Glass Castle Prince

by Nicole Williams

  “I can’t believe that guy’s going to be Norland’s king one day.” Theo huffed, watching Edward.

  “Why?” I asked.

  “Because he’s an arrogant asshole. That’s why.”

  My lips smacked to keep from smiling. “Only some of the time.”

  “Come on. You want to get out of here?”

  “Showing up to parties and bailing right after is kind of your thing, isn’t it?” I said, giving him a pointed look. “Where do you want to go?”

  “I dug out some of my mom’s old picture albums from the attic. Thought we could flip through them to see if we could spy a little Charlotte in one of them.” He brushed my hair over my shoulder, his fingers lingering on my exposed shoulder.

  “You want to go to your place?” My eyes lowered to his “costume.” “You step one foot outside and you’re going to freeze something off.”

  His brows disappeared into the layers of his light hair. “Then I guess I’ll have to depend on you to keep me warm.”

  “We can’t bail on the party. And besides, I guarantee you will not find me in any summer lake photos your mom might have taken when you were a kid. I would have remembered a blond boy named Theo who ran around in loin cloths, believe me.” I crossed my arms and stayed in place when he turned toward the door.

  “I thought you hated these kinds of parties.”

  That was the exact moment someone made their parents proud by stripping down to his birthday suit before diving out an open window into the bushes. Bet he wished he’d kept that toga on. Those were thorn bushes outside the ballroom. My dad had come home cursing their existence too many nights.

  I winced while the rest of the party guests clapped and cheered. “I’m not especially fond of them, but I promised to help with this one.”

  “Help with what? The typical recipe is booze, music, and hormones. Rinse, repeat. Looks like they’ve got it covered.” Theo lifted his chin at James, who was grinding against some girl taking sips from her own personal bottle of coconut rum.

  “For starters, help with making sure no one does anything they’re going to regret in the morning,” I said, wondering if that was the girl who had thrown up on Edward’s shoes after making out. Because that was the most logical thought to have when Theo was beside me, asking me to escape with him. “And I said I’d cover snack detail. From the amount of alcohol that’s out, we’re going to need a lot of food to soak it all up.”

  Theo’s head tipped to the side as he watched me back toward the door. “Where are you going?”

  “Snack run. I’ll be right back,” I added when his frown deepened.

  “I’ll help you—”

  My hand lifted. “No. Stay. You just got here. Grab a drink and enjoy yourself for a few minutes. I won’t be long.”

  Theo exhaled, his chest collapsing. “I’m counting,” he said, tapping his watch.

  I rushed out of the ballroom as fast as my toga skirt would allow. It wasn’t until I was out of the room that I finally felt like I could breathe again.

  What was wrong with me? Why did I act like such a mental case whenever Theo came around? I needed to figure it out and quickly, because he wasn’t going to keep turning a blind eye to my idiocy.

  And then there was the topic of Edward and whatever feelings I did or didn’t have for him. What in the world was happening to me, and could some magical being wave a wand at my life sometime soon please?

  Stomping toward the kitchen, I scolded myself for causing such unnecessary drama in my life. I’d come here to figure out my future, not be torn between two pretty great guys who couldn’t have been more different if they tried.

  Throwing open cupboards, I snagged a variety of chips and a package of chewy chocolate cookies to address my moral dilemma. Leaving the kitchen, I realized I needed more than my favorite kind of cookies; I needed my best friend.

  Stopping in the middle of the hall, I dug my cell phone from where I’d stashed it between my chest since togas didn’t come equipped with that handy modern invention known as pockets. After punching in Anne’s number, I set the chips on the floor. The cookies remained cradled in my arm.

  “Oh no,” Anne answered. “You didn’t tie the knots tight enough, did you?”

  “The knots are still going strong. The wearer of the two-hundred-thread-count sheet, however, is not.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  “I’m doing it again.” I groaned, fighting with the corner of the cookie bag.

  “Doing what again?” Anne asked.

  “Freaking out.” My voice was skewed from trying to rip the bag open with my teeth.

  “This have anything to do with a certain heartthrob named Theo?”

  “Yup. And I’m acting like a moron all over again.” The bag finally gave, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever fished a cookie from a plastic sleeve so speedily before.

  “I’m sure you’re more aware of your behavior than he is,” she assured me.

  My eyes dropped to the treasure trove at my feet. “I just went running off to grab chips when he asked if I wanted to go somewhere quieter.”

  Anne shared my sigh with me. “Wow. So you’re not exaggerating the freaking-out behavior.” What sounded like her collapsing on her bed followed. Because she surely didn’t have anything better to do tonight than counsel me on the finer points of togas and spazzing out on boys. “Why do you think you’re acting that way?”

  “Don’t you think if I knew, I would fix it?” I popped the rest of the cookie in my mouth.

  “Not necessarily.”

  My face pinched. “Elaborate.”

  “Do you think it’s because you’re nervous?”

  I considered that for a moment, but nervous felt different. More sweaty palms and upset stomach. “No.”

  “Conflicted?”

  Now that was getting closer to the mark.

  “Maybe,” I replied, lifting cookie number two to my mouth. “But I have no idea why I’d feel conflicted over a guy like Theo. He’s boyfriend gold. Funny, cute, his name doesn’t have ‘of’ anywhere in the title. He spent the past two weeks with his family celebrating his grandparents’ fiftieth anniversary, so commitment and loyalty are obvious family values. He called me every day when he was gone. He’s the jackpot.” As I nibbled off a bite, another stream of Theo’s merits came tumbling to mind.

  “You could have a never-ending list of admirable qualities in a potential boyfriend, but if that one critical element known as chemistry isn’t there, you’re never going to be totally into him.” From the way her voice trailed off, I could see her lifting her hands in a that’s-that motion.

  My appetite for chewy chocolate chip cookies vanished. I set what was left of the nibbled-on cookie back in the package. “He looks like he could have been Paul Newman’s love child if he ever had one.”

  Anne clucked her tongue. “And appearances are merely the baking soda in the chemistry recipe. The way a guy looks might raise your attention, but if there’s nothing to solidify that attraction, it’s going to flop.”

  My laugh echoed through the quiet hall. “First you claim to be able to read a man based on his condiment preference. Now you’re comparing chemistry to baking?”

  Anne laughed with me. “I might be a tad off-kilter, but what does that make you for calling a quack for relationship advice?”

  “Good point,” I said. “I’m going to say goodbye now.”

  “Until the next crisis then,” Anne sang before hanging up.

  Heaving out a breath as I tucked my phone back into my bra, I was glad I’d called Anne. I felt better. Of course, that could have been because I’d ditched Theo ten minutes ago and the moment I came face-to-face with him, I would morph back into Psycho Charlotte.

  That thought had me taking my time as I collected the party goods and walked down the hall. I only made it halfway before finding myself drastically detoured.

  The chips tumbled from my arms as I was dragged into the room I’d been passing. Before I could elbow, s
tomp, or punch whoever it was for the shock, I was spun around, cocooned in a familiar feeling set of arms.

  “Edward?” I gasped, checking the dark sitting room to see if we were alone. “Your ability to bear an heir was nearly just revoked!” My hand went to my chest, checking to make sure my heart wasn’t about to burst free.

  His hand skimmed down the outside of my arm. “That would take care of the birth control issue, wouldn’t it?”

  I found myself drawing closer. “I’m not used to you making jokes.”

  “It wasn’t a joke.” Descending a little farther, his hand tied with mine as he leaned in.

  I didn’t hesitate.

  I thought I surprised him when I pressed myself against him, my mouth crushing his. His surprise didn’t last long. His free hand pressed into my back, fingers dipping just beneath the top of my toga.

  He was only touching my back—the middle of my spine—but my reaction to it suggested he was touching me far more intimately. Heat generated from the simplest of touches, a combustion that ignited deep in my stomach from the way his mouth played with mine.

  It wasn’t weakness I felt with Edward though; it was a kind of strength I’d never known. A certainty that suggested I knew exactly what I wanted and had never known a moment’s doubt.

  The feeling was dizzying, triggering me to kiss him harder, my hands scrambling over the slopes of his chest. I wasn’t sure if this was from our practice or my own lack of prudence, but I didn’t care. I was fine with it if this encounter never came with an explanation. I was good with writing it off to some really fantastic life-like dream or a temporary lapse in judgment or giving in to a fleeting whim.

  There was a strained look on his face when he leaned away, almost as though he was fighting too much want with too little willpower. The way he was looking at me, the way he was holding me . . . it was so real.

  Edward’s attention diverted to the top of my head, one side of his mouth lifting. “Your crown’s crooked.” His words were uneven enough to suggest something about that kiss had affected him. He adjusted the crown I’d made of some supplies I’d dug out of the craft bins stuffed in the basement. His hand lingered as he stared at the improvised crown. “There. Fixed.”

  “Edward . . .” I didn’t know where to go from there. There were so many questions, none of which I was sure I wanted an answer to.

  His attention cut suddenly to the hall. “He’s coming.”

  Saying nothing else, Edward turned away, striding soundlessly across the room. I watched him go, my eyes straining in the dark, but he never looked back. Not even a partial glance thrown over his shoulder before slipping through a different door than the one we’d come through.

  “There you are.” Theo’s voice filled the silence as he moved into the sitting room. The floor creaked where he stepped, giving an indication that he was real, not imagined, as I was starting to wonder if Edward was. “I feel like I’ve been chasing you from the moment I met you.”

  Theo was smiling, eyes bright as usual, suspecting nothing. He was so easy to like. An obvious choice to receive one’s affection. With Theo, I guessed life would be simple. Happy. It was what I’d always wanted . . . until Edward.

  Now? I didn’t know what I wanted anymore where love was concerned.

  Add that to the pile of undefined topics in my life at present.

  “Yeah, sorry.” I cleared my throat, though my head proved more difficult to empty. “I needed to escape for a bit. I think it was the tequila fumes and James’s playlist.”

  Theo blinked at the pile of abandoned chip bags just outside the doorway. “Do you mind if I tag along on your escape?”

  I smoothed out my sheet. I could still see the creases and folds where Edward’s hands had been. “I don’t mind.”

  “I got you something.” Theo came closer, reaching behind him. His minimalist toga was barely fit to conceal his package, let alone a gift. It had to be small if there was one hiding inside that thing.

  It was small. Though my reaction to seeing the scarlet jewelry box in his palm was anything but. Jewelry. He’d gotten me jewelry? We hadn’t been on an actual date and this was what he’d deemed appropriate as a gift after returning from a vacation? If anything, a keychain or magnet would have been awesome. And much less panic-inducing.

  “I can already tell it’s too much.” My hands stayed at my sides.

  Theo stepped closer. “You haven’t even opened it.”

  “The box alone is too nice.” I capped my response with a smile, not wanting to seem ungrateful. I’d never been given jewelry by a boy, and though this one was the exact right kind of boy a girl wanted to buy her jewelry, it felt off. Wrong.

  Too soon. That was why this didn’t feel right. Far too soon to delve into this category of gift giving.

  When I made no move to reach for the box, Theo opened it himself. Something sparkled inside before it was half open.

  “It reminded me of you,” Theo said almost shyly.

  My heartbeat echoed in my eardrums as I gawked at the gold necklace with one circular stone hanging from it. “A diamond reminded you of me?”

  Theo’s eyes went from me to the necklace, one wide shoulder rising. “You’re flawless.”

  As he removed the necklace from the box, I found myself stepping back. “Now you’re really about to chase me off if you think I’m flawless. That’s too much to live up to.”

  “Okay, then.” He stepped behind me, circling the necklace around my neck as he did. His lips barely touched the side of my neck as he fastened the clasp. “Pure.”

  A twist of guilt stabbed in my stomach. I could still taste Edward on my lips, feel the heat from his hands on my skin.

  “Less daunting,” I said, unable to look Theo in the eyes, “but not entirely accurate either.”

  He inspected me, his smile growing when he ended at the diamond resting below the hollow of my neck. “Close enough.”

  “Listen, if we’re going to have any hope of having any kind of a relationship, honesty’s important. And I am not flawless or pure or any other impossible-to-live-up-to adjective.” My fingers skimmed the necklace. “Thank you so much for this gesture, but I cannot accept it.”

  Theo grabbed my hand when I went to reach behind my neck for the clasp. “Why not?”

  When my other hand moved toward the necklace, Theo snatched that one too, his fingers circling my wrists and looking like manacles two sizes too big.

  “You bought me a diamond necklace. After knowing me for two weeks, most all of which we’ve spent apart.” I found myself blinking at him, trying to get him to see my point.

  “Technically, we’ve known each other for ten years. And you’re the girl who’s consumed more of my headspace than any other.”

  “Because I beat you at some silly race as a child?”

  One of his dimples appeared. “The sure way into a boy’s heart.”

  “You bought me a diamond.” I enunciated each word slowly.

  “You keep saying that like you’re expecting me to change my mind or admit I was wrong, but I’m half tempted to show up with another damn diamond necklace tomorrow to make my point.” Theo was trying to keep from showing how entertaining he found my escape attempts. The harder I pulled, the tighter his grip went.

  My teeth ground. “Don’t you dare.”

  He laughed as though my indignation was adorable. “Come on. Don’t make this difficult. I wanted to get you something nice, and I did.” Theo moved closer, his chest brushing against mine. “I like you. A lot. I know this is sudden and things are moving fast, but that’s the way all great love stories begin. None of them start out by taking things slow and being conservative where gifts and emotions are concerned.”

  I stopped struggling in his grip. “Love story?”

  “I think we’ve got the makings of one.” One of his hands loosened. “And I think you know it too.”

  “Theo—” That was as far as I got before his mouth crushed into mine.

&nb
sp; Releasing my wrists, his hands found new perches, one at my hip, the other slipping down the shelf of my backside. His mouth was hot and insistent, feeling more like an assault. His lips, his hands, his breath—all of it was suffocating. It made me feel as though he was above me, holding me down, even though I was standing on my own two feet.

  “Theo—” I tried again, his name muffled from the way his lips were attacking mine.

  This was not a good kiss, not even close, but I couldn’t figure out if it was my lack of enthusiasm, his overage of it, or if it was the combination of the two of us.

  “Stop,” I sputtered, managing to get a solid enough grip against his chest to shove myself back a step. My face issued a warning when he moved back in. “Just stop for a minute.”

  His chest was moving fast, his eyes wild. He forced himself to take a deep breath. “I totally understand if you’re nervous, okay?” His words were fragmented from his heavy breathing. “It’s perfectly natural.”

  My arm stayed extended in case he charged me again. “Nervous about what?”

  “It’s okay to be, but I promise I’ll take it slow.” Theo stalked closer, eyes warm. “Whatever you need, okay?”

  “That’s good to know.” My throat burned as I understood what he was getting it, but I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t kiss the guy without conjuring up images of a train wreck—there was no way I was crawling into bed with him any time soon. “Since we’ll be taking that very, very slow.”

  I backed away a step for every one he took toward me.

  There was a gleam in his eye as he pursued me through the room. “I’m a big fan of very . . . very . . . slow.”

  “Theo, I don’t think you’re getting it.”

  Instead of coming around it, he leapt over the back of the couch I’d put between us. “Getting what?”

  I scrambled back, despite the fact Theo Hamilton was chasing me around a room, looking sexy as hell, staring at me like I was some goddess he’d willingly sacrifice himself for. “I’m not sleeping with you tonight.”

  His mouth curled at the corners. “Who said anything about sleeping?”

  When I felt myself wanting to let him catch me, I forced myself to keep moving away. I didn’t make it another step before my heel caught on something, sending me spilling backward.