yay!” echoed Hana.
Drake crossed his arms. “Please tell me this isn’t a thing we do now.”
Riley patted his arm, reassuring him. “This is not a thing.”
“Thank God. At least someone still has some sanity.”
“I’ve got your back.” She gave him one last squeeze before letting go.
Hana stifled a yawn behind her hand.
“Okay… we should probably call it a night before we break Hana…” Maxwell said, concerned.
Hana nodded. “Good night! This has been a very memorable evening!” She waved goodbye to everyone as they prepared to leave her room.
“Good night, guys,” Drake said.
“G’night!” Riley repeated.
Once in the hallway, Maxwell went left, while Riley and Drake went the opposite way.
“So, that was fun, right?”
Drake only grunted in response, cursing nobles internally for having such big houses. He couldn’t be alone with her.
“What’s up with you? I feel like you’ve been avoiding me all day.”
“Uh, no, I haven’t.”
It wasn’t exactly convincing, but she couldn’t prove anything.
“Are you tired?”
Drake answered, “Nah,” before thinking, Shit. Why didn’t I just say yes?!
“Cool, me neither. Let’s have a drink.”
She pulled him into her room and he found that he didn’t feel like fighting her. Without asking, she poured them both whiskey and they sat down on a futon.
“Truth or Dare?” she asked softly.
“Dare.”
“Down your whiskey.”
“Come on, Addams, at least make it a challenge.” He was just bragging. His throat actually felt like it was on fire and his head hadn’t stopped spinning since the ballroom. He was extremely drunk already.
“Truth or Dare?” It was his turn to ask.
“Dare.”
“Same thing.”
She rolled her eyes at him and gulped down her drink. She managed to swallow all of it, but she had a coughing fit. He thumped her back, although he wasn’t sure that even did anything.
She stopped coughing, but he didn’t remove his hand; she didn’t seem to mind.
“Your turn.” Her voice was still hoarse from the whiskey.
“Truth.”
Fuck it. Hope this doesn’t bite me in the ass.
“Are you mad at me?”
Her voice was so small, he could barely keep himself from squeezing her. I can’t even blame her for thinking that. I’m such an asshole.
“No. And I’m sorry for making you think that.”
She seemed to be waiting for him to add something, but that was as far as he was willing to go, so she nodded.
“Truth.”
“Do you miss home?”
She was quiet for a long moment. Drake thought he could hear a clock ticking, but he couldn’t see one. He wondered idly what time it was. Late, but how late? He didn’t dare check his phone at that moment.
Finally, she sighed and spoke, “What is home, anyway? I don’t really have anyone, so no.”
She was leaning into him now, his hand still on her back.
“I’m sorry, if you don’t want to–”
“No, I do. It’s actually kind of a relief to be asked. I know my life is a million times better here than it ever was in New York, but sometimes it sucks that people just assume I’m happier here.”
“Aren’t you?”
“No, I am! I definitely am but…”
Drake waited again until she was ready to continue.
“Remember back in Olivia’s estate? When we went out before the storm?”
You mean the moment I knew I was falling for you, even if I was in denial? Yep.
“Sure,” he replied.
“I told you I knew what it was like to feel like you failed someone.”
“Yeah,” his voice was barely audible. He had been wondering about that but it seemed serious and he didn’t want to push her. He figured she’d tell Liam about it, rather than him.
“I… had a younger brother. Growing up we were really close, but then I left for college and we kind of drifted apart. I thought I could justify it, being a busy college student and all that but… He started having a hard time and I–I didn’t even know about it.”
She squeezed her lips together and continued, “One day I got a call at school that my little brother,” her voice wobbled, “had killed himself.”
Tears were now escaping her eyes, falling too fast and hard to roll down her cheeks. Drake realized he’d been rubbing circles on her back for the past few minutes.
She shook her head. “I didn’t even think to check up on him and I knew depression ran in the family.” She put her head in her hands and took a deep breath. “In his note he asked me to forgive him. As if it were him I needed to forgive.”
She let out a small sob, her face still hidden. A few seconds later, she wiped her tears and spoke, her voice still unsteady, “Coming here, I was just running away from my guilt. But I’m happy for the first time in years thanks to you guys, and you’ve helped me believe I do deserve it, despite everything… I haven’t completely forgiven myself, but I’m closer than I’d ever been.”
She gave him a watery smile. “So thanks, for everything.” She squeezed his hand.
He could not believe she was smiling. The horror, the trauma of losing a loved one in such a way and yet she still found something to be grateful for. He felt his own throat closing up, overwhelmed with affection and admiration. Unable to speak, he squeezed her hand back.
They stayed that way for a few minutes, with her head on his shoulder and his hand stroking her back.
She sniffed and stood up, walking to the mirror. “God, I’m a mess!”
Drake went to stand behind her. “I think a pink nose suits you.”
She giggled. “And to think I might have met Liam looking like this!”
Drake’s smile died on his lips. Right. Liam.
“Listen, if you’re feeling okay I should leave you to it.”
“Oh, um, yeah, I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, it felt good to tell someone.”
So she hadn’t told anyone? Not even Liam?
He entertained that thought for a second and then shook himself.
It doesn’t matter. You can be her confidant; she’ll still marry Liam. And that’s okay. Having her in your life is enough, but you need to forget about anything romantic happening between you. She deserves no less than a fucking kingdom.
“You should go meet Liam. I bet you can still make it.”
“You… think I should?” Her expression was unreadable.
“Yeah.” So was his.
His feet carried him to the bar, where he ordered shot after shot. He lost count. His bed was only a few feet away, so he could get as drunk as he wanted. As drunk as it would take to forget about Riley for a second. To forget about her bravery and resilience, her vulnerability, her warmth.
We can be friends. We have to be friends, I can’t lose her. I just have to find somebody else.
As if planned, Kiara plopped down on the stool next to him. He couldn’t really focus her properly, but he still knew she looked beautiful as ever.
“Drake! I haven’t seen you all night!” Her speech was not as proper as usual, maybe even a bit slurred, but Drake was in no condition to notice.
“Theeeerrre you are, mylittlecroissant.” He had no idea he was barely intelligible at this point. Kiara didn’t seem to mind, anyway. “Voulez-vous choucher avec moi?”
“I thought you’d never ask!”
They finished their drinks and Kiara moved to his lap his lap. He didn’t see the bartender leave, but he must have. Drake crashed his lips clumsily onto hers, their teeth accidentally clashing. She responded enthusiastically, her tongue entering his mouth. They made out sloppily, his hands roaming her body.
She pulled him closer by his shirt and let her hands stroke his chest, going lower and lower. She brushed his inner thigh and he felt his cock stir in his pants.
He jumped up from his seat, making her fall to the floor.
“Oh! Sorry, sorry, sorry!” He apologized over and over again as he helped her up.
“Kiara, yeeer great, ya know? Like, s-superrr cool an’ev’rything but I can’t. I juss can’t.”
He left her standing there and stumbled back to his room as fast as his condition allowed him.
As soon as he was through the threshold, he slammed the door and leaned against it, breathing heavily. His hand trembling with need, he undid his zipper, pulled out his cock and took himself in his hand.
He started out slowly, just savoring the feeling. Then, without meaning to, he let himself imagine what a smaller, softer hand would feel like. His hand moved faster. Unbidden, an image of Riley in her black underwear and matching bra came to him and he was powerless to stop it. His hand moving at a feverish pace, he had to clench his jaw to stop himself from crying out.
Still, he couldn’t help groaning, “Addams!” through clenched teeth as he spilled all over his hand.
Steadying his breath, he cleaned himself up and staggered to bed, already knowing his future self was going to regret so much of what happened that night.
I’m so fucked.