Chapter 129 MERRIELYNN FORTNER
MERRIELYNN.
I was sixteen again.
The memories felt so real, so close, that for a moment, I almost believed I was back there.
back when things were simple, back when it was just the four of us...
Lorelai.
Valtor.
Cormac.
And me.
We were inseparable. It felt like we always had been and always would be. The kind of friends who did everything together, who knew each other better than anyone else did.
And Cormac...he was everything to me.
It had started slow, sneaking up on me like a shadow stretching in the late afternoon sun.
One day, he was just my best friend, the boy who could read me like a book without even trying.
The next, I couldn’t stop thinking about him. My heart beat faster when he was near, my stomach twisted whenever he smiled at me in that way that made me feel like I was the only person in the world.
He was the first thing on my mind when I woke up and the last thing I thought about before I went to sleep.
If this wasn’t love, then I didn’t know what was. And if love was supposed to be something even bigger than what I felt for Cormac...something stronger, deeper, more consuming...then I was completely and utterly doomed.
I ran my fingers over the necklace resting against my collarbone, tracing the smooth edges of the blue pendant Cormac had given me.
I never took it off. Ever. It was a part of me now, something small and precious that I carried everywhere. I didn’t know why he had given it to me, but I also hadn’t asked. Maybe I was scared of the answer. Maybe I just didn’t want to ruin what we had by wanting more than I was allowed to have.
Because Cormac and I were a secret now.
For the better part of the last month, we had been sneaking around, stolen moments in dark hallways, whispered conversations behind closed doors.
But I knew it had to be this way.
Because as long as I had him, even in secret, it was better than not having him at all.
The palace was more than just a home to me now. My father becoming Beta had changed everything.
It gave me a place within these walls, a life I never thought I’d have. And sure, the luxury of it all was a nice bonus—the endless hallways of polished marble, the grand chandeliers, the sheer size of the place. But none of that mattered compared to the real reason I loved being here.
Cormac.
A sudden knock on my door pulled me from my thoughts.
I sat up quickly, pushing away the haze of memory, and walked over to open it.
Lorelai stood on the other side, her dark brown eyes sparkling with mischief, a wide smirk tugging at her lips.
“Finally,” she said, holding up a pair of car keys and letting them dangle between us. “I was starting to think you weren’t gonna open up.”
I blinked, my mind still catching up. “What—?”
“Dad fucked up again,” she interrupted, eyes gleaming. “And I didn’t bother asking permission this time. Let’s take this new baby out for a spin.”
I let out a short laugh, shaking my head. “Again?”
Lorelau rolled her eyes. “You know how it is. Every time he screws up badly enough, Mom gets a brand-new car. At this point, I’m pretty sure she could start her own dealership with how many she has.”
It was true. I had always thought it was kind of weird, the way the King handled his mistakes. Instead of apologies, he gave expensive gifts—always a brand-new car, always something flashy and extravagant. Like he could erase whatever he had done with a set of keys and a luxury vehicle.
But, well… if he had the money for it, who was I to question it?
I barely had time to react before Lorelai tossed the keys at me. I caught them at the last second, staring down at them in surprise.
“You’re driving,” she said with a grin.
I narrowed my eyes. “Oh, now you want me to drive? Since when do you let anyone else behind the wheel?”
Lorelai smirked. “Since I figured out I like watching you freak out in traffic. Now hurry up before someone notices the car is gone.”
I rolled my eyes but didn’t argue.
––––
The second I started the car, Lorelai let out an excited whoop, drumming her hands against the dashboard.
“Oh, this is nice,” she said, running her fingers over the leather interior. “Almost makes me wish I actually asked permission. Almost.”
I shook my head with a small laugh, pulling out of the driveway and onto the road. The sun had just started to set, casting a golden glow over everything. The streets weren’t too crowded yet, which meant I had time to adjust before dealing with rush hour traffic.
“You sure your mom isn’t gonna notice this is missing?” I asked, glancing over ather.
She shrugged. “Even if she does, she won’t care. Not like she actually drives them herself.”
She wasn’t wrong. The Queen barely ever used the cars the King bought her, so it wasn’t like she’d be in a rush to report this one stolen.
For a while, we just drove.
“This feels weirdly nostalgic,” I admitted, glancing atLorelai.
She raised an eyebrow. “What does?”
I hesitated, then shrugged. “This. Just… driving around like this. Feels like we haven’t done it in forever.”
Lorelai hummed in agreement. “Yeah, well. That’s what happens when you start sneaking around with the King’s son and forgetting about the rest of us.”
I shot her a look, but she just grinned.
“I haven’t forgotten about you guys,” I said, a little defensively.
She smirked. “Mm-hm. Sure.”
I sighed, gripping the steering wheel a little tighter. “I’m serious, Lor.”
Her expression softened, just slightly. “I know,” she said after a moment. “But you have been different lately. Just saying.”
I swallowed hard, focusing on the road. “I don’t mean to be.”
“Then don’t be.”
At the very least, I was going to try.
We went to an ice-cream parlour, sitting andgiggling as we sampled different flavors. It was freezing outside, and getting ice cream in this weather didn’t make much sense, but we didn’t care. We had a whole day of fun planned, and this was just the start.
Lor spooned a bite of caramel swirl into her mouth and groaned. “This is it. This is the one. I could live off this.”
I rolled my eyes and held out my spoon. “Try mine. I think it’s better.”
She took the bite, considered it, then shook her head. “Nope. Yours is good, but mine’s better.”
I scoffed. “You have no taste.”
She grinned. “And yet, you love me.”
We spent a good half-hour in the parlor, going back and forth between flavors, before finally settling on our favorites and finishing them off. Then, with renewed energy, we headed to the mall.
As soon as we walked into our favorite store, the cashier, a girl named Anna, beamed at us. “Look who finally decided to show up. I was beginning to think you found somewhere else to spend all your money.”
Lor laughed. “Never. You’d hunt us down.”
Anna smirked. “Damn right, I would.” She walked around the counter and grabbed a few dresses off a rack. “These just came in. You have to try them.”
Lor and I exchanged a look. We had only just gotten here, but already, Anna was determined to load us up with clothes. We didn’t mind, though. Shopping was more fun when someone else did half the work.
Anna wasn’t just a cashier; she was practically the queen of mall gossip. As we tried on outfits, she leaned against the dressing room door and filled us in on all the latest drama. Who was dating who, who had broken up, who had been caught cheating—it was like our very own soap opera.
“And then,” she said dramatically, “he showed up with her at the party. Can you believe it?”
Lor gasped. “No way.”
“I swear.”Anna folded her arms. “I almost choked on my drink.”
I laughed as I checked myself out in the mirror. “You live for this stuff, don’t you?”
She grinned. “Absolutely.”
NeitherLor nor I bothered checking our phones while we were shopping. Maybe it was because we were having too much fun. Or maybe we were just avoiding the inevitable—seeing how much trouble we were in if anyone had noticed that we’d taken the queen’s new car.
By the time we left the mall, our arms were weighed down with shopping bags, and the snow had gotten a lot worse. Thick flakes swirled around us, covering the parking lot in a fresh layer of white. Lor shivered, rubbing her hands together.
“I can’t feel my fingers,” she complained.
I blew into my own hands and nodded. “It’s definitely gotten colder.”
Lor glanced at a café across the street. “We should probably get something hot to drink before we head back.”
I didn’t argue. Anything to warm up sounded like a good idea.
We stepped inside the café, immediately hit by the scent of coffee and melted chocolate. It was warm, cozy, and packed with people seeking refuge from the cold. We ordered two hot chocolates and found a small table near the window.
Lor took a sip of her drink and then, out of nowhere, she stared at me.
I frowned. “What?”
She tilted her head, still looking at me weirdly.
I shifted in my seat. “Lor, what?”
She hesitated for a second, then said, “I don’t know why, but I’ve never found it weird that you and Cormac were in love with each other.”
I choked on my hot chocolate.
Lor just sipped her drink like she hadn’t just dropped a bomb on me.
My face burned. “We’re not—”
Lor raised an eyebrow.
I shut my mouth.
Because I wasn’t sure what to say.
Denying it felt pointless. Confirming it felt dangerous.
But I realized, in that moment, that I must wear my feelings for Cormac like a neon sign.
Lor smirked. “That’s what I thought.”
I cleared my throat and set my cup down. “Okay, if we’re talking about this, then I have a question for you.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What?”
I leaned forward. “Why haven’t you given Valtor a chance?”
Her expression flickered, but she covered it up quickly. “What are you talking about?”
I shrugged. “You like him.”
She looked away. “That’s not the point.”
“Then what is?”
She sighed, swirling the hot chocolate in her cup. “I don’t find it weird that you like Cormac, even though he’s my brother. But with Valtor… I just can’t do it.”
I frowned. “Why?”
She hesitated. “Because he’s Cormac’s best friend.”
I blinked.
Um...?
Lorsighed. “I just… I can’t imagine being with someone that close to my brother.”
I understood what she meant.
For me, it was different—Cormac and I haddidn’t have history.
But for Lor, the idea of dating someone who had always been by Cormac’s side all their lives probably felt… strange.
I didn’t press her.
Instead, I sat back and thought about what it would be like if I were in her shoes. Would I feel the same way? Would I hesitate, knowing how intertwined our lives already were?
Before I could say anything, the news on the TV behind the counter caught our attention. A reporter stood outside in the snow, bundled up in a thick coat. “Authorities are considering closing the roads soon due to worsening conditions. Drivers are advised to head home before travel becomes too dangerous.”
Lor looked at me. “We should probably start heading back.”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
We gathered our things, braced ourselves for the cold, and stepped outside.
The wind had picked up, and the snow was falling even heavier now. I could barely see the parking lot through the white haze.
Lor hugged her coat tighter. “Let’s just hope no one’s noticed the car’s missing yet.”
I laughed, but deep down, I had a feeling that the second we got back, we were going to have some explaining to do.