Royally Kissed | ✓

50; the rivalry

n o t e

so close to the end, guys. ten more chapters. in the meantime, enjoy this chapter and let me know what you think by commenting/voting :)

sky

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—fifty—

the rivalry

IN A SEA of people, Paige's eyes were anchored to Owen for most of the night.

She'd been sitting at a table somewhere off the right for minutes now as the event had finally come to an end. Some were already leaving while most of the influential people that had attended Mr Holt's product launch for a new high-speed wireless internet modem were still clustered in a good-natured conversation.

Paige was never one to engage much with people in large groups. She was more than happy to sit alone while she waited for Owen, chatting away with both of his older and younger friends–Holt was present to give his moral support for his father's newest venture, of course; and then there was Colby stuck between them, looking a little lost as always, and she'd found herself smiling in mirth.

Paige had caught Archer at one point, but he chose to sit with his colleagues from his company somewhere a little bit behind them. Now, she couldn't tell if he was still around or not as he was already missing in action. The only ones missing from Owen's best of friends were Killian and Jax for they were both occupied that night, his boyfriend had told her earlier during the start of the show.

Owen had that sunny smile on his face again, his eyes aglow with sheer felicity and Paige clearly knew why. She was just as happy, to say the least. And then he tore his eyes off from his friends so that he could look at her, his lips cracking even wider.

She smiled, too, and gave him a thumb-up when he'd asked her how she was doing through his expression alone. When he turned back to his buddies and took a short sip of his wine, Paige eased her back against the chair and hunched her shoulders that resembled the comfort enveloping her in being unaccompanied.

But it didn't last for long. Ten minutes or so when Archer suddenly appeared in her periphery. His lips flitted up a small smirk before he sat down, one chair away from her.

Silence was meant to be liberating. But not one when another person approaches you without the intention of speaking, making you shackled with your convoluted thoughts instead.

Paige averted her eyes from him, and focused on the people lingering at the middle of the event hall–although being a little more aware with Archer's presence practically sitting next to her.

Owen had glanced at her again afterwards, and this time, his smile was accompanied with a slight confusion crossing his features when he'd noticed Archer. At the corner of her eye, Archer made a snappy salute to him before she shot another reassuring smile to Owen herself.

When her boyfriend had seemed to relax and detach his focus from them, Archer began to clear his throat.

"You look wonderful tonight, by the way," said he, and Paige could tell that this was nowhere near being suggestive. Nothing that could make Owen jealous whatsoever. Archer was known to be the second most good-natured man in their group next to Holt, after all.

It was difficult not to let out a shy smile. "Thank you. You don't look so bad yourself," she murmured, chancing a glance down at his navy blue suit and tie; he then heaved a silent chuckle. "Why don't you go and chat with them?"