27. Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Bri
Moving farther down the dirt path of the wooded, mountain trail, Bri felt lighter with each step. Anything to do with adventure and the outdoors filled her soul. Even though she’d walked this trail countless times, nature was always changing, providing a new backdrop for each hike.
It was just what she needed today to forget about her kiss with Drew. She was still reeling over what she had felt.
There she was, thinking of him again. Stop it , she chided herself. This hike was supposed to be a Drew-free zone, a way to get herself out of her head and relax.
After a few more minutes of walking with only the sound of chirping birds around her, she finally felt centered again. When she reached the peak of the small mountain, Bri took in a long breath and slowly exhaled, soaking in the moment. The scene in front of her was so beautiful, from the canopy of the blue sky to the rocky mountainscape. She was sitting in a 360-degree masterpiece.
Bri sat down, letting her feet dangle over the cliff’s edge, thankful she’d been able to leave without any bodyguards trailing her today so she could enjoy the scenery around her in peace. She breathed in the mountain air, loving the petrichor smell lingering in the warm breeze after this morning’s rain.
When she finally felt refreshed again, Bri pushed up to her feet. She took in one last look at the mountains around her, knowing she would be returning to Glencrest with Drew and his family later today, when the scuffling of rocks behind her caught her attention. Bri turned around and saw Drew standing a few yards away, holding a blush-pink tumbler.
“I brought you peach tea.” He raised the cup in the air between them like a peace offering.
She took the tumbler from him. “Thanks. How did you know I’d be out here?”
“This is always the trail you walk when you want to think.”
Bri took a long sip of the tea, hiding behind the cup as she processed what he’d said. She’d never realized it until these last few months, but Drew knew her better than anyone. Maybe he hadn’t made it completely obvious until now, but either way, she felt more seen and cared for and loved by him than by anyone else she’d ever known.
She thought back on what Rosalie had told her yesterday, about Drew being in love with her, and she wondered if her friend could actually be right.
“Bri?” Drew’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts. “Your mind seems to be wandering a lot lately. Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I think I’m tired. I didn’t get much sleep last night.” She busied herself by taking another sip of the tea. “I was gonna head back to the palace… Did you come to find me for anything specific?”
His eyes dropped to the ground, and his lips pulled down. “No, I thought we could enjoy some time together. I know I’ve been busy the past week, and I wanted to make it up to you.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “If you’d rather be alone, I can leave.”
When his eyes met hers again, she could see the vulnerability there. She could see the words he wasn’t saying. He wanted to spend time with her, but he didn’t want to feel like a burden.
“I don’t mind the company,” she said, already regretting what she might say on the walk back. Bri was worried she might do something crazy, like ask him if he loves her for real and what he wants their relationship to be moving forward.
His demeanor changed entirely at her words. He stood tall with a smile on his face as he gestured to the path. “After you.”
She moved around him, and he laughed as they began their walk back to the palace.
“Do you remember when we played truth or dare on these trails?”
“I remember crushing you in a foot race.” She threw the quip at him over her shoulder with a sassy grin.
“You’re going to hold that over me forever, aren’t you?”
“Obviously.”
“Wanna play it again?” he asked.
She stopped walking, turning to face him with her hands on her hips. “Aren’t we a little old for that?”
Drew shrugged. “Maybe, but we don’t have to make the questions or dares childish.”
“Okay, but we’re taking our usual punishment off the table. We’ve made it this far without telling my parents we were the ones who broke the vase, and I’m not changing that now.”
“I can agree with those terms.”
“Since it was your idea, you can go first. Truth or dare?” Bri took another gulp of sweet tea.
“Truth.”
“What’s your biggest fear, aside from heights?”
“Rejection,” he said without missing a beat.
She glanced over at him. “Really?”
“Yeah.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I like feeling needed and accepted, whether it’s by my friends and family or the people of Glencrest. The idea of someone rejecting me or disapproving of my choices or who I am terrifies me.”
Knowing that helped her understand him more. Drew didn’t seem like the kind of person who would ever have an issue with people liking him. Everyone loved him, and she knew he would be well-respected as king when he took over for his father. But it made more sense to her now why he never seemed to voice his feelings. He was never standoffish when asked what he was thinking, but Drew always put other people’s feelings and needs above his own.
He nudged her side. “Your turn.”
“Do you even have to ask?” She smirked, pulling his signature grin out of him.
“I dare you to do your best impression of a celebrity.”
Bri stopped and widened her stance, holding her hands in the air like she was playing an air guitar. She bopped her head to the beat playing in her mind and then sang out the lyrics to her current favorite Rhett Hayes song in her best country accent.
After she finished the final line of the chorus, Bri curtsied, and Drew applauded.
“I think you would make a great country singer, even though I’m not sure about your song choice.”
She narrowed her eyes, but they sparkled with mirth. “I know you secretly like his songs.”
He harrumphed. “They’re catchy,” Drew mumbled.
Bri placed her hand on his arm, giving it a light squeeze before continuing their walk. “Your turn.”
“I’ll choose dare this time.”
“Ooh, I was hoping you would pick that. I dare you to respond to the last person who texted you only with song lyrics.”
“Should be simple enough.” Drew pulled his phone out and tapped on it for a second when his eyes went wide and his face blanched.
“What is it?”
“Can it be the second-to-last person who texted me?”
“Why can’t it be the last one?” she asked.
He held up the phone screen in front of her face. She skimmed over it, her eyes widening when she read the most recent text he’d received.
Clarissa : I just can’t believe you would choose Brielle over me.
Clarissa : Was it your plan all along to make me jealous, Andy? *winking face emoji*
Clarissa : Well, it worked. You can stop pretending now!
“She never quits, does she?”
“Apparently not.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“I still say you do it.” Bri shrugged. “It’ll give us a good laugh at the very least.”
Drew let out an exasperated laugh. “Don’t be mad at me if this turns out poorly.”
She waited as he typed out a message with a smirk on his face the whole time. When he showed her the message he sent, she chuckled.
Drew : Let me stop you there before you speak.
His phone buzzed right after he finished showing her, and Drew got back to typing another message. The smirk on his face never faded, and Bri couldn’t help but smile beside him.
“There,” he said with a hint of finality. “I don’t think she’ll be giving us any more trouble.” He handed his phone over to her, and Bri scrolled through the messages.
Clarissa : You can’t stop this feeling between us, Andy.
Drew : My name is no.
Clarissa : You’re not making any sense…
Drew : My sign is no.
Clarissa : Are you okay?
Drew : My number is no.
Clarissa : This isn’t funny.
Drew : You need to let it go.
Clarissa : UGH!!!
Clarissa : You’ve made your point. I’ll leave you alone.
Clarissa : I hope you enjoy the rest of your miserable lives together.
After reading the rest of the conversation, Bri bent over laughing so hard tears streamed down her cheeks. She gave the phone back to him and wiped the tears off her face.
“You texted her lyrics from a Meghan Trainor song?”
He shrugged. “Clarissa needed to let it go.”
“I think that point was made.” Bri pressed her lips together, trying not to fall victim to another laughing fit. “I didn’t know you listened to pop songs.”
“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me.” Drew backed away slowly with his eyebrow raised in a flirtatious manner. “Do you mind if I go again and share a truth with you?” he asked.
She nodded, so he continued. “I have a surprise for you when we return home.”
Hearing him call Glencrest their home made her stomach flutter, like she was on a sharp drop on a roller coaster. She tried to push aside all thoughts of Drew’s home being hers. “A surprise?” Bri rasped out.
“Yep. Just wait until you see the gift I got for you, fiancée.”
“Ha! Is it big and shiny?” she teased.
“Well, if I thought you would accept a giant wedding ring, I would’ve gotten that for you instead.”
On the outside, Bri maintained her cool and calm expression. But on the inside, she was screaming.
He couldn’t be serious. She’d thought he was joking, but now he was taking the joke to another level by talking about a wedding ring.
His flirtatious words had her questioning everything. She’d felt like they had been slowly inching their way out of the friend zone into uncharted territory the past few months. But a comment like that felt like a giant leap, and she wasn’t sure she was ready for it. Because if he was serious about a real ring—a real engagement—it would be a big jump from best friends to betrothed.
She cleared her throat, trying to change the subject. “I know you’re dying for me to pick truth, so go ahead and ask whatever it is you want to ask.”
Drew smiled but then was quiet for a moment as they walked along the dirt path. When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet, almost shy. “Why did you kiss me yesterday?”
A twig snapped somewhere in the distance, and Bri’s head turned in that direction. “Did you hear that?”
“Yeah.” He peered around them. “I don’t see anything. Must’ve been an animal.” He nudged her shoulder with his. “Now, stop avoiding the question. Why did you kiss me?”
She inhaled a sharp breath, a blush covering her cheeks. “Clarissa kept trying to prove we weren’t together. I thought if I kissed you in front of her, it would finally get her off our backs.”
He stopped walking and turned to her, taking her hands and looking into her eyes in a way that left her feeling like he could see the mix of emotions going on inside her. “Was that truly the only reason?” His voice was gravelly, and his intensity made goosebumps erupt across her skin.
Bri hesitated. No. Yes. I don’t know. She didn’t have an answer to his question, so she didn’t say anything, her eyes darting back and forth between his.
Drew stepped toward her and took the tumbler from her hands, setting it on the ground before he gently nudged her backward until she was pressed against a large tree. He wrapped one arm around her waist and brushed her jaw with his other hand. The light touch made her shiver and her breath hitch as he leaned in ever so slowly.
When she didn’t do anything to stop him, Drew’s lips finally met hers, and she sighed against them. Bri wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him as close as possible. Every press of his lips to hers was frantic, like he wasn’t sure if this was the last time they would kiss.
She could feel how much he cared for her with every tender caress of his lips. She’d known Drew practically her entire life, but she didn’t feel like she truly knew him until this moment. He was completely vulnerable, laying his feelings on display for her to see through the careful way he held her and the passionate way he kissed her.
When he finally pulled back, his lips were swollen, and Bri’s heart raced, like his lips had brought it back to life. His kiss made her feel alive.
Bri was starting to understand why Rosalie said kissing was fun. If this was how Drew kissed, she’d been missing out all these years, and she would definitely like to do more of it.
Drew brushed a stray curl behind her ear, leaving a trail of heat everywhere his fingers touched along her cheekbone. “Should we talk about this?”
“Yeah, we should.”
“I know we need to get back to Glencrest, so maybe we can chat once we get back home?”
“Sounds great.” She smiled up at the man who was quickly becoming more than just her best friend.
Back home. She was starting to like the sound of that.