Maxwell had come into Drake’s room earlier than he would’ve liked.
“What are you doing here?” Drake groaned, still half asleep.
“I just wanted to hang out.”
“Hang out?! I hate you right now.”
“Aw, come on! I feel like I almost didn’t see you yesterday… I’m sorry, by the way, about the Savannah thing…”
“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” replied Drake hurriedly, eager to change the subject, “it’s water under the bridge.”
“Drake, I’m serious.” Maxwell did look serious, uncharacteristically so, as he looked Drake directly in the eye. “I’m really sorry. If it makes you feel any better I’m sure wherever she is, she’s doing okay.”
“Well, you can’t know that but thanks for trying anyway,” Drake sighed and sat up on his bed.
“I’m glad Riley went after you.”
“Actually…” Drake hesitated, “so am I.”
“Oh really?” Maxwell held back a smile. “That’s interesting. If I remember correctly you didn’t even want her to come here in the first place.”
“Can you blame me?! She seemed so…” Drake struggled to explain or even remember why he hadn’t wanted Riley here, but it seemed like he’d thought so years ago. “But now she’s so…”
He looked down at his hands, searching for words that could define what he thought about her now without going overboard, but his brain appeared to be stuck on “amazing”. He chose to make a helpless hand gesture instead, hoping Maxwell wouldn’t dwell on his non-phrases.
Of course, Maxwell preferred to dwell on something else.
“So I guess what you’re saying is… I was… right?” His delighted grin only grew as he saw Drake’s horrified expression. “Admit I have good ideas, come on, say it.”
“I will not.”
“Pleeease?”
“Fine, you had one good idea.”
“Nope, it has to be ideas, plural. As in, including Club Sub.”
“Don’t do this to me,” said Drake weakly.
“Do it, or I’ll tell Riley and Hana about that time you danced to Hayley Rose on the table at a Beaumont Bash.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“I have video.”
“You have good – nay – great ideas, Maxwell,” said Drake solemnly.
“That’s what I like to hear.” Maxwell clapped him in the back and sat down beside him. “I saw you talking to Lady Kiara yesterday, what’s going on there?”
“Nothing’s going on!”
“Drake, remember what I said the other day, not everyone–”
“Wants chocolate, I know, but it’s not just that. I… guess I’m not sure how much I like Lady Kiara as a person, y’know? I mean, she’s fine, she’s always nice to me but I don’t feel as comfortable around her; not like I feel with A– Uh, w-with you, or Liam.” He cleared his throat.
Maxwell wiped imaginary tears from his eyes. “Drake, that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”
“Yeah, yeah, now get the hell out so I can get ready for the stupid ball.”
“Sure!” said Maxwell with his usual enthusiasm, still looking pleased. “See you there!”
Drake was left to ponder the fact that he’d almost said “Addams” just then.
After trying and failing to clear his mind in the shower, he decided to allow himself a few minutes to think about that before moving on.
Dude, why are you so freaked out? You feel comfortable with Addams, well, duh! She wore you down! She’s always around, being annoying with her stupid teasing, and her nosiness, and her wanting to help people and cheer them up, and wanting to make sure you were okay yesterday…
He’d put his shirt on inside out.
There was a knock on his door for the second time that day.
“Uh, come in.” He hurriedly put his shirt on right as Liam came into his room.
“Oh, hey, man.”
“Hi, Drake.”
“What’s up? I barely saw you yesterday.”
“Yes and, in fact, that is what I came here to talk about.”
“Oh?”
“I noticed you spent quite some time with Lady Riley yesterday.”
“Oh. Um, yeah I, uh, I guess I did.” Drake rubbed the back of his neck, feeling guilty for no good reason.
“Well, I just wanted to thank you.”
“Listen, Liam, I– Wait, thank me?”
“Yes, of course, I know you don’t approve of her, but I appreciate you watching out for her and keeping her entertained while I fulfill my duties.”
“Right, sure. You’re,” Drake swallowed, “welcome. And I don’t disapprove of her anymore, you know? I actually think she’d make a decent enough queen.” He felt his mouth grimace of its own accord when he said that, but Liam didn’t appear to notice.
“She would, wouldn’t she?” Liam’s eyes were dreamy and a small smile lit up his face. “I just wish I could spend more time with her.”
“Yeah, well, duty first and all that.”
“Yes… but it shouldn’t be. Drake, you’ve made up my mind. From tomorrow’s event on, I have resolved to spend as much time with Lady Riley as I can get away with without slighting the other suitors,” he said giddily.
“Great. That is a-a great idea, Liam. I’m glad you decided that. So glad! I won’t even have to keep spending time with her, ha ha. Well, this has been great, but I think I’m gonna take a walk. See you at the dance, buddy!”
Drake hurried out of his room like he was being chased.
After exploring the chateau, followed by a long walk filled with nothing but silence occasionally interrupted by the sounds of nature, Drake was feeling much better. Damn, this place is not good for me. He looked at his phone and cursed under his breath; he needed to get back for the stupid ball. As he walked, he got a text from Bastien saying, “Bought photos back. Still working on culprit. Talk to you soon, Bastien.”
He texted back, “Great news! I’ll see you tomorrow. And you don’t have to sign your texts.”
He felt his phone vibrate, “Got it, thanks, Bastien.”
He chuckled as he pocketed it before entering the ballroom.
He automatically walked to the table farthest from the dance floor; he knew Olivia well enough by now. He was followed by a frantic usher, intent on showing him his seat. The usher seemed like he might cry if Drake didn’t let him show him the seating chart, so he turned and heard him say exactly what he knew he would: he was in the very back of the ballroom.
He slumped down in a chair. He knew this was coming every time, more so when Olivia was involved, and yet it still stung. Mostly because sitting here severely undercut his ability to enjoy himself. The food would be inedible – if they even served him any – and the company would be–
Addams is coming to my table. Her snowy gown sparkled in the soft light of the ballroom, and yet it didn’t outshine her; if anything, she looked even more luminous by comparison. He was pretty sure his mouth was open, so he carefully arranged it into a casual smirk. Damn, if she doesn’t look amazing.
Oh, and Hana’s here, too.
He definitely wasn’t going to get hung up on the fact that it took him a full minute to register that Hana, an objectively beautiful woman, was even there.
“Welcome to the table of exiles.”
Riley grinned. “Drake? I’m actually glad to see you.” He managed to avoid saying something in disbelief, but it was a close call. “And here I was worried that we’d be stuck with some stuffy nobles.” He smirked more widely and pulled out the chair next to him for her.
“It’s probably meant to be an even bigger slight that we’re with a commoner,” sighed Hana. Drake had almost forgotten she was there. And what a lovely reminder. He looked fixedly at his empty plate but out of the corner of his eye caught Riley shooting Hana a disapproving look.
She sat down next to him and put her hand on his arm, which was resting on the table. “Well, Olivia really missed the mark this time.”
Drake tried to control his smile, but it was futile. “Thanks, Addams. That actually means something, coming from you.”
They held each other’s gaze until Hana’s chair scraped the floor as she pulled it out. They both turned to look at her.
“Drake, you don’t seem bothered at all to be seated in the back.” She seemed to be trying to make small talk to make up for her earlier blunder. Drake decided to let it slide.
“What can I say? After enough years of being treated like this, you build up a thick skin.” Or at least you pretend to. “Besides, back here? Out of the spotlight? At least we can relax.” He turned to look at Riley at this last part with a playful smile, which she returned.
Waiters had started bringing the food out and the room was suddenly filled with delicious smells that were wafting from the bowls they were carrying. He couldn’t tell what it was exactly, but his mouth was watering already. Too bad we won’t even get to try it.
As if hearing his thoughts, Hana said, “The food looks amazing. I hope they serve us soon! I’m starving!”
“I wouldn’t get your hopes up,” he informed her. “Where we’re seated, we’ll be the last to eat. If there’s even any left by the time they get to us.”
“But… the lobster bisque… do you really think we’ll go hungry?” Hana pouted.
Riley, who had looked outraged when he explained they were likely not eating, got a determined look on her face. “Not if I can help it. This can’t be too different from hailing a New York taxi.”
She winked at them before getting up and approaching a passing waiter jerkily. “Hey… Please, I’m about to faint.” She put her arms on the waiter’s chest, as if she couldn’t support her weight. “I need food.”
Drake caught on to what she was doing and instinctively got up from his chair. Hana was watching fascinatingly.
“I haven’t eaten all day, I…” Riley slowly crumpled backwards. Drake yelled, “Hey!” louder than he intended and threw himself forward, catching her just before she hit the ground.
Riley kept going, like a pro, “Please… food…”
The waiter looked like she was about to faint herself and hastily dropped a single bowl of bisque on their table, scurrying away before any of these crazy nobles had a chance to pull anything else.
Drake was still holding Riley. He was suddenly very aware that he could smell her sweet, fresh perfume, and that his arms, surrounding her torso, were pressing them close together. He cleared his throat and helped her to her feet.
He pulled her chair out for her and then sat down. “I can’t believe that actually worked, Addams.” He shook his head with a smile. “Just… warn me before you take a dive. Next time I might not catch you.”
She gave him a charming smile with twinkling eyes. “Oh, Drake. You know I like to keep you on your toes.”
He chuckled. That she does.
“Well, let’s examine out riches! One piping hot bowl of lobster bisque to split three ways?” Hana passed them each a spoon.
“Let’s dig in!” Riley did a little excited dance, at which Drake rolled his eyes.
They all dipped their spoons in at the same time. The bisque was incredibly flavorful and still pleasantly warm. It was perfect for this cold weather.
Drake said what they were all thinking, “This is actually really good.”
“I’m in lobster heaven,” Hana moaned in delight.
“Solid work, Addams,” said Drake, high fiving her. She returned it so enthusiastically his hand stung, but he still grinned at her.
“Yes! Thank you, Riley! We’d be lost without you!” Hana touched Riley’s forearm and the latter put her hand over hers.
“Aw thanks guys. I’m sure the rest of the food will show up soon, anyway…”
“In the meantime, we could play a game!” Hana proposed eagerly.
“Do we have to?”
“Oh, come on, Drake, don’t be such a bummer!” Riley pushed him playfully.
“Okay, okay, I’m outnumbered. So what’s the game?”
“Two truths and a lie?” said Hana hopefully.
“I don’t know it.”
“Really? You never went to summer camp or something like that?” asked Riley. “Wait, don’t answer that, you can use it for the game. It’s really simple: you tell us two truths and one lie about yourself and then we have to guess which is the lie.”
“Got it. You start, Hana.”
“Oh, um, okay. I am an award-winning horseback rider, I am an award-winning painter and I am an award-winning skater.”
Drake and Riley turned to look at each other and burst out laughing.
“Seriously?!” Riley asked between laughs. “That’s impossible! You’re an award-winning everything! Are you sure you remembered to lie?”
Hana giggled, “I’m not! I did tell a lie! Now, guess.”
Drake and Riley’s laughs subsided and they looked at each other thoughtfully.
“I’ve seen you skate and I’m pretty sure there has to be a freaking move named after you so that’s not a lie… I’m gonna say you’re not a horseback rider, because painting seems more… you,” Drake guessed.
“Drake, Drake, Drake,” said Riley, mimicking Drake’s pitying head shakes from yesterday, “that’s where you’re wrong. You, my friend, are underestimating Hana. I think you are a skater and a horseback rider.”
“Ding, ding, ding! Riley’s right!”
Drake groaned while Riley cheered.
“Come on, Drake, painting is clearly a more recreational activity! I was obviously not allowed to practice it as much.”
“Right… obviously.”
“Okay, your turn,” Hana chirped.
“Wait! Before we go on: Drake, how would you feel about making things more interesting?” Riley arched an eyebrow at him.
“Triple or nothing?”
“You know it.”
“Two out of three of Hana’s.”
“Yep. And you’re already losing.”
Drake glared at her. “All right, here we go. I used to be scared of clowns…” Riley sniggered at this. “Used to,” Drake emphasized. “I was a Boy Scout and… my first concert was Hayley Rose.”
“What!” Riley snorted.
“Shut up,” Drake said, laughing along with her.
“Well that’s definitely true. You wouldn’t be so embarrassed if it weren’t. For the record, no judgment here.”
“Nor from me,” piped up Hana. “Mainly because… I don’t know her music.” They laughed harder then, and Riley promised to show her the best Hayley Rose songs and tell her the grisly details of her life.
“Right, so I don’t think you were ever scared of clowns, Drake. I can’t imagine you not being cynical even as a child,” shrugged Hana.
“Once again, I am the best at this game. Clearly Drake didn’t use to be afraid of clowns… he never stopped!” said Riley dramatically. “You were never a Boy Scout.”
Drake sighed, “As much as it pains me to say this… Addams is right. About the second part, I’m not afraid of clowns anymore.”
“Sure you’re not,” Riley replied with a sly smile.
“Your turn, wise guy,” said Drake.
“Okay, here goes. My favorite food is sushi, I went to a Hayley Rose concert too, and I had never been outside the US before this.”
“Easy, you’d never left the US.”
Riley gave Drake a curious look. “And why do you say that?”
He shrugged, “I know how hard it can be to travel for us commoners.”
“I disagree. I think Riley is very cultured.”
“Oh, ‘cause a commoner can’t be cultured?”
“Drake, that’s not what I–”
“Okaaay, what’s your guess, Hana?” Riley interrupted, trying to diffuse the tension.
“I don’t think your favorite food is sushi.”
“But it is! Sorry, Hana, Drake’s right. This is my first time out of the US!”
“Oh! Well, I never would have guessed, you’ve handled it really well…”
Drake let the conversation fade out until it was Hana’s turn again. After a few more turns, Hana had beat them both, but Drake had beat Riley, which was all that mattered.
“Quadruple or nothing, Drake.”
Drake laughed and before he could answer, Hana let out a sigh, “Wow… the service here is terrible.”
“All by design,” he replied. As soon as he’d stopped laughing, his hunger had caught up with him… and it brought his temper along.
“Even if it’s on purpose, at least it’s not the worst service I’ve had,” started Hana.
“You’ve had worse service than this?” asked Riley, her eyes bugging out.
“Believe it or not, I’ve been to a wedding where food wasn’t served until midnight. They got hideously behind schedule and decided to do an open call for speeches before dinner. It took hours!”
“Oh, heavens!” exclaimed Drake in a high-pitched voice. He knew that was unnecessarily rude, but she started it with the whole commoner thing and he was hungry; personally, he felt he was doing an admirable job of keeping it together.
Riley disagreed. She shot him a reproachful look, “Drake.”
He chose to ignore her. “I can tell you a real horror story. Let’s set the scene. Casual get-together. Lots of people I don’t know, but that’s fine. There’s a bar, man’s true best friend. So I figure I’ll grab a drink. I go up to the bar, and they’re out of whiskey!” He looked at them both in turn, trying to convey the horror.
Riley rolled her eyes. “Drake, I could use some whiskey now.”
She might have been referring to how stupid his story was, but Drake decided to take it as agreement. “Now you’re speaking my language. But these dinners usually only come with some fancy wine and champagne.”
“And I have a feeling that we’d be lucky to even get water at this point,” frowned Hana.
“It’s too bad we probably won’t see a real drink at dinner. From what I’ve seen, Olivia’s got quite a stash,” shared Drake, remembering the cavernous cellar he’d found before taking his walk outside.
“From what you’ve seen?” Hana raised an inquiring eyebrow.
“I did some exploring, and I happened to stumble across her wine cellar.”
“Really?” Riley’s eyes widened; she seemed excited by the idea.
Encouraged, Drake continued, “Yeah. It’s pretty impressive, actually, and not a bad place to get away from all of this for awhile.” Before his brain caught up with his mouth, he found himself saying, “Why don’t you join me there for a drink tonight, Addams? If you’re not afraid of sneaking out after hours…”
As Riley opened her mouth to answer, a waiter dropped off two more bowls of bisque. Despite her silence, Drake didn’t think she was the type to back down from a challenge, or so he hoped.
I have a bad feeling about this. If she says no, it’s gonna suck, and if she says yes… Whatever, I’m doing this for Liam after all, keeping her entertained and all that stuff he said. Plus, he said he’s gonna spend more time with her starting tomorrow so this is the last time I gotta do this.
He suddenly didn’t feel that hungry anymore.
“There’s no lobster in my bowl. It’s just… bisque. This is the saddest soup I’ve ever seen.” Hana sounded almost like she pitied the food.
For once, Drake wholeheartedly agreed, “I’m not usually one to complain about free food, but this is ice cold compared to what we had earlier. Which means Olivia did this on purpose.”
He had a few more spoonfuls before deciding he really couldn’t stomach any more. “At least we got to have a taste of the real meal, thanks to Riley’s quick thinking!” He shook her shoulder affectionately.
Riley slapped his hand away and took a bow. “And we know that Olivia’s intentionally screwing with us.”
As if summoned, Olivia’s voice came high and clear from the dance floor; Drake tuned out most of her little speech, but the gist was it was time for the waltz.
Hana looked devastated. “But we haven’t finished eating!
Drake grimaced sympathetically. If there’s something he could bond over, it was disliking Olivia Nevrakis. “I don’t think she cares.”
“Well…” Riley stood up and extended both arms towards Drake and Hana, respectively, “let’s do this.”
Hana grabbed her hand, looking a lot happier than before, and stood up. When Drake didn’t do the same, she asked, “Aren’t you joining us, Drake?”
At that moment, Drake couldn’t think of anything he wanted more than to know that stupid waltz. Who the hell am I right now? “Waltzing isn’t my thing. I’ll be here with the… food,” he finished awkwardly. Riley shrugged, frowning a little, while Hana waved goodbye before heading to the dance floor.
Hana went off to dance with some lord Drake couldn’t place, and Riley paired up with Maxwell. He supposed at this point, he shouldn’t be surprised that Riley went through the waltz practically flawlessly, in spite of it being her first time dancing it. He still shook his head in astonishment. Is she good at everything?
The waltz was over sooner than he’d expected. The music lulled and there was a noise – softer than a gasp, more like a collective intake of breath. He searched the dance floor for the cause of the noise and saw Olivia kissing Liam. Before he even knew what he was doing – or why, for that matter – he had found Riley’s face in the crowd. She looked stricken. Other than that, she didn’t react much, but it was enough.
He stormed out.
How dare Liam do this?! How does he go from being all googly-eyed over Addams, to fucking her over like this? He keeps going on about duty, but I doubt his duties include exchanging spit with fucking Chucky over there. How do you even choose Olivia over Addams anyway? It’s a no-brainer.
He realized his body had taken him to his room while his mind was busy railing against Liam. He snatched a bottle of whiskey from his bag and went down to the wine cellar.
After pouring himself a drink and taking a few sips, he’d calmed down enough to recognize that Liam had almost definitely not initiated or even encouraged the kiss. It wasn’t really his fault… for the most part. Yet he still felt irritated. That face she made… I guess I don’t want Addams to be disappointed. She deserves better.
He heard footsteps coming downstairs. Speak of the Devil. His stomach did a weird flip. It’s probably ‘cause I didn’t end up eating much.
Riley poked her head around the corner. She saw him and grinned, that mischievous look in her eyes, and walked the rest of the way down.
“There you are, Addams. I was beginning to think you didn’t have the guts to show. Y’know, breaking the rules, out after curfew and all that.”
For a second, she looked like she was going to say something snarky, her hand on her hip; then she dropped it and softened her smile. “Actually, I couldn’t wait to see you again.”
It was like Drake got the wind knocked out of him. Who says that? Is that what friends say? He felt the stupidest grin spread across his face. “Aw, come on, Addams. You’re gonna make me blush.”
Riley smirked, “Now that I’d like to see.”
Drake tried not to think about how close she’d already come to seeing it and changed the subject, “So, what’re you drinking?”
“What’ve you got?”
“Nothing yet. It seems like Olivia has a very extensive collection of fine Cordonian wines. I’m no expert, but from the names I recognize, nothing in here’s under a thousand dollars!”
Riley got that rule-breaking twinkle in her eyes again, “You want to drink Olivia’s wine? Pass me a bottle! She’s got so many bottles here, she’ll probably never even notice!”
As much as Drake loved that idea, and loved that she came up with it, he didn’t want her to get in trouble. Olivia was already unpleasant to her, to say the least. “Before you pop something open, I also brought a bottle of whiskey down for myself… but I’d share it with you. So pick your poison.”
Riley didn’t hesitate, “Whiskey.”
Drake nodded approvingly and poured her and himself a glass. They were about to clink glasses when Riley said, “Wait, we have to make eye contact, otherwise it’s 7 years of bad sex.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I don’t make the rules.”
“You literally just did.”
“Fine, if you wanna risk it that’s on you, but I’m gonna look you in the eye, got it?”
“Okay, I’ll do it,” grumbled Drake. “This is stupid, for the record.”
“You’re welcome for saving your sex life.”
“Cheers.”
They clinked their glasses while looking fixedly into each other’s eyes, both smiling at first. They gradually got serious and the silence seemed to become loaded. Drake was the first to look away.
“So,” said Riley a little awkwardly. “You came down to the wine cellar to drink whiskey? Doesn’t that seem a little silly?”
Drake shrugged, “I came down here to get a little commoner time by myself where I don’t have to bow and kiss hands for a few minutes.”
“Drake, if you hate the nobility so much, why do you stick around?”
Funnily enough, no one had ever asked him that question. He stalled, “It must seem ridiculous to you.”
Riley put her hand on her hip. “To be honest, it seems like you complain a lot for getting a free ride.”
Drake’s mouth dropped. He knew a lot of people thought that, hell, some even said it to his face, but they did it to hurt him, not because they were being honest.
“That’s…” He laughed a little, “I guess that’s kind of true… I would’ve left a long time ago, but Liam needs me. I know he’s got nobles and courtiers all around him, but most of them would stab him in the back if they thought they could profit from it. I’ve seen so many underhanded moves that I don’t trust any of them anymore.” He remembered the stupid tabloid pictures and the practically nonexistent likelihood that they were being sold by a stranger. “And these are from our friends! And this latest one…”
“What happened?” Riley asked, concern lacing her voice.
I need to learn to shut up. Especially around Addams. “I… I’m not sure I should tell you. It’s still being resolved.”
“You’re always saying I need to watch out… it’d be nice to actually know what for.”
Again, she hit the nail on the head. It was only fair. “You remember Liam’s bachelor party?”
“Of course.”
“We found out that someone close to us that night was trying to sell pictures to the tabloids.”
Riley’s eyes widened, incredulous. “But who? Who would do that?”
Drake frowned. “We haven’t tracked down the source yet, but I just got a message from Bastien that we were able to buy the photos back before they were printed.”
Riley tilted her head. “Call me crazy, but I don’t remember anything scandalous happening…”
“You know how the tabloids are.” Drake shook his head. “A picture with a drink in his hand, and suddenly the crown prince of Cordonia is on a drunken rager. And then there’s pictures of the two of you together.”
“What? But we weren’t…” Riley trailed off, blushing.
“The two of you were talking, and he was clearly interested in you. That’s enough for them to speculate on. What was the headline the tabloid was going to run? ‘Prince Liam’s Drunken Fling Before the Ring!’”
Riley put her hand over her mouth. “And you have no idea who would do this?”
“Not really. There are a lot of people who would be desperate for those photos… I just hope it wasn’t one of the guys. The pictures they had… Those would’ve been hard to take unless that person were someone close to us…”
If anything good was going to come out of this mess, he was relieved that Riley was probably going to be more cautious. She said, “Drake, I’ll watch out.” And touched his arm reassuringly.
“Good. Money and power make people do crazy things, Addams. I just don’t want to see you get hurt because of it,” he said earnestly.
She gave him a soft smile, touched that he cared, “Drake…”
“I mean, sometimes, I look at you… and I see this wide-eyed baby deer who just stumbled into the hunter’s campsite.” He ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing with everything that could go wrong.
He was interrupted by Riley saying, “A baby deer? So you think I’m cute?” She gave him a teasing smile.
The honest answer was yes, he’d literally thought that yesterday, but he didn’t want her to get the wrong idea. His brain jammed, “That’s not what I… er…”
Riley bit her lip to keep from laughing as she paced in front of him, “My, my, seems like for once you’re speechless.”
“Your unique talent, Addams, seems to be putting me in my place.”
“Someone’s gotta do it.”
Drake laughed loudly. When she joined in, the sound of her laughter sobered him up and he looked at her with intensity. “What is it about you? You’re so frustrating, but…”
“But?”
I keep coming back. I want more. He was terrified.
He shook his head, “Forget it. How about a toast, instead?” He raised his glass towards her.
“What’re we toasting to?”
He thought about it. How could he explain what this little getaway – their last one – meant to him without saying something stupid? “To the moments in between.”
“Huh?”
“All the nobles think about are the big events. The grand balls, the press appearances, the banquets…” He thought about Liam and his face fell for a split second. He used to spend moments like this with him a lot more often. He couldn’t help but feel that, despite all of his wealth and upbringing, he was missing out on a lot.
“They don’t even realize that the moments that matter the most are all the ones they’re missing. Moments like right now, just the two of us and some cheap whiskey. The ones that really mean something.” It was too late to take it back, but he didn’t want to be presumptuous; for all he knew, she had nothing better to do or just wanted whiskey. “At least, it means something to me, anyway.”
She was much closer than he’d realized. She looked up at him and said, so sincerely, “Drake, it means something to me too.”
Wordlessly, they raised they glasses and clinked them. This time looking each other in the eye not because of superstition, but because they wanted to.
As they brought their respective glasses to their lips, Drake said, “To the moments in between.”
They finished their drink and Drake looked at his phone. He should go. He was glad he’d made their last moment in between a good one, at least.
“Now, it’s getting late, and I don’t want to get you in any trouble.”
Riley gave him a small smile, “That’s so thoughtful of you.”
“I’m a gentleman, even if not one by birth.” He bowed at her and smiled back. “G’night, Addams.”
“Good night, Drake.”