#and to clarify I actually do like maxwel as I am the number one just some asshole whos in too deep enjoyer

[arolesbianism]

Yet another beautiful day to have the Maxwel tag blocked (can't see half of the posts in the Wendy tags)

[alj4890]

I have an ask? What if Liam got Riley pregnant when they first met in New York? Would he still have to go through the social season? Would she have to raise a baby on her own would Liam find a way to help?

Ooooohhhh. Interesting. That would be quite the conundrum for them, wouldn't it? Especially since the social season starts the very next day after he visited her bar. Hmmm. Let's see what I can do with that time frame. I'm going on the assumption that the social season lasts at least three months with all the parties and traveling they do. Which will help out with the pregnancy part 😉 I think she would still go and take part in the social season since she wouldn’t know she was pregnant yet, but it would definitely alter how things end in book 1.

Masterlist

@gkittylove99 @darley1101 @krsnlove @kingliam2019 @texaskitten30 @yourmajesty09 @mom2000aggie @ofpixelsandscribbles @twinkleallnight @lodberg @twinkleallnight @amandablink @neotericthemis  @mm2305

Aftereffects

Three months earlier...

"Well?" Riley tilted her head to study Liam's profile. "What do you think?"

He cleared his throat. Lips parted, yet no words were formed. Liam had so many emotions hitting him all at once that a mere stranger had made his one wish come true.

His eyes went from the Statue of Liberty to the woman responsible for him being able to see it.

"I'm speechless." He lowered his head, lips curving in a shy smile. "I've never been so moved in my life than I am in this moment with you."

She smiled and turned her attention toward the iconic monument. "She's really something, isn't she?"

He turned toward Riley. His eyes traveled down her beautiful face softly lit by the dull light coming from the ferry they were on and the sliver of moonlight from above.

"Yes," he moved closer to her. "She really is."

Riley looked up at him. Her heart raced at the tender longing she saw in his eyes. He seemed so lonely. So in need of encouragement. So in need of affection.

Before he could step away, she snagged his lips in a tender kiss.

He froze for two seconds before crushing her to him. He allowed all the feelings he kept to himself pour out as a fuel to draw moans from her. The desperation he had been feeling since his brother abdicated didn't seem to exist around this woman.

His kisses traveled down her neck.

"Liam." She sighed when he returned to her mouth.

Her arms wrapped around his neck as he pressed her back against the railing.

"I don't want this night to end." He murmured.

It took a physical effort to stop.

"Neither do I." She cupped his cheek. "I know you leave tomorrow."

He nodded, already feeling the heavy yoke that was about to be thrust upon his shoulders.

"It's not quite tomorrow though." She kissed along his jaw as she whispered. "We can still enjoy the rest of tonight."

"Riley, I--you know I must choose--I couldn't do that and simply leave you to search for a bride." He felt guilty just thinking about it.

He would be the worst sort of cad possible if he were to spend the night in her arms.

He shouldn't have pursued her. The moment she had turned around and greeted him in the bar, he had thought of nothing else except getting to know more about her.

"I want you." She whispered. "If tonight is all we have, then let's make the most of it."

"You have no idea how much I want you." He kissed her once more, completely unable to resist her.

******************

Two and a half months later...

Maxwell winced when he heard the noises coming from Riley's bathroom. Bracing himself, he timidly knocked upon the door.

"You okay in there, blossom?"

"What--" she heaved into the toilet, "do you think?"

"Maxwell!" Bertrand snapped. "What is the hold up. She should have been downstairs fifteen minutes ago."

His eyes widened at the sounds of vomiting.

"Is she ill?" He whispered.

Maxwell shrugged.

"She seemed fine last night." Bertrand thought over the past few days.

"She has been more tired than usual." Maxwell narrowed his eyes in concern. "And this isn't the first time I've heard her throwing up."

Bertrand's stern demeanor turned to worry. "You don't think she's..."

"Think she's what?" Maxwell asked.

"We have been pressuring her to wear the right clothes. I hope we haven't caused her to think she needs to lose weight." Bertrand explained.

Maxwell's eyes widened. He would never be able to forgive himself if he had made Riley think less of her natural beauty.

"Riley!" He anxiously knocked again when they heard nothing but silence. "Can we come in?"

"Sure." Her weak response was followed by her unlocking the door.

The brothers walked inside and saw her sitting in the floor.

Maxwell wet a rag and crouched beside her. He gently cleaned the sweat off her brow, his worry was now off the charts at the half hearted smile she gave him.

"Thanks." She lifted her eyes to Bertrand. "I'm sorry. I know I'm supposed to be outside for the--"

"Don't concern yourself with that." He tempered his usual gruff tone. "We must take care of you first."

Tears filled her eyes at how kind he was being. He wasn't berating her or telling her that House Beaumont needed her to win Liam. She wondered where this Bertrand had been hiding. Tears began to trickle down her cheeks as the brothers discussed ways to help her feel better.

He ordered Maxwell to pick her up and carry her to her bed.

As she settled back against her pillows, he called down to the kitchen and ordered a tray of soup, crackers, and tea to be brought up.

By the time he was finished, she was crying in full force.

"Riley!" Maxwell sat down on her bed and tried to hug her. "Please tell us what's wrong."

Bertrand reached for her hand. "You do know how lovely you are, right?"

Her eyes widened at that odd question.

"We think you shouldn't change at all." Maxwell added.

"Indeed. Many of the dresses in the boutique are," Bertrand's frown firmed as he tried to think of a way to keep her from thinking her body was at fault, "they aren't properly made. One can never go by sizes there."

"And you're size is perfect. Liam can't keep his eyes off you." Maxwell added. "In fact, you could probably add on some weight and be even more beautiful."

"Indeed." Bertrand latched on to that. "Size does not matter. It is what is on the inside that counts."

Riley lifted her head. "What are you talking about?"

"You're," Maxwell mimed vomiting.

"You must stop." Bertrand added. "You do not need to lose weight."

"I'm not doing it on purpose." She shook her head.

It touched her heart though that they wouldn't want her developing an eating disorder.

"I don't know what's caused this." She explained. "The weirdest smells and motions seem to set it off. Like yesterday, the smell of tomatoes had me running for a bathroom and I've always loved tomatoes."

"Could it possibly be your nerves?" Bertrand sat down at the foot of the bed. "The social season can take a toll on even the most seasoned noble."

"I don't think so." Riley mumbled. "It's like my energy has suddenly been depleted. Of course that could be because of the vomiting."

"So what caused it to start?" Maxwell asked.

"How long has it been going on?" Bertrand added.

"I don't know what set it off. It's been going on for a couple of weeks, but it is getting worse."

"Hmm." Bertrand and Maxwell shared a glance.

"Riley, I hope you don't think badly of me for asking," Bertrand struggled to inquire into something so personal. "But, have you, er...did you..."

She lifted her eyebrows in silent question.

"Before you joined us, were you involved with anyone?" He closed his eyes in embarrassment.

"Involved?"

"Any previous boyfriends or hookups before Liam?" Maxwell clarified.

"Oh!" Her cheeks heated with color. "No. I actually haven't been in a relationship for almost a year now." She lowered her eyes. "I had a bad relationship with a guy and decided to focus on myself once I got out of it."

Bertrand relaxed some. "A wise decision."

"So no one night stands?" Maxwell prodded.

"I've never been that type of..." Her eyes widened. She had been that type for one incredible night.

It was the driving force in making her decision to come to Cordonia in the first place.

"Oh no." She breathed. "The night I met you," her eyes held Maxwell's shocked gaze, "Liam and I sneaked away and..."

Bertrand shot up off the bed. "Wait here."

*****************

"We must be certain." Bertrand stressed. "The bloodwork must confirm what the test showed." His frown was fierce as he stood before the physician. "Discretion is a must in this situation."

"I'll have the results by this evening." The doctor replied. "And only I will run the lab work for Ms. Brooks."

"Here's my number." Riley scribbled it out quickly. "If I don't answer, please send a text and voicemail."

Once he was gone, she sagged back on the bed.

"What do we do now?" Maxwell asked.

"We have a ball to prepare for." Bertrand held up a silk dress. "We missed today's events, but we must make an appearance tonight. Everyone will begin to talk if we don't."

Riley nodded. Her mind though was whirling with the knowledge that she was pregnant.

How will Liam react? Will he be upset? Will he hate me for allowing it to happen? Will he think I'm trying to trap him?

How do I tell him?

Taking the dress, she forced herself to get ready.

***************

"Have you seen Riley any today?"

Drake shook his head. "No. Why?"

"That's strange." Liam folded his arms.

He wondered if something was wrong. He hated that he couldn't spend every single moment with her. What if she had reached the end of her patience with this suitor situation?

He shook his head when Drake offered him a drink.

"You've got it bad." Drake teased.

"Got what?"

"Love."

"I do?"

"Are you saying you aren't in love with Brooks?" Drake smirked. "I've seen you with her. Ever since she showed up at the masquerade ball, you haven't looked at any of the other ladies trying to win you."

Liam couldn't help but smile over that. It was true. His night with Riley in New York had been the most magical of his life. Each moment he had spent with her since then all but reaffirmed that she was the only one for him.

He was thrilled at how the people of Cordonia had fallen for her. The press had only positive things to say about The American that had come to win his hand.

He could picture her smile when she approached him at the masquerade ball.

"I think we both know we have something special. One night together will never be enough for me." Riley whispered as he kissed her hand.

"I agree." He held her hand a moment longer than was deemed appropriate. "It isn't enough." His bright blue eyes shined against the silver demi mask. "Are you certain I'm worth going through these next few months? What if--"

"We end up with our happily ever after?" She finished for him.

He knew he had completely lost his heart in that moment. Our happily ever after. Her optimism that they could have that helped him through every step of this social season. She was the prize he knew he could claim once he passed the final hurdle to be king.

He spent his time in dull conversations daydreaming about their future. How beautiful she would be as a bride. How comforting she would be as they dealt with his father's illness and troubles of their small nation.

Then he dreamed of the family they would have. He hoped they had many children, each with her infectious smile and kindness.

He hoped she would say yes when he asked her to marry him. Even if they never had all these other dreams of the future, he would at least have her and her love.

Then all of this would be well worth it.

He did worry about his father's reaction to the time he spent in her company. Whenever Liam attempted to discuss his feelings about Riley, Constantine would point out another lady of the court. He wouldn't allow his son to go ahead and make a decision.

"You better head downstairs." Drake finished off his drink. "Can't have a ball around here without the prince."

****************

"Any word yet?" Bertrand whispered.

Riley shook her head.

He softly cursed, causing her to burst into laughter.

"I'm sorry." She giggled when he shushed her. "But I would have bet a lot of money that you would never say that word."

He rolled his eyes. "Be that as it may, you should go mingle."

****************

"Lady Riley?" Liam gently tapped her shoulder. "May I have this dance?"

She turned around with a start. "I'd love to."

He took her hand and placed it within the bend of his arm. "You look beautiful tonight."

She gently squeezed his arm. "Thank you." Her eyes lifted to his. "And you're as handsome as always."

"I don't know about that." He winked at her. "But as long as you think so, then I'm content."

He took her in his arms as a waltz began.

"Let's not spin as much as we normally do." She pleaded when he twirled her.

His brow furrowed. "Is something wrong?"

"No!" She said quickly. "Just, um, a little motion sickness from time to time."

"I see." He kept his gaze upon her face. "I missed you today."

"You did?"

"I always do whenever you're not around." He admitted with a sheepish grin.

"That's so--" she felt the vibration of her phone.

She stopped dancing, causing Liam to nearly trip

"Riley, is something--"

"Excuse me, I have to--that is--this is from--" she ducked out a nearby door before all her revelations came tumbling out.

***************

She plopped down on the edge of a small couch and read the message from the doctor.

Hitting the link, she read the results of her bloodwork.

Her breaths came in and out in short gasps.

I'm really pregnant.

"Riley?"

All the color drained from her face as she looked up at Liam.

He shut the door to the ballroom and knelt before her.

"What is it?" He took her icy hand in his. "Is something wrong?"

She licked her dry lips and tried to tell him.

"Yes. No. I'm not sure."

He pressed a kiss to her hand. "Whatever it is, I will do all that I can to help you."

She blinked back tears. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything." He laced his fingers with hers.

"Do you," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "do you love me?"

"I do." He admitted. "I had planned on telling you during the Coronation Ball."

"Really?" Her eyes narrowed. "I need you to be completely honest with me right now."

"I am." He lowered his gaze to their clasped hands. His thumb brushed against her skin. "I know I'm not supposed to say anything until then, but you are the one I will pick to marry," he looked up at her, "if you want to."

She bit down on her bottom lip. "Do you want children?"

"Yes, and not just for the continuation of the Rhys holding the crown." His smile gentled. "I want a family with you, selfishly for myself. I want all the holiday memories spent with them, watching them see the world with wonder, and seeing our traits passed on, especially yours." He chuckled. "Heaven help me if we have a daughter like you. I will be completely wrapped around her little finger."

Riley couldn't believe she was hearing all she needed to from him.

He really is Prince Charming. My Prince Charming.

"Do you remember the night we met?" She asked.

"How could I forget?"

She grimaced at the worry that still gnawed at her mind.

"My love," Liam sat down beside her. "Please tell me what troubles you."

"I had not been with anyone in a long time." She began. "I mean, no one for months when we spent the night together."

Liam merely listened, wondering where she was going with this.

"I didn't think in the heat of the moment. I should have. It was irresponsible, but I was so swept off my feet..." She took a deep breath. "And I found out today that I'm pregnant."

His fingers tightened around hers.

"I'm sorry. I know with the--"

"Pregnant?" Liam interrupted her. "You're certain?"

"The doctor just sent me the results of my blood work. That with the test I took and the physical exam confirms it." Her eyes widened when he suddenly stood up and took her into his arms.

The kiss he gave her weakened her knees. His arms held her as if she was the most delicate piece of porcelain.

"Marry me." He said between kisses.

"That kinda was the whole point of me coming here." She teased, once she saw how happy he was.

He smiled against her lips. "Is that a yes?"

"It is."

He stepped back and took hold of her hand. With quick strides he had them back in the ballroom.

Waving the conductor to stop the music, he held his hand up. "May I have your attention please!"

The court stilled as all eyes turned toward him.

Ignoring the hushed questions coming from his father, he settled his arm around Riley's waist.

"Lady Riley has made me the happiest man this evening. She has accepted my proposal of marriage and has told me that within a few months or so," he turned his adoring gaze upon her, "we will have an heir to the throne."

Constantine staggered back at this announcement. He had no idea the couple had become that close.

Regina called for champagne to be brought to all the guests as she embraced the young couple.

Liam held his glass up. He decided to force his parent to officially accept Riley in front of the entire court. He suspected that if he had not announced the fact they were expecting, that Constantine would find a way to break their engagement. He didn't know why he felt such unease with his father when it concerned Riley, but he wasn't going to leave anything to chance when it concerned her.

"Father? Would you like to give the toast?"

Constantine cleared his throat. Seeing no way around it, he stepped forward and lifted his glass. He hoped for Liam's sake that this woman would not be detrimental to his rule.

"To my son and the lady he has chosen. May they have all the happiness that I have found with my own queen and may their new family continue to serve Cordonia with grace and honor." He turned toward them. "To Liam and Riley!"

[penguin-ghost]

Week 1 - Uni Begins

So I’ve made it through week 1 of uni 🥳! Here is the weekly update:

Physics

Everything has been revision so far, and I guess that’s not a bad way of starting. We reviewed kinematics, dynamics and Newton’s laws.

Also, my lab tutor is a 2nd year PhD student in astronomy (which is a field of my interest), so that made lab very exciting despite the fact that our first experiment involved measuring the height of my desk (for illustrative purposes and commenting on the nature of doing experiments obviously).

Reality, Ethics and Beauty

The professor is extremely engaging, and the class is almost entirely based on discussions. We closely examined the first two arguments for the existence of God by Aquinas, whilst clarifying concepts such as validity, soundness and lemma (which I thought sounds rather cute). Besides the lectures, we also have weekly workshops, and our first session was just a really open space in which we could discuss philosophical concepts relevant (or sometimes slightly tangential) to the course material.

Linear Algebra

Vectors and vectors and vectors. Nothing was new until I watched the pre-lecture videos for next week where we are introduced to cross products. My high school physics teacher brought it up multiple times regarding its relevance to Electromagnetism (more specifically Maxwell’s Equations if I recall correctly), so it was fairly exciting to find out what it actually involves. I’m also starting to get used to the formal notations. And although I haven’t had a tutorial, the first worksheet looks pretty manageable.

Calculus of One Variable

Complex numbers! We basically had an introduction to complex numbers which I was already confident with. However, I was able to gauge the pace of the class, and I’m pretty sure once the introduction is over, things are gonna go pretty fast.

Introduction to Programming

The lectures were... pretty bad. But thank god it’s programming, and you learn by coding, not listening to the professor. The 2-hour lab was very fruitful for my learning, and I felt an immense sense of accomplishment when I was able to finally (after so many failed attempts at learning how to code) code something! I also managed to complete the Weekly challenge without much trouble.

Other comments

I participated in an online welcome event where I was able to chat to a Physics professor for an entire hour. He told me about his journey in STEM, his research in nanotechnology and what it’s like to be an academic. It was a really insightful and inspirational hour for me.

I met with my mentor group, and the biggest advice I received was to stay on top of things: try not to miss any lectures, and always catch up as soon as possible.

Uni offers so much freedom, and that is precisely what makes it so hard. I am still getting used to managing pre-studying, homework, after-class reviews and deadlines for all sorts of tasks. Things can quickly get out of control without a system.

I am really looking forward to week 2 where I might be able to learn some new concepts in Physics and Maths. Overall, week 1 was a nice start 🎓

[fluffy-marshmallow-heart]

A Touch of Destiny - ch.2

I was blown away by the positive response this new series received. Thank you all so much!! Here is the 2nd chapter, I hope you like it as well!

Drake x MC Royal Romance AU

Words: 1916

As the 8 girls and 4 guys sat drinking together, Drake was still too stunned to move. He felt like the temperature in the room had sky rocketed in a matter of minutes and he needed to get some air. He felt Steve kick him under the table

“Dude. Snap out of it. I don’t care if you've known her your entire life, you’re being creepy about it.”

Drake shook his head as if coming out of a trance. He found Liam, Maxwell, and Steve all staring at him.

“I’m sorry, what?” He asked

“In other words, stop staring at her” Maxwell spoke in a low voice.

“Right. Um. I’m sorry you guys, I need to…. leave. Excuse me.” Drake hastily got up from his chair, knocking into the table and making it rattle. Now all of them were staring at him. He felt his face turning red and mumbled out “Nice to meet you ladies.” Without another word he rushed off out of the restaurant.

He ran straight out the doors and found himself on the sidewalk right outside. He looked right and left and to his right he saw a small alcove with a bench and he started walking towards it. This couldn’t be real. Things like this just didn’t happen in real life. Sure, he had wished he would meet this girl, but he never actually expected to. Now what was he supposed to do? To top it all off, she looked like she recognized him! But that definitely couldn’t be possible. It was crazy enough he had these dreams, he couldn’t even fathom the same thing happening to her. But how else could he explain it?

He just reached the little empty spot when he felt someone grab his arm. He jumped both in surprise and also because he felt a major current of electricity run through him. He turned around and came face to face with the girl who didn’t exist. She was a little out of breath, she must have been running after him.

“Um, hey” she said, hesitantly

Drake stared at her. Why can’t you say something? What is wrong with you? Say something!!

“I had a dream about this” she blurted out

Drake was blown away. “I…I think I did too.”

She gave a nervous laugh. “I think I might be dreaming now, actually. I’m going to wake up, in my bed, and that’s all this will be. Right?”

How the hell do I respond to that? Is this a dream? Are we both dreaming? But this hasn’t happened before. We haven’t met like this before and I’ve never been nervous. No. It can’t be a dream. So what do I…..ah fuck it

“What happened in yours?” The words were out of his mouth before he could think to stop them. He saw her bite her bottom lip, contemplating on how to answer. Those are the same lips as last night

Then she looked at him square in the eye, stepped forward, and pulled him into a kiss. Drake felt it immediately, the same thing he had felt in his dream. Everything around them came to a stop and it was only the two of them in this perfect, private bubble. His arms immediately circled around her and he returned the kiss passionately, as if this were the kiss that would make or break his life. He pushed her against the wall of the building and his hands started wandering. They skimmed down her sides, just grazing her breasts, then lower over her hips, then lower to her legs. She moaned into him, clawing at him, pulling him closer still. He grabbed one of her legs and lifted it around his waist. He was starting grind into her when someone whistled, loudly. She gasped and pushed him away from her.

“Oh my God” She managed to squeak out. “I can’t believe I….I have to go!” She started to dart around him, straightening out her dress. While she was still only a few steps away he called out

“Wait! Who are you?!”

He saw her hesitate, then turn back towards him. “I’m Jessa.” She said breathlessly. “And you’re Drake.” Without another word she took off, vanishing from his sight.

He stood there, completely dumbfounded by what had happened. She knew his name. He hadn’t known hers, but she knew his. He hadn’t talked to her at the restaurant and in order for her to catch up to him so fast she wouldn’t have had time to ask about him. Yet she knew his name. He sank down onto the bench and put his head in his hands. Thank God someone had whistled at them, or else he had no doubt he would have found a way to take her right then and there. He couldn’t believe that just happened. The girls were from New York. He was from New York. And somehow, they met here, completely across the country. He stood up. He needed to find her. He ran back to the hotel, looking around frantically. But she was nowhere in sight. He went to the restaurant, but no one was there. He wandered through the casino, but again, found no one. Sighing, he headed back to the penthouse.

“Where the hell have you been??” Steve jumped on him as soon as he walked in the door. Liam and Maxwell also approached.

“I’m sorry guys, I shouldn’t have just run out, I just didn’t know...what to do...” Drake trailed off.

“It was her, wasn’t it Drake? Liam asked

Drake nodded numbly.

“She ran out after you, did she find you?” Liam asked again

“She did.” Drake confirmed.

“And….?”

“And…I don’t know. She said she dreamed of me too, and she kissed me...Hey, did you guys tell her my name?”

Maxwell shook his head. “She literally ran out right after you. Why do you ask?”

Steve gasped “Dude. She knew your fucking name?? That’s insane! How was the kiss? Was it like the dream? How did that even happen? Did you go any further? Tell me you went further!”

“She ran away” Drake told him. “I looked for her, but she was gone. I don’t know what to do. I want to see her again, but how? All I know is her first name, Jessa.”

Steve grinned “Lucky for you, we’re going out with them tomorrow. We’re meeting them at the Eiffel Tower. We’re going to have dinner at that restaurant, then take the elevator up to the observation deck. There’s a water show that we’ll be able to get a great view of.”

Drake looked at his friend, astonished. “You…made plans with them? Why? How?”

Maxwell piped in “Well, when the both of you ran off, we knew what was going on. We also know you, and that you wouldn’t get her phone number or any other type of information about her. Just figured we’d help out.”

Drake smiled at his friends “Thank you, really.”

Liam clapped him on the back. “No need. Those girls are fun, or at least, they were in the short time we spent with them. Besides, it’s not every day you meet the girl of your dreams.”

Liam went over to the bar and started making drinks for the group. As he handed them out he started talking

“I just want to say thank you, all of you, for coming here with me. My life is about to get crazy and these few days I have with you, I will cherish forever.”

He took a deep breath and turned to Drake “Drake. You have been my closest friend almost my entire life and I came here wanting to ask you something. I was hoping you would come back to Cordonia with me. I’m worried about choosing the right wife and I know all too well that no one there really has my best interests at heart. No one but you. I know it’s a lot to ask, and not fair of me to ask, but…just think about it?”

Drake stared at his friend, having no idea what to say. It seems a lot of things were leaving him speechless lately.

“You want Drake to come back with you?” Steve clarified.

Liam nodded slowly. “I feel bad asking, especially now that I’m aware of what Drake is going through right now. But, it’s Drake’s decision and he should at least know he has that option.”

Drake ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know Liam. I…I’m happy here. And now with meeting Jessa…I don’t think I can just…leave.”

“I get it. I do” Liam told him. “It’s just something to consider, that’s all. I’m not expecting an answer right now, maybe not even while on this trip.”

“Ok.” Drake said. “I guess I’ll think about it.” He downed his drink and excused himself to bed. A bit later, he heard a knock on his door.

He grunted for the person to come in. Steve entered and sat down on the bed beside him.

“So…I like your friends. I do. But please tell me you’re not going back with them.”

Drake sighed. “I don’t know. I owe Liam so much...”

“That’s complete bull Drake. You have spent your life in his shadow. We’ve been friends for a while now, and I want to tell you that when we first met, I really didn’t like you. You were cold, rude, and downright miserable. But now? You’re the coolest guy I know. And that’s because you broke out of whatever shell Cordonia had trapped you in. You deserve happiness, too. Don’t forget that. And this Jessa girl? She’s your happiness. I know it. I feel it.”

Drake smiled weakly. “Thanks. I don’t know what I’m going to do right now. I don’t even know her.”

“She kissed you, right? She kissed you?”

Drake grinned “Yeah.”

Steve shrugged. “The something in you knows her. You just need to figure out what, and if it’s worth pursuing.”

He stood and walked over to the door. “Oh, and I’d miss the hell out of you if you left.”

Drake flopped down on his bed. He had a lot to think about. He was blindsided by the girl, and he was blindsided by Liam in the same night. As he closed his eyes, he realized how tired he suddenly was.

And when everyone was asleep, he saw her again.

He was with Jessa at the top of the Eiffel Tower and they were watching the neon lights of the Vegas strip below them. Drake took her hand in his and brought it to his lips, brushing a soft kiss across her knuckles. She smiled at him and blushed.

“Hey Drake…” she started. “I just want to tell you, I’m really glad I met you.”

He smiled softly at her “So am I.”

She blushed again. “I know this is crazy but…I think… what we have is really special and….” She trailed off

Drake turned to her and cupped her face in his hands. He brushed his thumb over her lips “That’s because it is” he murmured. He leaned in to kiss her and as their lips met, fireworks started exploding in the sky. After a minute, they broke apart and turned to watch the fireworks that were lighting up their world. He stood behind her and she leaned into him. She turned her head and they kissed again, soft, sweet, sensual.

“Find me again.” She whispered

“Always”

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