Page 29 of Prince Material
I quirked an eyebrow. “The matching costumes aren’t enough to convince you?”
James blinked as if registering our characters for the first time. “Yeah, but he’s?—”
“Not interested,” I finished for him, surprising myself with how steady my voice sounded. “Now, if you’ll excuse us?”
I took Floris’s hand, ignoring the way my heart jumped at the contact, and led him away from the increasingly awkward situation. We didn’t stop until we reached the back porch, where the cool, night air helped calm down my temper. My mom always said it took a lot to ignite it but once it did, it burned hot.
“Thank you,” Floris said quietly, still holding my hand. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I did.” I reluctantly let go of his hand, already missing its warmth. “You looked uncomfortable.”
“I was.” He leaned against the porch railing, moonlight catching the green in his eyes. “Usually, I’m better at handling those situations, but after… Well, you know. The video. I get nervous about causing scenes now.”
The admission made my chest ache. “You shouldn’t have to handle them at all. No means no, drunk or not.”
His smile was soft, genuine in a way his public ones rarely were. “My hero.”
“Shut up.” But I was smiling too, unable to help myself. “I was being a friend.”
“A very convincing boyfriend, you mean.” His eyes sparkledwith amusement. “The way you stepped in all protective and commanding? Oscar-worthy performance.”
Heat crept up my neck. “It was the first thing I could think of.”
“Well, it worked perfectly.” Then, before I could process what was happening, he leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek. “Thank you, Orson. Really.”
The spot where his lips had touched my skin burned like a brand. “You’re welcome,” I managed, hoping the darkness hid my blush.
We stood in comfortable silence for a while, watching the stars peek through scattered clouds. The music from inside was muted out here, and the October air carried the damp, earthy scent of wet leaves. My cheek still tingled where his lips had touched it, and I tried very hard not to think about how natural it had felt to call myself his boyfriend, to hold his hand.
“Want to head back?” Floris asked. “I’m done with this party. We could grab some hot chocolate from the vending machine, maybe watch a movie?”
The offer was tempting, more tempting than it should have been. “Yeah,” I said, trying to ignore how much I liked the sound of “we” in his voice. “That sounds good.”
As we walked back across campus, Floris stayed close, our shoulders occasionally brushing. The contact sent little sparks through me each time, and I was hyper-aware of his presence.
“You know,” he said after a while, “you’re pretty good at the whole knight in shining armor thing.”
I snorted. “Says the actual prince.”
“Hey, some of us prefer to be the damsel in distress occasionally.” His tone was light, but there was something underneath it. “It’s nice, having someone willing to step in like that.”
The vulnerability in his voice made my chest tight. “Any time.”
“Careful, I might hold you to that.”
“I mean it.” The words came out more intense than I’d intended. “You shouldn’t have to deal with that kind of situation alone.”
Floris was quiet for a moment, and when I glanced at him, his expression was thoughtful. “You’ll make some lucky guy an amazing boyfriend one day.”
The simple honesty in his voice made me glow on the inside. Dangerous territory, I reminded myself. I had goals, responsibilities. I couldn’t afford to get distracted by how the moonlight caught his eyes or how his hand kept brushing mine as we walked.
But maybe, just for tonight, I could let myself enjoy this moment. After all, what harm could one cup of hot chocolate do?
“Race you to the vending machines?” Floris suggested, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
I laughed. “In these costumes?”
“Why not? Let Worcester see Luke Skywalker and Han Solo sprinting through the Commons. Give them something to talk about.”
