Chapter 100: My Dark Prince: Chapter 99

It was only fitting that I landed in Los Angeles with a posse.

Romeo, Zach, Dallas, and Farrow followed me here, uninvited, for the sheer pleasure of watching me eat a giant slice of humble pie. (Apparently, nothing bonded friends like a cross-country pilgrimage to witness me grovel.)

They scored front-row seats in the lobby waiting area, actual popcorn in hand.

Meanwhile, I leaned against a column, waiting for Briar to spot me. The sight of her – so fucking gorgeous I wanted to taste her – made the five-hour trip here worth it. I gulped up every detail: the messy top bun, the skintight yoga pants, the frustrated frown on her pouty lips.

Then, her head snapped up, sweeping left and right before landing on me.

Our eyes met.

For a second, I forgot every single line I’d rehearsed on the flight. Then, her expression morphed from a smile into a scowl. I pushed off the column and crossed the lobby, meeting her halfway.

I didn’t bother hiding my grin. “Did I just make your day?”

“If you’re here to escort me back to Potomac, I can’t go.” She chewed on her lower lip. “My dad is here.”

“Time out.” I held up a hand to stop her. “We need a make-out break before we start arguing. I haven’t seen you in thirty fucking days, and I’m about two seconds from falling to my knees and begging to touch you. Personally, I’m game, but I figured you’d rather not make TMZ headlines.”

With that, I stormed forward, cradled her face in my giant hands, and pressed my lips to hers. Her hesitation melted under my touch. She slid her arms around my neck. Her tiny gasps curled into my mouth like a gentle caress. I dove my tongue inside, tangling with hers.

Briar’s fingernails found my shoulders and dug in deep enough to leave marks for days. The kiss held every word I’d wanted to say for the last thirty days.

I love you, and I love you, and I love you.

She clawed at my chest, trying to yank me closer. Our mouths moved in sync, hungry and desperate and unrestrained. Around us, people cheered and catcalled. I’d already forgotten where we were.

We reluctantly pulled apart, breathless and still clinging to each other. The world crept back inch by unforgiving inch. We’d garnered an audience with our PDA, but at least they were polite enough to give us a wide berth.

I rested my forehead on hers, savoring the closeness. “I missed you.”

“I thought of you every second on the island.” Briar cleared her throat and tried to lighten the mood. “I bet your right hand is tired from its thirty-day workout challenge.”

Except it wasn’t. I’d spent each day too messed up to do anything but bitch and moan about Briar’s absence.

I wiped away the slickness on her lips, parting the lower one enough to perk up my dick. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

Someone whistled. I was two seconds from scooping her up and giving the crowd a taste of real sex ed. But alas, my reputation as a gentleman already hung by tattered threads.

“Back to business.” Briar stepped away, tugging her sweater tighter. A faint pink rose to her cheeks as she struggled to collect herself. “Where are my things, Oliver?”

“In the penthouse.”

Her brows popped up as if I’d bottled up air and demanded she pay for it. “I can’t afford to rent the penthouse.”

“About that. I don’t think this long-distance thing is going to work.”

She paled. “Excuse me?”

“I’m not cut out for it.” I shrugged. “Things were … not so great after you left.”

“He was a trainwreck,” Dallas clarified from the sofa, popping popcorn into her mouth.

Briar jolted. She hadn’t noticed our friends sprawled out in the waiting room, passing snacks like they’d scored VIP tickets to a movie premiere.

Farrow nodded. “Like watching a reality show meltdown.”

Zach dug his fist into her popcorn bag. “Minus the commercial breaks.”

“I’ll never understand the appeal.” Romeo crossed his legs on the coffee table, tossing a stress ball up and down. “Too much drama. Not enough plot.”

Speaking of unwanted guests, the crowd never dissipated. If anything, it had grown larger since the kiss. Sometime in the past ten minutes, the Sweet 16 party had migrated out here. An army of teenyboppers held up smartphones like they’d caught a Kardashian in the wild.

“As I was saying, before I was so rudely interrupted …” I ignored our unofficial fan club, refusing to break eye contact with Briar. “I’m done saying goodbye to you and pretending it doesn’t make me miserable. This long-distance thing is bullshit.”

“So, what now?” She brought her fists to her sides, clearly ready to toss me out of the nearest window, but the tiniest tremble in her chin betrayed her panic. “Are you breaking up with me?”

“Hell, no. I’m moving in with you, sweetheart.”

“But—” Her eyes swung to our friends. “You have responsibilities.”

She meant Seb, of course. I loved how naturally protecting him came to her. She would make the best mother. Hopefully, to five kids who all looked exactly like her. And maybe one with my knack for turning everything into a disaster. Just to keep us humble.

“I do.” I looked down, struggling to turn the chaos in my head into something that made sense. “But I can’t help it. You crashed back into my life like an avalanche, unstoppable and all-consuming. I spent the past fifteen years in misery, but you pulled me out of the darkness and showed me how to live again.”

A shiver rippled through her body. “Oliver …”

“Hold up.” I held up a hand. “I need to get this out.”

“Or he’ll forget again,” Dallas whispered under her breath, nudging Farrow as if that wasn’t the whole point of rehearsing on the plane.

I ignored the peanut gallery, too determined to register anyone but Briar. “For the past fifteen years, I never imagined what happiness would look like. I never dared to. But the second you showed up, I couldn’t not think about it. Then, I found myself wanting it. Craving it. You make me want to be happy, Briar. You make me feel like … like maybe it’s okay if I’m happy.”

The words trudged up my throat like rusted gears, forcing themselves to turn after years of neglect. It would take some time getting used to this mindset, but the sentiment remained. I could be happy again. I could be happy again, and the sun would still rise, and the sky wouldn’t fall, and Sebastian would keep talking to me, and the world would not cease to exist.

“It is. You deserve to be happy, Oliver.” Briar held my gaze, unwavering. “It’s okay to be selfish sometimes. You can’t give, and give, and give all the time. That’s unsustainable. Sometimes, you have to be selfish enough to keep a part of yourself, so you’ll have something left to give.”

“I’m starting to get that.” I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling my cheeks warm up. “We all know I’m a colossal fuck up, but—”

She frowned, her voice soft but insistent. “You’re not.”

I loved when she stood her ground. It made me want to shut up, meet her lips, and prove her right. But later. I still had a mountain of groveling to climb before I could cash in on that kiss.

“I am,” I insisted, dead set on this honesty thing. “But I’m starting to realize it’s okay. Shit happens. It’s normal to make mistakes, and I don’t have to hate myself for them. I’ve fucked up before, and I’ll fuck up again. But if I’ve done one thing right in this world, it’s loving you.”

One of the teenyboppers groaned. “Dude, just kiss her already.”

“Patience, kid.” I whipped him with a glare, softening just a tad because our goals were aligned. “I’m trying to earn it here.”

He didn’t back down. “I could’ve binged all of Outer Banks by now.”

Briar scrunched her nose. “Close proximity to teens is unparalleled birth control.”

That triggered the hostile crowd.

“Wrap it up, man. Are you getting paid by the word?”

“Someone call Hallmark. These assholes stole their script.”

“Yo, speak up. I don’t have subtitles.”

I obliged – not because of bootleg Zac Efron over there, but because I wanted my words to soak inside Briar’s skin. “I told myself I needed to sacrifice for my family at all costs, but I forgot one important fact. The most important fact.”

She held her breath. “What’s that?”

“You’re my family, too. Always have been.” I edged closer, just a breath away now. “This is me promising you that I’m 100% in. No excuses. Even if it means moving to a city where juice cleanses qualify as meal plans.”

Briar tossed her head back, releasing a throaty laugh that shot straight to my neglected dick. The smooth column of her neck called for my lips. I wanted to tug her into the nearest room and remind her why she begged every time I entered her.

But no, I needed to bare my soul to her here. In public. For far too long, I’d dragged her into too many secrets. She deserved better than to be one of them.

Briar rocked back on her heels, a little dazed. “You’re really moving here.”

“I am.”

“What about …” she trailed off, arching a brow.

“He knows. He’s okay with this. Who do you think hacked Philomena’s court records to find Cooper’s contact info?”

Her lips parted. “You asked him to do that?”

“As if I trust that grifter to tell you the truth about your father.”

Her smile faded. She nibbled on her lower lip, tapping her fingers against her thigh. “You still have to run the Grand Regent.”

“I’ll fly back and forth.” I held up a hand, stopping her. “I know, I know. The gas. I’ll buy some CO2 credits to offset it and donate to save a few beached whales.”

She rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the grin that crept back up her cheeks. “They really don’t need you there every day?”

“Dad came out of his cave.”

Her eyes widened as though I’d announced the purge. “Seriously?”

“Seriously. We worked it out last night. There are details that need ironing, but for the most part, I’ll fly to Potomac for two days a week to check on my home and attend Friday board meetings. You can join me whenever you want, but if you don’t, I’ll be back here ASAP.”

She couldn’t wipe the smile off her face. “You’re moving in with me.”

“I am.”

“This is going to work,” she promised.

“It is,” I confirmed.

Her tiny hands fisted the lapels of my jacket, tugging me closer to her lips. I held my breath, feeling like a teenager again, about to kiss the hot girl next door for the first time. Then, the lights shut off.

Oh, shit.

Briar’s gasp fanned my lips. “What’s happening?”

I groaned. “Dallas convinced me to make a presentation on the plane.”

A spotlight flashed over us, casting bright lights in a semi-circle over the marble. During regular hours, it projected the hotel’s signature crest onto the sleek floors. Right now, it illuminated dozens of photos, each one a testament to my questionable Photoshop skills.

Me and Briar cloud watching on the Eiffel Tower. Spinning under cherry blossoms in Japan. In matching parkas beneath the Northern Lights. Marrakech, Ha Long Bay, Patagonia. Places we once promised we’d visit. Places I couldn’t wait to take her to.

“Is that … comic sans?” Briar bit her lip, stifling a giggle. “That should be illegal.”

“I didn’t want to overwhelm you with Helvetica.”

“You overwhelmed me with …” She squinted at the very realistic edit of her sunbathing on a frozen Lake Baikal. “… my three heads?”

“What can I say? One head wasn’t enough to capture your magnificence.”

“This is a creepy level of devotion I wasn’t prepared for.” She spun, taking her time to study each and every photograph. “What are these?”

“They’re every memory we should have made – every memory we will make.” I signaled for Dallas to change the slides, which flickered to edited photos of her with our friends. “Christmas, Spring Break, baby showers.” I pointed to one of us eating turkey at my parents’, then again at Romeo’s. “That’s the year we fought over where to eat on Thanksgiving Day. Don’t worry. I made it up to you by feeding you the hottest stuffing of your life.”

She turned beet red, playing along. “So, that’s why they call it a feast.”

“It’s now an annual tradition.” I paused, letting her soak in the ugly Christmas sweaters, and obnoxious tree toppers, and dogs in silly Leprechaun hats. “And we’ll make more holiday traditions together. You’ll never be alone for a single one of them. You’re part of this family, Briar. We’re not let you go.”

Dallas nodded, forming a heart with both hands. “We love you.”

Romeo managed not to grimace. “If I have to suffer through Dallas’ infamous New Year’s pancakes, you do, too.”

“We have traditions for every holiday imaginable.” Zach shuddered. “You’ll be exhausted by July.”

Farrow winced. “We celebrate half-birthdays, too. Consider yourself warned.”

I studied Briar, enjoying how her eyes drank in each of their faces. She struggled to keep her tears at bay, her chest shaking with laughter that threatened to crack her wide open. A kaleidoscope of emotions flickered across her face – gratitude, wonder, and a hint of disbelief.

Her gaze softened in that rare, unguarded way she used to stare at me as kids. Like she’d given us her heart and trusted us not to break it.

“Thank you. I think I’m speechless.” Briar’s voice caught, and I could see the exact moment she’d lost the battle to keep her composure. “You guys really want me here?”

“Please.” Farrow waved a hand. “Dallas already planned our Halloween costumes.”

Dallas gestured between the six of us. “We’re going as the Avengers. Obviously, you’ll have to take one for the team and go as Black Widow. My postpartum ass isn’t touching latex for at least another year.”

Romeo shrugged. “Once you enter the group chat, you can’t escape.

Zach sighed. “We’ve tried.”

Briar kneeled, her fingers shaking slightly as she touched a photo of us slicing cake. “I’ve never had this.” Her eyes swung up to mine. “I wished for this that night at the castle ball. Happiness. Freedom. Friends so close, they’re family. I finally have it.”

“Get used to it.” I helped her up and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “We’re stubborn, and we’re not going anywhere.”

From the jaws of the crowd, someone started sobbing. “Does anyone have tissues?”

Briar laughed through unshed tears, glowing like I’d never seen before.

Aw, fuck it.

I gathered the courage to go off script, producing the engagement ring she’d given back to me. The one I’d kept in my pocket ever since.

“I’ve carried this around since you left, hoping you’d let me put it back where it belongs.” I lowered to one knee. “When we broke up as kids, I tried to convince myself I’d survive. I lied to myself. Hell, my whole life is one big lie. Well, I’m done. I’m done pretending I can live without you. You’re not a chapter in my life. You’re the whole damn story.”

The crowd began to buzz, the energy in the lobby shifting. A lady sighed and clutched on to her husband’s hand. An older couple shot me two thumbs up, while the man beside them wiped tears from his wife’s eyes with his thumbs.

“I realized lately that I’m a greedy bastard, and I’m okay with that.” The crowd’s encouragement energized me. “I want to fall asleep next to you and wake up to your kisses. I want to watch you eat veggie burgers, and throw pool parties I’ll crash, and fail at riding Al Capony, and even do your brutal naked yoga routine. Especially your naked yoga routine.”

My heartbeat reached my ears, drumming out the crowd. It was just us now. Me and the girl who made every other dream feel small. She was the beginning, middle, and end.

“I want to save seals, and adopt endangered sea turtles in your name, and march the capital when some oil exec does something that pisses you off. I’d chain myself to a fucking redwood if it meant staying by your side. I am so hopelessly obsessed with you, Briar. I didn’t fall for you. I crash-landed without a parachute.”

She breathed out my name, and nothing else would ever come close. “I love you, too.”

“And I am so proud of the person you’ve become. I always knew you could be such a bad ass, but to actually witness it takes my fucking breath away. You were right when you said thorns belong on a rose. You’re living proof. I love that you’re strong enough to fight for yourself. I hate that you have to be. If you give me the chance, I’ll be your safe space.”

“You already are, Oliver.” And because she was sweet, loving Briar, she dropped to her knees with me, clutching on to my shoulders. “You’ve been my safe space since the day we met.”

“And you’re mine.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead, breaking the rules for a moment, unable to help myself. Either that or combust. “If the past thirty days have told me anything, it’s that I don’t want to spend another day apart. Briar Aurora Auer, will you marry me?”

“Yes.” She held her hand out for me, watching as I slid the ring back where it belonged. “Yes, yes, yes. A million times yes.”

Around us, the crowd erupted into cheers. Blue rose petals rained down like confetti as guests plucked them from vases and tossed them down to us. We reached for each other at the same time, collapsing onto the marble in a heap of eager limbs.

“You’re viral,” the birthday girl informed us, her phone trained on Briar’s ring. “Say toodles to the livestream.”

This would be karma making her presence known. I’d bullied Zach over his embarrassing public grovel only to top him.

I groaned, resting my forehead against Briar’s. “I think we might make that TMZ headline, after all.”

Dallas clapped from the couch, hopping up and down. “Kiss her, kiss her, kiss her.”

Finally, someone with some sense.

The pianist began playing a song. Our song. I brushed away a rose petal from Briar’s eyelashes, and then I kissed her like she was meant to be kissed – passionately, endlessly, and full of reverence.

The world blurred around us and faded into nothingness. Briar threaded her fingers through my hair, tugging me closer. She tasted like roses, and sunlight, and mine.

This time, I made the right decision.

I chose her over the world.