#tariq road walking tour

[axwalker]

Undeniable Miracle 2: Stranded

I’m participating in the 12 days of Christmas hosted by  @leelee10898 and @emichelle . Thank you so much  💕 💕

Synopsis: Alexis decides to leave Cordonia on Christmas Eve, but she has a car accident in the middle of the woods during a snow storm.

A/N: This AU takes place during Liam’s and Madeleine’s Engagement Tour.

A/N 2: Some vocabulary for the Spanish words.

A/N 3: I’m using the prompt: “If you’re so cold, why didn’t you say something? Come here.” requested by @mskaneko​ 

Fonda: Small Mexican restaurant.

Romeritos:  Tender sprigs of seepweed  which are boiled and served in a mole sauce seasoned with shrimp jerky blended into the mix. Typical additional ingredients include boiled potatoes, nopales and shrimp. They are usually served with bread slices and in tacos

Ensalada de manzana: combination of lettuce, beets, apple, and peanuts in a light orange vinaigrette

Bacalao:  Cod fish prepped with sautee onion, garlic, tomatoes and olives.

Pozole: Tradition Mexican soup made with Hominy, pork and peppers.

Villancicos: Traditional Christmas songs.

Warnings: I can’t think of anything for this chapter but there will be NSFW in future chapters. All my fics are for 18+ ONLY.

Words: 2718

Disclaimer: Characters and settings belong to Pixelberry.

@burnsoslow Thank you so much for beta read and for your encouragement. I love you and appreciate you so much.

The edit of the mood board is the work of beautiful @mskanekoI was dying to use it. I love youuu

When he sees I don't respond, he opens my door. "O'Brien? Are you okay?"

I blink, incapable of forming a coherent sentence. 

"Did you hit your head? You seem lost." Drake kneels in front of me.

Finally, I react. "What are you doing here?" 

"Hello to you too. I asked if you were okay."

"I'm fine. I need to call a tow truck."

"Yeah, right. There are no tow trucks in storms like this, O'Brien." He sighs and asks me to open the car's hood so he can check the engine. Five minutes later, he comes back, and I read his expression. The car is not going anywhere.  

"Sorry, O'Brien, but this car is not going to work for now, and the storm is getting worse. You're going to have to come with me."

I scoff. Drake is insane if he thinks I'll go anywhere with him. I've spent the last two months trying to forget everything about him; I don't need this right now. 

 "I'm sure I can find a way to get to Lythikos by myself."

"Shit, you're so damn stubborn, O'Brien. You aren't anywhere near there. It's about 50 miles away. I guess if your car had kept going about 50 miles through the woods, you might have landed there. Is that what you were trying to do?"

"Bite me, Drake."

"Wow, you really should do something about that attitude of yours." The asshole actually smirked. "I have a cabin a few miles up the road. We can go there and wait out the storm. My truck is parked on the road. I pulled over when I saw the car spinning."

"I'll wait here." 

"You'll wait for what? To freeze to death? Don't be ridiculous; you're coming with me."

I shake my head stubbornly. "I think freezing to death is preferable to going with you. Thank you very much." 

"You don't have much of a choice, O'Brien. I can't fuckin' leave you here. My cell phone doesn't work here, and I'm assuming yours doesn't either or else you'd be on it right now. They're expecting two feet of snow or more. So, I'm sorry if you're pissed at me or whatever, I'm not leaving you here."

I'm well aware that I'm behaving like a petulant, spoiled child, but my wish to make him as angry as I am overcomes all logical thinking. “As I said, I’m not going.”

 "I'm going to have to carry you to my truck then." 

"Carry me? No way. You are not touching me." I grab my phone again, begging my Abuela to send me just a little bit of phone service so I can call Max. 

"Either you get out of that by yourself, or I carry you. You have exactly 30 seconds to decide."

I shut my door and raise my phone, trying to get some signal. Suddenly, Drake opens the door, reaches into the car, and has me scooped up without effort into his arms before I can even protest. I barely have time to grab my purse. 

"Enough of your bullshit. Done," he states, then kicks my door shut and starts to walk up the snowy hill. 

I have no choice but to put my arms around his neck. "Let me go this second Walker!"

Drake stares at me and gently shoves a strand of hair off my face. I'm suddenly aware of how close our faces, our lips, are. Because my heart is stupid and has a mind of its own, it starts beating like crazy. Drake swallows hard, and for a second, I think he's going to kiss me; I'm almost closing my eyes when he speaks.

"Here we are." He puts me back on the ground and opens the door of his old Jeep. 

A bark coming from the backseat startles me.  

"Oh my god! He's beautiful! He looks like a wolf!"

Drake's eyes soften when he pets the animal.

"It's a Tamaskan dog." 

"Hi, boy! You're so cute!"

"He's not supposed to be cute; he's supposed to be terrifying." I turn my head, and I see he's teasing me. I shake my head and keep talking to the dog. "Don't listen to your dad, handsome; you're a cutie pie." 

"I'm not his dad. He's a damn dog, O'Brien." 

I rolled my eyes. "What's his name?" 

"Zeppelin. Get in the Jeep; I'm freezing my ass off out here."

I smirked at him. "I never realized how bossy you are." 

He shakes his head, but I catch the unwilling smile on his face. 

DRAKE

I glance to the seat next to me, still not believing that O'Brien is here, in my Jeep. I try to think of something else besides her maddening fruity scent or the curve of her neck, but I already know that my ability to function like a normal human being disappears when she's around. 

 I can't believe that I'm so fucking stupid to be still hung up on her after what happened in Ramsford. She made perfectly clear who she wanted to be with -- yet here I am, looking at her like a goddamn fool. 

We drive for a few minutes in complete silence. Suddenly a deer jumps out from the woods, right in front of the Jeep. I hear Alexis scream as I swerve, and the truck starts to slide and spin, gaining speed. In a second, I glance at her, throwing one arm across her chest to hold her against the seat when I see she doesn't have her seatbelt on. I try to regain control of the truck but it's not working. I feel the Jeep flying off the road and into the woods, crashing downhill and plowing down small trees, until it finally stops, wedged amongst a bunch of larger trees on the side of a hill. 

"Fuck!" I throw both hands against the steering wheel. "I can't fucking believe this shit!" I turn to O'Brien. "And why the fuck wasn't your seatbelt on?" 

“I thought you could drive!" She looks down at my arm, still holding her, and whispers, "Thank you." 

I rest my head against the wheel and take several deep breaths. "I'm sorry for yelling at you." My voice is level and calm, even if the thought that something could've happened to her while I was driving makes me murderous. "Are you okay?" She nods, still shaken. 

 "You okay, Zeppelin?" The dog whimpers and licks my hand. "That's a good boy. We're all okay." I try to restart the truck, but it's completely dead. I can't believe this; honestly, I just can't.

 "What are we going to do now?" O'Brien asks.

 "Well, we're out of cars, so unless you want to walk or ride the dog to my place, we're stuck here." 

She squints at me. "Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, Walker."

"But the highest form of intelligence, O'Brien." I wink at her, and she rolls her eyes at me again. I've forgotten how much I loved teasing her. At least, I wish I had forgotten. "We're going to have to just stay put until the plow truck comes by, and we'll have to hitch a ride. Until then, we're in luck because I stopped at the grocery store on the way to the cabin. I have enough things we can eat and drink to keep us going until then. I have a big blanket in the back seat, so we should be able to stay pretty warm. It's really heavy and thick."

I saw the panic in her eyes, so I continued. "Hey, O'Brien, look at me." She raises those fucking beautiful dark eyes and meets my gaze. "I would never let anything happen to you, okay?"

She nods. "Okay. Yes, I know. I just hope we don't get hypothermia.”

"We won't, O'Brien. C'mon, I think we should both sit in the back seat, since there's a lot of room back there, and we can put the blanket over both of us. I think it will help keep us warmer."

She gives me an odd look but nods. "Right. Yes. I think it's the best idea." She climbs over the seat first, and my eyes roam over her perfect body. I suppress the urge to sink my hands in her delicious hips and sit her on my lap. I sigh and call Zeppelin to the front seat, so we have more space. 

"This is nice; it's very roomy," she says as she pulls the cover over both our legs. 

I can see that she's shivering. "If you're so cold, why didn't you say something? Come here." I put my coat on her shoulders, and she smiles at me. Fuck me if I wouldn't do almost anything for that smile. "Where were you going on Christmas Eve? I' would've thought you'd go to the Christmas ball in the palace."

She hesitates for a few seconds, but finally, she answers, "I was going to spend Christmas with Olivia in Lythikos."

I raise my brow in disbelief. "I must have a concussion, O'Brien; I just heard you were headed to Lythikos to spend Christmas with Olivia Nevrakis."  

"I know! Our friendship was … unexpected. At first, we were just trying to figure out who set us up. The whole Tariq thing that you stopped? It was a trap; someone was trying to blackmail both of us." 

I don’t want her to know that I spend every single free minute I have helping Max figure out who set her up. If I ever find the person who sent Tariq to her room that night and scared the shit out of her, I will kill him. 

"Yes, O'Brien, I knew. Liam told me."

She nodded. "Well, we're trying to get to the bottom of it together, so we've been spending a lot of late nights drinking bourbon and talking. She hides it very well under layers of sarcasm and abrasiveness, but she's extremely loyal and has a great heart. Just like you."

"If you compare me to that crazy redhead one more time, you'll be sleeping outside, O'Brien, and I can promise you, it's cold." 

She laughs. "Okay, okay, sorry. I won't do it again."  

I'm about to ask her why she's not spending Christmas with Liam, but she speaks before I can talk. "And you? What are you doing here?"

"I moved to a town close to Lythikos a month ago. I'm opening a veterinary clinic there. This morning I went to supervise the construction site and to get some groceries for the cabin." 

She looks pensive but doesn't say anything for a while. "I hope you're happier here than you were in the palace, Drake,"she finally says, so softly that I almost miss it. 

I take a deep breath because I can't tell her the truth. I can't tell her that I can't be happy now, not after her. When I kissed her that night, I lost everything. She would never be mine, and after that, we couldn’t even be friends anymore.

"Thank you, O'Brien," I reply anyway because I know she's expecting some sort of answer.

 "How did you get Zeppelin?" she asks as she pets my dog, and I swear the traitor's mouth curls up into a little doggy smile. 

"I was running some errands for the clinic when I saw him tied up outside. I came back a few weeks later on a sunny day, and this poor dog is just tied up to a fence on the side of the building with no shade or anything, and I don't even see a water dish or food. So I park my car and check on him, and he's all happy to have someone pet him, tail wagging like mad. There was an old food dish off to the side, but it was empty, and a dish with some dirty water. I went to my house and grabbed some of the toys and food I'd bought for the clinic. I also gave him some water, and he drank three fucking bowls. I felt terrible leaving him. I just had this bad gut feeling, you know?" She nods with misty eyes. "Anyway, I had to go back to Cordonia city after I gave the dog the stuff. To be honest, I kind of forgot about him. But when I came back, O'Brien, it was awful. I honestly think the last time he ate was the food I'd given him. He was nothing but skin and bones, too weak even to stand up. He was just lying there in the dirt with flies buzzing all around him. But when I kneeled in front of him, his little tail wagged a tiny bit. I think he remembered me." 

Tears spring into her eyes. "My God, Drake, what happened?" 

I see how affected she is, so I reach her hand and squeeze it. "An old man came out of the little building and started yelling at me to get off his property. There was just no fucking way I was going to leave him there. I told him that if I ever saw a dog or any other animal on his property ever again, I would fucking kill him. The douchebag just ran back to the house. I took the dog to my cabin. He was dehydrated and almost starved to death, had two ear infections, worms — you name it. We've been together ever since." Zeppelin looks up as if he knows we're talking about him. 

She wipes a tear and caresses Zeppelin's ear. "You named him?"

I shrug. "Best band ever." 

"Ha! You're so predictable, Walker."

 "How do you know my last name? I never gave it to you." 

"I asked Maxwell at the coronation. Why? You don't like it when I call you that? Turnabout's fair play, Walker." She bits her bottom lip; I look away before the impulse to kiss her becomes unbearable, and I do something stupid. Again.  

"Nah, I like it, O'Brien. Calling each other by our last names will be our thing." 

She sighs, not talking for a while. "What is it, O'Brien? I can almost see the wheels turning in your head."

"We're going to spend Christmas Eve here, stranded in the middle of nowhere."

"I know; I'm sorry, O’Brien. Do you usually do something special?"

She looks up to me with so much vulnerability in her pretty face, I find it hard to breathe. I instinctively come close to her because I hate that look in her eyes; I hate even more that I was the one who put put it there with my fucking dumb question. Her mom and grandma are dead; of course it's a sad subject.

 "Not in a long time. It was one of the holidays my mom, my Abuelita and I celebrated together. We didn't really do Halloween because my mom's Fonda was so busy preparing for Dia de Muertos. The day of the dead," she explains.

 "I know, O'Brien. You made me watch Coco with you and Maxwell in Applewood." I can't help but smile at the memory. She forced us to watch the damn movie in Spanish only to hit "pause" at every single scene to translate it and explain the traditions.

 "Well, Coco had it right! They really respected our traditions!" she replied, her eyes shining as they always did when she was excited. "Anyway, my mom worked for most holidays, and I was forced to spend Thanksgiving with my dad, his crazy wife, and her creepy son. So, Christmas was the best. Especially Nochebuena, Christmas Eve. We had this huge dinner where all our neighbors came to the house and brought Mexican dishes. We had everything; bacalao, romeritos, ensalada de manzana, and the best pozole in Brooklyn. We sang villancicos, had a piñata. The whole thing. My abuela took the holidays seriously," she says with a sad smile. 

I might be a fucking fool, but I can't stand seeing her this sad. And, suddenly, I know what to do. "We might not be able to have a traditional Mexican Nochebona ..."

She giggles. "No-che-bue-na, Drake."  

I think I could spend the rest of my life here listening to her speaking Spanish.“Yeah, that.” I watch through the window and when I see that the storm has calmed, I say, “I have an idea; just wait here." 

Tagging: 

@texaskitten30  @leelee10898 @emichelle @burnsoslow @kat-tia801

@msjr0119 @twinkleallnight @mskaneko @drakexwillow @twinkle-320  @kimmiedoo5 @kingliam2019  @drakexwillow @princessleac1 @marshmallowsandfire  @tinkie1973 

[dcbbw]

Timing--Part 2 (The Road to Ramsford--Riley)

This is Part 2 of my second fanfic and it’s my version of events once the gang travels to LA to find Tariq. In my version, he refuses to come forward and Riley makes a painful decision.  It was supposed to be a one-off, but the story just keeps growing. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please excuse any typos and/or grammatical errors. PS—my Liam is Asian Liam, and my Riley is tall, like me.

All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Song Inspiration: Sea as it Glides, Julie Byrne https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18JY5EF3YsM

Word Count: 2477

Tags: @speedyoperarascalparty @sirbeepsalot @lauradowning29 @liamxs-world

Liam X MC, Liam X Riley

 Riley fell into the backseat of the limo with an audible whoomph. She held the vase of roses in her lap. As she settled more comfortably into her seat, she thought to herself, Well, that could have gone better. Her head hurt from all the crying she had done and processing Liam’s complete emotional breakdown. It’s official…I am the worst person in the universe right now. She did not want to leave Liam, she wanted to stay with him. Not just at the Palace, but in Cordonia as well. But she had her pride and self-respect, both which she had compromised far too much.  She wanted to make things right between them, yet with neither having a solution, that would only lead to an argument given the tension between them now. Best to just give them both some space, at least overnight.

What the hell happened that she was in a foreign country, in love with a King and evil forces conspiring against them? It sounded like a clichéd novel. When did her life become a Harlequin romance book?  She was supposed to have served the bachelor party that night, collected her tips, and gone home. She still remembered her plans for after work that night….her best friends were coming over after bar crawling, and they were going to download dating apps to get Riley back out on the dating scene. They were bringing Chinese food and their best drunk girl tag lines. Instead, Liam offered her a one night escape from reality…for both of them. Next thing she knew, she was throwing caution to the wind and following total strangers to Europe to participate in an untelevised version of The Bachelor. For him. For her. To see if what they felt was real.

Social season had not been easy for Riley. She was a stranger in a strange land, a fish out of water. The ladies of the court never failed to remind her she was an outsider with no real chance. The bullying, the back-handed compliments. Some days it took all she had to not go complete HAM on some of the ladies, and show them how Brooklyn put in work.  She was literally chasing after and throwing herself at a man who had at least a dozen other women to choose from. Not something today’s modern woman would do. She was one of many, and did not have the history or connection with the Prince the others did.  

It did not help that her sponsor, The Brothers Beaumont, were broke. She was using her savings to sponsor herself. In a way, they were as unprepared for the social season as she was. Maxwell was forgetful as hell. She was not sure if he was oblivious, preoccupied, or kept assuming she knew the schedule of events via telepathy. Telling her about events, protocols, and expecting her to come up with runway couture an hour before an event….the lack of preparation kept her on edge, but she never showed it.

Riley had to purchase her own clothing, which meant a lot of recycled outfits at event after event. She had had to work crew on the yacht during the Regatta, and crew was a long stretch of the imagination. It was her, Drake, and Maxwell. She had to help Bertrand, Maxwell, and Drake clean the estate and prepare the food for the final celebratory ball of the social season. Between trying to keep up and courtly training, she had no chance to fully focus on the politics of Court as the others did.

Thank God she had her friends to both learn from and vent to. Maxwell had quickly become her big brother despite her frustration with him, Bertrand the stern uncle, and Hana….Hana was the best friend she never knew she needed. The woman knew everything about Court, and the social season’s associated events and did not mind sharing her knowledge. From waltzing to horseback riding, to piano playing to foreign languages…Riley had Hana to thank.  Drake…Drake was special. He had begrudgingly become her unofficial personal protector at Liam’s request, but the friendship he offered her was all his. American commoners were rare in Cordonia, and based upon that bond alone, Riley and Drake found themselves able to speak freely and share things Maxwell, Hana, and Liam would never understand.

If Liam kept her safe, Drake kept her sane. Drake was the one who was there when Liam kissed Olivia in Lythikos, calming her down and once again explaining how social season brought out the worst in the ladies, and how she had to thicken her skin in a more polite way no matter how much she may hate it. Smile and ignore was his strategy. Drake was the one who saved her from Tariq that night in Applewood. She thought back to that night: Tariq entering her room, claiming it was his. Insistent that Riley felt the same. Approaching her while she was basically naked. Her voice going from calm and rational to just screaming at Tariq to get off her. Drake bursting in, his face twisting with rage as he took in the scene. The fight. Drake seeing her basically naked. Helping Drake remove his shirt as she iced his bruises. The strange tension between her and Drake which they both chose to ignore.

Sometimes she wondered what it would be like to be with Drake. To have that handsome face with those dark brown eyes looking into hers. To feel those strong hands on her body, and to feel his muscular body over top of hers. Especially now that Liam was with Madeleine, and Tariq would not come forward. She was essentially a single woman, but she and Drake both knew she wasn’t. Riley was too deep in love with Liam, and to start anything with anyone, especially Liam’s best friend, would only be a huge disaster for them all. Besides, sex changed everything, so she and Drake contented themselves with a friendship where they could tell each other all the things they could not share with anyone else.  

The Engagement Tour…..if it weren’t for her circle of friends, she would never had made it through. The first few weeks with no contact from anyone save Bertrand and Maxwell had nearly driven her crazy. Hana…she was supposed to return home. Had she? Was she okay? And where the hell was Drake? All she wanted to do was drink whiskey and ridicule nobles. Instead, she was learning fork placement and quick steps to once again prove her worthiness to the Court. Fuck the Court. The Court put her in this mess. She did not even wonder why she did not hear from Liam…she was too angry and hurt to even let her thoughts wander to him. Then she was on the tour, and having to see them together every single day, enduring Madeleine’s triumphantly gloating looks. Her snide, derisive comments.  Listening to him say he would not want anyone else by his side. Watching her kiss him, feed him, and walk hand in hand with him. She had to go pick up Madeleine’s wedding ring, for fuck’s sake. And it would only get worse once Madeleine was made Queen. Her friends kept her sane, and wiped her tears through it all.

Leaving Liam would mean leaving her friends behind as well. Fresh pain wrenched her heart and she began crying again. They were so much more than friends….they were her family now. She had already left behind one life; could she re-invent herself again? She recalled Liam’s words: I will make you Duchess of Valtoria. You can rebuild your life here in Cordonia. Could that be an option? She could run the duchy with Hana and Drake’s help, with oversight from the Brothers Beaumont and Liam. She would be far enough away from the Court to avoid the press and gossip. Liam would split his time between the Palace and Valtoria. Everyone knew she and Liam were still an item, so his extended stays would not be questioned. And it would give her a chance to stay with her friends, and to be with the man she had grown to love. How did that happen, that she would fall so deeply in love that she would actually view being the other woman as a viable option. But she would be second to duty, honor, and country. Not Madeleine.

Thinking back, Riley tried to pinpoint when she actually fell in love with Liam.  For sure, she knew that night in Lythikos during the social season solidified her feelings, but more than likely it was probably the night they met. She had never been one for love at first sight, but the immediate attraction, the easy flow of conversation, and the sexual chemistry was a heady combo she had never felt with any man before, be it the first time or the fifteenth time meeting them. No one had made her feel this way before.  Happy, giddy, all the positive stuff people felt when in love….Liam brought out all of that and then some. She felt protected with him. Liam was her home and she wanted only to stay with him. But for his duty to Cordonia. But for his impending marriage to Madeleine. But. Fresh tears were falling and Riley angrily brushed them away. Damnit, Timing…you’re worse than Karma. Eventually, she felt her tears subside, and she lowered her face into the flowers, drinking in their scent, and trying to imagine a life without Liam.

When she reached House Beaumont, it was evident Maxwell had been watching for her, as he almost immediately flung open the front door and ran down the drive to meet her. He looked like an excited puppy as he called out to her.  

“Riley, you’re back”!

Riley laughed despite herself. ”Yes, I am”.

Maxwell pulled her close in a hug. “I know things did not go well with Liam”.

Once the hug was over, Riley sighed. “I just did not want to hurt him, but if I stay I am hurting myself”.

Maxwell nodded understandingly. “Fate is a funny thing, Little Blossom, but let’s keep the faith. You never know what tomorrow brings”. He turned to look at her and told her she looked lovely. Riley smacked his shoulder playfully.

“You always say that”!

Maxwell grinned. “It’s true”.

Stepping into the entrance hall, the first person Riley saw was Hana. Her friend enveloped her in a tight hug.

“Riley! I am so glad you’re here”.

“I’m glad you’re here too, Hana”. Hana gave her a huge smile.

Riley looked around. “Are you here alone”?

“Oh no! Drake, Savannah, and Olivia went to pick up pizzas and beer for dinner. Bertrand is in his study…he had a phone call about House Beaumont business”. Hana made air quotes while rolling her eyes. “Maxwell and I have been trying to put together a dance party playlist. You are free to add songs if you want”.

“Wait….Hana, what is going on”?

“Just a little dance party to cheer you up. We all know today was not easy for you or Liam”.

Maxwell lifted his head from his phone, where he was selecting songs for the party playlist. “It is all my idea, so yell at me if you want. “

Riley shook her head incredulously, while a small grin crossed her lips. “You guys”, she groaned as she felt tears prick her eyes yet again. “Guess I will go change…3 inch heels do not belong at an impromptu dance party”.

“I’ll go with you”, Hana offered. Hana followed Riley upstairs to her room and sat gracefully in the wing backed armchair.

“Riley, how are you feeling”? Hana’s voice was soft and solicitous.

Riley flopped back on her bed as she let out a half yell, half groan. “Oh Hana….I am so in love with him. No idea how I will ever be able to board a plane to America without him. How I will even pick up the pieces of my old life. And I feel like a horrible person….he just…just broke, Hana. I did that to him”. Riley felt what was left of her heart empty out as she remembered Liam’s rage and pain. His words echoed in her head: what about my happily ever after?

Hana came over to the bed and put her hand on top of Riley’s. “He’s hurting, just like you are. He just needs time to process this. None of us want to see you leave, but as much as this hurts you now, if he married Madeleine”….Hana’s voice trailed off.

“Exactly”, Riley agreed. “Although, he did offer to make me a Duchess. A part of me…a huge part is considering it. I am not particularly interested in the title, but it grants me entrance into Court, and buys us some time. “

Hana looked at Riley. “But unless something gives with Tariq, he will still marry Madeleine. We both know that will break the pieces of your heart. Could you really deal with them being a married couple?”

“He keeps saying he will not…. cannot go through with it. He keeps talking of abdicating.”

Hana looked startled. “Really?”

“Really.”

Hana‘s voice was low and heavy with thought. “Sounds like you both have a heavy decision to make. Maybe you could stay at least another week to properly talk this out. Weigh your options. “  Hana’s voice brightened. “But on to happier news! Liam called Bertrand. He is coming to the potluck tomorrow, and Bertrand invited him to the party tonight. He’s coming! And will be spending the night!  I heard Bertrand speak of readying a room for him”.

Riley smiled softly as she stared into space, processing what Hana told her. He was coming! And spending the night! They would have the next two days Madeleine and Court free, and that was something.

Snapping her mind away from her thoughts, Riley spoke. “Well, guess I need to get showered and changed”.

Hana stood to leave. “Okay, see you downstairs. And Riley, we will all do what we can to make tonight as fun as possible. For all of us. “

Riley smiled fondly at her friend. “See you guys soon!”

[dangerousfoxfest]

Collide Chapter 3-The Journey

Chracters belong to Pixleberry. 

Hi everyone. So here is chapter 3. This was meant to be a trillogy, however it is more likely to be into 5 parts to give the story some justice. I promise the answers are coming and I hope worth the wait. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I would like to thank @blackcatkita for the advice and support of the last 24 hours,for a newbie writer it is very much appreciated. 

Summary: This storyline takes place after Tariq was not found and the MC name was never cleared. Liam has received news that Madeline who is Queen, has been involved in a car accident in America. 

2615 words

“Sir” Bastien said gently shaking Liam arm to wake him. “We’re getting ready to land”

Liam’s eyes darted open. He had slept for hours, dreamless, waking to the agony that he possibly has lost the love of his life for ever, and it wasn’t his wife.

“Any news?” Asked Liam as he began stretching and coming around.

“Yes Sir, the press are aware of the accident and Queen Madeline and Lady Riley have been involved. They are to put it mildly having a field day with speculative assumptions of why they are together in the car.” Replied Bastien.

“What about the fatality?” Are they aware? Liam asked.

“No, that news for now is contained, however I am unsure for how much longer.” Bastien responded. “The press are waiting in the airport for a statement from you sir.”

“Has Regina sent a copy of one?” Asked Liam

“Yes, she has three versions have been written depending on what developments took place, however none have mentioned Lady Riley, as at the time we did not know she was involved” said Bastien.

“That’s probably for the best” Liam replied, “I mean we don’t have much to go on there”

Bastien straightened up and nodded to the king before making his way to front of the plane, to finalise the necessary details Liam would need.

Liam got up grabbing his bag to fresh up in the bathroom before landing. Closing the bathroom door behind him, he looked in the mirror. He looked like hell he thought. The press will eat up the idea of a king devastated with worry about his beloved Queen, except he couldn’t help shake the feeling and guilt, it’s all a lie….all of it. He lost Lady Riley three years ago, but he had hope somehow it would work out. Hell, it was one of the reasons he put off having an heir to the throne. But now realising the ideal future he still dreamed off can all be gone….forever. Liam began questioning if the lie was ever worth it, at this moment in time, it did not feel like it. Liam’s thoughts were startled apart when there was a knock on the bathroom door. “Liam?” Drake called from the other side. “We’re getting ready to land you need to take your seat”.

“Be right out” Liam shouted back. With that he left the bathroom making his way to his seat, clasping his seatbelt looking straight ahead facing a very uncertain future.

Three years ago 

“Your what?” Olivia asked in utter shock

“Pregnant; with child; bun in the oven” Riley replied sarcastically.

“Enough with the sarcasm” Olivia responds calling Riley out. “So, Liam is happy to let you go knowing this?” She questions.

“Liam doesn’t know” Riley sighs.

“For the love of….this just gets better and better!” Olivia retorts “So you think what….. he won’t notice at any point he will have a child running around”

“I don’t know what to think” Riley responds before flopping herself on the sofa. The resounding jolt made Riley’s stomach flip before she ran immediately to the bathroom to be sick.

“Riley, you have to tell him” Olivia reasoned when Riley walked out of the bathroom.

“Then what?” Riley questions.

“He won’t marry her, that’s what!” Olivia answers.

“Exactly!” Replies Riley. “he will break of the engagement for the American who had an affair with a Nobel during the social season.”

“But” Olivia attempts to interrupt Riley now futile as Riley continues

“the press headlines, I can see it now “is King Liam the father of Lady Riley’s baby?”  Do you know the damage this could do to Liam’s reputation if the public and press knew we were having an affair during the engagement tour? It would ruin the monarchy no one would trust him…I won’t be responsible for the collapse of his reign.”

“Well I think Constantine has a hand in the blame for that one” Olivia replied. “Had he not meddled, both you and Liam would be heading back from a successful engagement tour, looking forward to a stronger monarchy and reign. So, it’s not all down to you.”

“Nevertheless Olivia” Riley responded “the situation is what it is, finding Tariq was my only and last hope for this to work out as I wanted….a family….Liam and I with this baby”

“I still think you should tell him, it is not your call to make or assume his decisions for him” replies Olivia. “It’s his child” she says with one last attempt. “I mean It….if you don’t decide to tell him!....I WILL!”

Anger and fear immediately floods through Riley’s body “don’t you dare….I mean it….you can’t….” Riley can now feel herself beginning to panic, her breathing quickening and the room spinning, just the same as the night before. “I…can’t…..breathe” Riley says in a halted panicked voice.

“Riley” Olivia face becoming grave and her voice now once of concern “please you need to calm down…..breathe…..take a deep breath”

“You…….you……can….” Riley’s words cut short as the room darkens and she collapses into Olivia’s arms.

Present day.

The plane lands on the Runway. Liam could see that crowds of press gathered at the entrance of the airport. He knew they would bombard him with questions the answers of which he truly could not give. Liam gathered up his things ready to leave the plane. He glanced over to Adelaide unsure whether it was a good idea to approach her. Adelaide returned the look and nodded to him. Liam made his way over “Adelaide…I’m sorry”

“Liam, you have to realise she’s my daughter” replied Adelaide

“I know, I” Liam found it wasn’t wise to finish the words to that sentence without a rerun of the earlier argument between them. To hope that it wasn’t Madeline who died, would mean Riley would be lost forever, he knew Adelaide knew this too and in the end Liam felt it better to say “no matter what Adelaide, I’m here for you. Adelaide simply nodded to a Liam and continued to gather her things.

“Your Majesty your press statement” says Bastien handing Liam a piece of typed up paper as he leaves the plane.

Taking the piece of paper from Bastien Liam leaves the plane waking down the stairs towards the hordes of waiting press. Drake, Liam, Adelaide and Bastien all walking alongside one another in unison, keeping their heads down, not giving much away.

 As they all made their way through the door into the airport, a flurry of flashbulbs and questions came at them, Liam felt it was as if time slowed down.

 “If you allow some quiet, I will read a statement” began Liam. “Last night the Cordonian Ambassador informed the Palace Queen Madeline has been involved in a Road Traffic Accident. The hospital staff have been working hard to provide the best care for the Queen. As you can imagine we are all very anxious to attend the hospital and an update will be provided in due course. Thank you” Liam and the group hurriedly moved off ignoring the questions shouted back to them. “Is the Queen dead?” One reporter shouts through the crowd noise. “Christ” Liam bristles at the question looking at Adelaide who was just about holding it together in the presence of the media. “we better hurry” he continues.

Three years ago 

Riley awoke when she was being wheeled into an ambulance with Olivia climbing in after her. Olivia what’s going on? Riley asked.

“You fainted that’s what” Olivia replied

“I’m fine, I don’t need to be in an ambulance” Riley responded.

“Like hell” Olivia scolded. “You obviously need to take better care of yourself, I mean look at you, less than 24 hours since you ended your relationship with Liam and you’re a mess.”

“I just didn’t get the chance to eat any breakfast” Replied Riley.

“Oh yeah! Missing breakfast explains why your wearing your pyjamas at 3pm, and you look like you not slept in a year” Olivia responds. “Face it, I’m right and your wrong”

“I’ll concede that today is not the best day for me, but really Olivia hospital?”

“Yes! If your insist on staying here, I have to know you can be trusted to look after this baby, after all it’s the child of a King.”

The paramedic on hearing this drops the blood pressure cuff he was going to place on Riley’s arm. “Olivia… don’t” Riley countered shaking her head. Picking the BP cuff up, he proceeded to take Riley’s vitals.

“140/90” the paramedic stated as he was depressing the BP cuff.  

“Is that okay?” Riley asked.

“Well it’s slightly higher than we would like, but it’s nothing to worry about usually, your doctor will keep a routine check on it to make sure it stays stable” he replies. “How far along are you?”

“I’m not sure” Riley replies looking down towards her hands avoiding looking up toward Olivia.

“For the lov…” Olivia exasperated voice now evident “Riley what do you mean you don’t know, please don’t tell me you haven’t seen a doctor?”

“No Olivia I haven’t….I have been rather busy you know hunting down photographers and chasing credit card numbers around the world you know” Riley retorted back.

“How far along do you think you are?” Asked the paramedic interrupting them both, the conversations between these two were by far the strangest he’s heard for a long time.

“Sorry?” Asked Riley leaving Olivia’s gaze and turning toward him.

“When was you last monthly period?” He replied

“Erm about 13 weeks ago” she muttered

“So late September?” He questioned

Riley slightly nodded in reply.

What seemed like forever to get there they both finally arrived at the hospital. The hospital looked quite grand, Riley looked at Olivia knowing she must have asked the paramedic to bypass the nearest one and take her to the best hospital in NYC. Olivia shrugged innocently. Riley taken through to the ER department and soon assessed by the triage nurse. “Just get you settled in and have a doctor come round and examine you, But first I am going to examine your vitals again” Riley nodded in response. Soon Riley was settled into a bed wearing a hospital gown. Shortly afterwards the doctor arrived. “Good evening Miss Holligan, I’m Dr Reaser. How are you feeling?”

I’m fine doctor Reaser, nothing to worry about, just didn’t eat breakfast that’s all” she replies.

“Well, your blood pressure is ever so slightly higher than we would like. Are you under any due stress at all?” Asks Dr Reaser.

Riley gives a snort and he raises an eyebrow to her. “Just burning the candle at both ends I suppose” she answers. “Yes, the paramedic mentioned you were discussing some travel you both had recently done.” He questions.

“Yes, you could say that” Olivia mutters, “just sightseeing” Riley responds quickly before Olivia can say any more.

“Well I am going to order some blood samples to be drawn, and we’ll need a urine sample too, I’ll order an ultra sound, make sure the baby is well.” He replies. 

While the nurse was working with Riley. Olivia left them alone to find a coffee shop in the grounds, she badly needed the caffeine injection into her system. Turning her phone on, she had a few missed calls and texts from the others asking if she was okay. She quickly sends a send to all text in response “yes everything is fine. Met an old friend while shopping went for dinner, will be back late. O.” The text was much easier than to lie to people at this moment. Besides she doesn’t even know if and what should be said. Olivia later returned to Riley with two coffees. “Not the best drink for a pregnant woman” Riley states as Olivia hands her a cup. “Oh shit! Your right, I’ll find you some wine instead” she replies “Olivia!” Riley’s responds, then both of them start laugh. It was a laugh needed to break the tension of the long day they both had.  

At that moment Dr Reaser Enters the room. “Miss Holligan good time to interrupt I hope, but we have your tests results.” Entering the room further standing next to Rileys bedside he continues “Your blood tests show you are a little dehydrated, so we would like to keep you in overnight and give you some IV fluids and be sure that your blood pressure remains stable.”

“Thank you doctor but I don’t think I could afford to stay here” replies Riley, “my health insurance wouldn’t cover this…”

“Nonsense” Olivia cutting off Riley in mid-sentence. “I have it covered, thank you doctor she will be staying” Riley was glaring at Olivia, who was deliberately ignoring the looks. 

“Good” replies Dr Reaser “we’ll get you settled in upstairs once I’ve done your ultrasound”

 A flurry of excitement flooded Riley this was the first time she would see her baby, then sadness filled her Liam should be here. A few short minutes Dr Reaser returned with the ultrasound equipment. “Now Miss Holligan” did the nurse explain we need you to have a full bladder for this, do you have one?” “Yes she did, and yes I have” Riley bristling at the question. “Good…Good” replies Dr Reaser. “Now we’ll get you comfortable, if you lie back” he continues and hands her some paper sheets “now use the this paper covering your lower half of your body, while lifting your gown up over your stomach” Riley does as she is asked “some cold gel” Dr Reaser warns as he spreads some lubricant gel over Riley’s lower stomach. “Ah here we are” Dr Riley proudly announces turning the screen towards Riley and Olivia. “Hears the heart and it’s beating beautiful, here you can hear it” whoosh whoosh whoosh the sound of the heartbeat filled the room. Tears began to fill Riley’s eyes. “From the growth measurements I would say your baby is around 12 weeks.” Dr Reaser added “everything is looking good….upstairs the OB doctor will discuss your pre-natal Care and get you booked into future appointments….. Okay?” Dr Reaser Smiled “Any questions?” He asked While handing Riley a picture of the baby during the scan. Riley shook her head signalling a no response while mesmerised looking at the scan picture. Her baby….Liam’s baby….their baby. She began to think for a moment could she keep this from him??? Turning her head towards Olivia, Riley solemnly says “your right he deserves to know.”

Present day.

Drake, Liam, Maxwell, Adelaide and Bastien make their way to the waiting car. On route to the hospital, Drake reaches in his pocket to grab his phone intending call Olivia letting her know they have arrived safely. Realising he forgot to switch his phone back on after charging on the plane when the battery drained. Drake switched his phone on. The car sounds filled with multiple beeps and pings coming from the phone as it booted up. Drake, Maxwell and Liam all looked at one another. Drake panicked thinking something was wrong with Thomas his three-month-old son he and Olivia have. She was never one to blow up his phone. Drake returned the call “Liv… what’s wrong is Thomas okay?....then what’s?.....yeah he’s next to me…..why?.....yeah we heard Holligan was in the car too…how weird is that?.....we haven’t heard about…..Liv….Liv you’re not making any sen…..” Drake held onto the other end of the phone listening intently his eyes widening. Liam and Maxwell clearly aware something was wrong. “HOW IN THE HELL C….” Drake halts mid-sentence. “Okay…okay…You should have told me Liv” Drake cuts of the call.

“What’s wrong? Liam asks Drake, “has Olivia heard anything?”

 “Liam” Drake sighs “we need to talk.”

Tag list: @blackcatkita @fluffy-marshmallow-heart @bobasheebaby @ao719 @cocomaxley @leelee10898 @hopefulmoonobject @gardeningourmet @supersecretfandomblog @thequeenofcronuts @princess-geek @flowerpowell @carabeth @brightpinkpeppercorn @furiousherringoperatortoad @isoberg @jared2612 @annekebbphotography @indiacater @moneyfordiamonds @stopforamoment @wannabemc2 @blznbaby @mrsdrakewalkerblog

[givemechoices]

What The Hell Am I Doing

Pairing: Liam x OC (Ilham)

Rating: G for now

Word Count: 3082 (THIS ISN’T EVEN THE ENTIRE CHAPTER I’M SO SORRY)

Request: My brain at 1731h on a random Tuesday

Extra Note: Instead of waiting for PB to create a Muslim MC, I figured I’d just do up my own. She’s an OC for The Royal Romance. Just fyi, Ilham means inspiration in Arabic and Malay. It’s typically a boy’s name in Malay culture but I just love how it sounds for a female character. Also, this is a rewriting (sort of) of the first chapter of the book. Idk if it’s going to be an entire series reimagined but I just had to get this out.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters (except my girl Ilham, obvi) or the plot and some of the words because they belong to PB but I love them like my babies and I’m borrowing them for a while don’t kill me ^-^

Sweating under her hijab was the last thing Ilham wanted to do on her last night at the restaurant. The boss was a tyrant but at least he kept the air-conditioning at a good temperature usually but tonight, the AC had broken down in the middle of her shift and they could only afford the ceiling and wall fans. It was just lucky that she was wearing her black hijab.

She was standing at one particular fan, trying to cool her head down when a group of loud men came in in high spirits. The other waitress working that night, Hilal, was in the kitchen so Ilham pushed herself off the counter and away from her precious cool air to bring them to a table.

“Tell me this restaurant serves alcohol, love?” One of them asked her and she had to chuckle. They were a Middle Eastern restaurant with a huge Halal certificate out front. Surely they knew what that meant?

“Sorry sir. But there’s a bar right across from here-”

The same man clicked his tongue and was about to usher them out when the one in denim shook his head and said: “It’s fine, we’ll just have whatever your specialty is.” He smiled at Ilham who smiled back and nodded as she grabbed a stack of menus to hand over to the men.

“Good evening, my name is Ilham and I will be your server for tonight.” She announced and spewed off the specialties for the night before walking off to the corner with the ceiling fan, hoping the men would be the last customers for the day. She was already tired, having been on her feet for the past eight hours. This was definitely not the way she wanted to spend the last day on the job.

Hilal finally came out of the kitchen and made a beeline towards Ilham looking a little worried. “Il, I hate to do this to you on your last day but I have to leave. Family emergency. I’ll buy you the hugest apology cake your favourite bakery has.”

Ilham swept her dark brown eyes across the restaurant and nodded to Hilal. “Of course, yeah. Send my salam to your family, yeah?” She said with a strained smile, to which Hilal pouted apologetically. She gave Ilham a tight hug and kisses on the cheek before running out, leaving her with the group of men.

Speaking of which, when they were ready to order, the same man from before went off menu and asked for a filet mignon.

“We have lamb kebab, shawarma, more meat on sticks and the occasional veggie burger.” Ilham gave an amused smile when she saw the disappointment in filet mignon dude’s face. The one in denim waved a dismissive hand. “We’ll just have four orders of the beef shawarma and whatever this yellow drink is. Looks festive.”

Ilham chuckled and nodded, writing their orders down just as the one in denim waved at the door. She held back a groan when she realised there was another customer coming in but the moment she turned, she had to admit that for the last twenty-seven years, awestruck was never an emotion she felt until that moment.

A tall Asian man in a dinner jacket strolled over with an apologetic smile. “Sorry I’m late. Thank you for your patience, Miss…?”

“Ilham,”

“Charmed to make your acquaintance, Ilham.” There was a hint of an accent in his voice, one she couldn’t quite place. But she definitely liked the sound of her name in that voice.

“Pleasure’s all mine. It’s nice to meet you.”

As he sat with his friends, Ilham went over to the kitchen to put in their orders, all the while stealing surreptitious glances towards the only occupied table for the night.

The boss made an appearance to give her her last check and to kiss up to the customers, giving into most of their (or rather just one man) demands and jokingly chiding Ilham for not being able to tend to their needs. Ilham just gave him a tight smile as she started cleaning up everywhere else.

She was wiping down the cashier counter when the one in the dinner jacket came up to her, rapping the counter gently with a hand held up and still with that apologetic smile. “I think we’re about ready to head out. I just wanted to thank you. And apologise.”

A smile was creeping up on Ilham’s face but she kept quiet. She was genuinely interested in seeing where this was going.

“I know we kept you late, and my friends can be...demanding.”

She let the smile cross her face and she shrugged. “Believe it or not, they weren’t the most difficult I’ve had to deal with tonight.”

A wide smile appeared on his face and Ilham couldn’t help but smile even more.

“I had a feeling you were tougher than you looked.” He turned back to his friends and Ilham took the time to hide the blush creeping on her cheeks. “Let me make it up to you. We’re about to uh...paint the town red as Maxwell so eloquently said but we aren’t from here so we were hoping you’d be our tour guide. If you’re not too tired?”

A night out with four strange men? Her brother would have a cow. But she hadn’t been out in forever and she had just finished her last shift. She deserved a break. What Ihsan didn’t know wouldn’t kill him.

“If you’re not looking for a club or to get drunk, I might know a place.” This was definitely not something Ilham usually did. But she felt a strange pull towards this man with his somewhat regal manner of bringing himself about and his smile. And definitely his accent.

“I’m definitely ready to do without the bachelor party antics.” He nodded with a wide smile. She returned it, adding a nod. “Let me finish up here.”

The guy paid his bill and ushered his friends outside, leaving Ilham to finish her work and get out of her uniform and into a loose knee-length maroon blouse and jeans. A quick glimpse in the mirror in the break room had Ilham groaning before she undid her hijab, washed her face and redid it in less than five minutes.

She sent a text to her brother that she would be staying late and put it on vibrate before joining the bachelor party.

The guy in denim turned to her and the expression on his face had her frowning slightly, looking down to see whether she had anything on her. A small wow came from his direction and she couldn’t help but grin and look at him. “Wow?”

He seemed to take a moment to rearrange himself before shrugging nonchalantly.

“The uniform didn’t do you justice.” Filet mignon dude piped up from behind him before the other one called her hot. Her grin dropped and dinner jacket guy cleared his throat. He looked a little angry at the one in all black. “I doubt Ilham appreciates you talking about her like that, Maxwell.”

Maxwell gave her an apologetic grin, raising his hands in defense. “Sorry, Ilham. I meant to say you look lovely. Now let’s get the show on the road!” He exclaimed, seemingly forgetting the whole mishap.

But the one in denim raised an eyebrow. “So she’s our tour guide now?”

“Ilham was kind enough to agree to show us around. She’s doing us a favour, Drake so play nice.” Dinner jacket guy looked at Drake pointedly who simply shrugged once more and they were on their way. Ilham decided that she wasn’t a big fan of Drake but kept her opinion to herself.

A limo eased in front of them and Ilham suddenly felt a little out of place and wondered exactly who these men were. It should have been a sign to turn tail and go home but she still wanted to find out more about the one who had defended her and been polite to her the entire time.

With instructions to the driver given, she climbed in and kept a distance between herself and the men. Briefly, she wondered if she should just send at least Hilal her location pin but stopped herself from doing so. She kept telling herself she deserved a break. And if that happened with a very handsome man in her vicinity, well…

A short while later, they arrived at the cove and piled out of the limo. Ilham took in the salty air and sighed softly. Drake suggested they start a bonfire and filet mignon dude, the one she was informed was Tariq, scoffed at that. Drake rolled his eyes. “Oh sorry, I forgot who I was talking to. I meant to say, I’ll start the bonfire.”

Maxwell yelled out skinny dipping and Tariq persuaded him not to. Not so gently. Ilham couldn’t help but laugh before she was approached by the handsome man, Liam, she had been eyeing the whole night.

“The guys seem to be enjoying themselves. I’m glad you brought us here.”

“I bet you’re used to putting everyone else first.”

“And why would you say that?” Liam asked, curiosity clear in his eyes.

“The guys seem to be enjoying themselves. What about you, Liam?”

A little chuckle came from him and he nodded. “I love it.”

Ilham nodded and smiled. “Good. This is my favourite and very secret spot. I’m trusting you with this.”

Liam smiled and looked out to his friends. “I’ll make sure I’m worthy of that trust. But how do I make it up to you for tonight? I was supposed to at least buy you a drink but you’re the one doing me a favour.”

A little playful smirk coloured Ilham’s lips. “I suppose you’re just going to have to keep owing me.”

He turned to Ilham, his eyes lingering over her lips for a moment before looking up to her eyes. “Fair enough. But what should we do?”

She looked up at the cliff where she did her best thinking and turned to Liam. “Let’s climb up that cliff.”

Surprise coloured Liam’s expression. “Way up there?”

Ilham was already moving up with a little chuckle. “Try to keep up!”

Reaching the top, she looked down to see Liam clearing the distance quickly and once he was up with her, she looked down at the view of the ocean as the waves crashed against the rocks. The wind picked up and she sighed at how cooling it was against her face.

“What do you think?” She asked after a while. Liam seemed to be in a daze and turned to her with a quizzical look on his face.

“The view. Worth the climb, right?” She had a little grin of pride as she looked out. She heard his agreement and they stood there silently just enjoying the scenery.

She couldn’t help but laugh when she shivered, after the complaints she had before about being so hot. “Cold?” Liam asked, concern tingeing his tone. “Just a little.” She nodded as she turned to him with a grin. He looked down at his friends and then back up at her with a small smile. “I see that the guys got the bonfire going. Let’s head back down to warm up.”

Ilham nodded and they climbed down. Her hijab snagged a few times, much to her chagrin, but she managed not to get into too big scrapes. They walked over to the fire and watched the other guys playing in the water. She couldn’t help but feel like this wasn’t a regular occurrence for the men and still she kept quiet. Her thoughts were a little too fantastical at times, but that was the burden of a student of literature.

Liam broke the silence, commenting on how this wasn’t where he had thought his night was going to go. “Spending time with you tonight has been the most fun I’ve had this entire vacation.”

Ilham couldn’t help the smile spreading across her lips as she looked over at him. It then occurred to her that if this simple getaway was actually the most fun he’d had, it might not have been the best vacation for him. “You haven’t been enjoying yourself?”

He corrected himself as he straightened his back with a hand held up. “I have, it’s been wonderful. I just haven’t been able to do one thing in particular.”

Curious, she turned her body in his direction to give him her full attention. He lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck, an embarrassed look on his face. “It’s...well…you’re probably going to think it’s silly, but I’ve always wanted to see the Statue of Liberty. It wasn’t really in the guys’ plan so we just never got around to it. And now it’s my last day here…” he paused and Ilham could see the struggle in his face and she felt for him. It was obvious that he was a people pleaser, something that wasn’t entirely a bad thing but at one point, it made sense that he was feeling the toll it would take on him.

“I don’t mean to sound so ungrateful. It was thoughtful of my friends to throw me this bachelor party. They’ve done their best, but I’m not in the mood to celebrate.”

Ilham frowned when she realised that she’d had it all wrong. Liam was a taken man and whatever pull she had felt was completely uncalled for. The guy had just merely been polite and she’d thought they had something between them. Silly Ilham. Of course she would like the unavailable ones.

“Um...congratulations I guess.” She gave him a strained smile and he returned it with a sad one. “Thank you but I don’t know whether congratulations is really in order.” Liam responded. She frowned and grimaced as a thought crossed her mind.

“I actually don’t know who I’m going to marry yet...only that I’ll have to pick my fiancee by the end of the year.”

The thought became clearer and she winced slightly. “An arranged marriage?”

Liam shrugged. “I haven’t been completely honest with you. The truth is...I’m the Crown Prince of Cordonia.”

Ilham snorted, waiting for the punchline. Looking at Liam, she realised one wasn’t coming. The dude was actually a prince. She was in the presence of royalty. And then things came back to her. How the group as a whole reacted and behaved. And how they were dressed and the way they spoke. She was still a little sceptical but somehow it all made sense.

She fiddled with the small brooch against her shoulder and gave Liam a small smile. “I may have had a feeling.”

Liam looked up in surprise. “How?”

She mentioned her observations and chuckled with a shrug.

“You’re taking it a lot calmer than most.”

Ilham laughed and shrugged. “I’m a writer. Things like this happening to me are like gold. I’m not squandering the opportunity.”

Liam’s entire body seemed to relax and he smiled. “A writer. I would never have pegged you for one. But...I suppose it makes sense. You seem rather fearless. Like you have the world at your feet. All you have to do is pick an adventure and go with it.”

The smile on her face turned soft. “That’s one way of putting it.”

He inched closer and his hand hovered over hers for a moment before he pulled back. “What do you like to write about most?” He asked, looking up at her.

“People falling in love.” She blurted out. “I love romance. The ease in which some people fall into it. How they struggle to keep it. How much sacrifice or compromise is actually needed for it to work.”

She looked away, a little embarrassed that she had admitted to it.

“That’s beautiful, Ilham.”

She avoided looking at him and instead concentrated on how much fun the other guys were having in the water.

“Part of me wishes tomorrow doesn’t come. We’ll have to go back to Cordonia and go through the social season. I just want to keep this moment frozen. Where we don’t have to worry about anything but sand sticking to our hands and feet.” Liam’s voice sounded so far away and so melancholy. Ilham turned to him, wanting to just comfort him but only affording a small sad smile.

“Well, it’s not tomorrow yet. We still have five more hours until sun up.” She offered.

The corner of Liam’s lips quirked up. “What are you suggesting?”

The cogs in her brain started to turn and she grinned. “You want to see the Statue of Liberty, right? Well, I know a guy who can get us there.”

Liam raised his eyebrows in surprise. “It’s way past midnight, do you really think he’d be able to bring us there?”

It was a huge favour to ask but she knew Frank wouldn’t mind. His boat was always gassed up and ready to go. He owed her anyway.

“Hey, if it means that much to you, yeah. Frank’s a sentimental guy. He’s a total sucker for granting wishes. It’s what you’ve wanted to do since you got here, right?” She asked with an impish grin. Liam laughed and ran his fingers through his hair. “That is what I said earlier.” He sighed softly before looking at his friends.

“They’re not going to notice we’ve gone, trust me. They’re having way too much fun out there.” Ilham laughed and stood up, pursing her lips and looking at Liam expectantly.

He turned to look at her and then back at his friends and then at her again before he stood up. 

“Let’s do it.”