The Heir's Bargain (Of Fire and Lies)

Chapter 36

After two daysof sulking with Terin, my brother finally had had enough and forced me to return home.

The day we returned was also the day I would typically head off to The Splintered Oar to meet Dani and her friends—which must have been precisely why Terin dragged me to the Wilton”s manor before I could argue.

As I sat in the marble billiards room, all I could think about was that old, musty tavern. I missed the music, the drunken patrons, the old barkeeper and his wife. Coming to this manor, playing cards with Riley and Lukas, and drinking whiskey from crystal glasses were all things I had done before Dani and I.

I realized then that time was a strange thing. Our lives were split into a series of before”s and after”s.

For a long time, I thought you only experienced one of those moments in your lifetime. And for me, I believed that the night of the attack was the moment that defined the rest of my life. I had thought it was the single moment that would mark my life for the rest of my days.

But this moment between Dani and me? Something about it felt life-altering, even though our courtship only lasted a few months.

Maybe that was why the liquor went down quicker as the night wore on.

Crack.

I jolted up as Terin”s hand slapped against the table, his chair scratching against the oak floors as he reached for me. He held out his hand, waiting for me. I stumbled forward, nearly missing his hand as the floor beneath me wobbled.

Or was that me?

Either way, I shrugged it off and picked up my glass. I swirled the remaining droplets of amber liquid, then tossed the drink back before calling Jorian over for a refill.

Riley groaned, slumping back in his chair, his fingers digging into his short, tight black curls.

Lukas shot back the whiskey in his glass. With the back of his hand, he wiped the dribble of liquid dripping down the stubble of his brown chin.

Riley banged his glass against the table, his bright blue eyes locking onto Terin. ”I call for a rematch!”

Terin chuckled and scratched the back of his neck as an amused grin stretched across his face from ear to ear.

A hint of bitterness pooled in my stomach, but I shoved it away.

A drunken, heartbroken fool or not—I would always be happy for Terin.

We really shouldn”t. It”s not fair, Terin thought.

An ounce of amusement flicked at the corner of my mouth.

Originally, Terin had wanted to go easy on his boyfriend and Lukas. Since I was not in the mood for a game of cards, I had not argued with him. The game felt frivolous in the grand scheme of things. But once we started losing, Terin”s competitive nature—a side he usually kept masked behind his quiet demeanor—slipped out. Then, all bets were off.

I feigned a smirk and took a sip of my whiskey. ”Are you sure about that, Riley?”

Lukas” gaze snapped to mine. ”Has that crown of yours made you cockier, Fynnie?”

I scoffed.

”That”s not possible,” Terin said. ”His ego was already too large for that crown to begin with.”

Riley spat whiskey onto the table as he fell into a fit of laughter. Terin”s cheeks reddened, and he tried to cover it with a small drink.

I gasped, stabbing an imaginary dagger into my chest and twisting it. ”Wounded—and by my own brother, no less.”

”So, another?” Riley asked once his laughter died down. He began gathering the cards into a pile.

”Are you a glutton for punishment or something, Riley?” Terin asked.

Leaning back with his arm hanging on the back of the chair, Riley cocked his head as he held out the shuffled deck to Terin. ”Or something.”

I glanced at Terin, but his mind was sealed shut as he grabbed the deck from Riley.

Soon, the cards were dealt, and the game began again.

However, despite the smile on my face and the laughter slipping from my tongue, my heart was still aching. And for once, I was thankful that Terin”s shields remained up, his love-sick thoughts kept to himself.