#mrswalker

"Seriously Drake, seriously?" Kiara says, interrupting Riley's thoughts.

"Do you seriously think I'm going to change my mind, Kiara?

"Mon Dieu, clearly I'm the better choice and you know it," the better choice? What is she talking about? wondered Riley.

"Riley isn't good enough for you, she neglects you at every turn and doesn't even care about your feelings. She just used you and is still using you like a ragdoll, ne comprenez-vous pas. The only reason she chose you is that you're a human shield and a to--" 

"ENOUGH!!" Drake spat, his voice was dripping with anger and venom. Riley dared to peek from her hiding place and could see Drake's tense shoulders with his finger raised in front of him like he was about to blow up. Meanwhile, Kiara put on a slight frown but remained calm with her chin in the air as though she was the proudest person in the world. Riley felt a pang of guilt, do people honestly think of me like that, do I really force Drake into this mess?

"How dare you speak about my fiance like that? I have three things to say to you, three. First of all, Brooks is the most kind-hearted, selfless and brave person I have ever met and I love her more than anything and anyone I honestly thought you were nice compared to the other courtly clowns. But clearly, I was wrong about you and I'm glad that my misunderstanding is cleared. Second of all, she has never neglected me, in fact, it was me who kept neglecting her and as astonishing as she is, she saw past all those fancy dresses and kingdoms, she saw me," Drake's tone softened at the open-hearted confession, and Riley smiled with the reassurance that she had no reason to doubt anything. Especially not when it came to what they meant to each other. "and lastly, Brooks is the only woman I would ever fall for so don't even try your luck," as Drake turns to leave Kiara impulsively grabs his hand, "Kiara," Drake warns, he snatches his hand away and takes a few steps backwards. 

As Riley sees the scene unfold she knows it's time to make an appearance. She readies herself, just pretend that you haven't just listened to their conversation, she exhales and composes herself directing her head slightly to the ground, making it look like she was walking towards them unknowingly. When she comes behind them she makes her face contort with anger.

"Kiara!" she says. Kiara spins around and Drake looks relieved that someone interrupted, "What do you think you're doing?" Riley moves to stand next to Drake and he wraps his arm around her waist and sighs with relief. 

"Mon Dieu, Riley? I was..." Kiara stuttered before composing herself and replying, "I was just asking Drake what his favourite wine was, for your wedding of course."

"Don't lie Kiara, you and I both know what happened." Drake narrowed his eyes towards her and Kiara's head looked away slightly.

Riley scoffed before answering, "Don't make some fool excuse, if you cared for our wedding you would have known that we already chose the wine." Kiara's face showed a slight frown and hesitation before saying, "I was just checking in with Drake to make sure there wasn't anything missing." 

"No you weren't you were-" 

Riley cut of what Drake was trying to say and thought this was the perfect time to reveal that she had heard what she was talking about before Kiara could come up with another excuse to prove otherwise. "Right, of course, you were checking in with Drake, how could I forget. So does checking in with Drake also include trying to grab his hand?" Kiara's face turned into horror before audibly swallowing and looked directly at her feet. "Or how about telling him that his fiance is neglecting him and using him like a ragdoll?" This time Kiara looked like as though she had seen a ghost the colour from her face completely draining and she looked as though she was breathing in heavily.

"Brooks, how did you..." Drake stuttered, but Riley just smiled up at him and kissed his cheek, "I'll tell you later," she whispered and turned back to the woman who just tried to steal her man, with the most hatred and anger she felt in a very long time. 

"So? Care to explain?"

"I...I...Riley I just wanted...I really liked him and I guess...I don't think anything could excuse my behaviour tonight." she had tears in her eyes, she had been embarrassed and shamed and her life would never be the same.

"Damn straight, you better leave now Kiara before I do something we might both regret, and by the way don't expect to be let of loosely. Trying to turn my fiance against me and accusing me behind my back don't come cheaply." Riley looked at her as though she was throwing daggers and Kiara sheepishly turned around and scurried away. 

...

Drake leads her to his room and once they were safely inside he kissed her. It was an unexpected kiss, but damn was this kiss filled with passion. Riley smiled against his lips and curled her arms around his neck as his arms snaked around her waist, she tilted her head to deepen the kiss and he moaned into it biting her bottom lip. Riley was lost in the sensation and all too soon Drake pulled away and rested his head against hers and smiled down at her. 

"How did you know?" he asked pulling away from her and looking at her properly.

"I was coming to your room when I heard Kiara talking to you," as if on cue, as soon as Riley mentioned her name his face twisted into a frown.

"Why didn't you come forward?" he questioned raising an eyebrow.

"I...I don't know, it's just that...well, maybe I was curious," she sighed, "Kiara likes you Drake, there is definitely no doubt about it. But she's a duchess too, 'she saw you' too, so why didn't you chose her? After all, what's so different between me and her?" Drake let go of her and she immediately felt the cold air snake around her, he sighed frustratedly and ran a hand through his hair. 

"Really Brooks, are you really asking this question? Even though we're engaged and we're about to get married?" 

"Yes!" Riley asked with equal frustration, "Especially now that we're getting married." It just didn't make sense to her, Kiara was a duchess, she ran for King Liam's hand, but she also liked Drake. She saw past all the fancy dresses and the expensive taste didn't she? Not only that but she also flirted openly with him and he didn't give her the light of day. But when Riley flirted openly with Drake, he would blush or stutter or, very rarely, flirt back. So, what was so different between them? 

Drake shook his head, "You two are so different Riley," he only called her by her first name if something serious was happening or if he was really worried about her, she could feel the sincerity in his voice. "Kiara may like me and she may be a duchess but think about it, did she really come after me? Would she really leave a whole kingdom and a man that could give her a whole lot more than I ever could? Probably not. But you Riley, you came for my heart, and even though I pushed you away a hundred times, you somehow saw the best in me even when I was at my worst. How could I not fall for you a little harder every day?" 

Riley looked down, she knew how hard it must for him to open up his heart and pour out all these feelings that he hadn't shared with anyone but her. So how can she doubt on her grumpy marshmallow for liking someone like Kiara, she felt awful about this and took a timid step forward.

"I'm so sorry Drake, I don't even know why I asked. I know how much you love me. I guess a part of me was scared of the fact that there's someone else..." she looked up and when she saw Drake her heart ached and she felt horrible. How could she question Drake when it was clear how he felt. All the things they had been through, all the problems they had overcome, made her realize just how important he was to her. Not only that, but she was also incredibly scared that she'd lose him, just like how she often lost all the happiness she's ever had in her life. Not anymore. She's never going to lose this, she's never going to lose Drake. 

"It's always you Brooks, always you." So she smiled and led Drake to the bed. They laid there, with Drake enveloping Riley with his arms and her safely cocooned inside him.

"I love you, Drake," she said although they had said this to one another time and time again, she wanted him to know in this moment and every moment after, just how special he is to her. Just how careful she wants to be because she can't handle the thought of him not being by her side.