Chapter 5
Chapter Five
A fter Landon left for his run, I went in search of Max, who was nowhere to be found. Probably off working out or flexing in front of a mirror somewhere.
Not that I minded the results.
While I waited patiently for one of them to return, I flopped back on the bed. I stared up at the ceiling for a while before pulling out my phone to call Gia.
As soon as the screen flickered and her face appeared, I blurted, “Just wait until you hear what I have to tell you. Here’s a teaser: blow jobs, bitches, and betrothals. This week on Live from The Quest .”
Gia snorted. “I’m so glad I had you on speaker phone for that. Say hi, Mom and Dad.”
“Hi, Quinn!” My face turned an impressive shade of bright red, and Gia’s mom, Grace, noticed the second she appeared on the screen. “Oh, honey! Did you get a sunburn?”
“Nope. That’s just the rush of embarrassment over what you heard me say.”
Grace laughed, waving a hand at the camera. “Oh, don’t be silly, Quinn. You’re a twenty-one-year-old young woman. By this point, I hope you know your way around a blow job.”
That was why I loved her.
And why Gia was so awesome.
“You’ll be very proud to know, I do.” I dipped my head like a proper Lady.
Gia’s dad, affectionately dubbed Mr. V no matter how many times he told me to call him Gary, scrubbed a hand over his full salt-and-pepper beard and chimed in at that.
“Alright, just because we know they do it and fully respect their right to a happy, healthy sex life, doesn’t mean I want to hear about it. From either of them.”
“Yes, Quinn, as our surrogate daughter, it’s best if we save the full episode breakdown for our next wine night. Do you know when you’ll be done with the competition, honey?”
I shrugged. “Honestly, no. Camelot Court gives out details like they’re Golden Tickets to the Willy Wonka factory.”
“Oh.” Grace frowned, sliding her gaze to Mr. V. “And that’s normal?”
“They seem to think so.” I rolled my eyes, but then I smiled so she wouldn’t worry. “It’s an exercise in trust, and part of the whole testing our mettle bit of The Quest, from what I read in the by-laws.”
Grace worried her lower lip. “Well, you do know you can leave if you want. Whatever the prize is that you need, we’d give it to you before wanting you to be somewhere unsafe.”
“It’s one hundred thousand dollars.” Gia chipped in.
Mr. V coughed and spit out his drink, and Grace had to pat him on the back to help clear his windpipe. “Jesus. What is this place? Gia, I thought you said it was just a fraternity.”
“Yeah, for rich assholes, Dad.”
He looked to me to confirm, and I nodded. “That about sums it up, yeah.”
Coughing again, he added a scoff and gave me a stern look. “Well, what Grace said stands. No putting yourself at risk when we could easily give you what you need.” He grumbled, “Even if the amount is obscene for college students.”
Even though Gia’s parents came from old family money and Mr. V was a successful land developer, I responded the same way I always did with Gia. “You know I could never let you do that, but thank you.”
He shook his head. “And your dad, God rest him, would never forgive me if I didn’t. Same way I’d feel if the tables were turned. So, you just remember that.”
Tears pricked my eyes, and I dropped my gaze from the screen and nodded. “Okay.”
If it was just about the money, I almost thought I’d take him up on it. But I’d accepted the three other reasons I wanted to stay.
“Good.” Grace steered the conversation away quickly. “Now, since the rest has to wait, what was this betrothal you mentioned?”
“It’s just rich people drama.” I blew raspberries as I settled my chin in my hand. “One of my gentleman callers has to take a wife by his twenty-fourth birthday, that’s all.”
Grace’s eyes widened.
But it was Mr. V who spoke up. “You know, I may be out of touch with what you kids get into these days, but I don’t think that’s a normal trend in dating.”
“Not in our world,” I muttered. “This place is like being on another planet.”
“Are you having fun, though? You seem happy, despite all the drama and secrets.” Grace’s shrewd but gentle gaze held mine. “Are you being safe?”
“Yes, frustratingly so,” I griped.
Mr. V blew out a loud breath and took that as his cue to leave the room. He said goodbye, plopped a kiss on the top of Gia’s head, and smiled at Grace. “I’ll go get the car started.”
Once he left the apartment, Gia and her mom squeezed into the frame to talk to me together.
“I should go meet him down there in just a minute, but if you need anything, Quinn, we’re only a call away. Gia said they might have…” She glanced at Gia for help, and Gia waved her on. “If you want us to come for the Alumni event when all the parents are there, we’d love to be there for you.”
Caught off guard, my eyes burned.
I loved Gia’s parents, and was close to them, but it hit me that Camelot Court’s Alumni Weekend would be the first big event that I wouldn’t have either of my parents with me. That they’d thought about it, and offered to come out to support me, touched my heart as much as it made me suddenly sad.
“Thanks, Grace. That’s not until the next challenge, I think. But if I’m still here by then, I’d love for you guys to come.”
“Okay, sweetie. Well, we’ll see you there.” She kissed Gia’s cheek before winking at me. “You make sure that diamond doesn’t fall into the wrong hands, alright?”
“I might not have a choice. These girls are ruthless when it comes to The Quest. The one bringing all the drama up seemed nice before she turned out to be frenemy number one. Not to mention my biggest rival, who will probably throw a wrench into things for me at some point. It’s kind of a mess.”
Grace looked about as lost as I’d felt initially, but she smiled at me. “Well, it’s a good thing you’re clever enough to outsmart these frenemies. Or hey, work with the others to solve the problem. Either way, you’ll figure out what you need to do.”
“Thank you.”
With one last smile, Grace left the apartment, and Gia gave me a sympathetic smile once the door shut. “You okay?”
I thought about it, especially the part where Gia’s parents offered to stand in for mine. My chest felt a bit tight. My palms still had a hint of sweat on them.
But, overall, I was okay.
“Yeah. Surprisingly okay. That was…sweet of them.”
“Mom wants to make them matching T-shirts that say Quinn for America’s Next Top Maiden .”
I sputtered a laugh. “Okay, that makes it even better. Yes. I approve.”
She smiled. “I’ll let them know. Now, you spill because I’m not waiting for Mom to get all the details.”
I filled her in on everything that had happened since we last talked. Her eyes grew wider and wider as I relayed my morning activities, and her mouth dropped when I told her what Kingston had shared.
“First, you’re a goddess. And fuck, I need to get laid. Also, what the hell is that bitch Elaine’s problem?”
“No idea.” I shook my head. “Seriously. She was so nice when I got here.”
“I remember! And to think she lulled you into a false sense of friendship when you first met her.”
“Right? I guess I can’t blame her for having it bad for Landon. Obviously, I understand the appeal. She’s just taking it so far. Marriage ? A forced betrothal her parents set up?” I groaned. “What the fuck is wrong with this place, and why is everyone acting like this is completely normal?”
“It’s totally whack. I mean, we assumed as much based on the rules of The Quest, but who does this?”
“Elaine, apparently. So, when Landon gets back and talks to Kingston, he has to tell him I’m not the Hail Virgin Mary he thought I was, and crush all his hopes and dreams.”
Gia grimaced. “I was wondering what you meant when you said if I’m still here by then to my mom.”
“It could be over at any minute.” I chewed on my nail, forcing myself to own the feelings that thought brought up. “I don’t…”
“You don’t want it to be over.” Gia’s mouth tipped up. “I get it. But, you know, this doesn’t mean what happens with you and the three of them has to end, right?”
I shrugged, glancing at the bedspread and fidgeting with the edge. “It could, though. They might not be able to date outside their people , and if it came down to leaving to be with me, they might not want to leave…Or worse. They might not be able to. Although, Kingston did say he wanted to.”
“What do you think Landon and Max will say?”
“Landon said he wasn’t leaving me again, but I don’t know what that means if Kingston has to stay.
He’s his, too. Their friendship…It’s more than this place.
That’s all I really know about it, though.
” I glanced at the closed door to Max’s room next.
“And Max swears he hates Camelot Court, but sometimes, I worry he has deep ties here that he can’t get away from. Not completely, at least.”
“What makes you say that?”
“He recited my Maiden application word for fucking word. Trying to prove I’m not an idea in his head. Before telling me he was done lying to himself and wanted to move forward.”
Gia snorted. “Yeah, dude bro is intense. There’s no denying it, but that sounds like he’s chosen to use his hotness for good instead of evil. That’s a good thing, Quinn. What has you worried?”
“Why did he even have my application, for starters?” My brow furrowed as I tried to put my fear into words. “There’s also his history with Kingston and Landon. Plus, whatever happened to the Maiden who died last year. Not to mention his past with you-know-who .”
She sat up higher in her chair, her eyes narrowing. “Are you thinking he’s still involved with her?”
“No, but he has secrets, too. What if they come back to bite us in the ass?”
“What makes you think they will?”
I ticked off the first things that came to mind. “Our history? Recent events? My past trauma? Life’s penchant for giving me lemons? Take your pick.”
Gia hummed thoughtfully. “But…you do realize most of that isn’t actually about Max, right?”
Reluctantly, I nodded.
“So, what happens next?”
“We keep going with the next challenge like this isn’t hanging over our heads. But I worry it won’t be as simple as Elaine just taking Kingston as her prize and everyone being totally fine with it. And since I can’t save the day anymore…”
“You just have to wait and see? God, that sounds awful. Do you think you could talk to Kingston and get more info?”
“He did say he wanted to share more with me. I’m just not sure what that meant. Any time his phone goes off, he has to run and deal with a crisis. Remember how I used to love the idea of being a princess?”
“Mmhm.”
“Well, I take it back. Royal life is the opposite of a fairytale.”
Gia snorted, winking at me. “Too bad you were born to be a Queen and those boys know it.”
I shot her the bird and laughed. “Idiots. The three of them.”
After girl talk with Gia, I spent the next hour reading.
Max came in at one point, fresh out of the shower, and crawled onto bed beside me. All but face-planting onto the pillows, he threw an arm over my lap and peered at the annotated pages in my dad’s book. He jerked his chin toward a spot I’d been tracing with my fingers.
“It’s wax residue. My dad must’ve spilled it while he was reading at his desk.”
His eyes, heavy with sleep, scanned the faint circle. “Why’s it bothering you?”
“This is the scene where Buttercup is introduced to the crowd as Humperdinck’s future Queen. He wants to keep her hidden away inside, but she wants to walk among the people. So, she does.”
Max huffed a laugh. “Sounds like a Princess thing to do.”
I nudged him playfully. “Har. Har. She was right, wasn’t she? He wanted to isolate her. She wanted to be a good Queen.”
“Yeah, but what about that part there that’s underlined?” I followed his gaze to the passage in the book. “It says three people in the crowd wanted her dead. And what about this fool dressed in all black?”
I raised my eyebrows. “Fool in all black? I can only assume who that brings to your mind.”
He shrugged a shoulder and smirked.
“That fool might surprise you, if you look closer. Blackest of all were his flashing eyes reminds me of someone else, too.”
“I don’t see the comparison.”
I snorted. “Of course, you don’t. Because he’s described like a killer.
But—” an idea came to me and I flipped ahead, to the scene where the man in black gets described like a hero.
“This is after the scene where Buttercup is saved from Vizzini, there’s poisoned wine, and she’s watching her protector while he stands on a mountain path. Sound familiar?”
Max murmured his approval. “Now, that’s a guy I can get behind. Sounds like a hero.”
I rolled my eyes and shot him an exasperated look. “They’re the same character, you brute.”
His brow furrowed. “What? No way. Let me see that.”
I reopened the book and pointed to the first description, the part at the bottom describing the man in black’s eyes, and then I flipped to the page where Buttercup observes him later.
“ The man in black stopped then. ” I read quietly, emotion in my throat, like each time I returned to their story.
“ There were a million stars fighting for prominence and…he seemed to be intent on nothing less than studying them all, as Buttercup watched his eyes flick from constellation to constellation behind the mask .”
I shut the book.
“So, the guy hid who he really was and he’s the good guy?”
I nodded, watching him as carefully as Buttercup had watched the man in black.
“He was angry, cold toward her, because he felt unloved and rejected. But she fights with him on everything he says about her. She proves she always loved him, so he reveals who he really is. And it didn’t matter what had happened or how they got there. Because they were reunited.”
He grunted. “Sounds alright. If you’re into that sort of thing.”
“Wesley and the man in black, they’re both the good guy. That’s all I’m saying.” Tapping his temple, I smirked. “Every coin has two sides, you got me?”
Max huffed, acting like he might nip my finger. “Yeah, Princess. I got you.”
I pulled my hand to my chest with a laugh.
Even though I needed to talk to him about the statute and share my big secret with him, I didn’t want to exacerbate the tension between him and Landon when it was already high.
Maybe...if I held onto it a little longer, bridging the gap between them first, it wouldn’t be a big blow up. It wasn’t even that I thought Max would care about not being first.
Well, I did a little bit, but it was more than that.
If he found out Landon was the reason I didn’t have the protection that statute offered, he’d have one more reason to hate him. And I didn’t want to give that to him, not right then when I might’ve gotten through to him a little bit.
When he pushed up onto his forearms to nip at my neck and peppered kisses along my jawline, the idea of killing the mood with talks of my virginity was simply inconceivable.