Page 14 of Prince of the Palisades

She sighs. “Kaden. Graduated last year. Grace’s ex or current fling. I don’t know.”

Judging by the concurrent flush in her cheeks and curl of her lips when Kaden whispers in her ear, Grace hasn’t decided either.

When we reach them, Grace drops air-kisses to both my cheeks. She smells like rosewater and a hint of chlorine, even though her clothes are completely dry. “You’re late to your own party.”

“I wasn’t expecting so many people,” I say.

She bats innocent lashes. “Everyone wants to meet a prince IRL.”

I strain out a smile.

“What do you think?” Grace waves her arms around like a game show host presenting a prize.

I finally take everything in. Red-and-white-striped plastic cups. Patriotic balloons. TheWelcome to Americabanner taped along the kitchen’s black cabinets. Even their outfits are themed: Grace in a star-spangled tank top, Nathan’s stars-and-blues trunks, Kaden’sMade in the USAT-shirt, and Morgan’sbare minimum effort of a patriotic scrunchie around her wrist to match her denim cut-off shorts.

I attempt to keep my face neutral. “Thank you?”

Grace shouts, “Welcome to America, Jadon!”

The crowd mimics, “Welcome to America, Jadon!” over the noise of a blender. When it cuts off, Nathan yells, “Frosé all day!”

“Frosé all day!”

I blink, stunned. Morgan shrugs it off, as if this is common party law. She joins Grace on the island, tugging out her phone.

“So, this is the famous prince.” Kaden bumps my shoulder with his.

My eyes immediately narrow.

“Welcome to LA, Your Highness. What can my guy Nate get you?”

Nathan beams. “I make asickblue martini.”

“Sick as in you’ll be hospitalized after one sip,” Morgan comments without lifting her eyes. Nathan sticks his tongue out at her.

“I don’t drink,” I say.

“Oh,riiight.” Kaden tosses an unwanted arm around my shoulders. “Not since the vid, yeah? That shit was hilarious. I watched it like ten times.”

“Kaden,” Grace hisses when a handful of girls around us snicker.

“What, babe?” Kaden downs the rest of his drink before adding, “We’ve all seen it. Are we just gonna ignore the giant elephant in the room?”

He grins at me in an almost challenging way. I know his type. The spoiled, self-absorbed boy who hates having the attention on anything but him. He’s expecting me to crumble. Slip into the shadows like a wounded dog so he can have the spotlight back.

Unfortunately for him, I’m used to playing—and winning—this game.

“Actually.” My mouth pulls into a silky smile. “I avoid drinking because, somehow, I end up hanging around rich, needy toddlers who use getting wasted as an excuse to be the true assholes they’ve always been.”

We’re almost the same height, but I still look down at him.

“But that’s not you,” I say, “is it?”

The music’s still playing, but there’s this beat of silence around us. No one moves.

Finally, Nathan says, “Wow, roasted!”

The nearby girls snort-giggle. Someone coughs, “damn bro” from behind us. Grace leans back, amused.

---