Page 74 of A Royal Promise
When he finally pulled back, his lips were swollen, and Bri’s heart raced, like his lips had brought it back to life. His kiss made her feel alive.
Bri was starting to understand why Rosalie said kissing was fun. If this was how Drew kissed, she’d been missing out all these years, and she would definitely like to do more of it.
Drew brushed a stray curl behind her ear, leaving a trail of heat everywhere his fingers touched along her cheekbone. “Should we talk about this?”
“Yeah, we should.”
“I know we need to get back to Glencrest, so maybe we can chat once we get back home?”
“Sounds great.” She smiled up at the man who was quickly becoming more than just her best friend.
Back home.She was starting to like the sound of that.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Drew
“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear Drew. Happy birthday to you.”
He made his wish and blew out the candles on the triple-berry ice cream cake the palace baker made for him every year. His parents and Bri cheered for him.
A palace servant came over and cut slices, handing a plate and fork to each of them.
“I can’t believe you’re twenty-four already.” His mother pulled him in for a side hug as she dabbed at the tears in the corners of her eyes. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Thanks, Mom.” He smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek.
His father clapped him on the back. “What did you wish for, son?”
Drew’s eyes darted to Bri to find her staring right back at him with a wide grin.Her. I wished for the confidence to tell my best friend that I’m madly in love with her.
He’d been trying to talk to her since their kiss in the woods, but things kept getting in the way. Between official duties, his parents being in the room with them, and now his birthday celebration, he just hadn’t found the right time to talk to Bri. Tonight was the night he hoped to get her alone and finally talk to her with no distractions.
He cleared his throat. “I can’t say because I want this wish to come true.” Drew took a large bite of his ice cream cake, savoring the vanilla ice cream and mixed berry flavors dancing on his tastebuds.
His mother reached beside the couch she sat on and lifted a gift bag into the air, extending it to him. “It’s present time. You can open ours first.”
Drew took the bag from her and pulled out the card from his parents, biting back emotion at the kind words they’d written on the card. Their words of encouragement meant more than all the gifts in the world.
He pulled the tissue paper out of the bag and smirked at the sight of a photobook with a picture of him and Bri on the cover. Drew recognized it immediately as one of the pictures from the engagement photoshoot they’d done. He thumbed through the pages, smiling as he scoured the countless pictures of him and Bri holding each other and pretending to be a real couple.
Drew handed the book to Bri, got up, and hugged his mother and father. “I love it. Thank you.”
His mother squeezed him tight. “I couldn’t stop crying as I selected the pictures to include. You two are the sweetest couple, and I’m glad you finally got together after all these years.”
“We’re happy too.” He shot a closed-lip smile toward Bri, whose cheeks looked flushed.
“My turn.” She hopped up from her seat and grabbed a gift bag from beside her chair, bringing it to him.
He opened the card, and his heartbeat picked up speed as he read the words written to him by his favorite person in the universe.
Drew,
How have we already celebrated seventeen years of birthdays together?!
It feels like just yesterday we were escaping from parties to drink sweet tea in our treehouse or pretending we were superheroes running through the gardens.
No matter what life has thrown our way, I’m so blessed to have had a strong and steady best friend like you by my side through it all.
