𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐄

-𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦

Days passed in pure bliss with Alice and Marcus still sneaking around. The stubborn love birds who didn't want to admit to each other that they were indeed in love. She meant to ask him what she heard a few nights ago when she fell asleep, but chickened out. What if it was just in her dreams and she made a fool of herself? She would be embarrassed, and then everything would be extremely awkward.

When she never brought it up, Marcus sighed in relief thinking that she didn't hear him. However, a small part of him was disappointed, because then the huge weight would be lifted off of his shoulders.

For the first time in weeks, Alice and Mackenzie were finally spending time together. Being best friends, the latter automatically knew that something was different with the woman.

"That's it," Mackenzie threw the journal she was reading down and crossed her legs on Alice's bed. "Spill, now."

Alice looked up at her best friend, trying to maintain a stoic expression but was failing terribly.

"Spill what?"

Mackenzie gave her a dumb look and shook her head.

"You can't keep anything from me, Alice. You have this glow, and you're really smiley," she trailed off as if she was deep in thought. Then, her eyes widened and she gasped.

"You lost your virginity, didn't you?" She exclaimed. Alice blushed, which confirmed all suspicions in an instant.

"How did you manage to escape your body guards to do that? Who was it? Are you still doing it? Are you two courting? Are you going to tell Henry? How big-"

Alice quickly shushed Mackenzie and turned even more red.

"I'm not answering any one of those questions."

The girl groaned in annoyance.

"Alice, I'm your best friend. You can trust me, you know that right?"

Alice immediately felt guilty, knowing damn well she could trust Mackenzie with anything. However, she was terrified of someone listening in. So instead, she grabbed her hand and stood her up.

"Come on, we're going to the wood house," Alice told her with a smile. Mackenzie literally squealed as they navigated the secret passages, not wanting to be seen by anybody going there. If the three men knew they were going there, they would want to follow. Obviously, Alice wouldn't be able to tell her best friend anything if the man she was with and the one person that absolutely cannot know were present.

On the walk down, Mackenzie was going on, and on, about how this must be really 'juicy' for them to not even be able to be in the palace. Alice raised an eyebrow at the word juicy, but shrugged it off and allowed the girl to continue her talking. Once they made it to the house, the squeezed into the tight space and made themselves comfortable.

The wood house Henry made for Alice all those years ago was now very run down, and probably not even safe for them to sit in. However, the girls did not care in the slightest. They also did not dare that every time they came here, their dresses would always get very dirty, sometimes even ripping.

They definitely kept the seamstress working, that's for sure.

"Alright, now spill. No more excuses!" Mackenzie demanded. Alice took a deep breath, realizing how nervous she was to finally tell someone.

"Well, it was the night of the ball. Well, sex didn't happen until the morning after, but that's not the point," Alice trailed off, not knowing what to say next. Of course she knows everything that happened, she was just lost for words.

Mackenzie hardly noticed though as her eyes widened in surprise.

"The masquerade ball? That was two weeks ago! Is that where you disappeared off to?" Alice nodded in response.

"Who was it? Are they still in court? How did Henry not find out?"

Alice found it easier that Mackenzie was asking questions, but she was avoiding the first question like it was the plague.

"Well, yes he's still in court. We've been doing very good with sneaking around," she trailed off again. She knew that Mackenzie was not going to stop until she knew exactly who, but she would drag this out for as long as possible.

"Well, who was it?" Mackenzie gave Alice the look, like the one that said stop beating around the bush and spit it out. Alice only mumbled, so that it could barely be heard, even to the girl across from her.

"I didn't quiet catch that," Mackenzie teased, making Alice groan.

"Marcus, okay? We're in a secret- well, I don't know what we are. We definitely aren't courting. I have no idea what it is I'm doing with him, but what I do know is that I don't want it to stop and I think I love him," Alice said in one breath. Mackenzie's eyes were widened in shock before her face broke out in a wicked grin.

"Alice, he doesn't ever stay with just one girl. The fact that you've been keeping him for the amount of time you have speaks volumes. I always had my suspicions that he fancied you, but I never thought he'd act on it. Alice, don't you realize? This is great!"

Her eyes widened in shock, staring at her best friend as if she grew a second head.

"How is this great? He's Henry's best friend!"

"Charles is married to Mary," Mackenzie shrugged, earning an eye roll from Alice.

"Yeah, because Mary isn't the innocent little sister. Henry will kill us if he finds out," the girl groaned and leaned up against the wall.

"You mean when?" Mackenzie reminded the girl, who just groaned again and nodded. "Maybe you guys should talk and see where you want things to go. If he doesn't want a future with you, which I doubt, then end things and no one has to know. But if he wants to court you and you want the same, then you will need to tell Henry eventually. Sure, he'll be mad. You're his pride and joy. But Marcus is a good man for you, he'll realize that."

"Marcus is a womanizer," Alice muttered. Mackenzie just laughed and shook her head.

"The girls in court are angry that he hasn't pursued any one of them. Alice, I think he loves you as well. You two need to talk about that."

"You're right," Alice nodded in agreement. "We should have an actual conversation about it."

They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Mackenzie giggled.

"Okay, now to the fun stuff. Tell me the dirty, dirty details of Marcus Jones."

She blushed profusely, but eventually spilled on everything about their bedroom life. Mackenzie soaked up every detail like a sponge, absolutely loving that her innocent best friend was no longer innocent. She also helped Alice understand more about the art of dominance/submission and sadism/masochism. That didn't come without a bunch of jokes afterwards about the bruises on her backside, but it was all in good fun.

All in all, Alice missed her best friend, and she was happy she had someone to share her secret with.

"Thank you," she smiled at Mackenzie gratefully.

"You don't need to thank me, Alice. We're practically sisters, and I'm happy you trusted me with this. I have your back, always," she held out her pinky, so Alice hooked hers and then they kissed their thumbs.

It was a promise they made back when they were children, that they would always be there for one another no matter what. A promise they intended on keeping forever.