a Lout and a Prince

Part 27

Unfortunately once the adrenaline of vengeance fueled indignation faded away, reality set in.

There was a reason that from the very beginning, from that ridiculous day he'd first been taken by Alberu's charms, Cale had held a significant amount of disparagement for his ill-advised crush.

It was just that. Ill-advised. Foolhardy. Doomed.

It couldn't work out.

Alberu Crossman was the crown prince of the Roan Kingdom, the next in line to be the king and a man who couldn't afford to fuck around with the lout of the Henituse territory.

Cale knew this. Alberu had to know this too.

It was one of the many reasons Cale had hoped that 'Bob' hadn't been a damn liar.

It was also the reason that Cale had chosen to publicly humiliate Alberu in his foolhardy gamble. He hadn't actually been completely sure when he dared to kiss the crown prince. He was just angry enough to gamble it all on one single kiss.

He didn't regret doing that either. Whatever mess Alberu had to clean up because of it was karma for being a lying sack of shit.

Cale sat sedately in Alberu's office awaiting his return. Alberu had left briefly to cancel some meetings and probably to explain himself to his gaping attendants as well. Cale was happy to let him do that. He needed time to collect himself.

Bob was Alberu. Alberu was Bob. Everything up until now, every mortifying moment and confession, everything had been Alberu. It was always Alberu.

Alberu had been the man he'd bitten in the darkness. The one he'd confessed to. The one he'd dragged into his room again and again and again.

The one who he couldn't forget about even when he drank himself half to death.

'...I'm fucked.'

Cale sat patiently and let his gaze dip towards the floor as he ran a hand through his hair.

This couldn't work out.

That was why it made a lot more sense to assume that Alberu had been playing with him this whole time. The prince wasn't dumb enough to think this could work.

If it was Bob there wasn't a single problem that Cale couldn't smooth over with money. Even if they had to remain together in secrecy, that was still an option because Bob's existence was one of secrecy.

Alberu couldn't take a shit without a whole slew of people counting how long it took him.

This couldn't work.

Alberu returned, looking haggard enough to gratify some of Cale's remaining agitation. Cale jutted his chin for Alberu to sit across from him and the prince quirked an eyebrow at the sight.

There weren't many men with the confidence to steal the crown prince's chair and prop their feet up on his desk. Although he supposed that comparing Cale to others would always cause them to fall short.

Alberu sat across from him and Cale clicked his tongue.

"So. Bob." Oh, he was never going to let that go. Never in his whole life. Even if they became great friends in the future and buried the hatchet, Cale was going to hold onto the grudge until his deathbed and then haunt Alberu from beyond it. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

If nothing else, he needed to hear it. Even if it was a lie. He wanted to understand why this stupid shitty bastard chose to... well, everything. Why he did everything.