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“Meeting the parents. Look at you!” Al exclaimed.
“Just a suggestion, but if I were you, I would keep her mother’s pantson, mate. The mother-daughter thing hasn’t gone so well for you in the past,” I teased.
Rhett threw the red apple in his hand at my head. I caught it nimbly in my hand, turned it around, and took a bite, still chuckling.
“Is Karina going home with you?” Al asked.
I looked down at the apple and took another bite, even though I wasn’t feeling particularly hungry.
“Not reallywith me,”I said. “We are arriving separately, and she will stay in the main house instead of mine. But, yes, we will attend the gala together,” I explained.
Karina was smart and pretty and came from a good family who would bring connections and resources to House Bellamy. And she was always around whether I pursued her or not because Karina had become fast friends with James. I didn’t mind my time with her, but the months of courting Karina I’d promised my parents in exchange for my position on the High Council would be up soon.
“Well, I have to go pack,” Al said, moving her legs off me.
“Let’s have a drink before you head out,” Rhett suggested.
Al was already out of the door. She waved at us over her shoulder. “Sounds good.”
“Luke, I have to ask you something,” Rhett said, after Al was gone.
And then, without waiting for a response, he continued, “What in thehellare you doing?”
I looked exaggeratedly around Rhett’s bar.
“Well, I thought I was sitting here for another minute or two, but if I’ve outstayed my welcome…” I replied jokingly.
“With Al, Luke. What are you doing with Al?” Rhett clarified.
“Rhett, come on,” I said, exhaling out of my nose. We’d talked about this before. And again, before then.
“She made her choice,” I said with a sideways smirk, trying not to sound bitter.
“No, she madeachoice because she wasn’t aware of what all of her options were,” Rhett retorted.
“Not to be crude, but I think I made it pretty clear I was on the menu for her, and she chose me time and time again until she didn’t,” I said.
“Bullshit, man. You know, Al. You know how she thinks she has to earn every minute she is here at the High Court. She always feels like she has to prove she is worthy. And then the whole thing with your mom—”
“I told her not to mind my mom,” I interjected.
“And then Karina,” Rhett continued.
“I offered to bail on that too,” I said, but I was getting frustrated.
“Did you ask her to be your date to the Fall Ball instead? Did you tell her you want to be with her, your family obligations be damned?” Rhett continued to push.
“Al and I don’t really talk about these things. Not like you and I,” I said, cutting my eyes toward my friend. “But Al and I have a kind of understanding,” I said.
“Well, I’m telling you right now that it is herunderstandingthat she would never be good enough for your sorry ass,” Rhett barked.
The thought that he might be right gnawed at the edges of my self-assurance.
“She deserves to know, Luke. Not just about how you feel about her, but also how you magically—”
“If we’re going to talk about relationships, what about you and James?” I interjected, switching from defense to offense. “What areyoudoing? You’ve gone through hundreds, more like thousands, of women over the years, allegedly looking for your mate, and now that you’ve found her, you are going to, what, take it slow?” I asked.
There was a pause, and I didn’t know if Rhett was going to push back on the change of subject.
