#most of my issues with it tonight were because i couldn't find where drunk me put the wig cap lmao

[marshmellowtea]

anyone looking for a haunted doll? :D

soooo, this isn't the costume i wore today, i actually wore this when i went out saturday, but i've been meaning to post it here anyway so now's a good enough time as any! i had to pull something together with just stuff i had in my closet, and i'm pretty proud of how it turned out! especially the makeup, but that wasn't my doing, my brother did that for me, haha. i can't do makeup for shit gdshdslkfjd <3

i didn't want this post to get too long, so under the cut there's some self indulgent selfies (uhh ignore how frizzy the wig is in them, she was a bit of a mess even before she got rained on XD), and some fun with mirrors—the one with the blue background was taken in one of the bathrooms of the bar we were in, the mirror had a kind of fish eye effect because of its shape and i thought that was Neat :0

[09yards]

8 - When You’re Gone (days gone by - nct)

All the mystery and the magic You light up what once was tragic And I know that I will miss you when you're gone I could never have imagined All the heavens pour with passion   But I know that I will miss you when you're gone

    Johnny had been right about one thing tonight; it was indeed a family affair. What felt like just about everyone Mark was close to, was dispersed throughout Yuta's house. The parents had all congregated in the kitchen, about five too many bottles of wine left empty on the side for the number of people - the chatter and laughter rang in Mark's ears.

God, he hated being drunk. The smallest of sounds seemed to echo in his ears but at the same time it felt like he was hearing things underwater, his head was spinning and he was about six too many drinks in and he'd barely been there two hours. The air around him feels thick, muggy from too many people being crowded into the various rooms.

    Jisung had somehow managed to get out of the whole ordeal, arguing with their mum about how it would be inappropriate for someone who is (even more so than the others) underage to be surrounded by drunk people and the possibility of him therefore partaking in said underage drinking would be increased and that's not good for his health. Johnny had called him a pussy under his breath and had promptly earned a slap to his stomach from their mum and a stern "watch your language John" who then turned to Jisung (whose face was now adorning the slight pout and puppy dog eyed look - aka how to get their mum to do whatever they wanted look), her face relaxing into a gentle smile before kissing the top of his head (on her tiptoes which made her pout) and telling him to rest well and not stay up too late studying or engrossed in whatever novel he was currently working his way through. Mark stuck his tongue out on the way out the door - the kid could get away with everything, he and Johnny had dubbed it the youngest child effect. Johnny was pretty upset that he'd wasted good chocolate milk and now Yuta was going to get to drink it.

    Mark had been dancing around since he'd first arrived, back and forth between rooms in hopes of avoiding Donghyuck. Honestly, he wasn't entirely sure why he felt the need to avoid him, the younger was probably doing the exact same thing though since the lack of communication between the two since way back to Mark's birthday. Mark had spent some time pining and was okay about the whole situation now (as okay as he could be on the surface anyhow). Mark had been so busy with school - even with only being a month and a half in - he'd been spending lunches in the library, study periods with his tutor to talk about his personal statement and what felt like every second of his free time was spent pouring over his textbooks, homework and whatever else he could get his hands on. The only breath of fresh air was when he finally submitted his uni applications, nudging the whole ordeal to the back of his mind rather than playing the waiting game to see if he'd get accepted or not. He'd drifted apart from everyone in a sense but with Donghyuck it was weird. When he passed the others in the hallways, they'd spare a second to flash a smile or give a quick wave, things were normal, but with Donghyuck it felt like he purposefully averted his eyes every time, maybe Mark's mind was playing tricks on him, maybe it wasn't.

Renjun had ranted to him over facetime at three am one night about how Donghyuck seemed to squash any and all rumours quite quickly about whether or not he was gay, Heejin and him had made up somehow apparently and Renjun had seen the two of them spending time together - what for, Mark didn't know, nor did he want to. Renjun had said it was probably some sort of ploy due to Hyuck's parents. They all knew the story and they weren't the worst, but when Hyuck's older brother, Taeyong, had come out they just seemed to ignore it - they pretended like it hadn't happened and they never brought up dating around Taeyong ever again until Taeyong had gotten quite sick of it and had decided to bring his boyfriend (although he hadn't introduced him as his boyfriend, it was quite clear by the two's body language that Taeil very much was) to their annual family Christmas party. Not his proudest moment he has admitted on multiple occasions but, to Mark and the others it was quite the scandal, particularly as lovely as Donghyuck's parents were, they just seemed to not realise the number of people around them that were gay, much to the amusement of the majority of their friends. Just about everyone was gay, bisexual or pan between Mark and Johnny's friends, as well as a copious amount of people attending their school alone were part of the LGBTQ+ community and openly expressed their support of it and how the Lee's were yet to realise it no one would ever know, as well as how they've managed to live in their surprisingly accepting small town where political and social 'issues' weren't taboo. Taeyong had moved out the moment he was accepted into uni and promised that he wouldn't end their relationship for the sake of Hyuck, even if it meant the only time he spoke to his parents these days was when 'required' to at family events and the occasional birthday phone call. Mark and Donghyuck had grown distant over the last two months and Mark couldn't help but feel like it was to do with the rumours. Mark knew Donghyuck's parents wouldn't be happy about him being gay, if he was (Mark was still confused as to whether or not he'd come out to him that day) they would just pretend like it wasn't happening, make up a girl that he was supposedly dating to rely it to the family - it had happened before and it would more than likely happen again. But alas, Mark was far too drunk for him to be able to work up the emotional capacity to act like the best friend, if he could even call himself that anymore, he should be too Donghyuck.

- - - -

    "Jaehyun, please stop, I'm too drunk for this-"

"Being drunk is the perfect time young padawan! As the expert on all thing’s soulmates, please remember I have known mine since I was a mere five years of age, I am the most qualified to educate you here."

"You're probably more drunk than I am right now-"

"I probably am, okay, I definitely am but, doesn't stop me from being happy and in love and married to the best person in the world."

"You aren't married?"

"That's what you think."

"Jaehyun, what on earth is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that just because I may not be legally married, yet, that doesn't mean I won't be anytime soon. I just need to pick a ring and then ask him but it's not like he's going to say no right? Having a soulmate, you are bound to that person for the rest of your life, that's the whole idea of marriage, is it not? Oh look, there's Doyoung, see you later Mark!" Mark was flabbergasted, apparently Jaehyun had turned into some kind of Tumblr drabble reciting robot when drunk off the dubious substance in his cup, although if you asked him he'd probably just say it's what happens when you're in love and then flash you the famous Jung smile - dimpled and gummy.

"Wait!" Even when he raised his voice himself it made his head pound, "You didn't give me your advice?"

"Oh yeah," Jaehyun could barely stand straight, gently swaying as he paused in his steps half turned to Mark, “Just confess already. The pining isn't doing you any good and there's no other way to find out if he's your soulmate or not unless he tells you he's the one who caused your tattoo. Right now, you're only hurting yourself, stop feeling guilty all the time and be a little selfish for once, not that telling someone how you feel is selfish. You'll only make yourself sick, literally, either way and yes it could end up worst case scenario but you could also end up happy. You deserve to be happy Mark, you've spent so long doing things for everyone else because you felt like you had to, do something for yourself." Mark let his weight sink to the floor, his back pressed against the cold wall of the hallway.

Maybe it's what he needed to be able to let go?

    "Mark, hey," Jungwoo turned the corner, finding Mark still cuddled up against the wall where Jaehyun had left him earlier, "I was looking for you, you disappeared on everyone."

"Jungwoo... I want to apologise again about what happened at my birthday. I was drunk, wasn't thinking straight. What I did was wrong, so wrong and I'm so sorry for it and for upsetting you and-"

"How many times do I have to tell you I'm okay? Taeyong introduced me to this older friend of his anyway, very cute, very mature so no risk of him doing any classic teenage pining. Besides, neither of us were exactly thinking straight Mark. You and Haechannie will figure things out soon enough."

"Jaehyun told me to confess, that's why I'm here, debating whether that would be easier than yeeting myself off a cliff." Mark couldn't look at Jungwoo, he still felt guilty, sure they'd both been drunk and neither were exactly hoping to start anything in the future but it felt sucky, Mark never wanted to hurt someone else and in that moment he did, whether Jungwoo was okay now or not.

"Maybe you should, get everything out in the open rather than keeping all those emotions bottled up. You never know, maybe good things will come from it."

"Thank you, Woo, I know what I did was super shitty and I really hope you know how sorry I am."

"Shut up Mark, it never happened."

"Right, it never happened."

For the first time in a while, an actual smile threatened to appear on Mark's face. "Come on, lets re-join the party! Winwin got everyone dancing, even Johnny," Jungwoo grabbed his hand to pull him up from the floor, "let’s have some fun."

    As Jungwoo and Mark joined the makeshift dance floor of Yuta's living room, more drinks were pushed into their hands as their friends whooped and cheered that they were back, all far too drunk to remember any of their actions come morning. Jaehyun and Doyoung were cooped up in a corner, speaking in hushed voices to one another, both of their eyes filled with complete adoration for one another. Lucas was twirling Yuqi, the two of them bursting into fits of giggles whenever they made eye contact, it was endearing, Mark thought. Yuta and Winwin seemed to no longer be hiding their relationship status when Sicheng was not-so-subtle, sitting on Yuta's lap, the two leaning in for an R-rated kiss that Mark swiftly looked away from. Jaemin's head was resting on Renjun's thigh as they sat down on the sofa, evidently Jaemin had drunk more than he could handle and Renjun's hands gently cascaded through the younger's hair. Mark liked seeing his friends together, it made him realise just what having one’s soulmate can do, how it can make you feel. But he couldn't help the pang in his chest at the thought, he was alone, his eyes somehow having found Donghyuck among the copious amounts of people dancing. Mark couldn't take his eyes off of him, he gravitated towards him, dancing with some girls from his class who dragged Mark to join them - pushing him towards Donghyuck.

    The younger's head snapped up at the mention of Mark's name, no longer focused on perfecting the choreography to whatever song was playing with Yeri and Irene. Before Donghyuck could escape, Mark clasped his wrist, looking at him with pleading eyes. Now or never, now or never.

Donghyuck freed himself, flashing Mark a disgusted look before walking out of the room as fast as he could without drawing attention to them, Mark close behind.

"Hyuck, wait up please!"

"Leave me alone Mark."

"Come on Hyuck, at least let me speak," Mark's shoulders slumped as he let out a deep sigh, attempting to build up his courage, now or never. "J-just let me say this and then you can scream, yell, runaway or whatever it is you want to do," Donghyuck's resistance against Mark pulling his arm again relaxed, "just, please let me speak."

"Fine. What do you so desperately have to say?" His voice was wobbly, Donghyuck was telling himself that it was because of the cold October air and not his emotions getting the better of him. Donghyuck doesn’t even remember at what point they’d made it outside – nor does he see the audience of one they’ve gathered.

"Okay, right, here we go."

"I don't have all night Mark."

"Right, sorry. Of course, I just need a second." Was the air getting thicker or was Mark just having trouble breathing?

"Here goes nothing," Mark took one last deep breath and closed his eyes, he had this speech engraved in his mind ready to use it at any moment, "I like you Hyuck. I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you and I'm also fairly certain that you're my soulmate.

I know that we're young and I'm definitely dumb and you aren't even eighteen yet but, I know that I'm in love with you and I trust that the universe made us meet that day in the library because you are my soulmate. I can't imagine my life without you, I can't imagine waking up next to anyone else. I can't imagine kissing someone else, holding someone else in my arms, running my hands through their hair, listening to them hum along to the radio. It's always you, in my daydreams and my nightmares, whether I'm asleep or awake you're always by my side.

Believe me when I say I tried to stop, I tried to convince myself that you're not the one. I spent so long crying myself to sleep, begging the universe to let me stop loving you, I tried, I really, really tried... but, I'm always going to love you. I think I've known that since the day we first met and I need you to know that, I'm always going to love you. No matter what. I've imagined me saying this to you hundreds of thousands of times and I was never going to say anything but I can't keep doing this. I can't fake another smile, I can't fake like everything’s alright all of the time, I can't fake that I'm alright. I love you Donghyuck."

"Mark," Donghyuck inhaled sharply, "I don't know what you want me to say..."

"Say you feel the same, say you can feel your soulmate mark showing up, whatever," the pleading in Mark's words was clear by his breathlessness, "Hyuckie, please, I know you can feel it too."

"I'm sorry Mark, I really am," his shoulders slumped and he couldn't meet Mark's eyes, Mark's pleading gaze, "I'm so sorry. I can't do this. I don't feel the same, I'm not in love with you Mark. You're hurting someone else by doing this, please get over me and stop - I know you won't be able to handle the guilt. I can't let you hurt someone else, I can't hurt you by lying like that. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry."

And with that he turned away, leaving Mark behind, hiccupping in attempts to breathe while he sobbed uncontrollably. A pair of arms wrapped around him, pulling Mark into a warm chest, a gentle hand patting his head and muttering "it's okay" over and over again.

    Mark had never felt more sober than he did in that moment. Dizziness overtook him, the walls if the hallway felt like they were closing in around him, getting closer and closer, suffocating him. He sobbed and sobbed until he didn't have a single tear left to cry, his body spasming as he tried to catch his breath, hiccupping into the comfort of Johnny's arms.

Mark had never wanted to get drunk more in his life.

- - - - -

    Donghyuck is peacefully absorbed in his history textbook when his attention is snapped away from medieval medical treatments and to Jaemin quite literally plonking himself in the chair over the other side of the table to Donghyuck, letting out an exasperated sigh as he does so, backpack discarded on the floor by his feet as his eyes meet Donghyuck's - they're inquisitive and Donghyuck feels himself shrink in on himself a little, out of apprehension, fear or embarrassment, Donghyuck isn't sure.

"What happened with you and Mark?"

There was a slight bite to Jaemin's voice, no traces of any gentleness or subtly. Jaemin wasn't for softness when it came to life generally, particularly when someone’s upset, he approaches situations with the grace of a herd of elephants.

"Nothing."

Jaemin tuts, rolls his eyes and lets out a deep sigh, clearly not satisfied with Donghyuck's answer - or rather lack thereof.

"Oh, that’s not what I heard?"

Donghyuck can't tell if Jaemin drew the short straw and is the one tasked with interrogating him over the events of the weekend or if he's genuinely doing it for himself. Maybe Mark is keeping quiet about the events of that night, however even with how good the two are at avoiding one another it is clear Mark hasn't been in school the last few days, they aren't that good at not having crossed paths remotely once. Donghyuck couldn't help the pang of guilt. Donghyuck also knows that Jaemin isn't giving up, he's tapping his fingers against the desk as if he's hoping that'll prompt Donghyuck to talk. Jaemin is nonchalant about most things in life (aside from anything Renjun related), yet he doesn't back down and is evidently undaunted when it comes to getting what he wants.

"Well, nothing happened."

"Bullshit." Jaemin counters, without missing a beat.

Donghyuck is taken back by the harshness of his voice. Honestly, Donghyuck thought they would drag this out for longer, more like he was hoping he could keep up his charade of 'nothing happened' for longer, staying in his little bubble where he could pretend like everything was okay - like that night hadn't happened and he hadn't broken his best friends heart. Jaemin was the type to bug you to just the right level of being ridiculously annoying to get what he wanted out of you - driving you to insanity bit by bit was more his style unlike the current look of utter despair lacing his usually kind features.

"That's utter bullshit and you know it. Whatever fantasy charade you're keeping up by pretending everything’s okay is ending right now. You keep sighing in lessons, I can practically feel the anguish radiating off of you from the other side of town and here you are straight up lying to my face and just about everyone else, including yourself."

"Why do you care so much?" Hyuck didn't mean to sound so cold, it was just a second-nature defence mechanism at this point as well as being caught off-guard by Jaemin's sudden outburst.

Jaemin looks at him again, staring dead into Hyuck's eyes like he's searching for Donghyuck's last remaining brain cell, jokes on him though because it's not there. "Because Haechannie, I actually care about you and want to make sure you're okay as well as Mark. The tension between you two is downright depressing and I thought all the melodrama ended when Renjun and I got together but clearly, I was wrong, the two of you are so much worse. Both with permanent pouts on their faces, avoiding talking about whatever happened so no one can do anything to help which again, is just," Jaemin let out some disgruntled sound in lieu of an adjective but laced with the same disgust he was attempting to convey, "you see? Everyone has been here before, we're not all Jaehyun and Doyoung, you're more like Johnny and Ten and the utter mess that was the start of their best-friends-to-boyfriends transition. We all care about you; we all want to make sure that you're coping and not making yourself sick." Jaemin's now looking at him with one eyebrow raised as if Donghyuck's now supposed to magically understand whatever Jaemin's word vomit was actually implying.

Donghyuck lets his eyes wander over Jaemin's appearance, his hand griping his hair in anticipation of Hyuck's reply, pupils blown, wide and gazing at Donghyuck's face for any hint of emotion, looking slightly manic. Donghyuck evaluates his current position and with a deep breath he feels calmer, his muscles have relaxed, a smirk graces his face and-

"Oh, I've been meaning to ask, how are Johnny and Ten?"

6 NEW MESSAGES FROM RENJUN

I don't know what you did but you broke Jaemin

I've been trying to get him to shut up for years and you did it in less than half an hour

teach me your ways

he hasn't said anything since he got back, he's just sat there staring out the window with his mouth hanging open

Jisung and Chenle are seeing how many blueberries they can get in his mouth until he snaps out of it

they're up to nine

let me know how many they get up too

and tell Jaemin I'm sorry and that I'll

talk when I'm ready.

Donghyuck smiles, its only small but it’s his first genuine smile in a while.

- - - - -

     The rain is bouncing off the ground as he walks home, splashing his ankles and soaking the ends of his jeans. The temperature seems to have dropped by a million degrees since this morning and he's wishing he checked the weather app and put a warmer coat on. He's at the point where the harsh October air feels like it’s getting in his bones, just about every inch of him is freezing and just when he thinks things can't get any worse, as he turns the corner to his house he's met by a tall figure sat on the steps leading up to his door.

The rain is the last thing on his mind as he lets his umbrella drop to his side, tilting his head as if that would help him get a better look at the boy that's slouched over, flicking his phone between his hands.

Upon hearing Donghyuck let out a pathetic attempt at a cough in hopes of gaining the others attention, the mop of blonde hair moves until Hyuck is met with a heart-warming, lopsided smile he could recognise anywhere.

"Hey, Haechannie."

"Hello, what can I help you with?"

"I think you know why I'm here."

[alj4890]

Chapter 21 The Morning After

The Royal Romance Fan Fiction (Liam x MC*Riley) (Maxwell x OC*Amanda) (Drake x Olivia) (Hana x Rashad)

These characters are from the amazing writers of Pixelberry's Choices stories: The Royal Romance and Red Carpet Diaries. The only character of my own is Duchess Amanda Bridgerton of House St Orella. 

Masterlist of The Other Friend

Chapter 21 summary: It is the morning after Constantine's demands. Emotions are running high. Some are in the dark, while others are trying to avoid the issue.

Chapter 21

Oh lord. I will never drink scotch again. Just the thought makes me want to put my head in the disposal and flip the switch. Please, please let me die quickly. Why did I do that? Now I remember. Her face. Her tears. She pushed me away. I can never be with her.

Maxwell pulled the covers over his head. He heard his bedroom door open. "Maxwell. Get up! We have to finish getting everything ready. We don't have time for you being your usual lazy self." Bertrand yanked his covers off and threw them on the floor. Maxwell groaned, sat up, and held his head. Bertrand looked at him in disgust. "You would pick this, one of the most important moments of the season, to fall into alcoholic debauchery."

Maxwell glared at the bed. He knew if he looked at his brother, he would end up punching him in his big, never-ending, deriding mouth. He waited until Bertrand threw his hands up in the air, lamenting the fall of their house, and left his room. He stood and stumbled to the bathroom. He went through his morning rituals and walked downstairs.

He walked into the dining room and stopped. Drake and Amanda were already at the table. Amanda had her back to him. Drake looked up from his plate. "Hey Maxwell." Maxwell watched Amanda's shoulders stiffen. He swallowed against the pain of his hangover and of knowing he had lost her. He walked forward, trying not to stare at her, wishing she would turn and look at him.

Maxwell walked around the table to the dishes at the serving board. He filled his plate, not really paying attention to what he was getting. He took a deep breath and turned to face her. He dropped his plate. Amanda and Drake jumped in surprise. Her eye and the right side of her face were swollen and bruised beyond recognition. Maxwell rushed over to her, gently taking her face in his hands.

"What happened? Who did this to you?" he whispered. He carefully ran his fingers over her cheek.

Amanda had to fight to keep from leaning into his touch. Drake had stressed the importance of Constantine believing they were submitting to him. She pulled away. "I did this. I tripped over a bag of mine and my face hit the nightstand." Maxwell slowly moved her hair behind her ear so he could see the full extent. "You need to be seen by a doctor," he said, his voice filled with concern.

Amanda closed her eyes for a moment. She wanted to be in his arms. She wanted him to comfort her as only he could. She wanted him to make her laugh about it. She wanted to wipe the sadness from his eyes by telling him that they had a plan. She wanted it all. She could not have it. Not yet.

"I am sure it looks worse than it is. Now if you will excuse me, I'm going to go back to bed." As she walked out of the dining room, she felt his hand take hers. She bit her lip and looked up at him. "Let me escort you and make sure you get there okay." Amanda glanced at Drake. He gave her a nod. "Okay," she whispered.

She pulled her hand away and began to climb the stairs. Maxwell could not stop himself from placing his arm around her back. He felt her stiffen and she looked away. It was killing him. He needed her. He needed her to need him, to want him. She was erecting a wall that was becoming impossible to climb over.

When they got to her door, he reached out for her. She let him pull her into a tender embrace that made her want to cry. She was fighting the impulse to bury her head against his neck and pull him closer. "Amanda," his voice was hoarse with emotion. "Is there anything I can do? I know you won't be attending the party. Would...would you like for me to spend it with you? I can't have a good time without you there."

Amanda looked down so he couldn't see her face. Why did he have to be so sweet? Why couldn't he lash out at her in anger? It would make pretending so much easier. She shook her head. "No. You need to be there for Riley. I will probably sleep most of the time. Drake wouldn't let me sleep all night because he thought I had a concussion. It wa-"

"Drake knew about this last night and he didn't tell me!" Maxwell snapped.

"He found me knocked out and helped me. I would ha-"

Maxwell let her go and ran back down the stairs.

Drake and Liam were drinking some coffee when Maxwell came back. In anger, he grabbed Drake by the collar and pulled him out of his chair. "Why in the hell did you not tell me she got hurt?" Liam looked up in confusion. "Who got hurt?" Drake gently but firmly removed Maxwell's fist from his shirt. "Amanda tripped and fell against her nightstand. She has a black eye and half her face is bruised and swollen. She-"

"She was knocked out! Why didn't you insist she go to the hospital? Why didn't you come get me? Do I mean nothing to either of you that you would think I would be cool being left in the dark of her being injured?"

Drake shook his head. "She seemed fine after she came to. Once I cleaned the gash and the bleeding stopped, I knew she did not need stitches. I watched her all night."

Maxwell was shaking. "It should have been me to watch her. Not you!"

Drake looked him in the eye. "I did not think you would be the best one since you were determined to get drunk."

Maxwell moved as if struck. He glared at Drake and Liam and left the room. They heard the back door slam and saw him walk off towards the field. Liam got up and headed to the stairs. He went to check on Amanda.

When she opened her door, Liam gasped in horror. "I know. I know. It looks horrible." He gently tilted her chin to look at the extent of the bruising. "Amanda, I am so sorry. Do you need anything?" Amanda nodded. "I need you to tell your father that I am not physically up for finishing the date with Maxwell right now and that I will not be attending the party this evening. If he needs to speak to me, then I will meet with him." Liam squeezed her hand and went to deliver the news.

Within minutes, Constantine and Bastien were examining her face. "Do you think it will be healed by the Cornoration? We need everyone to see her there." Bastien looked closely at her face. "If she rests this week and uses ice packs, she should be able to hide the faded bruises with makeup." Constantine nodded. "Go rest, my dear. We will see you next week." Amanda gave a curtsey and looked incredibly sad. Constantine smirked and walked away. Once he and Bastien turned the corner, she let a smile play about her lips. So far, their plan was going along as they had hoped.

Maxwell stood in the field where he and Amanda had their date last night. It had been less than twenty-four hours, yet he felt as if it had happened in another lifetime. He walked in the cool morning air, trying to rid himself of the anger and hopelessness that was pulling him down. He kicked the dirt and accidentally kicked her cell phone, the one he had thrown when they were kissing. He picked it up and put it in his pocket. He now had a reason to see her again. He would use the opportunity tonight.

Maxwell entered the house to find Bertrand ready with a list of things that needed to be done. He did everything he was told in the hope his brother would shut up. Drake offered to help and was immediately put to work. Liam was upstairs. Bertrand had instigated a clandestine meeting for him and Riley. Maxwell felt for Liam and Riley. He wondered if Liam would tell her that he was going to marry Amanda. Maxwell swallowed at the pain that thought brought. He knew it would never stop hurting.

Liam was standing in the dressing room that Bertrand insisted he needed him in. The door opened behind him and he turned to see who it was. He was stunned. Riley stood there in a beautiful blue gown that sparkled. She looked like a princess straight out of a fairy tale. She smiled in surprise. "Liam! What are you doing here? Bertrand told me he needed me to be here." Liam smiled at her. "He told me the same."

Her smile grew mischevious "Hmm. I'm not complaining at this obvious trick."

He wanted her so much. Her joy was something he could not destroy today. He knew he was a coward, but he wanted to pretend that the previous night had never happened. He wanted to bask and share in her happiness. At least for one more night.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. She eagerly particpated, gently running her fingers along his jaw. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. "You look so incredibly beautiful in that dress." Before she could respond he kissed her again with all the longing he felt. "I have to go. I will see you this evening." He bowed and kissed her hand. With one last look, he walked back to his room.

Drake went to Amanda's room after he had finished helping get everything set up. "Here you go," he said as he tossed her an ice pack. She placed it against her eye and sighed. "That feels wonderful."

"Were you able to get any rest?"

"Not really. I've been too keyed up. Constantine and Bastien agreed that I shouldn't be seen until the ball. So far, our plan is off to a good start. How are Liam and Maxwell acting?"

Drake gave a bitter laugh. "They are the very picture of depression. It's a good thing we kept this from them. Liam hasn't told Riley. So, at least she isn't hurting."

Amanda nodded sadly. "This must work. I don't even want to think about us failing?"

Drake ran his hand through his hair. "I better go get cleaned up. Text me if you need anything."

Amanda grimaced and immediately regretted it. "I can't find my cell phone. I'll be fine. I'm just going to lay here and watch movies."

Drake told her he would check in with her later and left. Amanda tried to find a way to lay down and keep the ice pack balanced. As soon as she found it, there was another knock at her door. With a groan, she got up and unlocked her door.

Riley stood there."Oh Amanda! I'm so sorry! I can't imagine how much that hurts." Amanda gave a half smile. "Luckily I was knocked out and don't really remember hitting the nightstand. Though I assure you, at this moment it hurts worse than anything I've experienced." Riley gave a sad laugh and came in.

"I love your dress! It is perfect for tonight. There is something whimsical that happens when the Beaumonts throw a party."

Riley smiled with excitment. "Thank you! I wish you were able to come. I know someone else who does also. It may not be any of my business, but did something happen between you and Maxwell?"

Amanda froze at the question. "...no, why?"

"Because in all my time here, I've never seen him as depressed as he has been today."

Amanda turned away from her, giving the idea she was checking her eye. "Perhaps he is tired of Bertrand."

Riley looked at her skeptically. "I think it is because of you. I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but I will do anything I can to help the two of you. Maxwell is the brother I always wished for. You have become a dear friend to me also. Let me know if you need me." She hugged Amanda and walked out. Amanda locked the door and collapsed on the bed. It was going to be a long night.

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