Drake hadn’t moved for a few minutes.
Walker. Bianca Walker.
His mother’s name. He swallowed hard.
Bianca looked up at her mother and frowned slightly, “It’s BEE, mommy.”
Riley smiled, smoothing her daughter’s hair a little, “That’s right. She’s a busy bee, so we call her Bee.” Bianca (Bee) smiled and ran off, heading towards as laughing Bartie in the ballroom.
Savannah walked towards them. “Drake, I know this is my rehearsal dinner – but you get it. Walk me down the aisle, take the seat to the right after I get to the front.” She put her palms on both of their backs, pushing them away, “you guys should go talk.”
Savannah shut the ballroom doors with an authoritative click.
They didn’t move for a second. Riley cleared her throat, “The maze should be empty right now, should we…?”
He nodded, and they walked ahead, several feet apart.
He took a seat on a marble bench at the edge of the maze, unable to process everything that had just happened. He just stared ahead in silence, dumbfounded. Did he really have a daughter? Could she still be Liam’s?
His eyes closed as he remembered her, every featured etched into his mind. Long dark hair and those eyes. Acceptance hit him like a pile of bricks. Definitely not Liam’s daughter.
“Riley,” he breathed.
She sighed, a ragged sound. “I thought of this moment often, Drake. When you’d finally be back, when you’d finally see her…. I had almost given up hope.”
“Why didn’t you call me?” his voice was hoarse and low.
She sat down next to him on the bench, falling onto it with a loud thump. “How could I? After what I said…. After what I assumed. What would I say? ‘Oh hey, Drake! So I know I kicked you out and broke your heart, but turns out, it IS your baby, soooooo come back and help please.’ I just couldn’t do that to you. I didn’t want you to feel used.”
He closed his eyes, leaning back, running his fingers down his face. He still couldn’t believe it.
“I know it seemed cruel, Drake,” her voice was softer, “but I know how you are. How selfless. How accepting. And I was sleeping with your best friend for months while I knew that we loved each other. I felt base and unfaithful and… and I felt like I had to deal with the consequences of my misdeeds, alone.”
“Riley,” his voice was angrier than he intended, “you act like I didn’t know that. Like I didn’t accept it. It’s not like it was a surprise to me you were sleeping with Liam. You didn’t have to push me away like that.”
“I know, I know, I know!” Riley stood up quickly, turning to face Drake, “don’t you know I know that now? Don’t you think I spent nearly every single day wondering if I made the wrong decision? But you were willing to give me everything, Drake! How could I let you completely throw your life away raising another man’s child?”
He winced. “It wouldn’t have been throwing my life away. But…. it isn’t another man’s child, is it, Riley?” his voice was suddenly quiet. He looked up at her, almost afraid of the answer, “Bianca…Bee is my daughter, isn’t she?”
Riley nodded, a sob escaping her throat, her hands coming up to her face. “Yes, Drake. She’s yours.”
He could remember the conversation they had over 3 years ago like it was yesterday. “But, the protection, and…”
She shook her head. “The issue is… I forgot the first time we were together. Remember? Weeks before we went to New York, before I officially chose you. I went to your room and we…. We got together that night, for the first time. We didn’t really talk about it. I told you, ever since we were officially a couple, we used protection. I guess I forgot about that night in the summer, before….”
“Christ,” his ran his fingers through his hair, “so the first time we ever did that we…. We made a baby.”
He felt numb. Riley nodded somberly.
“I should’ve called,” his head fell into his palms as he hunched over, “I should’ve tried to reach out, and—”
She shook her head, placing a hand on his shoulder. “No, Drake. I told you not to and you respected my boundary. It was my job to reach out. When Savannah told me you didn’t want to hear anything about Cordonia, I just resolved to wait for you to visit before telling you.”
They sat in silence for a beat. The cicadas chirped loudly, the sun shining bright over them, the smell of lilies in the air. Drake inhaled deeply. Cordonian summers were always something he had missed while he was away.
“Does Bee know?” his voice was soft. He wondered if it was appropriate to use her nickname, even if he was her father.
“No, not yet. I didn’t want to overstep any boundaries. She knows her father exists, and a few stories about you. But that’s it. Do you – do you want to tell her?”
“Christ, Riley, of course I do! She’s my daughter, she – she needs to know me. And even more than that,” his gaze dropped to the ground, “I need to know her.”
Riley’s demeanor changed completely, a small smile replacing her concerned look. “Oh she’s wonderful, Drake. Stubborn and outdoorsy like you, loud and occasionally obnoxious like me – she’s the best kid in the world! Though, I might be biased,” she allowed herself a low chuckle, “she’ll love you.”
Drake couldn’t help returning a timid smile. Her eyes practically sparkled when she talked about her daughter. Their daughter.
“I know it may she strange that she has your last name, but…. I never felt that connected to my family and I guess I hoped you’d come back and….”
He nodded, still looking down, not daring to make eye contact.
She cleared her throat. “Could we tell her after Savannah’s wedding tomorrow? It’s just a lot of excitement and I’d rather take care of it after some of the dust has settled. Is that ok?”
Drake sighed. He wanted nothing more than to know his daughter, but he understood. “I’ve waited three years, I can wait another day or two.”
He finally looked up at her, her blue eyes a little moist.
“We should head back, Brooks.” Her last name rolled off his tongue before he could think about it, a familiarity he wasn’t sure he was ready for yet.
Her face broke out into a wide smile, “God, I’ve missed that. You calling me that.”
He smiled weakly, cursing himself inwardly. He wasn’t ready for this. He wasn’t ready. Why did he have to call her that? It wasn’t the time.
He started walking towards the ballroom, when Riley grabbed his arm. He turned to look at her. Her eyes were soft, questions flowing out of them. “Drake,” she whispered, pulling him towards her slightly.
Though her inquiry was subtle, Drake knew what it meant. She wanted to know about them. It took every bit of strength in his body to not turn around and run to her, hungrily kissing her down her jaw and her neck, pulling her loose bun out and running his fingers through her thick hair.
But the last three years stopped him. The alcoholism stopped him. The immense pain he suffered stopped him. Though he could admit he still loved her, he couldn’t let himself go down that path again.
He gently pulled away, grumbled something about getting back to the rehearsal dinner, and left Riley there to gawk at him as he darted away from the maze and away from her.
Their hearts broke again. Together.
***
Wedding Day
“Ugh, Savannah this is fine!” Drake tucked in the white dress shirt Savannah had bought him into his grey suit pants. His shoulders were a little broader than they were when he lived in Cordonia, so it was a bit of a tight fit, but was unnoticeable under the suit jacket.
“Ok, ok,” Savannah beamed at him, “I’m just so glad you’re here!” She threw her arms around her brother’s shoulders, sniffing loudly.
“Sav, I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he wiped her tear away, “don’t mess up your makeup, or we’ll be even later than we already are!”
Savannah shuffled in her enormous ivory gown to the limo waiting outside the Beaumont estate, Drake joining her in the backseat. They’d be meeting the bridesmaids at the chapel, but were running a good 20 minutes late.
The wedding colors were grey and light blue, so Drakes fitted grey suit was adorned with a bunch of small blue flowers, pinned to his breast pocket. Savannah had the same flowers in her dark hair. The siblings sat in silence, holding hands tightly, an acknowledgement of the gravity of the wedding.
As they reached the outside of the chapel, Savannah hopped out towards the waiting wedding planner and told her to let the bridesmaids go ahead and go down the aisle. They walked towards the entrance, waiting outside two huge wooden doors. Savannah took Drake’s arm, squeezing a little.
He took her hand in his and squeezed back, “it’s all going to be just fine.”
She nodded in resolve.
The door opened and everyone in the very full room turned towards them and stood. A harp started playing delicately as he and Savannah faced the altar. They walked slowly, together, as people’s eyes followed them.
That’s when he saw her. He felt warm, like his suit was suddenly four times as thick and the room had a roaring fire.
Riley. She was a bridesmaid, standing straight in front of him at the right side of the altar with two of Savannah’s other friends. They were all wearing the palest blue, and something about it made her freckles stand on edge, her auburn hair seem like it was fire, and her eyes look like they were two sparkling sapphires surrounded by dark lashes.
He almost felt like he couldn’t breathe. Walk, he told himself.
Try as he might, he couldn’t keep his eyes off of Riley. It was then that he noticed her face. Beautiful as it was, it was deflated. Sad. Remorseful. She alternated between making intense eye contact with him and looking away, ashamed.
He felt a quick pang of guilt. This was the first time he thought about what shaped her decisions. Sure, he was fucked up but…. maybe she was too?
Though she was a duchess now, Riley was abandoned by her family in childhood, raised by an aunt who treated her like a burden. Riley came here for Liam, but fell in love with Drake. That guilt must have clouded her choices, and that desire not to be a burden…. Maybe that desire made her push him away. Could he forgive her for that?
Drake averted his gaze. In the ocean of his own issues, did he forget to consider hers? He continued to walk forward with Savannah.
Finally, as they reached the front, he nodded to Bertrand, gave a kiss on the cheek to Savannah, and sat down on the pew to the right.
As the vows commenced, he tried hard to pay attention to Savannah. But he couldn’t keep his eyes off Riley.
***
The Reception
Thousands of photos, some awkward speeches, and a cake cutting later, Drake saw Riley slip out of the ballroom and walk towards a balcony. He downed his sparkling water with resolve, and followed her out.
She was leaning on the edge of the balcony looking up at the intense, slightly orange moon above. The breeze shifted her hair around her shoulders.
“Brooks,” he whispered, making her jump a little.
“Oh! I didn’t expect to see—”
With 4 long strides his arms were around her. He pressed his lips to hers, and then ran kisses down her neck and collar bone. She tensed for a minute in surprise, then relaxed into his arms and pulled him in.
Her lips found his again and they kissed messily, saying things with their bodies they didn’t know how to express with words, pressing against each other with the ferocity of two parts of a whole separated for a very long time. His tongue flicked against hers and he felt the vibration of her moan in his mouth.
“Let’s find somewhere private,” she pulled away just a little, gasping for air.
He nodded, grabbing her hand as they walked down the outdoor stairs and ran into the maze again, hands running over each other as they moved.
When they reached a sturdy swing in the center, he sat on it and pulled her towards him. She straddled him, not willing to break their kissing as she started to unbutton his shirt. He pulled down her sweetheart neckline to her waist, taking her breasts into his warm palms. He groaned.
They were a bit bigger than he remembered. Her body responded the same, but it was different in general, a bit softer and warmer than before.
He leaned down to take her nipple in his mouth, sucking lightly and running his tongue over every ridge and bump. She leaned her head back, moaning as he peppered kisses along her breasts and down to her rib cage.
She yelped as he lifted her quickly, placing her on the swing before pulling down her pantyhose and lifting her dress. He parted her thighs and ran his tongue broadly against her core as her legs shook. “Drake, oh my God…”
He moaned into her as he licked her most sensitive parts, running a finger against her as she jerked around and pushing it inside of her slowly, pumping in and out. She tasted the same as he remembered, delicately sweet and exactly right.
She came undone in minutes, her body hot against his toungue and her mouth gasping for air, whispering his name. After regaining some composure, she stood up, pushing him back on the swing, unzipping his pants.
“Shit, shit…” words came spilling out of him as she pulled him out, stroking him assertively with her right hand before straddling him again and sliding onto him.
He almost bucked off of the swing. The warmth of her enveloped him in a way he hadn’t felt in a very long time. He tried to calm his mind down as his body instantly felt ready for release. She moved up and down, occasionally kissing him or nibbling his ear, her speech flitting between obscenities and his name.
He kissed her neck, whispering encouragement as he finally found his release inside of her, holding her tight against him as he found her lips.
The breathed hard together, light sweat on both of their foreheads as they held each other, both afraid to let the other go. “Shit,” he inhaled sharply, “I thought my memory was exaggerating how good it was with you, but….”
She nodded in breathless agreement.
They gathered their clothes and started getting dressed, a comfortable silence between them as they absorbed what just happened.
“What changed?” Riley finally broke the silence, taking Drake’s hand and squeezing lightly.
“Shit, Brooks. I just realized I was holding you to a standard I couldn’t live up to. We make mistakes. We’ve had things that have shaped us and…. I know we’re both fucked up,” he grinned at her, rubbing her shoulder lightly, “but I think if we promise to keep, I don’t know, talking about it, we can make this work.”
Riley looked up at him, kissing him on the cheek softly. “I think so too.”
***
ns 15.158.61.51da2
