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" Once, I was the great hope for a dynasty

Crowds would hang on my words, and they trusted me
Their faith was strong, but I pushed it too far

I held that grudge 'til it tore me apart"

Castles Crumbling - Taylor Swift Feat. Hayley Williams

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Chapter Thirteen:

- Everly-

With the weight of the world heavy on my shoulders the next morning when I woke up. I just wanted to spend time with my boyfriend. I was angry...scratch that...I was furious that my life had become something I'd watch at the cinema for entertainment. Nothing could ever be normal when it came to my family. The Calloways weren't known to be humble, they were known to put on quite and show, with me as the starring act. I wish I was more surprised my father hadn't paid back a debt, that didn't shock me. What horrified me was my mother's involvement in it. She was allowed to hold a grudge with my father, but how dare she do this to me.

I am the one who constantly has to pay for Gerald's crimes; this time would be no different. I turned to the side, hoping James would be there lying next to me. He wasn't, and the bed was still made where he should've been sleeping. Had he not come to bed last night? I decided to get up and go downstairs to see for myself. It was cold in the country, especially in the early morning hours. I found myself shivering in my nightgown as I grabbed James' lacrosse sweatshirt off the chair for warmth. I threw the jumper over my head and tiptoed downstairs, careful not to wake anyone else up.

"Jamesie? Did you sleep in that chair?" I teased him as he looked up to meet my gaze. Strands of his blonde waves were against his face. He smiled at me, closing his sketchpad.

"I was working on a project," he winked as I found myself a seat in his lap, hesitant at first because of his knee. "It's okay," he assured me, pulling me down on him.

"All night?" I asked, confused.

"Unfortunately, it seems all the excitement from the other day had sleep escaping me. And I sat down to take in some much-needed peace and quiet. How lovely it was to not hear Cyril snoring in the next room," he joked.

"Lydia somehow finagled a sound machine from one of my grandfather's house staff. All I could hear most of the night were what I imagine were whale noises," I laughed as Cyril walked down the steps leading to Lydia's room.

"Oh god... Eve... I don't think you heard a whale. I could vomit," James said as I cupped his face in my hands.

The mood was lighter today; it seemed everyone had a "fuck it and make the best of it" attitude. Who was I to blame them? I decided to join in instead."We should do something tonight," I suggested.

"Actually, the boys and I had an idea. We were thinking maybe a theme party? I'm sure your grandfather has costumes from his last deb ball in the attic. I can tell he must use this place for storage." James smiled up at me.

"Ah yes, I think my pink dress might be up there as well!" I said happily, agreeing with James' idea.

"And I found these!" Lydia raced into the room with a box of Polaroid cameras. "No phones party and only proof with polaroids... oh that could be fun," she laughed as she walked past Cyril and into the kitchen.

"Don't even consider sitting next to me... until you shower," James teased him as I got up and walked into the center of the room.

"I was a little out of sorts yesterday, but I'm coming around now. I think James' idea to throw a little theme party today sounds like a great idea. Nothing raises spirits like drinking spirits and dancing. Alistair, you'll be in charge of the playlist. Kesh, you will handle costumes. Wren, you and, dare I say, Cyril will handle refreshments. Lydia, you and I will decorate. And James... you really shouldn't overdo it with your knee. And your shoulder just got better. Maybe you can handle snacks?" I looked at him with concern. He nodded in agreement with a smile.

"They're so cute... why can't we be like them?" Cyril asked Lydia.

"Don't start..." she shushed him, pulling me into the basement to look for decorations. It was so dark, we needed flashlights. Lydia sat down on a chair and sighed.

"Okay... care to share?" I asked, laughing as I helped her pull down a box of candles we could put in the chandelier for aesthetic.

"No, I don't... I shouldn't have. I'm still... seeing our Professor, Graham Sutton. I know... I shouldn't. But...he and I talk every night. He's been a sense of comfort through this whole ordeal." Lydia looked at me with apprehension.

"I believe you seeing one of our professors would actually be welcome drama into our lives at this point," I teased her. "Please tell me you told Cyril at least, that you're not looking for a relationship," I warned her.

"No... I haven't... but I haven't said I was either. Oh fuck, I suppose I should tell him tonight," she sighed as I grabbed some tablecloths.

"Did you and James sleep together last night? I didn't hear him come up. I was praying I could sneak Cyril out before then," Lydia shook her head.

"No, he actually fell asleep in the chair downstairs. I don't think he could sleep. He takes on my burdens... I feel so awful about all of this. The way he looks at me... like he'd do anything to protect me. I will not let him. I want to just forget for tonight... we should be safe here. At least that's what my grandfather thinks. I don't know what to believe," I sighed as Lydia pulled me into a hug.

"James adores you, Evie. That's why I think Jasper had him jumped. He hates that you have James. My brother disagrees; he says it was a freak occurrence and something to do with testosterone and boys being boys about sports. But I don't believe that's what it was. Jasper was suspended from playing in that game... conveniently. I just don't like how things in our lives have stopped adding up," Lydia sighed.

"I agree. I think Jasper had something to do with it. But James refuses to let me bring up his name. I fear it's because deep down he knows it too," I pulled on the strings of his jumper I was still wearing.

"Well, I mean, it's not like we have to worry about that now. Our parents have shipped us away to a glorified rich kid summer camp. In a way, this is fantastic; now I don't have to intern for my father this summer. I'm sure if nothing else, James is thrilled by that. I am concerned for my mother being alone with Mortimer for that long. Your grandfather's letter claimed this would only be for two weeks. But why do I get the feeling this might just become our entire summer?" Lydia looked at me with concern.

"There's no way to know because there's no way for us to contact anyone. I sent a letter to my father, but I know it won't be read or answered. We're just going to sit here and pretend we're on vacation like we did in France," I said, pulling a cigarette out of the pocket of James' sweatshirt and tucking it behind my ear.

"You two really are iconic; it's like that American show everyone loves. What is it called? Gossip Girl! Yes, that's it. You're Chuck and Blair, especially now with all the shite you both get yourselves into," Lydia laughed at her own joke as we carried the boxes upstairs.

I found James in the kitchen, supervising Cyril, who was concocting a signature cocktail for the party. "Cyril, there is literally no reason to include scotch in a margarita. Unless you want Alistair to vomit all over Kesh tonight in bed," James quipped, winking at Alistair from across the room.

"I liked it better when your main concern was your girlfriend," Alistair shook his head as I walked over to James.

"And the girlfriend is back with decor. Kesh, any luck on costumes?" I asked, feeling James wrap his arms around my waist, his touch grounding me amidst the chaos.

"Check and check. I pulled a trunk of them down from the attic," Kesh said, leading me to the trunk he had in the living room. Lin had already chosen her costume and was in the process of trying on the petticoat.

"I think this is what you're looking for," Lin said, handing me a garment bag. "It was hanging in the closet in the attic. I didn't know the dress was from the Beaufort collection, which means it's one of a kind." Lin said as I unzipped the bag.

James walked into the room, his eyes filled with a mixture of pride and nostalgia."I never knew," I turned to face him in shock, my voice barely above a whisper.

"I wanted your debut to be special, and... well, I was in our showroom and saw it," James explained, his voice tinged with vulnerability. "I know you and I were in a bit of a tiff around that time too." He laughed, but it was a bittersweet sound.

"Oh, I remember," I rolled my eyes, my heart aching at the memory. "You brought that girl from the other prep school as your homecoming date," I said, recalling the searing jealousy I felt when I saw them dancing together.

"I know. I just didn't want to go without a date... because I thought you would be there with one. There have been so many times when I could've just told you, Everly. But I tried to show you... even if I didn't make it obvious. I put a note in the garment bag. The fact that you didn't know the dress was from Beaufort makes me think you never got the note," James frowned, confused, as he took the bag from me.

"No, I never did. I never saw the bag. The dress was in my room when I got home from college. My mother said she hoped it would fit and walked out in a huff. I should've known it was you. Only you know me. She never took the time to," I felt a lump forming in my throat as James pulled the note out.

It was covered in years of dust, the ink smeared, but his handwriting was still legible.

**Evie girl,

You're probably so shocked I did something nice. You shouldn't be; you deserve nice things every day. I know you're mad at me right now, but this dress was made for you. 200 years before you existed... seems like fate to me.

Save a dance for me?

James**

I read the note and felt a wave of emotions crash over me. I ran into James' arms, burying my face in his chest. He held me tightly, his warmth enveloping me like a protective shield. He was right; fuck everything else. I had him, he had me, and we had our friends. That was enough. Too many things had kept us apart for too long for no reason. Not this time. This time, I was determined to do everything to just be happy with James, the boy I was always meant to be happy with, and the man I'd love till the world ended.

"I can't wait to wear it again," I said, kissing him gently, our noses touching as we pulled away. Lydia's camera flash startled us, capturing the moment.

"Sorry, kids, haven't used one of these in... well, ever. But I like the mystery of it," Lydia said, strolling into the kitchen. I hoped she was gearing up to have a talk with Cyril. Being her brother's girlfriend put me in a tricky spot.

"Evie..." James looked at me, knowing I had a secret, though it wasn't really mine to reveal. Still, if anyone else found out, I'd have to deal with it, making it mine too.

"Well..." I said, darting up the stairs, convinced there was no way he could catch me with his knee.

"Everly Belle Calloway!" James chased after me, cutting me off in the middle of the staircase. He playfully hoisted me over his shoulder, despite his knee.

"James! Your knee! Have you completely lost your mind?" I laughed uncontrollably as he set me down on the bed.

"Out with it, Miss... or there will be consequences," he said with a mischievous grin."You wouldn't..." I glared at him, trying to maintain my stern expression.

"Oh, I will," he replied, starting to tickle me. I fought to hold back, but he wore me down."Okay! Okay! Fine! Shut the door," I finally conceded, and he rushed to close it behind him.

"Lydia was caught by Jasper making out with one of our professors, Mr. Sutton. And she's still seeing him. Apparently, she's falling for him. I know, James, it's not ideal, but I don't know how to handle it," I said as James started to laugh.

"Oh, Cyril is going to lose his mind, and my father is going to fire half the Maxton Hall staff if this gets back to him," he continued.

"I know. I'm going to try to talk some sense into her later tonight. You need to just tell Cyril to back off. The more he throws himself at her, the farther she runs back to Mr. Sutton. Wait... there's no way Lydia gave up her phone. She told me she just talked to him," I said, looking at James.

"Oh, you have to be kidding me. Can you get her right now?" James sighed as I ran down the steps to grab her from the kitchen. When we came back upstairs, James had her phone in his hand and a look of utter disdain on his face.

"Lydia..." I shook my head.

"Oh shite..." She looked down, her guilt evident.

"Why am I not even remotely surprised?" James sighed as he turned off her phone and removed the SIM card.

"You better hope I found it in time." He shook his head, handing it back to her.

"I was only texting..." She stopped herself, realizing she was screwed."I know... your best friend is my girlfriend. Did you not think I'd get it out of her?" James shook his head in disappointment.

"I am so sorry. I just didn't want to disappear and have him not know where I was," Lydia cried.

"Lydia, this shouldn't even be a conversation. You realize when our parents find out, they'll send you away," James' tone was beyond annoyance now. "And you've had your phone on with GPS, so if they were tracking us, you've put Everly's life at risk. And that has me even more upset than you screwing one of our professors!" James' voice echoed throughout the house, drawing Cyril and Alistair to our bedroom.

"James, calm down and lower your voice. Do you want everyone in the house to hear you?" Lydia yelled back at her brother. I stepped between them as the boys stood in the doorway.

"Who's screwing a professor?" Cyril asked, looking at all of us. James sighed, unable to form a sentence. Sensing the tension, Alistair took one for the team.

"I did it one time, but it got me an A in the class. Way to go, James. I told you that in confidence," Alistair winked at my boyfriend.

"Sorry... it was too good of a story," James swallowed his lie as he pulled me out of the room. Lydia would have to explain it away now.

"I'll talk to her," I assured him as he poured himself a drink in the study. "She needs to understand you're coming from a place of concern as her loving brother, not from annoyance about the potential scandal. She'll only rebel more if she feels attacked." I explained to James.

"You're right... but I'm so frustrated. Look at everything that's going on around us, Evie. And now, on top of it all, we have my sister's relationship with one of our professors. Cyril will lose his mind. I don't know how much more I can handle." James was clearly distressed. Given all he'd been doing lately, even with his injuries, I knew it was time to take care of him. And I had a few ideas on just how to do that.

"Let's forget about it all for a minute and play a game." I winked at James as I perched on the edge of the desk. He smirked, sensing exactly what I had in mind.

"I'm listening," he whispered, his voice low and inviting."Remember that day in the stairwell when we were arguing, as usual?" I asked, making him laugh as I grabbed him by his collared shirt.

"Oh, I remember. Must we revisit that?" He chuckled, allowing himself to be transported back to that moment.

"What you didn't know is that the whole time we were fighting, I was thinking, 'If only he stopped fighting me and started kissing me, this could end a lot differently.'" I blushed, my heart racing.

"You were with Jasper... I couldn't... I mean, I didn't think to..." James stuttered, realization dawning on him.

"You're a gentleman for that, but I was looking for you to toss me into the wall." I said back to him, unbuttoning his shirt. James had already managed to snap open the buttons on my blouse.

"You mesmerize me. No one has ever done what you do to me..." James' compliments were cut short by my kiss.

"You could've had me from the first day..." I whispered, biting his lip as we broke apart.

"I'll never let anyone get the chance to have you again, Everly. I'd follow you through hell." James declared as I jumped into his arms. We were in the middle of a heated make-out session when yelling erupted from upstairs. The sound of shattering glass followed, and we didn't even have time to put our clothes back on. We bolted up the stairs in our underwear, and there, in the midst of shattered glass from the broken window, stood Cyril and Lydia. Beside them lay a brick.

"I know what you're thinking, and no, neither of us threw it," Lydia said quickly.

"We were just having a loud conversation, and the next thing we knew... a brick came flying through the window." She barely finished her sentence before the security system alarms blared, making the situation even more absurd considering James and I were standing there in nothing but our underwear.

"Cyril... do me a favor, would you? Stop staring at my girlfriend," James said, shaking his head in disgust as I tried to cover myself.

"I'm sorry, mate, but were you two both... no, it's none of my business. I guess I'm just wondering where because we've been in your room," Cyril said, looking concerned and confused.

"The front lawn. We threw the brick because you two were killing the mood," James responded with heavy sarcasm, evident to everyone except Cyril. He handed me a robe just as one of the house managers appeared in the doorway, adding another layer of chaos to the scene.

"I am so sorry to barge in like this, but we have reason to believe this location has been compromised," she said softly, her eyes darting between us. James redirected his attention to Lydia, frustration and worry etched on his face.

"Do you know who threw the brick?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"The cameras didn't catch anyone on the property, but the security team is here and investigating. I was informed that you all will need to move to a new location because of this," the house manager replied.

"No, we can't keep running. We'll be staying here. You can inform my grandfather that this is an order from me. I'm not going to spend the next three months running for my life. Figure out a way to enhance security here because we're not leaving. And that is final," I said firmly, my declaration leaving everyone in the room visibly shocked.

"Miss Calloway, are you sure about this?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm not helpless, okay? Despite what my family thinks of me. I'm not. And everyone will find that out," I said firmly. The house manager nodded and left the room.

"Evie..." James began, looking at me with worry. "I don't think staying here is a good idea," he sighed.

"James, when you have pants on, maybe we can actually discuss this. Until then, my decision is final. The party will go on. Everyone, start getting ready. We kick off at sundown," I declared. Cyril and Lydia nodded and exited our bedroom. James knew at that point I wasn't going to change my mind, and there was nothing he could do to sway me. It was a trait he both loved and hated about me—my stubbornness.

"Evie...be reasonable," James called after me, struggling to put his pants on. I hurried back to the study to collect my clothes and get dressed.

"Reasonable? Does any of this seem reasonable?" I pointed out the window at the security team scouring the backyard.

"I know...but I can't bear the thought of something happening to you. What if whoever's after your father tracked us here? Lydia had her phone for a full day; that brick wasn't a coincidence. We're playing with fire," he said, crossing his arms and shaking his head. I couldn't help but pull him closer to me.

"So we are. What are you going to do about it?" I teased, hopping back onto the desk and pulling him in with my thighs.

"Evie..." James tried to resist, but it was futile as I ran my hands down his neck."Back to where we were, then," he conceded, kissing me and pulling me into his bare chest.

"Why did I even bother putting my clothes back on?" I laughed as he pulled my sweater off.

"We're not done with this conversation," he whispered, kissing down my neck as I pulled his pants off again.

"It's on pause for now," I agreed. He snapped the clasp on my bra, tossing it across the room where it landed with a thud. I hit a button under the desk to close the blinds. The security team didn't need to see James get me off in the study. We weren't that close yet. But a few more days kept in captivity, and it wouldn't be long before this entire house was fucking each other.

James pushed me back onto the desk, his body pressing into mine as he trailed kisses down my neck and across my chest. For just a moment, I let myself be happy. There was nothing that could compare to the sight of my boyfriend staring down at me, his eyes filled with adoration.

"You're just so beautiful..." he murmured, taking in the view. I blushed, thinking about taking things further right there. I knew James would stop himself unless I asked for it.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" I teased with a wink.

"Here?" he asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"Scared someone might come in?" I laughed.

"Well, actually..." he smiled down at me,"that kind of makes it more exciting, doesn't it?" He grabbed his pants from the floor, pulling out a condom and ripping it open with his teeth. It had worked the first night, and it worked again.

"Imagine Alistair walking in," I giggled as James returned to his spot on top of me.

"No, Cyril deserves to walk in after he defiled my sister," James shook his head.

I pulled him down, bringing us back into the moment. There was nothing quite like well...fucking James Beaufort. It was the best type of tension relief, melting my body into a warm puddle of "please don't stop doing what you're doing."

His hands were weapons, and I fell at his mercy every night we got into bed. This was what love felt like—what I never saw at home, what we'd give our kids. It was what James deserved... and I think I did too.

Was I wrong? Should we leave? Were we really in danger? I didn't know, and frankly, at this moment, I was so happy I didn't want it to erupt into chaos again. So the party would go on. At what cost? I was about to find out.