My hand was locked in Noel's grip, as we walked down the grand staircase side-by-side.
Remember Rule 1, I kept chanting to myself. Mandatory affection in public. We have to make them believe it.
The second we stepped through the arched threshold, the atmosphere shifted.
Lucas and Jeff were already seated at the massive table. Dylan wasn't around, his chair was empty, meaning he hadn't crawled back to the estate yet.
Lucas was halfway through raising a wine glass to his lips, as his arm froze. Jeff dropped his fork, it clinked loudly against his plate.
They gave us this incredibly strange look, darting rapidly from my face, down to the oversized black t-shirt drowning my small frame, and finally landing on our tightly laced fingers.
Noel led me straight to the head of the table, pulling out the heavy chair right next to his own. But before he let me sit, he leaned down close, his broad shoulders completely blocked their view.
