Chapter 13 #2
Fifteen minutes later, my makeup was done and I was dressed in a flowing pink chiffon dress that I had rented from one of those online stores.
After the first gala, I had decided that instead of buying new dresses every year just for them to be worn once and then sit in my closet, I would rent one and save the money.
I really loved this year’s dress, though, and wished I had a reason to keep it.
The bodice gave me the hourglass figure I had always dreamed of having, while the color made my eyes pop and accentuated the golden highlights in my hair.
I slipped on my thrifted cream Louis Vuitton stilettos.
I could barely believe it when I saw them on the shelf at my favorite secondhand store.
The owner knew my love of shoes and had called and told me to hurry in.
I snatched them up at lightning speed, grateful to whoever had donated them for either not understanding their beauty or for deciding to pass them along for a new life.
I stowed my bag in my classroom and headed back toward the entrance where guests were starting to arrive.
As I walked down the corridor, I was met with frenzied whispering.
“Is that the royal caravan?” someone asked.
“That’s the royal flag on the front of that car. Did you know the royal family was coming?” their companion replied.
And here we go.
For security purposes, we had kept the king and queen’s RSVPs under wraps, with only myself and a handful of the administrators aware that they were coming. If any of our volunteers had wondered about the increased security personnel during setup today, they had kept their questions to themselves.
I made eye contact with our headteacher at the entrance, who confirmed with a nod that she had things under control, and slipped out into the courtyard, hoping to make myself scarce in case Oliver did indeed decide to come.
I made a mental note to scold Dad later for being a busybody, then crossed it out. My parents had no idea about my history with Oliver; Dad was just trying to do something nice.
But still…ugh.
I took in the courtyard and smiled, proud of the transformation.
Round tables topped with cream linens were arranged around the space, with centerpieces featuring sprigs of Wexstone’s signature pine placed in the center of each one.
The silent auction was set up at one end of the yard, while the caterers had arranged a stunning display of hors d’oeuvres at the other.
A handful of heaters were spaced along the stone walls, ensuring that everyone remained comfortable even as the temperature dipped later in the evening.
Twinkle lights were strung over our heads, but the true pièce de résistance was a stunning antique chandelier I had found last spring at a reuse store.
I spent a chunk of my summer holiday restoring it, and the head of maintenance had managed to hang it in the center of the courtyard where it was now lit with flickering LED candles.
I smiled to myself as I heard a group of guests admiring the effect.
I moved to the silent auction tables and pretended to rearrange one of the items simply to give my hands something to do.
“How does everything look?” Liam asked from my right.
I turned to him and placed a hand on his arm, smiling warmly. “It’s great. I think this will be the best year yet. Thank you so much for your help.”
Liam’s eyes widened as he looked over my shoulder. “Oh my God. Adelaide, you’ll never believe who just walked in.”
I turned as King Leroy and Queen Isobel stepped into the courtyard, everyone bowing and curtsying as they passed. The breath whooshed from my lungs as I spotted Oliver just a few paces behind them.
He was, unfortunately for me, as handsome as ever.
The black tailored tux fit around his muscles in the most infuriatingly perfect way.
In the seven and a half years since we had been together, he had gained muscle in places that before had only been toned.
His black pants hugged his rear and my core tensed. Why did he have such a nice ass?
I took a deep breath and plastered on a smile. Just go greet them and then you can hide.
I approached the king and queen, dipping into a low curtsy. “Your Majesties,” I greeted, “thank you so much for attending our fundraiser tonight. It is an honor to have you here.”
Queen Isobel took my hands in hers as I straightened, and she placed a soft kiss on one of my cheeks. “Adelaide, darling, it is so wonderful to see you again. We were so pleased when Nixon extended the invitation. Congratulations, dear; the space looks amazing.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” I said, nodding my gratitude.
“Where is the old boy?” King Leroy asked, referring to my father.
“He should be here shortly, if he hasn’t already slipped in.”
King Leroy took his wife’s hand, interlacing their fingers. “We’ll be sure to send him your way if we see him. Congratulations again, Adelaide. It’s quite a feat to pull off an event like this.”
I dipped another quick curtsy and watched as the couple continued through the courtyard, stopping several feet away to greet a small group of our regular donors.
“Adelaide.”
I swallowed, turning to face the man I had been foolishly hoping to avoid for the rest of my life.
“Your Highness.” Coldness laced my voice as I curtsied yet again.
Oliver’s voice lowered so only I could hear him. “Adelaide, can we talk?”
“Oh, now you want to talk?”
“Please?”
My stomach hollowed out as I stared at him, my eyes wide, daring him to blink first. He didn’t. After what might have been seconds or an eternity, I answered, “Fine.”
“Is there somewhere private we can go?”
I knew I shouldn’t be alone with him. But I also knew I didn’t have it in me to be kind, and I didn’t want someone to overhear me being disrespectful to the prince.
“There’s a corridor at the back of the building. Go through the doors behind us, turn left, take the second right, then follow that corridor to the end and turn left again. I’ll go first; follow me in two minutes.” I didn’t wait for his response, spinning on my designer-clad heel and marching off.
Several minutes later, I was pacing the hall when Oliver turned the corner, tucking his phone into the breast pocket of his jacket.
I wasn’t naive enough to think that he hadn’t had to alert his security team about where he was disappearing to.
After all, try as I might, I had not forgotten the party at Vince and Chauncey’s place all those years ago.
Oliver’s silver eyes brightened when they landed on me. He stopped a few paces in front of me, his hands in his pockets. “You look beautiful tonight.”
I shook my head. “Not here.” I knew the odds of anyone venturing this far into the school was unlikely, but I still felt too exposed.
The last thing I needed was for anyone to find us together.
I glanced around and spotted a storage closet a few meters to the right.
“In here,” I said, ducking inside and pulling the chain for the light.
Oliver followed me in, bemusement on his face, and closed the door.
I instantly regretted my decision—the small closet had us just inches from each other—but it was too late now.
I pasted on a bored look and pretended to be unaffected by my proximity to the man who had once given me the best sex of my life.
I crossed my arms. “Okay. You wanted to talk, so talk.”
“Adelaide, I just…what happened? After the party, after our night together? Did you not—”
Anger flared in me and I narrowed my eyes. “What the hell do you mean, ‘What happened?’ I woke up the next morning, and you were gone, Oliver. I never heard from you again. So perhaps you should be the one telling me what happened,” I spat.
Oliver’s eyes widened. “Laidie, I left you a note.”
My stomach fell into my ass as my vision narrowed. That was the last thing I had expected him to say. In my shock, my arms dropped to my side. “What? No, you didn’t.”
Oliver stepped forward, closing the small space between us and took my hands in his.
I could still feel light calluses on his fingertips from his guitar.
“I promise you I did. There was a security emergency early that morning, before dawn, and I got called back to the palace. You looked so peaceful that I didn’t want to wake you, so I wrote you a note saying that I wanted to see where things could go and that you could call or text me any time if you felt the same way.
I gave it to your flatmate before I left. ”
I closed my eyes, trying to process what I was hearing.
“Collete,” I muttered. She had never said a word, instead feigning ignorance and joining in my rants about the audacity of men in the weeks that followed.
She had been as relieved as Dash was when Theo and I broke up, and I knew that she was distrustful of the aristocracy, but I had never expected this.
I was suddenly glad we had drifted apart over the last few years, as this new information would certainly have destroyed any remaining friendship.
I opened my eyes, my gaze meeting Oliver’s. His eyes were wide, a mix of concern and hope in their depths. “You never got the note, did you?”
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “I didn’t.”
“Would you have…” His words trailed off, but he didn’t have to finish his sentence for me to understand the question.
Yes, I would have called him. Yes, because despite my trepidations, Oliver had gently taken down my walls, brick by brick, and shown me what it looked like to have someone take care of you. Yes, because I had fallen for him, hook, line, and sinker.
I didn’t speak, but Oliver read my answer on my face anyway. He reached up to cup the left side of my neck, his thumb gently brushing my jaw. “Laidie…”
“Shhh,” I said, still trying to wrap my mind around this conversation. He had wanted a relationship and respected me so much that he had accepted what he thought was my “no,” giving me the space he thought I wanted.