Chapter Twenty-One #2
“Make the most of the night,” agreed Nori. “The time to wait will be over soon enough, and you don’t know when you’ll be back again. Carpe noctem!”
Brayden threaded his fingers through hers. He touched the band of her ring with his fingertip, and the diamond glistened in the soft candlelight. Lachlan and Manon were engaged in their own conversation, as were Beni and James.
“This was my mother’s engagement ring,” said Brayden, sounding hesitant. “My dad gave it to me this morning. We can get you a wedding band to go with it. Or you could pick out something different in Soleil—”
“I love it.” She appreciated that he was trying to give her an out if she didn’t like it, but the truth was, she loved the ring. It was beautiful and so Clair de Lune, like him.
“You do?” He held her gaze for a long moment before his lips twisted into a one-sided smile.
“Oy, there’s the lovebirds!” shouted Minnie from across the bar.
They turned to see her and Keeley walking toward them. Lachlan and Manon glanced Minnie’s way but continued their own hushed conversation on the other side of the table.
“I invited them. Hope that’s okay,” James said to Brayden and Scarlett.
She nodded rapidly. “Of course.”
“Minnie, Keeley, hey,” said Brayden as he stood to kiss their cheeks. “We…” He looked at Scarlett.
“White dress, and you’re in a suit for the first time I can remember,” said Keeley, gesturing to them. “James wasn’t lying—they got married! Where was our invite, eh? Rude!” But she was grinning.
The bar was getting busier, and there were no empty tables left. Scarlett grabbed her gin and tonic to stand next to Keeley, the champagne hitting her more as she got up. “Sorry! If I’d had twenty-four hours’ notice, I’d have definitely invited you.”
“She’s leaving tomorrow, and I’m going with her. I had to threaten her to agree to marry me before she left. If she bursts into tears, that’s probably why,” Brayden said with a shrug.
Minnie and Keeley laughed.
“I’m happy you’re coming with me,” whispered Scarlett.
“Are you sure?” Brayden’s lips were warm on her ear. “You’ve been awfully teary today.”
“I’m happy,” she said in a more forceful whisper.
No regrets, right? But from the unasked question, fear was born.
What if regretting big relationship milestones like sex and marriage immediately after the fact was something Brayden always did in relationships?
She’d have no idea, since they’d never really been together.
Ignorant to her inner turmoil, he was already turning back to Keeley and Minnie. “I’m glad I got to see you again before you leave for Evory.”
Scarlett thought of the likely war brewing and how it would impact her new friends, but since she didn’t know if that information was public, she said nothing.
“You know, I bet Keeley you’d be an official thing by the end of Scarlett’s trip,” said Minnie. “You’ve exceeded my already high expectations with this last-minute wedding.”
“You didn’t think we’d get together?” Scarlett asked.
Keeley scoffed. “I guessed it’d take till winter solstice. I clearly underestimated how horny you’d be after our ‘help’ the other night. So horny you needed to lock that dick down.”
Brayden chuckled, looking more like his carefree self, as he took a sip of his whiskey.
Scarlett’s cheeks were hot, but Brayden’s laugh made her grin. She took a sip of her drink too, swishing the juniper-flavored gin around in her mouth.
James and Beni joined them where they stood, leaving Lachlan and Manon alone at the table.
“James, are you shocked your little brother is married?” asked Minnie. “The untamable Brayden Maddox, locked down in record time by the smoldering siren Scarlett Heroux.”
“He’s been obsessed with her for years. I’m not surprised at all.” Smirking, James took a swig of his beer.
“Obsessed? Come on.” Brayden leaned down to whisper, “I’ll miss having total control over what you learn about me.”
Scarlett looked at him, and his eyes were twinkling. He was probably buzzed too.
James chuckled. “It was always ‘Scarlett this’ and ‘Scarlett that.’ He practically lived in Dad’s study. Never seen him as happy as he was when she broke up with that boyfriend.”
Scarlett laughed, warming at the reminder of their long-standing feelings for each other. She still couldn’t believe he’d been pining hard for her too.
But then Beni spoke up.
“When Scarlett was seventeen, she begged Manon to take her to Clair de Lune to meet Brayden. She was so moody when Manon told her no.”
“Beni!” hissed Scarlett. She was surprised he remembered, given he was seven at the time.
Beni cackled so loud the other patrons turned to see what all the ruckus was about.
“Teenage longing! That’s sweet,” said Keeley, tilting her head to one side.
Brayden pulled her closer. “Is that true?”
She bit her lip, trying not to smile. “Yes.”
His arm around her sent a thrill through her. Touching him was still such a novelty.
“Scarlett, are you aware you married the bad Maddox brother?” asked Minnie.
“How’s he the bad one? I don’t think he’s the bad one.” She leaned into Brayden, her worries disappearing further under the surface with every sip of gin.
“There’s a reason James is the one joining Parliament,” said Keeley. “James was always the good child—top marks in school, never got in trouble, volunteered, cared about the world. Brayden is successful too, don’t get me wrong, but he’s always been a bad boy.”
“Oy, I care about the world,” said Brayden.
“What do you mean, ‘bad boy’?” asked Scarlett. Her nerves couldn’t handle some big, unpleasant revelation about him the day of their wedding. She chided herself internally. She knew Brayden. He was good.
“He started a fight club at our school,” said Keeley as Minnie added, “He drinks like a fish.”
Scarlett’s shoulders slumped with relief. “Is that all? I like a drink too.”
“You know, I’m only twenty-two.” Brayden sounded disgruntled. “Aren’t I allowed to keep evolving and surprising people? Can’t I still grow up to be a politician if I want to?”
“Not here,” said Minnie. “I think that ship sailed the day you got caught setting the lake on fire.”
“You set the lake on fire? That’s awesome!” said Beni.
James tapped Beni on the shoulder and pointed to a pool table on the other side of the room. Beni followed him over there, leaving Brayden and Scarlett with Minnie and Keeley. The music became louder and the lights dimmed in preparation for the switch from after-dinner crowd to late-night.
“How did you do that?” Scarlett looked at him in wonder.
The corners of his mouth turned down. “For the record, I was sixteen and immature, and I dumped a little gas into the water and lit it just to see what would happen. Nothing dangerous.”
“We should have known then he’d be a firebird,” said Minnie.
“The flames were high enough that they were licking some of the tree branches hanging over the edge of the lake,” said Keeley. “He had to call for help to save the trees, and it took five people using their magic to put the fire out.”
Scarlett scrunched her nose up. “That’s hilarious.”
Lachlan cleared his throat behind them. “Sorry to interrupt, but Manon and I are going to head home.”
“Should we come with you?” asked Scarlett. An odd mix of trepidation and anticipation filled her at the idea of being alone with Brayden. There was so much tension between them and—on her side at least—so much attraction it almost hurt.
“No, no,” said Manon from Lachlan’s side. “Stay and enjoy yourself. The train doesn’t leave until late afternoon tomorrow. Stay out with your friends tonight. Beni, you’re coming with us!” called Manon as she marched toward the pool table.
“Do I have to?” Beni groaned.
“Yes,” said Manon. “I won’t be able to sleep if you’re out here getting up to Goddess knows what.”
Beni sighed. “Congratulations again,” he said with a wave to Brayden and Scarlett.
“Night, Beni,” said Brayden.
Scarlett wrapped him in a quick hug. “See you in the morning.”
“Love you, darling.” Manon kissed her cheek and squeezed Brayden’s hand.
The three of them headed out into the night.
Once they were gone, Minnie glanced between Scarlett and Brayden. “Now that your relatives are gone… Scarlett, did my gift the other night get you all the way down the garden path, as desired?”
The innuendo made Scarlett smile. “Yes, it did.”
Keeley and Minnie cheered so loudly people around them stared. They each gave Scarlett an enthusiastic high-five.
“Onward and upward from here on out, hopefully,” said Brayden.
Scarlett looked up at him, and he winked at her, his lip curled up in a half-smile.
All trepidation left her, and heat pooled in her stomach at the thought of all the things they could be doing back home in his room.
It was enough to make her regret not having left with the others.
He bit his lip and stared at her, and she reached her hand inside his suit coat to grip his shirt.
“This calls for shots!” said Keeley, snapping Scarlett out of her reverie.
Minutes later, they were raising shots of tequila into the air. “To Scarlett and Brayden!”
“Yeah!” shouted a man at the bar.
Scarlett licked the salt, drank her shot, and sucked on the lime, trying not to grimace. This shot might just push her from buzzed to sloshed, but she was fine with that tonight. It was her wedding night after all.
Keeley slammed her empty shot glass down on the nearest table. “To the dance floor!”
“Yes!” said Minnie.
Without waiting for Scarlett or Brayden, the two of them beelined for the open space next to the pool table, where a couple and a group of three friends were already dancing.
“That was adorable to watch,” Brayden said into her ear.
“Adorable? What, me doing a shot? I’ve probably done as many shots of tequila as you have, buddy.” Her voice was louder than she’d meant it to be.
“I highly doubt that.”
“I doubt it too,” said Nori. Scarlett’s light sounded muffled.
Why do you sound far away? asked Scarlett.
“Alcohol does that,” Nori replied.