Chapter 14: Storm (River's POV)

We're both sitting on a two-seater in the middle of the palace, right under the chandelier. Almost all the guests are here and the ones who aren't don't happen to be important enough to wait for. 

Right now, everyone's just coming over and congratulating us before the engagement officially happens and while I'm putting on a smile and thanking everybody, she is a raging storm of nerves. A storm. Scratch that. A freaking hurricane. Her leg has been bouncing up and down this whole time, she's been too lost in her own head to even listen and understand the things our guests are telling us, every time I bring her back to reality, she zoned out all over again. 

I knew she was nervous. But I didn't know it was this bad. 

She keeps looking at her parents, mostly her father. Like she's checking to see if she's done anything wrong yet. Like if she does do something wrong, he'll let all hell unleash on her. 

"We'll complete the ceremony now and start the party!" my mom announced, taking the golden tray from Mr. Garry and walking over, standing behind us. 

I know how an engagement party works. There are no vows, nothing to be said at all. We just exchange the rings and then everybody starts drinking. It's wilder than a wedding ceremony so it really is supposed to be a party. 

"River, you'll go first." 

I took the box and opened it, taking out the ring. 

She's still staring off into space, her leg bouncing up and down. 

"Bri," I whispered. 

She turned to me, her eyes wide. 

I feel bad for her, actually. I held my hand out and she placed her hand in mine slowly. I could even see her fingers shaking. "Just relax, okay?" I mumbled softly, putting the ring on her finger. 

Everybody clapped, cheered, and congratulated us loudly. 

"Brielle, now you." 

She turned to the tray, letting out a soft sigh. She grabbed the box and opened it, taking the ring out. She looked at it for a second. I know why she's looking at it. 

Because the inside of the ring reads in cursive 'I love you to the moon and back.' And it says that because her wedding ring has two crescent moons on it. It's a set. One for the bride, one for the groom. But she doesn't know that yet. 

She slowly slid the ring onto my finger and while everyone got busy cheering and clinking their glasses, I took the chance to grab her hand and put our locked hands down on her thigh so her leg would stop bouncing. 

She let out a huge sigh of relief and when everyone started leaving the foyer and going into the backyard where the party would actually be taking place, I let go of her hand and put my arm around her waist, pulling her closer to me until her leg pressed against mine. 

She turned to me. "What are you doing?" she mumbled. 

"Why were you so nervous? I told you, everything would be fine. See?" 

She blinked once. Then twice. She actually looks cute when she's flustered like this. 

"Won't you look at that?" We both looked forward, where Atlas was still standing. He walked over. "Congratulations, man," he smirked at me. "Hey, Brielle." 

"Hey, I haven't seen you in a while," she smiled. 

He nodded. "Family calls," he shrugged. 

"I heard, I'm really sorry," she replied. 

"Brielle!" We both looked where the crowd went and saw Alia rushing back. She bent down, hugging Brielle quickly. "Congratulations! God, I had no idea you two were about to be engaged! You didn't even hint at it," she laughed, looking between us. 

Atlas gave me a look so I slightly nudged Brielle. 

"Oh, Alia, this is Atlas. Atlas, this is Alia," she chuckled, playing cupid on my behalf. 

They turned to each other, shaking hands. "It's nice to meet you," Alia grinned. 

"And you," Atlas smiled back. 

Most people around our age came back inside, looking to refill their drinks already. Atlas and Alia were standing to the side and talking, everyone else was scattered around, also talking. Mostly about Brielle and me. 

"Did you know they were together?" I heard Alia asking Atlas while they walked back over. 

"No, actually." He looks like he's up to something. Oh, no. "Now that I think about it, he didn't drop any hints. Maybe it's a lie and this is all for show, what do you think?" 

Brielle stiffened beside me while all the others started listening. 

"For show? They don't get anything in return," Alia chuckled, playing along with him. 

I'm going to kill him. 

"Maybe," he said slowly. "They should prove to us that they really do like each other." 

"I'm going to kill him," I sighed to myself. 

"If you don't, I will," Brielle muttered beside me. 

"And how would they do that?" Alia laughed. The worst part is, she actually doesn't know that this is an arranged marriage. 

The only one who knows that is Atlas. And he's trying to stir things up between Brielle and me unnecessarily while Alia thinks we're a perfect couple so this wouldn't be a big deal to us. 

"With a kiss, of course." 

"I don't think that's necessary," I laughed. "We should save that for the wedding. Nobody likes PDA, come on." I shot him a glare but he's not going to budge. I already know it. 

"I wouldn't mind," Alia shrugged. "Does anyone here mind?" 

I sighed, scratching my brow. 

Most people said no. And that really isn't helping, only making it worse. 

"Oh, come on. Just kiss her, River," Atlas taunted. "You aren't going to get all shy, are you?" He lifted a brow at me, smiling. 

This isn't middle school, why is everyone suddenly trying to get two people to kiss? And it's not like I haven't kissed Brielle before. I have. In middle school, in a stupid game of spin the bottle. I think we were each other's first too. But like I said, this isn't middle school anymore. A kiss could mean a lot and show a lot too. It might completely give away that this relationship isn't real. 

I rolled my eyes in response. I genuinely don't know what to do here. I turned to Brielle. 

"Just do it," she whispered. 

"What?" I mumbled. 

"Just do it. He won't shut up," she huffed. 

"You do it," I replied. 

"You do it," she whispered, nudging my knee with hers. 

"Why does it matter who does it?" 

"Then do it," she scoffed. 

"You—" 

She rolled her eyes and grabbed my collar, pulling me down and pressing her lips to mine. 

Everybody in the room cheered once again and hollered. 

I did not expect that, to say the least. She pulled back a couple of seconds later and stared back at me. 

"Hey, what are you kids doing in here? Get out there, come on!" I heard my dad, who thankfully, got everyone out of there. 

Neither of us moved. Or spoke. 

She let go of me and her eyes fell down to my lips. "You um... there's... you have lipstick on," she mumbled, biting back a laugh before she swiped her thumb over my lips a few times, wiping it off. 

"Why did you do that?" I asked while she slowly stood up. 

"Well, he wouldn't shut up, so..." she trailed off, turning to look at me. "Why are you so surprised?" 

"I was not expecting you to kiss me," I scoffed, standing up beside her. 

She narrowed her eyes on me, looking unconvinced. "Are you sure that's what it is?" she teased. 

"What else would it be? You think I would react like that if I expected it?" 

"Yeah," she nodded. 

"No," I argued. "You see what it's like to be kissed abruptly like that." 

"It wasn't abruptly, I told you to do it but you wouldn't so I did," she shrugged. "What's so unexpected about that?" 

"Literally everything," I rolled my eyes. 

"Please," she argued, folding her arms across her chest. "I think you just don't know how to kiss." 

"Brielle," I said warningly. 

"That's what it is. You can't kiss," she laughed. I reached out to grab her but she backed up. "No, no, no, you can't catch me." She finds this so amusing, it's evident on her face. 

"Come here," I ordered. 

"Catch me if you can," she sang, slowly heading to the backyard. 

"You want me to chase you out there in front of everybody?" 

She rolled her eyes and moved back inside, running to the pillar and standing behind it, poking her head around it. "River Grimaldi can't kiss," she chortled. 

I unbuttoned my coat and ran over to her. 

She ran around the pillar and to the other one. And when I stood in the middle and she tried getting past me, I grabbed her arm, yanking her back. "Let go," she laughed. 

"Are you drunk without even drinking anything?" I chuckled, pulling her back against my chest. 

"I'm as sober as I could be, excuse me," she scoffed. "If anything, you—" 

I spun her around and leaned down. My lips brushed against hers but I didn't kiss her. 

She froze, her eyes closing tightly. I looked at her, extremely amused. She opened her eyes, looking at me. "What the hell are you doing?" she asked. 

"See. That's how someone reacts when they don't know how to kiss," I smirked. 

She rolled her eyes, trying to get out of my grasp but I'm not letting go so easily. 

I held one side of her face and then leaned down, kissing her. She stiffened and clearly couldn't comprehend it because she wasn't even fighting to push me off. I pulled back, looking at her. "And that's how someone reacts when they're kissed unexpectedly." I walked over to the minibar that was set up inside. "Now, what would you like? A daiquiri perhaps?" 

She huffed, finally snapping out of it. "A margarita," she answered while walking over. She spun me around and reached up, wiping my lips. 

"What are you doing?" 

It's like she wipes her kisses off. I don't like that. 

"That lipstick won't wipe itself off, what do you think I'm doing?" 

"Leave it there," I shrugged, pulling her hand down. 

"That is not your shade," she snorted, persistent on wiping it off. I swear, she wants to wipe the kiss away, not the lipstick. 

"If you wipe the lipstick off, you wipe the kiss with it." 

"So?" she shrugged. 

"So if you do that, you owe me a kiss later. One you won't wipe away." 

She looked at me incredulously. "Please just shut up." She wiped my lips clean and then rubbed her thumb over her finger while I stirred up her drink and then handed it to her. 

"You owe me a kiss now," I smirked. 

"Yeah, whatever," she rolled her eyes, sipping her drink.

I poured myself a whiskey and then turned to her. "Come on, let's go entertain our guests." 

She groaned but walked beside me anyway.

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Chapter 14

the rings are so cuteeeee omg I had to use them

next chapter: protecting