Why had he done that? I thought he liked her.
“Screw Hayes, and his dad, and their elitist mentality. You’re going with Ayden,” I declared.
“What?” Eden wiped her cheeks, looking up at me in confusion. “I’m not going with your boyfriend.”
“He won’t care. And Ayden’s a prince. Dance with him right in front of Hayes and make him regret the day he ever stood you up.”
She grinned, the tears drying up instantly. “Did Yanric go to disfigure him?”
I nodded. “But I didn’t let him, I said he could only poop on his head.”
We both fell into fits of laughter and then Eden reached out and took my gloved hands in hers. “It’s a really sweet offer, but Ayden is your date and I’ll be okay…” She swallowed hard, the tears refilling her eyes, letting me know she was very not okay.
“All right, we both go with Ayden. We can take turns dancing,” I amended, knowing it was the only thing she would go for. She was my best friend, after all, and would never let me go to a dance alone.
She smiled shyly. “You think he would?”
“Two gorgeous women on his arm, are you crazy! He’ll be the most popular guy there.”
There was a knock at the door and Eden’s eyes widened in panic. “My face must look horrible.”
“Go fix it in my room, I’ll talk to him.” I shooed her. She ran off into my room and I stood and pulled the door open.
“Wow,” Ayden said, taking me in from head-to-toe and grabbing his heart.
“Wow back.” I smiled, admiring his silver suit and slicked-back hair. He looked so much like Ariyon sometimes it was hard to look at him because it confused my feelings, but I pushed it down.
“Hey.” I lowered my voice and stepped closer to him. “Hayes ditched Eden to go with Blair, she’s in my room getting ready. Are you cool to take us both as your date?” I winced, praying he would say yes.
He grinned. “Is that even a question? I’d love to and I heard about it all before I came. It’s a mess.”
I frowned. “Did Ariyon care that Hayes is now taking Blair?”
Ayden shook his head. “Ariyon never liked Blair anyway.”
I scowled. “Really? Because his tongue down her throat constantly says otherwise.”
Ayden swallowed hard, a seriousness coming over him. “Ariyon knows he will die young, Fallon. And he doesn’t wish to drag anyone down with him. That’s why he keeps things…superficial and casual, and he likes to have fun. But I assure you, my brother is anything but superficial—when he cares, he cares deeply. He just doesn’t want to make anyone a widow in their twenties.”
The air was knocked from my lungs at Ayden’s assessment of his twin brother, yet in that moment, the drinking on campus, the public make-outs with Blair, it all made sense. I might break rules and do crazy things if there was a short clock ticking on my life too. Live life to the fullest, go crazy. But when Ayden said that Ariyon didn’t want to make a widow of any woman, that broke my heart. Was Ariyon keeping himself from having deep feelings for someone just because he knew he wouldn’t be around to care for her and have children with her? In that way we were the same. Marriage, children—it wasn’t in the cards for either of us… Well, I guess it could be for me, but only with him.
I shook my head to clear my thoughts.
The wood floors creaked and then Eden was behind us.
“Two dates? Am I the luckiest guy in the realm?” Ayden said as he checked Eden out.
She grinned. “Shut up, you don’t have to pity date me.”
Ayden scoffed. “Eden, you are the most beautiful pity date I ever had.”
That caused her to laugh as she walked up to him and punched him in the arm.
I sensed something between them then, a connection, or just their usual playful banter?
Eden and Ayden had always seemed like friends but seeing each other dressed up like this, I think it changed something between them because they were lost in the other’s gaze while I just watched without an ounce of jealousy. I searched my heart for any hint of resentfulness or sadness, but it wasn’t there.
Why wasn’t it there? Shouldn’t it be? He was my boyfriend, after all. Instead, there was just…a rightness.
