#I think Liam lies somewhere in the middle of these two extremes (True Neutral!)

[pug-bitch]

That’s not why I’m going (35)

Breathless

Book: The Royal Romance

Pairing: Drake Walker x Amara Suarez

Rating: some foul language, some extremely suggestive, and a VERY steamy scene right at the beginning of the chapter. This is absolutely NOT appropriate for people under 18. Disturbing material is alluded to, regarding Amara’s past.

Word count: about 5,300! (let me know if the ‘keep reading’ cutoff isn’t working well!) I know it’s longer than other chapter but I just couldn’t help myself… a lot is happening here and I didn’t feel like ending on a true cliffhanger, even though there’s plenty of things that need to happen in the next chapters!

Notes: This picks up the next morning, the morning of the rehearsal dinner, starting with Amara’s POV. This is very intense, but it is in no way the end of trouble… 

*****

Amara wakes up to Drake’s kisses, a trail of them, on her neck and collarbone. She turns around to face him and their lips crash together. ‘Morning, baby,’ he whispers.

She smiles. This is what she wants out of life. She’ll figure out the rest later. Jobs, money, family, which country to settle down in, that all can wait. She kisses him deeper.

She throws her arms around his neck and draws him closer, always closer, almost like they’re one. She feels his heartbeat against her chest. His hands roam all over her body, their legs are intertwined, as they’re both still naked from last night’s lovemaking. She feels his cock harden against her, as his kisses become more and more urgent. She feels him moan against her kiss. She needs him.

He positions himself on top of her, and starts kissing her neck again, then down to her breasts. He pays special attention to them, as per usual. She moans, ‘Mmm Drake…’

He looks at her and smiles, a beautiful, loving, hungry smile, one that’s driven her crazy for many, many weeks now. She guides him back to kissing her lips. She needs to feel his weight on her, his heartbeat, his warmth. His hand has now wandered between her legs, teasing her, lightly caressing her folds and her clit. She shivers and bucks her hips. He gets the message and slides one finger inside her, slowly. She kisses him harder, their tongues pressed against each other. He draws circles around her clit with his thumb, and she decides she can’t wait now, she needs him inside her completely, she wants them to lose themselves in each other. She gets on top of him in one swift motion, and notices the still-hungry, excited smile on Drake’s face. He bites his lips as she lowers herself onto him and takes all his length inside her. They both moan in unison, and she rides him slowly.

*****

As they’re lying in their post-sex glory, Drake is absentmindedly playing with Amara’s curls, her head in the nook of his arm. He kisses her head. ‘I love you,’ he whispers. He wonders if it’s too much, all the professions of love, and then quickly realizes that it’s not --no one ever regretted saying ‘I love you’ too much. It’s the opposite that’s dangerous. She looks up, a satisfied smile on her face, and says ‘I love you, too, Drake Walker.’

They get in the shower, still tangled in each other, still kissing non-stop and letting their hands wander on each other. They end up making love again, in the shower, standing up, in a state of urgency that’s not really one, but urgently nonetheless. As they get out, he looks at her intently, the way she dries her hair and puts on her makeup is bewitching. He’s never been with anyone so intimately before, he’d never met anyone that he wanted to let in this much. Until her. Until he couldn’t help but let Amara in, he had no choice, they were drawn to each other like magnets, their hearts aching when they were far, and exploding when they were near.

He wraps her in a warm hug, both facing the mirror. ‘You’re so beautiful,’ he whispers in her ear.

She grins. ‘So are you, Walker. I never want this morning to end.’

They both get downstairs, where Max, Bertrand, and Hana are sitting with a cup of coffee in hand. They greet them, and Drake asks, ‘Do you guys want me to cook up some brunch?’

They all nod enthusiastically. Bertrand adds, ‘That would be wonderful. I’m still impressed with that barbecue you crafted the other day. You have a real talent, Drake.’

He blushes. ‘Thanks, Bertrand. I appreciate it. So, is everyone ok with eggs benedict?’ 

They all cheer, and he makes his way to the kitchen. Cooking will help calm his nerves. He’s heading to the palace before everyone, as he texted Liam yesterday to ask if he wanted to grab coffee at some point. He felt bad about leaving his friend be, when he’s going through a few major changes in his life: he’s choosing a wife, he’s becoming king, and his father is terminally ill. Still, he can’t bring himself to endure more than a coffee. Everything is too much: the secret he’s keeping from Liam, Liam’s own attitude towards Amara, his weird and sudden closeness with Madeleine when he was bitching about her just a few days ago, everything. Too much distance between them. Maybe they can meet somewhere in the middle someday, who knows. But for now, it’s gonna be a coffee.

*****

Olivia finally makes her appearance downstairs, looking happy and rested, right the second everyone is sitting at the table to enjoy brunch. ‘Liv, finally!’ Maxwell smiles.

‘Morning, bitches,’ she says with a smile.

‘Where’s Rashad?’ Max asks excitedly.

Olivia’s eyes meet Amara’s. She says, ‘He went home last night. Dropped me off after the restaurant and a couple of drinks. He says thank you for the hospitality.’

Amara nods. ‘Did you have a good time?’

Liv’s face lights up, but she catches herself and puts on a neutral expression again. ‘Yes, it was nice. Food was great, and we...had a  nice talk.’

Maxwell opens his mouth to say something, but Amara makes eye contact with him and makes a face to dissuade him from being pushy. He stops. Amara smiles, happy that her friend took her advice to take her time. 

*****

Drake zips up his duffle, ready to hit the road to get to the palace on time. He joins the gang downstairs, where they are having another cup of coffee and talking about life.

‘Hey guys,’ he says to them all, ‘I’m gonna get going. I’ll see you all at the press conference?’

Bertrand gets up and offers him his hand. ‘Yes, you will. Hopefully, we can make our father proud.’

Drake shakes Bertrand’s hand vigorously. ‘Of course you will. Good luck, Bertrand.’

He opens his arms to Max, who wraps him in a bear hug. ‘See you later, Drake. Thanks for being here with us, and for singing Backstreet Boys.’

Drake chuckles. ‘My pleasure. I had a lot of fun. Good luck to you too, Max. You will both be amazing.’

Drake gives Hana a warm hug, and when Liv’s turn comes, he hesitates, and she rolls her eyes. ‘No. You can say goodbye from here, Walker.’

He laughs, ‘Alright, see you later, Nevrakis.’ He turns to Amara. ‘Suarez…’

She gets up from her chair as fast as she can and runs into his arms. His heart stops for a split second. No more sneaking around until after it’s all done. And then… they may need to run away together, and it will be hard, but oh so worth it. He kisses her head several times. 

She pulls away slowly. ‘I’ll see you later. Drive safe.’

On the drive, all he can think about is her. He’s going to have to keep his poker face on during coffee with Liam, only two little days and they can maybe, just maybe, be free. 

Better not think about it too hard, you never know. He’s never been very superstitious, but this seems like the prudent thing to do. Just focus on right now, on getting through the whole charade. Thankfully, the press conference for the Beaumonts before dinner will be nice and a touching tribute to their father. But after that… he’s gonna have to curtsy to everyone, and pretend to care what Neville has to say, pretend that Madeleine is a normal person and not a sociopath who participated in outing his friend… 

Eyes on the road. Almost there. 

*****

‘Drake, hi!’ Liam greets him with his unnatural, princely smile.

‘Hi Liam, good to see you.’

The two men hug, but Drake’s heart is not in it. He can’t help but compare this moment to the sincerity of Max’s hug this morning. No comparison possible. How did that happen? When did Liam become such a stranger?

They sit on the balcony together, and a staff member, Thomas, brings them coffee. Drake thanks him profusely, while Liam waves him away with one swift gesture. 

‘How do you feel, Li?’ Drake inquires.

Liam sighs. ‘I feel okay. I’m still unsure of a bunch of things, but some of them are a bit clearer now.’

Drake nods, afraid to ask. ‘That’s great. Did you make your choice?’

Liam chuckles. ‘Wouldn’t you like to know? Well, not quite, unfortunately. I have a lot to think about in the next few hours. A lot of moving parts. And I have to consider Cordonia, it’s not just me anymore.’

Drake nods quietly. He’s not completely sure what this means, but he has a vague idea, and it doesn’t sound very good.

*****

Bertrand adjusts his tie, which has little squids on it. He tries to will his body to stop sweating so much, but to no avail. His forehead is, he presumes, shinier than ever, as beads of sweat roll down his face. This is an important moment for his family, the family he’s been responsible for, ever since his father’s death. He takes a deep breath, turns his head to the left to look at his little brother, who smiles at him reassuringly. Maxxie puts a comforting hand on his shoulder, and Bertrand wonders why he’s kept him at arm’s length for so long. 

In the audience, he sees the people he’s grown to view as friends. Lovely Hana, supportive Amara, and fierce Olivia. Three remarkable women. And Drake, whom he had, at some point in his life, hoped to call brother-in-law. That ship had sailed, of course, after Savannah had left without a trace, but maybe now, Drake could simply be his friend.

Bertrand makes eye contact with Liam, who nods at him that it’s time to get this show on the road. Liam turns to the audience and says, ‘People of Cordonia. Fellow nobles. We are gathered here today to listen to the Duke of Ramsford, Lord Bertrand Beaumont, who has a communication to share with us, on behalf of himself, his house, and his brother, Maxwell Beaumont. Duke Ramsford, the floor is yours.’

The crowd erupts in applause, and Bertrand feels like he might faint. He can’t act like a coward, not now, not when the reputation of his House is on the line. So, he swallows his nervousness, and walks up to the podium. He clears his throat.

‘People of Cordonia. Your Royal Highness. Thank you for providing me and my brother the platform to address you all. Most of you might have known our beloved father, Barthélémy Beaumont, whose legacy I intend to protect. A few years ago, after he passed, it was brought to my attention by an ill-intentioned person that my father was harboring a secret. Ever since then, this person, who used to be employed by our House, blackmailed me by threatening to reveal that secret.’ The crowd gasps. Bertrand continues. ‘But today, with the love and support of my brother, and of our friends, I have come to realize that there was absolutely no reason to give in to the blackmail, because my father’s secret was not shameful at all. In fact, it is something to be celebrated, which we will do from now on.’ He gulps down, turns to Maxwell, who is giving him a reassuring smile. ‘Our father, although he loved our dear mother Hélène very much, was gay. He married his best friend and went on to be a wonderful father and husband. But, as it turns out, he was in a long-term relationship with a man named Gustav, and our mother was aware of the situation. It was simply a different time, and our father was afraid of ruining his reputation. But now, today and all the days to come, I want us all to remember Barthélémy Beaumont as more than a scared and secretive man. He was a man who did not know how to celebrate himself, and had he been young during our time, I like to think that he would have been himself, proudly. So, in the spirit of honoring his memory, in a proud way, because Maxwell and I are very proud of being his sons, we have decided to support an LGBT+ charity on behalf of our father, and of his longtime partner Gustav. We will make an initial donation in their names, and we will keep supporting the charity in the best way we can. The details are in the flyers under everyone’s chair. Thank you so much for listening. To Cordonia!’ 

The crowd claps harder and harder, as Bertrand gets back to his spot next to his brother.

*****

Maxwell’s hands are numb from all the clapping. His brain, on the other hand, is on overload. All of a sudden, all in less than a split second, he’s made his decision. He grabs Bertrand’s arm and whispers in his ear ‘Don’t be mad, I’m going in.’

Before Bertrand can answer, Maxwell is on the podium, where Liam had already opened his mouth to offer closing remarks. Maxwell cuts in and apologizes in a whisper. Liam smiles at him and gestures for him to take the floor.

He stands in front of the microphone, his head spinning. In the first row, he can see his friends, Amara, Hana, Drake, and Liv. Amara seems to know what he’s about to do, her eyes are wet with tears already, but her smile is wide. Max nods at her and starts talking.

‘People of Cordonia. I apologize for cutting in. My brother is the spokesperson for our House and I endorse a hundred percent of his statements. I just wanted --in fact, needed-- to add a statement of my own.’ He turns around to look at Bertrand, who has a slightly worried smile on his face. ‘Today, we celebrate our father’s life, and his love. We celebrate that there are no more secrets in my family. But to do so without speaking up would be hypocritical of me. I want to break the cycle today. The cycle of silence. I want no more secrets, I want no more shame, even if shame is not the reason why I never spoke up about it. I just have never been bothered with telling the world who I am, because I figured, I’m already who I am all of the time.’ The crowd laughs, and Maxwell chuckles too. ‘Anyways, obviously this isn’t scripted, so I’m really sorry about the bumbling… The truth is, even if I am myself every day, today made me realize that it is important for me to use the platform that I have, the privilege that I am able to enjoy, to speak up about issues that a lot of people struggle with. Identity issues. The truth is, I am bisexual. My family and friends have known for a long time, but today it’s time that I tell the world. I am out and proud. Thank you for listening.’ He regains his original spot hastily, before he can scope out the crowd’s reaction. 

But as soon as he turns away, the many claps and cheers do not lie. Tears flow to his eyes, as he walks towards his brother who, arms wide open, offers him a proud hug.

*****

‘Maxwell!’ Amara yells out once everyone has dispersed. Max spots her and dives right into her arms for a tight hug. ‘Max, I’m so proud of you, that was incredible.’

He wipes a tear from his eyes. ‘Thank you, love. That was a spur of the moment, to say the least.’ 

Hana and Drake hug Max as well, and Liv whispers to Amara, ‘We need to take our place at the rehearsal dinner table, the King will give a toast shortly. Let’s grab Lee and let’s get it over with, I don’t want to have the last seat and have to be near one of those bitches.’

Amara nods and gestures to Hana that it’s time to take their seat. 

They walk towards the suitor table, and stand behind their chairs, Liv between Amara and Hana. The other ladies arrive shortly, and so do the young noblemen --Max, Bertrand, Rashad, Neville, plus Drake. Amara notices that there is an empty seat at the guys’ table, but shakes it off. Maybe Kiara’s brother is joining, after all. He does, sometimes.

Kiara’s parents sit at a table with Penelope’s parents and Madeleine’s mother. 

Liam walks in, followed by the King and Queen. A staff member gives Liam a paper prompt. Amara notices that he looks puzzled about it, but King Constantine nods to him and gestures for him to read it aloud.

‘Typical Liam,’ Liv rolls her eyes. ‘He can’t even write his own fucking speech,’ she whispers in Amara’s ear. Amara nods worriedly.

Liam clears his throat and the crowd goes quiet. He gives them a bright smile.

‘Good evening to everyone. I am pleased to open the Rehearsal Dinner, a special event meant for everyone to relax and enjoy their time before the Decision Ball tomorrow.’ He reads on, his smile becoming more and more muted. ‘Tonight, before we start, I would like to call in a special guest, someone who will represent one of our dear suitors. Most of the ladies present tonight have enjoyed the presence of families and friends, but one of them has not had this pleasure, her home being far away.’ He gulps down and pauses for a split second.

Amara’s head spins as she slowly grips bits and pieces of what is happening. The room around her goes blurry, and she grabs Liv’s arm.

Liam continues hesitantly. ‘It is my pleasure to invite this special someone to join us, as someone who finally decided to--’ he pauses but keeps going, ‘to forgive his sister-in-law Lady Amara for a terrible mistake she’s made, thus showing all of us that forgiveness is everything.’ Liam’s smile is now completely gone as he reads the rest of the announcement that the staff member gave him. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mr. Michael Hansen-Suarez, from New York City!’

Amara is now fully shaking, her whole body unresponsive, as Liv is holding her up by her arm. She may be talking to her, Amara can’t hear a thing. All she sees is Michael’s face. He comes in, a very worried look on his face, like a deer in headlights, but nothing compared to Amara’s state of mind right now. 

All she sees is a blur, and her breath catches. A terrible mistake she’s made. It’s her fault. Everyone agrees. Sergio died because of her. She feels tears coming out of her eyes, but she can’t feel anything else. Even her breathing, she can’t feel. Is she breathing? Liv is now fully supporting her weight, she can’t hold herself up at all. 

She hears Liv say to her ‘Let’s get some air,’ and next thing she knows, her legs are carrying her outside.

*****

Michael shakes himself free of the arm of the staff member who guided him here. How could he have been this naive? Of course it was a setup. Of course Amara wasn’t ready. He’d been more than willing to listen to the person he had talked to on the phone, a young woman who had told him that it was customary for families to come support suitors on the last day, and he ate it up when she told him that Amara had talked about Sergio and about how she would love for Michael to come. The woman had told him that it was a surprise, but that Amara was ready.

Of course it was a fucking lie. His lip twitches as he witnesses his sister-in-law --his sister-- being taken away by a friend, completely breathless, in a bout of PTSD. Of course she would react this way. Of course she had a horrible reaction to the fucked up speech that fancy sash guy had delivered. Fuck, he thinks. He needs to go after her. 

Ignoring the commotion and the whispers around him, he walks towards the exit that he saw Amara and the redhead go through. More people were following after the two of them: a beautiful petite Asian woman and a handsome, dark-haired man. Michael has to follow them. Who fucking cares about what everyone is saying around them? He doesn’t even know anyone in this fucked up place, what does he care? 

He’s walking fast, faster than the old guy can call security, but someone else is running after him. Another dark-haired man in a blue suit. ‘Michael, right?’ the guy whispers.

Michael can only nod, completely unable to talk.

The man smiles sadly and whispers, ‘Come with me this way.’ He leads him through the exit, onto a different room.

*****

Drake is shaking with fury. He and Hana followed Liv and Amara out right away. Hana was visibly shaken too, judging from the way she was holding Drake’s arm shakily on their way out. ‘Fuck,’ she whispered. Drake had never heard her curse before.

Who had done this shit to Amara? Bastien obviously knew. Drake makes a mental note to go spit his venom in his face later, and to tell him how ashamed his father would be of his protégé. But now, the priority is Amara. That fucking speech… Why did Liam go through with it? He was obviously given it by a staff member --Thomas-- and looked shocked as he was reading it. Why the fuck would he continue? 

‘Amara,’ he says as he spots her and Liv on the balcony. ‘Amara, look at me. Breathe.’ 

He takes both of her hands in his, and kneels in front of her, breathing in and out with her. Liv is rubbing her back, and Hana is tracking down a bottle of water.

‘Fuck,’ Liv spits out angrily. ‘What the fuck happened?’

Amara is breathing heavily, tears streaming down her face. ‘It’s--it’s my fault, they’re right, I--’

Liv cuts her off. ‘No. Listen to me, Suarez, these people don’t know what they’re talking about. They’re taking advantage of your grief, and Michael’s grief, to break you.’ She looks Amara straight in the eye. ‘Because you’re a threat. You’re strong, you’re amazing, a lot of people don’t like that. They tried to break me, and Lee, and now you. Do not give them the satisfaction. You can breathe. You know what that means.’

Amara nods, still shaking. Her palms are sweaty against Drake’s. At this very moment he doesn’t give a shit who sees, and who might assume they’re together. Right now, he wants to sweep her away. ‘Amara,’ he whispers to her, pressing his forehead against her. ‘Liv is right. They’re trying to break you. They won’t succeed, do you hear me?’

She nods weakly. 

‘Babe,’ he whispers, ‘I love you, we all love you here. We’re here. Lean on us.’

She starts crying even harder. ‘I’m sorry, I’m such a burden--’

‘Stop,’ he says firmly. ‘You are the light of my fucking life. You’re everything.’ He starts to feel tears in his eyes but powers through. ‘Liv here is growing a fucking heart because of how amazing you are.’

Liv scoffs. ‘Please. I know you’re trying to make a point, but this is just hurtful.’

Drake continues. ‘Michael is here because he wants to see you. Don’t listen to the lies that the court feeds us.’

Hana nods, and gives Amara some water. ‘It’s true. I saw his face, Amara, and he looked disgusted by the speech. I can guarantee you that it wasn’t his intention to trap you. He was obviously set up.’

Amara takes another sip from the water, but spills half of it by shaking. ‘R--really? But he--he hates me, it’s my fault, it’s my mistake, I ruined his life, and Callie’s, and--’

Drake takes her hands again. ‘Snap out of it, baby. Please. You know in your heart it’s not true. Think of your dad. Think of what Jorge said. You have to stop punishing yourself. You’ve done nothing wrong. It was out of your control. You’ve suffered enough. Please.’

She falls to the ground, and puts her head in her arms. Through her sobs, she says, ‘I’m sorry, guys, I ruined everything, they’re gonna think I’m weak, and a horrible person.’

Liv snorts, ‘They? Who fucking cares what these inbred bastards think? We’re here, and like Walker said, you can lean on us. Come on.’

Amara looks up, her makeup is completely running down her cheeks. ‘I need to get out of here. Can we go somewhere?’

Drake nods. ‘Absofuckinglutely.’

*****

‘Take a seat,’ Max gestures to an empty seat in the conference room.

Michael hesitantly sits down. ‘Um… I need to see Amara.’

Maxwell sits next to him and holds out his hand. ‘I’m Max. Amara’s friend.’

Michael shakes his hand, his brow still furrowed. ‘Nice to meet you. I’m Michael. I need to see if she’s ok, I didn’t mean to cause this, I’m such an idiot…’

‘No, you’re not. You’ve been set up, that’s all. They can be pretty cunning at court. My money is on Madeleine, is she the one who contacted you?’

Michael nods absentmindedly. ‘Maybe. She didn’t really give me her name, she just said she was friends with Amara and wanted to make sure she had family here to support her. That she was talking about me and how much she wanted to reconnect.’ He rubs the bridge of his nose. ‘Fuck. I’m an idiot. I was blinded by the possibility to have my sister back. I said some very hurtful things a while back, I’m not proud of it…’

Max puts a reassuring hand on Michael’s shoulder. ‘You were hurting. No one is blaming you. I’m really sorry for your loss, Michael.’

Michael’s lip quivers. ‘Thank you. I shouldn’t have blamed her. It destroyed her life, too.’

Max nods calmly. ‘Well, if you must know, she’s been slowly getting better. We love her, Michael. She’s amazing. She has so much to give. I’m hopeful that she’ll be better eventually, she’s on the path to recovery, but we can’t let this be a setback. She’s not ready to see you. Not yet. Do you understand?’

Michael nods solemnly. ‘I do.’

*****

Liam’s nostrils have been flaring up ever since Amara had been taken out of the room, in sheer panic. What the hell had just happened? He knows nothing of her life, besides the fact that she used to be a cop. Could this have anything to do with it? In any case, this isn’t good. She looked devastated when he gave that stupid speech. Why couldn’t he have stopped himself from reading it? 

His father had calmed the crowd down after the incident, and had urged everyone to start their dinner. But Liam’s heart is not in it.

‘Father,’ he whispers, ‘I should go check on Amara.’

Constantine audibly sighs. ‘Liam, five people ran after her, and Duke Ramsford has been on his phone since then, I’m sure she’s ok.’

Liam nods but is not convinced. ‘Who invited this man? Do you know?’

He shakes his head. ‘No, son. believe it or not, I am not in charge of the seating chart.’

‘Father, I think we should look into this. It’s very suspicious, whoever did this knew she would have a negative reaction--’

‘Speaking of, Liam, this is in no way an acceptable behavior for a potential Queen. Having a panic attack because her brother-in-law shows up? Making a scene and disrupting dinner? The Queen and I are appalled, and you should be too.’

Liam scoffs. ‘Father, with all due respect, I think this is unreasonable. She was obviously triggered and I don’t think she’s well. Frankly, I’m very worried about her.’

Constantine slams his fork on the table. ‘That’s the problem, Liam. While you’re worried about a Mexican woman who can’t handle a surprise guest, you’re not worried about your country or your duties. Pull yourself together.’

*****

Maxwell’s phone vibrates, and interrupts his conversation with Michael. ‘Excuse me,’ he says before picking up. ‘Olivia?’ he asks.

‘Beaumont,’ she says, ‘we’re going to Ramsford. We’re not going back to this shitshow.’

‘Is Amara ok?’ he asks anxiously. Michael perks up upon hearing her name. 

Liv sighs. ‘She’ll be fine. She needs to get out. Meet us there? Or maybe you should stay, you just had a big moment at the press conference, it’s up to you.’

Max replies hastily, ‘No, I’m coming too. I’ll meet you there. I’m with Michael. We’re talking.’

Liv snorts, ‘Make sure to tell him the bed of shit he just put us all in.’

Maxwell looks at Michael, who obviously heard that and looks down at his feet, embarrassed. Max responds, ‘It’s not his fault, Liv, he was set up.’

Liv groans. ‘I know, but still, that was a fucking bitch of a situation.’

Max nods. ‘I’ll meet you there. And please tell Amara I love her.’

Liv hangs up. Max rolls his eyes. 

‘Sorry about that, Michael. She’s a little rough around the edges but she’s great.’

Michael nods. ‘Was that the redhead? She really seems to have Amara’s back. I’m actually happy to hear that.’

Max smiles. ‘Amara has found very loyal friends, here.’ He gets up. ‘Let’s go. I’ll go back to the dining room to talk to my brother and I’ll take you to a hotel in my neck of the woods. I’d ask you to stay with us but like I said, Amara isn’t ready.’

Michael nods. ‘Thank you. But you can stay, I’ll take a taxi. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but I understand you have something to celebrate?’

Maxwell smiles sadly. ‘To tell you the truth, I just came out to the whole country at a press conference. But I’d rather celebrate it with the people I love.’

Michael smiles weakly. ‘Congratulations! That’s incredible.’

‘Ha, thanks. Let’s go. I need to see my brother.’

*****

Everyone goes silent as Maxwell re-enters the dining room. He tries not to pay attention to the many pairs of eyes on him, and goes straight to Bertrand, whose brow is knit with worry. 

‘Finally, Maxxie, how is she?’ Bertrand asks hurriedly, his voice low.

Rashad, who is sitting next to him, inquires as well. ‘I hope she’s fine, Maxwell, this was very intense.’

Maxwell smiles weakly and sits down. ‘I’ve actually been talking to Michael. Amara is with the girls and Drake, they’re headed back to Ramsford. I just wanted to let you know that I’m going too.’

Bertrand nods. ‘Of course. Maxxie, I meant to tell you, you were incredible earlier and I’m proud of you. Now go, go be there for Amara. I’ll stay until dinner is over, I’ll thank Liam for the press conference again, and I’ll join you.’

‘Thanks, Bertrand,’ he says, patting his back. ‘See you later, Rashad.’

Maxwell walks out of the room, and realizes he’s followed by Liam, who walks at a brisk pace behind him.

‘Maxwell!’ he calls out as soon as they’re out of the dining room. 

He turns around. ‘Thank you, Liam, for the platform you gave House Beaumont today. I’m really sorry, but I have to go.’

Liam nods. ‘I understand. Is Amara ok?’

Maxwell shrugs, determined to make Liam feel bad for that ill-advised speech. ‘I don’t know, Liam. It was rough. She has a complicated history and you just threw it all on her face today. It’ll take time.’ He turns around.

‘Wait!’ Liam grabs his arm. ‘I have to go back, my father will kill me if I leave, but um… will you tell her I’m sorry? And I’m thinking of her? Please?’

Max nods solemnly. ‘Will do. But Liam?’

‘Yes?’ he asks hopefully.

‘I hope you realize there’s something rotten in this competition. I hope you do your due diligence and investigate.’

*****

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@drakeandcamilleofvaltoria @jovialyouthmusic @andy-loves-corgis @mariahschoices @drakesensworld @thequeenofcronuts @notoriouscs @drakewalkerisreal @nikkis1983 @simsvetements @alesana45 @iplaydrake @emceesynonymroll @lily1999love @drakxwalker @drakewalkerwhipped @drakewalkerrosenberg @drakeswalkers @drakelover78 @silviasutton1989 @dcbbw @carabeth @furiousherringoperatortoad @hollygirl1269 @sirbeepsalot @ladyangel70 @thisperfectmemory

Thank you for your encouragements, everyone! Let me know if you want to be added to the taglist :)

#that's not why i'm going #dramara #drake walker x amara suarez #drake x amara #drake walker #amara suarez #drake walker trr #drake x mc #drake walker x mc #trr drake #drake trr #choices trr #trr fanfic #trr #the royal romance fanfic #choices fanfiction #fanfic #the royal romance