Hopelessly Yours (The Wexstone Royals #2)

Prologue

SEPTEMBER: THREE MONTHS AGO

“Oliver.” Knox knocked on the door of the school’s storage closet. “You’ve got to get out here. Now.”

I pumped harder and faster into Adelaide Levy, bracing her against an empty space of wall between two supply shelves.

The world could be on fire and I wouldn’t care because this was exactly where I wanted to be.

I no longer cared that I was meant to be mingling with guests at the fundraiser gala Adelaide had organized.

This woman had a way of making me forget about all of my princely duties when I was with her.

“Do,” Adelaide took in a quick breath and continued to pull on the hair at the nape of my neck, “you need to go?”

“No,” I answered as I thrust up again, living for the way she moaned.

Another knock on the door rattled the dimly lit space.

“Oliver,” Knox said again, alarm in his voice.

Something serious must have been happening because Knox knew exactly who was in that closet with me and, as my best friend and pseudo brother, I knew he’d never cockblock.

“I’m coming!” I yelled to both Knox and Adelaide.

“Me too,” Adelaide gasped as she rode the high of her orgasm, biting my shoulder.

I set her down on the floor, making sure she had her feet under her. I grabbed a roll of paper towels from the ample supply on the shelf beside us, tearing a piece off and offering it to her to clean up.

She snorted a laugh. “Always the gentleman.”

I hurried and discarded the condom in the trash, wrapping it in a paper towel first, and fixed my clothes as another knock came from the door. This time it was Faxon, my personal security guard.

“Your Highness, there’s a situation out here. I need you to come out, or I’m going to have to come in.”

“Fuck,” I muttered. “I’m sorry, I have to go. I’ll call you, okay? Is your phone number still the same?”

“Yeah,” Adelaide said as she straightened her dress and fixed her hair. We had been so desperate for each other that we hadn’t bothered to properly undress. I could have sworn I saw her roll her eyes, but perhaps that was a trick of the light.

We hadn’t even had a chance to finish the conversation we’d been having; the need to touch each other had gotten in the way of that. Adelaide had said she wanted a quick, fun time, but the look on her face as I slipped out the door told me everything I needed to know.

I swallowed my regret at leaving her and transitioned back into “prince” mode. Faxon was standing alone in the dark corridor; Knox was nowhere to be seen.

“What’s going on?” I asked as Faxon and I hurried through the halls of school, more than a little irritation in my voice.

“I have Whitesnake and we’re walking to the front,” Faxon spoke into his hidden earpiece. “Your brother is here,” he said, this time to me, as he gave me a sideways glance.

“Let me guess,” I huffed out. “He’s under the influence.”

“Of what we’re still unsure, but yes. He’s under the influence.

He arrived and promptly began harassing a man who was standing several paces from the door.

He was irate that the gentleman, who is a janitor here, didn’t announce his arrival, even though the man is simply a guest tonight along with his wife.

Prince Xavier started yelling at him that he is the Crown Prince and deserves more respect.

The young man was clearly upset and didn’t know what to do. ”

“Good grief.” I rubbed a hand down my face.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first time that Xavier had shown up to a royal event under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Typically when he used before an event, he chose something that calmed him down, ultimately sitting quietly in a chair and dozing off at inopportune moments.

That night, it seemed he had chosen something other than his usual downers.

“King Leroy and Queen Isobel quickly approached Prince Xavier and tried to usher him away, but he pushed the king and that’s when security had to step in. We need—”

“Is my father okay?” I interrupted. Guilt knotted my stomach. I was hooking up with Adelaide in a closet while my brother made a scene and ruined the event that she had worked so hard on.

“He’s fine. But you know the protocol, and our job is to protect the Crown at all times.”

“Of course.”

“Security escorted Prince Xavier out of the building. Mr. Henderson is out there with them now, getting him into a car to head back to the palace. But Cordell is flustered and needs to speak with you.”

I took a deep breath, knowing that Cordell, the palace’s press secretary, was going to be a high-strung mess trying to fix this. I also knew I was about to have to step in and help with damage control. None of this was new; this had been my life for the past decade.

The moment I entered the courtyard where the fundraiser was taking place, Cordell beelined it to me.

“Your Highness, let me fill you in on what is going on.” The words tumbled from his mouth, panic barely concealed in his eyes.

“I believe I have the gist of what happened. Faxon briefed me.” I surveyed the space, soft music playing in the background as guests mingled in small groups.

Some lingered at cocktail tables, sipping on champagne and nibbling on hors d'oeuvres.

A handful surveyed the silent auction tables at the far end of the courtyard.

I spotted my mother walking away from a young couple near the doors.

“Is that the man that Xavier accosted?” I nodded at the couple.

“Yes, sir.”

“I’ll go speak to them.”

Cordell paused. “Respectfully, sir, I don’t think that would be best.”

I turned back to him, my brow furrowed. “Why not?”

“Your mother immediately approached them to apologize, but the man's wife was very upset and politely asked that they be left alone.”

I sighed. I understood where they were coming from. If I had been on the receiving end of one of Xavier’s public scenes, I didn’t think I would want any more attention—good or bad—on me, either.

Cordell wrung his hands. “I think it’s best if you leave now with the king and queen.

I’m afraid that if anything else happens, reporters will be called.

As it is, I saw a few guests sneak photos when Prince Xavier pushed King Leroy, and I’m going to be up all night scouring the internet for anything that gets posted. Best everyone just calls it a night.”

I nodded in agreement, knowing he was right. More than anything, I didn’t want to make a bigger mess of the evening.

I looked around the room for Adelaide, hoping to tell her goodbye and apologize for the turn of events, but she was nowhere in sight.

“This way, Your Highness,” Faxon said as he approached my side to lead me out.

My parents were already in the car when I got in. I could tell Mum had been crying by the glassiness of her eyes. Surprisingly, Dad looked…defeated? I had never seen that expression on his face before.

“Did Knox leave with Xavier?” I asked.

“Yes, he did,” Dad answered hollowly.

“Mum? Are you okay?”

My father tore his gaze from the window to look at my mother. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it.

I had read about other royal families and how often couples grew to hate or resent each other or couldn’t stand the thought of being together, but that was never my parents’ story.

Growing up, I always knew that they loved each other wholeheartedly and they routinely put up a unified front.

They never raised their voices at each other, and if they disagreed, they talked it out and worked through it. I aspired to have a love like theirs.

Mum cleared her throat. “It’s just been a long evening.” She gave me a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

The next morning, I awoke to a memo that my parents had called an emergency family meeting that would change my life as I knew it.