Adler | The Monarch & The Heirs BOOK 2.

Answers | A FORTY SEVEN

A/N: Dedicated to
@Black_Lotus_Flowee
@LesegoMMo

•••

Stevie wouldn’t call it closure exactly but she was filled with this sense of ease at having the truth of that night uncovered. As much as she wanted to say she wished she'd tried to get it out of Hess sooner, she knew that back then, she wouldn’t have dared to believe it.

Unlike now, she felt she understood her true self a lot better. Also, it did more or less clarify Hess' peculiar behaviour before. Granted, no average guy would’ve remained so insufferably persistent if they'd been in his position but she couldn’t say she regretted how screwed up everything had been because of her blackout.

If it hadn’t been for that, she'd probably never have known all those sides of Hess and appreciated him to this extent. She was on to try to express that in words, only for a knock on the door to interrupt. Following suit, there was a buzz from her phone.

Shaun.

“Shit,” she cursed aloud.

“What?” Hess asked.

“I completely forgot but Shaun said he would be coming over.”

Hess brows deeply furrowed. “Shaun? Why?”

“He wanted to talk.”

“About what, exactly?”

“I don’t know. Just stay right there and let me take care of this, alright?”

Stevie didn’t wait to hear any protests and sauntered to the doors careful to only open it partially as to not expose her other company. The irony that the very boy stood at the door was the same boy she naively assumed would be the start of a high school life filled with romance. Only for that dream to crash and burn in three weeks and it turned out, he hadn’t even been her sacred first kiss.

Nonetheless, he still bore the most prettiest sets of green eyes that took her in. She noticed his golden locks had gotten a little trim at the sides. “Hey,” he greeted with that shy smile but it was slightly strained.

Stevie knew she only had herself to blame for that. “Hey. So um, there’s actually been a little change of plans. I was hoping we could maybe move this to the coffee shop across the street?”

“Sure, that’s…” Shaun paused, eyes drifting to something behind her. “Hess?”

What? How did he—? Stevie casted a glance over her shoulder and gaped to find that twat suddenly stood towering over, audaciously glaring at the other boy. “Hess what the hell! I told you to stay put!”

“My legs were cramping up. I just wanted to stretch them.” He had the nerve to make the absurd claim so shamelessly. “A nice stroll might help too, so why don’t I join you?”

“Alright,” said Shaun.

Stevie pivoted her head back to the blond, doing a double take. “What?”

“I said it’s fine,” replied Shaun, assuring her she hadn’t heard him wrong. “I have a few things I need to tell him, too. Saves me some time. Shall we?”

Stevie can only just nod as she eyed his burly figure start along the corridor, tossing a puzzled look Hess' way who looks just as perplexed before marching after the boy. Reluctantly, she tailed behind.

**

The air was undeniably tense as she settled between the boys at the booth, even the waiter who came by to take their orders seemed to sense it.