“Good to know,” I hum, my entire body humming with excitement.
I’m thankful for the mask. At least it’s able to hide some of my shyness and pink cheeks.
Jules would be losing her absolute mind over this if she could see me right now.
“And you guys?” I ask. “Do you just love fountains, or did you need an escape too?”
Slowly, Green Eyes allows his smile to stretch free, the corners of his eyes crinkling ever so slightly. “I happen to love the fountain. And we”—he gestures to his brother—“also have a horrible stepmother and need some air from the stuffy party.”
“Well, I’m glad I could help distract you both.” I bite down on my smile. “Anytime.”
My heart aches at the thought because the truth is thatanytimeisn’t an option.
“What’s your name?” The other one pulls my attention back to him, eagerness in his deep blue stare.
Fear snakes up my throat of telling them the truth, of the idea that this could get back to Adrianna.
I don’t know who they are, but with the way they’re flirting and making me feel, I think I’d rather not know. That will only make leaving tonight that much harder. I’d rather them just exist in this magical night that ends at midnight, without them crossing over into reality. Unfortunately, that’s not an option.
“Can we skip the names? Just for tonight.” I try to persuade them, as if there could possibly be a tomorrow.
“So mysterious,” Blue Eyes coos, studying me for a second before stepping back and lifting my hand to his lips. “Then I think I’ll be Prince Charming, and I’ll call you … Princess.”
His brother at my side mutters with a chuckle, “You’re such an idiot.”
I playfully scoff and turn toward Green Eyes, giddiness coursing through me as I lean into our royal characters. “Do you not think I am worthy of being a princess?”
A full smile breaks across his lips, humor twitching the corners before he snaps into character. “Of course you are, Your Highness. My sincerest apologies.”
A genuine cackle slips free from my lips, and I bite down on my bottom lip to stifle it. His eyes immediately fall to my mouth, darkening instantly.
He stares for a moment without blinking. My core warms, and I swallow hard. When I clear my throat, his eyes fly back up to mine, a coy smile on his lips.
I use my best royal accent. “And what might I call you, good sir?”
“Well, if you’re the princess and he’s Prince Charming. I’ll be your knight in shining armor.” I can tell he thinks this is silly, but he’s playing along anyway, and that alone earns him some points.
“And you calledmean idiot,” Prince Charming retorts.
“Shove it, A—” He cuts himself off before redirecting his attention to me and dropping his posh accent. “Well,Princess, how can we make your night better? Lord knows you’ve already improved ours tenfold.”
Noisy chatter sounds again, this time growing closer. I stand up taller, suddenly nervous and on edge, as if I’m doing something wrong.
“Come with us,” Knight murmurs softly, his voice quiet.
I nod before I know what I’m agreeing to. “Where are we going?”
“The perfect place for a princess.” He pushes off the fountain, pulling me with him, my hand still in both his and his brother’s.
Prince Charming follows behind, and a giggle tears through me. This is the craziest and most exciting thing I’ve ever done.
My heels click along the laid bricks as we follow down a path deeper into the hedge maze. A soft yellow glow casts over usfrom the flickering lights strewn on the hedges. And my heart skips a beat at the feeling of both of their hands in mine.
We may be going by aliases and playing parts, but it feels incredibly real to me.
“You’ll love it,” Knight tells me, taking a left and down a new path.
I make a mental note to remember the route so I can escape when the time inevitably comes.
