Chapter 21
Rain had tried to distance himself from the team by insisting he travel in the royal compartments; left to his own devices, he would have wallowed in self-pity all the way home.
Instead, the boys refused to let him slip away.
They were travelling to Greys Water together with or without him, and that came with risks he couldn’t ignore.
Jay had already boarded the back carriage without waiting for an answer, leaving Rain feeling cornered into joining them—if only to keep them safe.
He’d have a drink with them at the Black Hole before they parted ways. Then he’d drag himself to the Gods-awful ball. Alone. Though that was the least of his concerns. First, he needed to find a way to speak to Jay. To explain. To apologise. To try—at the very least—to make things right.
By the time they reached the Black Hole, everyone’s spirits had lifted. Everyone except Rain.
“I’m buying,” he called out, breaking his silence as they reached the bar.
He needed something strong enough to burn through the tension.
No one objected. He’d hoped to avoid another flustered argument with Jay about who bought the first round.
The butterflies of their earlier interaction, long gone.
Elijah spotted him, tossing aside a wet rag before sauntering over, looking far too pleased to see him.
“Hello, handsome. Good to see you again,” he purred, eyes already drifting into suggestion.
“Oh, you’re fucking him too, aren’t you?” Jay scoffed, stalking away before Rain could even blink.
“What—no, I’m not—I mean, not since—” Rain stuttered after him, then sighed and turned back to the bar.
“Mate, give him some time,” Thomas said, looking vaguely impressed by the exchange. Rain groaned and dropped onto the stool beside him. Elijah mouthed an apology, face full of remorse.
“Hope you’re right,” Rain muttered, glancing toward Jay.
They ordered a round of shots and several jugs of cocktails to share.
Rain downed multiple whiskys at the bar, trying to drown his sorrows and gather the courage to survive the next few hours.
Without thinking, he used his power to lift the drinks and glide them to the table, setting each one down without spilling a drop.
The team stared, jaws slack.
“Wow. Impressive!” Thomas gaped. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you use your powers.”
The others murmured agreement. Rain cringed, cheeks warming.
“I have,” Jay cut in bitterly, “but he probably uses them on everyone he tries to sleep with.”
Thomas and Sean both let out loud, delighted “oooohs,” while everyone else grabbed for a shot like it was a shield.
“This might be personal,” Daphne giggled, clutching her glass in both hands, “but now I’m wondering how. Like… in what way do you use your powers in the bedroom?”
The table erupted in laughter.
“You can’t ask him that,” Emily gasped.
“Why not? My mind is already thinking of a million ways it could come in handy,” Daphne shot back. Rain fought to keep a straight face, feeling Jay’s stare burning into him. “I’m not asking what he did with Jay specifically. Just a general enquiry.”
“Daphne!” the girls chorused.
“Okay,” Rain said, raising a hand, “as much as I’d enjoy educating you young mortals in the fine art of fucking an aetherial with powers like mine… I need another drink.” He plucked a shot from the tray.
“Said like a century-old royal,” Wren laughed. Rain flashed her a grin.
“Let’s drink to… meaningful connections,” he said, eyes settling on Jay as he downed his shot.
“Pfft. What would you know about that,” Jay muttered.
Everyone side-eyed him, echoed “meaningful connections,” and drank.
Rain slammed his empty glass down. “Right. Rouge, get up. We’re talking. Now.” He grabbed another shot and threw it back. “Let’s get this over with.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you, thank you very much,” Jay replied, nose in the air, stubborn as ever.
Rain leaned forward, voice low. “I wasn’t giving you the option. If you don’t move, I will use my power on you to get that sexy little ass of yours moving.”
“You will not,” Jay snapped, horrified.
“Try me.”
The girls scrambled out of the booth, grateful for the excuse to escape the tension.
Jay reluctantly slid out after them, snatching a jug and a straw like armour before stalking to a small table a few rows away.
Rain followed, spun a chair around, and straddled it, resting his chin on the back as he watched Jay take long, stubborn sips without looking at him.
Under normal circumstances, Rain would tease him for being this adorable. The thought alone sent a sharp ache through his chest. His expression fell. This wasn’t going to be easy.
“Well?” Jay finally said, when the silence stretched too long. “You wanted to talk. Talk.”
Rain swallowed. “I… I’m sorry.”
“Yes, you would be.” Jay’s tone was cool, but his eyes were burning. “But what exactly are you sorry for? Sorry you got caught? Sorry for leading me on? Or sorry you didn’t get to fuck me before I found out that’s all I meant to you?”
The words were too harsh for Jay’s gentle voice, and Rain flinched.
“No. None of that is true. You know it’s not.
” Rain’s voice cracked. “I didn’t lead you on, and my intentions with you were never about sex.
When I said I love you, I meant it. I mean it.
I think I mean it. Fuck, this is so messy.
” The alcohol wasn’t helping. “Look—everything with us is real. I care about you. Ivy… Ivy is just Ivy. I’ve been betrothed to her since I was conceived.
That was never something I hid from you. ”
“Being betrothed and being together are two different things, Rain.” Jay’s brows pinched. “I thought they were.”
“They are.” Rain exhaled shakily. “The thing is… Ivy’s power is seduction.”
Jay leaned forward, jumping ten steps ahead. “She used her power to get you to sleep with her?”
“No. Gods, no. She does use it, but I can’t use that as an excuse.” He wished he could. “I did sleep with Ivy. It was consensual. And I don’t know what that means. But it doesn’t change how I feel about you.”
“Oh great. Thanks. And what are your intentions exactly?”
“Jay…” Rain reached across the table, but Jay didn’t loosen his grip on the jug.
He just stared, waiting. Rain sighed. “Being with you feels like home. You pull me out of every horrible part of my existence and make me feel… worthy. Of love. Of you. You’re the best part of my day.
And even though we’ve only known each other a short time, I don’t want to lose you.
I want to be selfish, but you deserve more.
If you tell me we’re done, I’ll walk away.
I won’t push. I don’t want that, but I’ll do it. ”
Jay’s voice softened to a whisper. “Was it just this once? With Princess Ivy?”
Rain’s heart sank. He didn’t want to diminish what happened with Ivy—it would be dishonest—but telling the truth felt just as dangerous. Especially when he hadn’t begun to unpack everything that had transpired.
“When I was last with you… after the incident… Ivy came to help me. I needed to escape myself. I was in an extremely dark place. That’s not an excuse.
I’m not asking for pity. I’m just giving you the full picture.
” He rubbed his face, exhausted. “Ivy and I have always had a purely physical relationship. We had sex that night. Then I realised I’d temporarily lost my empathic powers—which is a whole other disaster.
I told her I’d met someone else and couldn’t keep hooking up with her. She was furious and left.”
He took a breath. Conscious that he was nervously oversharing.
“Then yesterday… she was acting strangely suspicious. I found out that something was going on with her and Julian. We talked. Really talked. And we spent the night together. So technically… twice since I met you.”
Jay’s jaw tightened. “Does she think you’re together?”
“I have a feeling tonight’s going to end that notion.”
“Meaning?”
“I’ve always told Ivy we’re not a couple.
She never listens. She belittles me, pushes, refuses to take no for an answer.
We are betrothed so it has always been expected that I would be forced to back down eventually.
But now…” Rain hesitated. “I think Julian asked her to marry him. She turned him down, but she likes him. And they slept together between the two times she slept with me, just to show how fucked this all is.”
Jay blinked, stunned.
“If I told Ivy I wanted her,” Rain continued, “she’d drop Julian in a heartbeat.
But I can’t. I’ve never wanted to marry her.
It feels like a fate worse than death. And after Julian tells her what he saw today, she might be persuaded to convince her father to let her marry him instead.
He’s an heir. Her brother likes him far better than he does me and aside from our alliance, it makes political sense. ”
Rain froze mid-sentence as the realisation hit. The true threat was no longer a matter of the heart; his life was at stake.
“Fuck. My father is going to kill me. And he’ll have a very good reason.” He stared at the jug. “Can I please have some of that drink?”
Jay slid it over silently.
Rain tossed the straw aside and took several long gulps, wincing.
“That’s strong.” He set it down. “Jay… I’ve never been deceitful with you.
I should’ve been more transparent, and I’m sorry I haven’t been.
Last night I wasn’t thinking about you, and that’s truly unforgivable.
But my feelings haven’t changed. I like you. And I’m really sorry I hurt you.”
Jay slumped back, eyes shining with fresh tears. Rain didn’t think, he moved. Shoving Jay’s chair to the side with him still seated, he knelt before him. His hands resting gently on Jay’s knees, his piercing green eyes locked on his.
“I am so. Fucking. Sorry.”
A small, broken sound escaped Jay, and the tears spilled over. Rain stood and pulled him into his arms, holding him tight against his chest, pressing a soft kiss to his golden hair. Jay clung to him, fists curled in Rain’s shirt, sobbing until the storm finally eased.
When Jay pulled back, his face was blotchy and red. Rain brushed the tears from his cheeks, searching his eyes but refusing to read his energy. He couldn’t bear it.
“I forgive you,” Jay whispered.
Rain didn’t hesitate. He kissed him. A kiss full of deep desperation and relief.
Jay responded instantly, arms locking around Rain’s neck like he was afraid he’d vanish.
Rain used his power blindly to clear a path, sloshing cocktail across the table as he nudged Jay toward the wall, kissing him like he needed him to breathe.
“Um—sorry to interrupt,” Emily called, sounding half-amused, half-mortified. “But this is a public place. And we’re all here. Watching.”
“Not that we mind,” Jasmine added.
“Some of us mind,” Wren muttered.
Jay flushed scarlet and hid his face in Rain’s chest. Rain chuckled softly, tilting Jay’s chin up to steal one more, gentle kiss before leading him back to the table, fingers intertwined.
Everyone stared at them with ridiculous, beaming smiles. Rain ignored them, grabbed the jug, and pulled Jay into the seat beside him; close enough their shoulders touched. He wasn’t letting go. Not today.
They ordered two more rounds of shots and spent the next hour laughing, drinking, and sinking into a warm, messy haze.
At some point Rain realised he’d let his walls down completely.
He should have been worried, perhaps slowed down on the drink.
Instead, he basked in the affection radiating from his friends.
Jay wasn’t sad anymore; just wrung out. But every time he looked at Rain, his heart fluttered the same way it always had.
Things weren’t perfect. They weren’t certain.
But right now, this was exactly where he wanted to be.