Nate scoffed at his statement. "Excuse me, but who the hell was talking to y-," His words immediately stopped when his eyes landed on Syn. Fear flashed through his eyes and an audible gulp sounded from him. I tried my best to hold back a laugh at his reaction to Syn and I bit my lip. That's my man. "W-with all due respects, Mr. SinClaire..." he stuttered, "it's not bullshit. I love her more than anything in this world."

Syn rolled his eyes, running his hand along the bare skin of my thigh. "I swear you people will do the most fucked up things to people and act like love is the answer to everything. Where was your love when she was bitching all over the palace about what a deadbeat you were, hmm? Did your love drive her to her doctor's appointments? Did your love even ask about how your baby is doing, Nate? Fuck love."

Genesis snapped her fingers. "What he said."

"You're not exempt, mother," Syn muttered.

"This is not about me," she whispered, holding a finger to her lips.

"I don't know what you're implying, Syn," Jess said. "But he does love me. Our relationship is none of your business so your opinion is not necessary."

"Well Jessica," he started. "You brought your 'relationship'-if what the two of you have could even be interpreted as such...to my girl's birthday dinner. I'll speak on whatever the fuck I want to."

Shit! I pursed my lips, my brows shooting towards to ceiling as I stared down at the floor. The tension in the room was thick.

"I don't think you're one to talk when you're the biggest asshole here you unfeeling, bloodsucking b-"

"Jess!" Gen and Xavier said in sync.

"Girl," I drawled out at the same time as they spoke up. "Cut it out. I'm your friend...but stop that right there and right now."

She rolled her eyes at me. "I'm just saying. Out of all people, he's the last to be giving advice on love. I'm not taking relationship advice from a psychopath."

I shot up from Syn's lap momentarily forgetting she was pregnant, but Syn held me firmly in place. "Calm down," he whispered. I let out a huff of laughter, not sure if I would be able to control myself as Genesis and she began yelling back and forth. Genesis was deep in her alcohol-induced state, and her mouth was more reckless than I had ever heard it before.

"I spoke on your boyfriend," Genesis yelled. "If you want to talk about anyone, talk about Lucifer. He's my man and that would be fair. I don't want to hear shit from your mouth about my baby ever again, Jess."

"What baby?" Syn whispered.

"You." I smiled.

"That's gross."

"We're all concerned, Jess. We only ever hear bad things about this man and you expect us to welcome him with open arms? It's not going to be that easy," Gen said.

Jess ran a hand through her pink hair and sighed. "I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have said that. We are just really trying to make things work and I'd like for my friends to support me. Things don't have to be peaches and cream, but can you guys at least promise to give him a chance? I'm the only here who would lose anything from that...please."

"So dramatic," Syn muttered, picking up the glass of whiskey in front of him. I took it from his hand before it touched his lips and downed it myself. I puckered my lips at the burn in my throat and Syn clicked his tongue. "That's what the fuck you get."

"Queen?" Jess called, making me turn my attention to her as I rubbed my throat. "Can you promise? I haven't known you long, but I consider you one of my closest friends."

I was still pissed at what she said about Syn, and under different circumstances, she would've gotten her ass beat, but I pushed it down. If Syn wasn't mad at it, I needed to let it go. Besides, she was pregnant. I couldn't imagine what was going on inside her mind and body making her act the way she was.

I shrugged. "It's your life, Jess. Whatever impact he has in your life has nothing to do with me. There's no need for me to give him a chance...it's your relationship."

She sighed. "Gen?"

"As Queen said, I don't need to give him a chance. He's your problem. I wouldn't have anything to say if you weren't crying to me about him every night."

Jess nodded slowly, a sullen look on her face as she turned to Xavier. "And you?" I expected him to tell her off...especially after how inconsiderate she had been with his feelings, but I should've known better.

That wasn't who he was.

A warm smile directed at her and Nate appeared on his face-it didn't quite reach his eyes, but I doubted that Jess would even notice. "As long as he makes you happy and takes care of you, he's alright in my book."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Is it my turn now?" Syn asked. "Won't you ask me if I will give him a chance?"

She scoffed, opening her mouth to say something, but immediately closed it when her eyes landed on Gen. A moment later, she took a deep breath and gave him a tight lipped smile. "Syn...will you promise to give him a chance...please?"

Syn nodded slowly, his dark brows furrowing in deep thought. "Okay." He nodded again. "My answer is fuck no. In fact, I give it three days before he leaves again and you're crying into your prenatal vitamins."

"Syn!" Gen scolded.

"What?" He shrugged. "She asked and I was honest. What happened to 'honesty is the best policy."

"What happened to 'if you have nothing nice to say, don't say it at all'," Genesis argued back.

"Damn," he replied. "Got me there."

"They're here," Xavier said, his eyes glued to his phone.

"Who?" Jess asked. "I thought this was just us..."

"Nope," Syn said, "his invited dates are coming."

A frown etched into her face at his words and I slapped his hand gently to remind him to be a bit nicer. I didn't like her at the moment either, but I didn't want another tonight. "Dates as in plural?" She asked, her eyes dropping to the two empty seats beside him. "Oh."

"Ahhh! I can't wait to meet them!" Gen squealed.

Jess widened her eyes with a dumbfounded look on her face that was soon replaced with a smile. "You knew? Oh wow, this is the first I'm hearing of this."

"Because it's none of your concern," Syn said, making me nudge him once again.

"I'm his friend so I think if you all knew, I should've known," she said with a forced smile. I rolled my eyes, not liking how she was making this a big deal when she brought a date herself. Her envy was beginning to rear its head.

"Sorry." Xavier rubbed his neck.

"And I still don't understand the multiple dates thing...?"

"Wish I could answer all your questions but I don't want to keep them waiting..." Xavier trailed off as his eyes landed on me. "Come with me, I'm scared."

I smiled, happy that he wanted me to be the one to go with him, and glanced at Syn. I expected him to try to interfere and deny his request after their little fight, but he loosened his grip around me. "Go with him," he whispered.

I smiled, standing up and rushing to Xavier. Syn's quickness to let me go after what happened showed me again just how close they were. Whatever jokes or words Xavier threw at him, weren't ones he took seriously.

He trusted him.

I grabbed Xavier's hand and led him to the double doors, but before we reached the entrance of the restaurant, his steps halted. "Wait," He said, leading me to turn to him and look at him in question as he took a deep breath. "How do I look?"

I took a step back to look at him fully and nodded. "Hot."

"As hell, right?"

"Hotter." He grinned at my answer and moved to walk to the restaurant entrance. With one last deep breath, he opened the door and with a gust of wind, two people stood in front of me.

A beautiful woman with blue hair and brown skin wearing a leather dress that hugged her curves smiled up at Xavier. My eyes drifted and widened even more as I took in the tall and slender gentleman by her side. He wasn't as muscular as Xavier, but he radiated power and confidence.

His pink hair was neatly styled onto his head and his sculpted face was decorated with multiple piercings. Tattoos covered his neck and small portions of his face, but he was just as beautiful as the woman. I didn't know I was staring until the man winked down at me and I coughed as if that would cover up all the gaping I had just done.

"Hey," Xavier said in a nervous tone. "Come in."

They moved to walk in and the woman's eyes fell on me as she gave me a bright smile. "Hi, I'm Cleo."

A smile found its way onto my lips at her aura and I gave her a small wave. "I'm Queen."

Her eyebrows raised as her smile grew larger. "Birthday girl?"

"That would be me," I said shyly.

She pulled me into a large embrace that surprised me and wiggled me as if we'd been friends for longer than the past ten seconds. "Happy Birthday!"

Unable to resist the joyous moment, I began to copy her motion and her. "Thank you."

"Where should I put these?" She asked as she pulled away and held up several gift bags. I hadn't even noticed them in her hands with how preoccupied I had been with my stares.

"I'll take them," Xavier said as he held out his hand.

Cleo turned to him and I felt like was watching a romantic comedy where the lovers looked at one another and time slowed down. She smiled up at him and he nervously chewed on his bottom lip. I could sense the immense chemistry between them from the simple exchange.

"These as well," the pink haired man said as he looked at Xavier with a playful smirk. He held his long finger up and from it hung another two gift bags.

"Sorry we got so many things." Cleo grimaced. "I went a bit crazy while shopping."

"I feel you completely," I said as I thought about my own shopping adventures. I'd promise myself that I'd be picking up one thing and leave with half of the store. "Thank you both for it all."

Xavier walked towards the man, taking the bags and they locked eyes with one another like they were dueling. Xavier's eyes were warm while the man's were mischievous. For no reason at all other than me being me, I wondered how they worked in the bedroom. They both seemed to dominate the presence in the room and I couldn't imagine it not being the same in the bedroom. Shaking my head at the thoughts I returned my attention back to them.

"Do you need help?" The man asked with a smug look as he put his hands into his pockets and watched Xavier shift the bags between his hands.

"I got it," Xavier muttered, heading towards the table of gifts. We watched him carefully try to set down the gifts without knocking down any others and when he was done he shot us a proud grin.

I gave him a thumbs up and my eyes widened as I noticed my arm locked with Cleo's. She noticed my surprise and quickly removed her arms from mine. "Sorry, I get comfortable quickly."

I grinned at her and shook my head. "No worries, I do too." I reached out for her hand and led her to the dining room.

All the eyes at the table turned to the four of us and Xavier cleared his throat as he stepped forward, gesturing towards them. "Umm...these are my dates," he said. "This is Cleo...and this is Caspian." He introduced them with a small smile.

A small scream sounded at the table and all of our heads snapped to Genesis who immediately stood up and rushed to them. She wrapped her arms around Caspian and I watched as a look of shock flashed across his features. After a few moments, Genesis stood back and smiled up at him.

"Hello, your highness," Caspian said smoothly. It was then that I noticed his accent. It was different from anything I'd ever heard yet it suited him.

Her eyes landed on Cleo next and she bounced up and down in elation. "Hi!"

Cleo grinned at her in appreciation and bowed slightly. "Hello, my Queen."

Genesis fanned herself as she looked between the two. "You guys are hot." Xavier and I snickered at her words and I shook my head.

"Thanks," Cleo replied as if she heard it every day and gave her a sweet smile.

Syn walked over to where we were standing and our attention turned to him. I couldn't even be surprised at the looks on Cleo and Caspian's faces as he approached us. He was by far the sexiest man alive. There was no debate about that.

"This is my best friend, Syn," Xavier said to them.

Syn held out his hand in greeting to Caspian and his eyes wide ended in recognition as he firmly shook Syn's hand. "Syn SinClaire."

"Caspian Deveaux," Syn said.

"You guys know one another?" Xavier asked, taking the question from my mind.

Syn nodded slowly as he glanced at Xavier. "He's only the second wealthiest man in Juva."

"Second?" I asked. "They have ranks for those sort of things?"

"Yup," Caspian grinned. "And I, am always second behind this man."

Syn shrugged. "As you should be."