Page 186 of Hidden Empire

Cole allows her to step around him and greet me. “It was fine,” she answers easily. “It’s not a very long trip.”

New York City is about two hours from where we live.

“Well, good,” I chirp. “We can have drinks in the garden, or I can give you a tour. Or?—”

“Drinks in the garden sound nice,” she cuts me off before I can ramble on for too long.

“Cool.” I grin, that was my first choice too.

I’m about to direct her to follow me when Apollo speaks.

“Killian decided not to come?” The question is for Cole, not Ana.

“He’s nearby,” Cole answers cryptically.

“Trusting,” Apollo notes. “Out of character for the future Monarch. Is he feeling okay?”

“Your false concern needs some work,” Cole deadpans.

“I attempted.” Apollo shrugs.

“I can’t believe you gave birth to twins two months ago,” Ana says, shifting the mood seamlessly. “You look incredible.”

I almost attack her with a hug. She’s just so nice!

“Thank you,” I respond happily.

We ignore the guys following to watch us from afar as I take her into the gardens where Martha has set out three kinds of tea and two different pastries with fresh fruit options. I can’t fault her for going overboard, she’s just as excited as me, knowing how much having a real friend means to me.

Ana and I have been texting for weeks, trying to plan this.

We each pour ourselves a drink, and I bite my lip, not sure where to begin.

“Something on your mind, Jade?” Ana asks, stirring her tea.

“I feel a bit like we're having a supervised play date,” I admit nervously, looking over my shoulder to the window of men watching us. “I mean, my father actually organized this with your family. I’m married with two kids, and my dad is scheduling out the best dates for me to hang out with you.”

She chuckles. “First time meeting up with a society friend, then?”

“First time meeting up with any friend,” I correct. “I have Ivan, but he’s also my brother now. All of my friends are either my brothers, paid to protect me, or my husband.”

“Sounds about right,” Ana muses, smiling. “This place is cute,” she tells me, scanning the backyard. “Are you and Dmitri planning to stay on the east coast?”

I nod, taking a sip of my strawberry tea with coconut milk. The fresh, summery, sugary taste is perfectly balanced. “For a while, at least. I like having my dad so close, and it’s sort of nice to see my brothers slowly accepting Dmitri and Ivan here.”

“Men are like cats,” she states. “Stubborn and slow to accept things they don’t like, but loyal and loving to the ones they care for.”

“I like that,” I chuckle.

When she smiles, I do too.

“You live with Cole and Killian, right?” I ask, trying to learn more about her.

I googled how to make friends before she showed up—don’t judge me, I can use all the help I can get—and it was heavily suggested to be conscious of a balanced conversation. I have to show her that I’m interested in her life too.

“In New York half of the year and London the other, yes,” she agrees. “My mother stays in London with Bron, but Cole and Killian don’t like me being out of their sight.”

Relatable with a capital R, girl.

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