Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
MABLE
“Wells,” I gasp, my hands pressing to his chest to keep me up. Not that he’d let me fall. He’s got his hands on my hips doing all the work, even if I’m on top straddling him. He moves my hips for me.
He sits up in one motion, his arms wrapping around me, pulling me flush against him. His mouth finds mine, and I come apart, shaking, crying out into his kiss. He follows me over, groaning against my lips, his whole body tensing and releasing.
I feel his warm release spill inside of me before collapsing back onto the bed.
He laughs against my neck. I love that sound.
It’s a real laugh too. I noticed last night he faked some, but I get it.
When we’d first gotten to the wedding, it was intense, to say the least. Everyone knew him and wanted to talk to him.
I did enjoy listening to Wells, though; the man is smart, brilliant.
“Good morning.” He nibbles at my neck. I can only smile and moan in agreement. I have completely melted into this bed, and I’m never moving, if only. “You’re insatiable.”
“Me?” I laugh. “You were already hard. I thought I was being helpful.”
He groans again, pulling me closer. “Helpful. Christ. You sure you were a virgin?” I tilt my head back to look into his eyes. We both know I was. The evidence had been on the sheets.
“You make me sound like a goddess.” I was worried I wouldn’t have a clue of what I was doing when it came to sex, but with Wells, it comes naturally.
“Because you are.”
His phone buzzes. He ignores it. It buzzes again and again, insistent.
“Someone’s persistent,” I say, tracing patterns on his shoulder. I hate that my first thought is that it might be Cordelia. I don’t know what to make of her, if I’m just being unsure or the vibe I’m really getting from her is correct. Everyone else in his family thinks she’s wonderful.
Caldwell reaches for his phone with one hand, keeping a firm hold on me with the other. I watch his face shift, and I know it’s not good.
“Shit,” he mutters.
“What?”
“Parents want us for breakfast.”
I’m still lying against him. “Us?”
“You and me.” He sets the phone down, tipping my chin up. “Hey. It’s just breakfast.”
When he first said it, I thought he meant just him, which had been a little disappointing.
That was until he clarified the “us” part.
I might want to go back to my previous state, because while that was disappointing, the idea of breakfast is terrifying.
I’m sure after last night I didn’t win any points with them.
Especially with Wells dipping out early because of me. I’m sure Eleanor loved that.
I can already feel the walls closing in. Everything from yesterday comes flooding back in. How can one day be so perfect but horrible too?
“I should shower,” I say, untangling myself from his arms before he can stop me. He sits up and watches me scurry to the bathroom. I quickly close the door and lean against it, trying to get my nerves under control.
“Beautiful,” Wells says from the other side of the door. He doesn’t try to open it. “I’ll let you hide for ten minutes, then I’m coming in.”
“Thank you,” I tell him because that’s what I need. A moment to gather myself and still survive in us. Wells always comes to find me. I’m not used to that. I’m often left behind.
I dress carefully, a simple navy dress from the options he provided, and when I emerge, he’s waiting, impossibly handsome in dark jeans and a white shirt, his hair still wet, having slipped into the shower after me.
It was kind of nice, the two of us just getting ready.
It felt normal, domestic. But that’s not real.
We’re in a hotel, and I’m sure life back home is a whole lot different.
That’s only a reminder that our time will come to an end.
That makes my stomach twist more than this breakfast we have to attend with his parents.
Actually, his dad hadn’t been bad. He went out of his way to try to include me. I’m sure he and I would have hit it off if it weren’t for Cordelia monopolizing the entire conversation.
“You look beautiful,” Wells says, pressing a kiss to my lips. “We don’t have to go. You only have to say the word.”
“It’s fine.” If I want what we have to be real, to give it a chance, I can’t hide from his family.
“Pretty sure fine doesn’t mean fine at all.”
I snort a laugh. “I’m good, how about that?”
He takes my hand and kisses the back of it before tangling our fingers together to head downstairs.
The restaurant is nearly empty, which somehow makes it worse. His parents have a private terrace reserved. Either that is their norm or they’re going to have a talk with us that they don’t want anyone to overhear. I’m going to guess the latter.
“There they are,” his father says with a warm smile. He’s been very welcoming from the start. It helps me relax some. “The lovebirds.”
Wells’ hand tightens in mine. I return the smile. Eleanor remains stone-faced.
“Morning,” I tell them both as Wells pulls out a chair for me.
We settle across from them, and I can feel his mother’s eyes on me, cataloging everything.
My hair is still lightly damp. The mark on my neck from Wells’ love bites I tried to cover with makeup makes it hard to meet their gaze.
I feel like a teenager whose boyfriend’s parents know what we were up to. At least that’s the vibe I’m getting.
“Coffee?” his father asks, already pouring before I can answer.
“No thank you,” I murmur. “Orange juice will be fine.”
“So,” his mother says, and I brace myself. “I assume you’ve both seen the coverage.” Eleanor launches right in. My ass is barely in the seat and she’s starting.
She slides a magazine across the table. I catch the headline—Royal Heir’s Mystery Woman: Who Is She?
—and several photos. The kiss on the dance floor is the feature photo.
It’s been blown up so it’s grainy. My face looks startled and exposed.
The next photo is of us leaving the reception, Wells’ hand gripping mine, my expression unreadable.
I go pale. “Oh God.” My stomach drops.
“It’s fine,” Wells says, too loudly. “It’s just tabloid garbage.” His hand rubs my back, trying to soothe me.
“It’s not fine,” his mother says quietly. “Her name is everywhere. Her background. Her family.” She pauses. “Her father’s debts.” I flinch. I can’t help it. I never speak of my father. There isn’t much to say.
A fist slams down on the table, making everyone jump. The whole thing is rattling. Eleanor’s eyes widen in surprise, and the table goes silent. I peer over at Wells, who still has his fist resting on the table. He’s pissed. I have never seen him this worked up before.
“Mable does not speak to her father.” I don’t know him at all, honestly. There are a few vague memories from childhood, but it was always just my mom and me.
“I wasn’t aware that—”
“Because you haven’t taken the time to get to know her.
” Wells pushes back from his seat, standing and offering me his hand.
“I’m going to take my girl to a proper breakfast. You can sit here and read the same article over and over as if it will change anything.
You can believe whatever you want, but know this: It won’t change anything between Mable and me. ”
I reach to take his hand, but his father’s comes down on top of my other one.
“Please, stay.” Wells is already shaking his head no.
“If you are indeed serious about Mable”—Henry gives me a soft smile—“then family scuffles are something you work past. Now please. Let’s start again.
” He nods for Wells to sit back down; he doesn’t.
He has his attention on me. I squeeze his hand, and Wells finally concedes and takes his seat again.
I don’t miss the expression that flickers across his mother’s face, but she’s quick to mask it.
She’s not happy in the least that Wells looked to me for what we’d be doing.
“It’s been a while since I’ve seen you lose your temper,” his father says teasingly, sitting back in his chair.
“Then don’t provoke me.” Wells drops his arm across the back of my chair, his thumb stroking my shoulder. His mother’s eyes are absorbing every single detail.
“I don’t know anything really about my father,” I admit, not having anything to hide. They might as well know, if it’s going to be spread across the papers and internet. “I have been with my mother my whole life. You might assume her money came from my father, but rest assured, it did not.”
That’s all I have to say on that. Why would I tell them more?
I’m sure Eleanor has already had me looked into and knows these facts.
I’m on to her. I’m not going to bare myself to them when his mother is already trying to rip me apart.
The table falls quiet, but thankfully the server returns with drinks and takes everyone’s order.
“I’m simply stating facts.” His mother folds her napkin. “This is why we vet these things. Prepare for them. You walked into that reception with no plan, no protection for her, and now she’s exposed. That’s not on her; that’s on you.” Oh shit, now she’s aiming for Wells.
“She’s not a secret to be managed,” Wells says through his teeth.
“No,” his mother agrees. “She’s a young woman whose life has just changed permanently. Whether she wanted it to or not.”
I put my hands in my lap to hide the slight shake. I’m not one for attention. His mother might be right. I’m not cut out for this. “Come back with us,” his mother says suddenly.
I blink. “What?” Did I hear her correctly?
“To our country, to the estate, both of you.” She looks at me, and I almost think I see concern in her eyes. “Let us help you navigate this. Show you what life would actually be like. Before you make any decisions you can’t undo.”
They want to see if I can handle it. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. The estate. His world. A place I’m not sure I belong, but I never really do. I couldn’t fit in with my mother on the best of days.
“It’s not the worst idea,” his father encourages. “Give you both some breathing room. Time to figure things out.”
“Okay,” Wells says.
I turn to him. “What?”
“We’ll come. Both of us.” He takes my hand, his eyes locked on mine. “I want you to see it. The estate, the life, all of it. Then you can decide.”
“Wells—”
“You said you were out for an adventure.” That’s a hell of an adventure. He leans closer, his voice dropping. “I’m not going back without you.”
I stare at him, panic rising in my throat. “You can’t say that.”
“I just did.” He shrugs as if it’s nothing. I swear his mother is panicking, but she manages to keep her face neutral.
“You can’t just... this is crazy. We barely know each other, and you’re talking about... about...”
“About what?” he asks, soft but relentless. “Tell me.”
I don’t know, but it feels like there should be lots of things talked about before such a big commitment.
I shake my head, pressing back into my chair. This is too much, and I can feel myself shutting down. It’s been a long time since that’s happened to me.
“Caldwell.” His mother calls for his attention. “Calm down.”
He doesn’t look at her. He only looks at me, his eyes dark and intense, watching me like I’m the only thing in the world.
“Come with me,” he says again. “Please.”
“Okay,” I agree. How can I not? I’m not ready to let him go, and I also can’t ask him to walk away from his responsibilities. His whole life is in Solaria. If I want to be a part of it, I’ll need to go there and see for myself how it is.
He cups the back of my neck with his hand and kisses me hard, not caring that his parents are at the table with us.
Honestly, I don’t either. His mother already doesn’t care for me. Could it really get worse?