Page 25 of You Belong With Me

“Hey, girl. You’re here already!”

I whip around to see Alexis standing in the kitchen doorway. She’s so damn adorable, it’s painful. She’s wearing feathers in her long hair, and a pink velvet tunic that looks like it could be a top, but also works as areallyshort dress. A pair of cute knee-high boots complete the hippy vibe.

“Yeah, I was setting up,” I say.

“It’s looks great! God, I don’t think I’ve ever seen this place so festive-looking.” She walks over to me, grabs my cup, and tips it back to take a gulp.

“Hey!” I snatch my cup back before she can drain it. “Get your own.”

She wipes the corner of her mouth and looks around. “Where’s Gabriel?”

I lean back against the counter and take a drink. “He should be here in a few minutes,” I say with a sigh.

Alexis grabs her own solo cup and fills it with some pre-mixed margarita. “You don’t sound happy about that,” she points out.

I glance around the room. There are way too many people around who could overhear this conversation, so I opt for the diplomatic answer. “It’s been…a lot.”

Before Gabriel went missing, I confided in Alexis. She knows most of what happened between Gabriel and me during our relationship. She lifts a brow and purses her pouty lips. “Girl, I hear you. I can only imagine. We’ll have to do coffee tomorrow so we can catch upproperly.”

I take another sip, then push out a harsh breath. “If Gabriel will let me out of his sight,” I say in a low tone, so only Alexis can hear.

She blinks at me likeyou’ve got to be kidding. She reaches over, grabs the bottle of whiskey, and pours more into my cup. “Oh, girl,youneedthis.”

I laugh, pulling my cup away before she fills the entire thing. Whiskey splashes onto the tiled floor, and I jump back. “Jesus! If I drinkthatmuch, I’ll be passed out before the party even gets started.”

She holds the bottle up, laughing. “God willing!”

People start filing in through the back door, and the whole energy inside the house starts ratcheting up. Music pumps out of the living room, which is all the way on the other side of the massive house. That’s how loud it is.

A couple of minutes later, there’s a commotion in the entryway. People start filing out of the kitchen to see what’s happening. I’m guessing Gabriel and the Sacred Sons have arrived.

I lift my solo cup. “Welp, here we go. Wish me luck.”

Alexis taps her cup against mine. “You got this, babe.”

The hallway is already packed with people, and I could elbow my way up to the front, but I decide to hang back. Maybe I can sink into the chaos and avoid Gabriel’s attention tonight.

I’m plastered against the wall in the hallway, sipping on my whiskey, as everyone erupts into cheers. I’m so far back that I can’t even see what’s happening in the entryway, but it’s clear Gabriel is getting a hero’s welcome.

Good. Great. Perfect. He’s probably eating this up.

When the crowd finally disburses, I find my way over to the living room. Gabriel and the other guys are probably hanging out in the study. That’s their inner sanctum, where they usually hold court.

The living room is insane. More people than usual are here tonight, and bodies fill every available space. As I walk in, though, people slide out of my way to let me pass. It takes me a second to realize why—I’m the queen consort.

My hand flies to my throat, but there’s no pendant there. Doesn’t matter, though. Queen consort is a venerated position within the Burning Crown. Disrespecting a queen could invite trouble that most members don’t want to fuck with.

As I step deeper into the room, I see a familiar face and I walk over. Ava is standing next to the pool table, looking just as uncomfortable as I feel.

“Hey,” I say, feeling just as awkward as she looks. “I’m glad you came.”

She’s clutching the beer can in her hand with white knuckles, and she flashes me a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “I’m glad Gabriel is okay,” she says, practically shouting over the insanely loud music. My bones are pulsing in time with the music. I nod and swallow.

“Lucas must be so happy,” she says.

I nod again and thank God, there’s a break in the music. The next song is slower, and not as loud. My ears ring with the abrupt shift in volume. “Yeah. Listen, I just wanted to say, I’m really sorry about what went down a couple of nights ago. That was shitty.”

I don’t even remember everything that happened, but what Idoremember was super fucked up. It must have been hard for her to be dethroned so abruptly and in front of everyone. I doubt Lucas gave her any warning because he’s an asshole like that.

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