Chapter 18.

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"Mornin'!" I rolled my eyes and looked at Maximilian as he walked into the gym before he fell face-first onto the carpet and just lay there.

I narrowed my eyes at his weirdness and turned back to the weights I had been busy with.

It was about five minutes to six in the morning; I had been in the gym since four. We would be having breakfast soon but I wasn't sure I had the appetite for it, well maybe I did but I just didn't want to see Adrian.

"So, I want waffles..." I turned to look at Maximilian as his muffled voice came from the mat.

"What are you doing?" I asked slowly feeling slightly weirded out by his current behaviour.

"Trying to get the picture of the duchess of Mayridge and the duke of Elkwood in my bed out of my head." He shuddered. I began laughing as he made what sounded like muffled disgusted crying sounds. "Security fricking sucks here." His voice came muffled.

"Hey!" I frowned.

"Shut up, I'm not talking about you." He said before he finally sat up. He was wearing a pair of track pants and a faded grey t-shirt, his blonde hair was sticking up in all directions making him look tired and bad, but somehow still a little sexy... Obviously he had made no attempt at get ready for the day. "I think I smell breakfast!" he suddenly shouted happily. I laughed.

"Aren't you going to get cleaned up?" I asked.

He looked at me like I was crazy. "I am going to the dining room, not a wedding. Plus I do not have anywhere to be today so no, Jessica. I will not waste what little energy I have on getting 'cleaned up'." I shook my head as he got up and walked out.

I took a quick shower and put on something a little more presentable than what Maximilian was wearing, but still casual. I heard talking the closer I got to the dining room and stopped when I walked in and the first person my eyes landed on was Emily.

"Oh, Jessica!" She said making everyone look at me, I gave an awkward smile at the attention, "I am so sorry about how I spoke to you yesterday, I was just so stressed out, but the party turned out lovely." She said sincerely. So I was right.

"It did... Thank you." I smiled.

"I didn't get a chance to talk to you last night, I was so busy. But that dress you wore was absolutely gorgeous. Gregory's, right?" She reached out and pulled me into the seat beside her and I smiled.

"Thank you and yes. You looked really beautiful." I admitted.

"I'm so happy I won't be the only girl here this time –"

"Oh, Jessica's not a girl. She does not count." Edgar said smirking.

"I am – I do!" I protested. The brothers chuckled and I frowned before I looked at Edgar again, "Where are the King and Queen?"

"They left for a meeting in Argentina; they will be gone all week." Edward answered.

"Don't we have a charity event to get to?" Emily's question was aimed at Adrian who had been unusually quiet.

"Huh –? Oh, sorry. Yes – wait, no. No." He shook his head looking confused, "It was re-scheduled to Friday."

"So you have nothing to do today?" Adrian looked up at Edward.

"I am not going to your comic convention or whatever." The brothers laughed. "We would not be able to recognise each other, what if someone got taken?"

"What about –" Maximilian began.

"No." He cut him off, "You know I cannot go near that place."

"Says who?" Edgar motioned to the empty seats at the dinner table.

"You know, there is this new thing called the internet, not really, it is actually quite old and –" Adrian laughed when he was cut off by a piece of lettuce having been thrown in his face. Emily looked shocked as the brothers laughed.

"Excuse me." Jessie walked into the dining room, "Emily, there's a phone call for you."

Emily thanked her before she excused herself and they both left.

"Adrian, come on... It would not kill you to be around us." Maximilian said sounding a little hurt.

"Maximilian, you know it is not like that..." Adrian drifted.

I felt like I needed to leave, I felt like I was invading their personal family privacy... again.

"Fine. We will just go to a restaurant." He said.

"You have to have a better idea of fun, Adrian." Edgar frowned.

"Work with me." Adrian groaned.

"Fine. But we choose the place." Edward said putting his fork down. "You cannot argue about it." Adrian stared at him uncertainly for a few seconds before he sighed.

"Alright." Adrian shrugged. "Are you coming?" he looked at me and smiled.

"She has to." Maximilian replied. "She is my... flea." We laughed at the word he used, "She goes wherever I go. Yes, flea. Because it is annoying and so is she." I kicked him beneath the table and he cried out while I smirked. "You are still a flea." He groaned.

-----

A few hours later we were all in a bowling alley. Adrian had ordered for the place not to be closed off just because we were in it and we were actually surrounded by other people, as well as about twenty other armed guards who just stood around staring at us while we played.

Adrian and Maximilian had taken a break to get us some food while Emily and I played against the twins.

"You cannot even throw a beach ball straight, Emily." Edgar joked as she grabbed a red bowling ball. She looked at him, unfazed and smirked before turning and bowling.

I jumped as it hit the front pin and everything fell down. "Yay!" I practically jumped on her.

"Ha!" She stuck her tongue out at Edgar as Edward chuckled.

Emily, I had learnt, was a really nice person. She couldn't fight, but she could sing really well. I also learnt that she was a law graduate and an only child. She also did ballet when she wasn't studying. When I heard her father's name, I had actually recognised it. He was also one of our clients, being one of the richest men on the planet I guess he needed what we offered.

"Watch." Edgar said as he grabbed a ball.

"Do not do that. Edgar –" Edward groaned as he covered his eyes and threw his head back as his brother swung the ball.

I bit my lip as it fell over to the side and missed every pin. Emily's amusement wasn't as subtle as mine as she went yelling in his face.

I grabbed a ball as Adrian and Maximilian walked up to us with food.

"Do not kill anyone." Maximilian smirked at me. Emily knew I wasn't actually related to them, she knew I was Maximilian's bodyguard.

"I'm not promising anything." I replied earning some laughter, "Edgar, watch." I smirked at him; he rolled his eyes as Edward laughed before I swung the ball.

I watched it wobble down the aisle and Edgar began laughing but his laughter hitched when my ball hit the second last right pin before it flung towards the left effectively making every pin drop.

"Wow!" Emily high-fived me.

"Nope, that is sorcery. No sorcery allowed, that does not count, Jessica." I laughed as Edward shook his head.

"Cute." Adrian smiled.

"Cute?" I replied raising my eyebrows as he handed the food to Emily and took Edward's ball.

"Yes, Jessica: cute." He smirked at me before he swung the ball.

I watched as it immediately dropped into the side before it rolled back onto the aisle at the end and hit just one pin.

"Adrian." I heard Maximilian groan.

"No way..." I mumbled watching the pin fall against the one next to it before creating a domino effect leaving just the front pin, until one rolled and bumped against it causing it to wobble and fall.

"Woo!" Edgar jumped on his brother causing them both fall on the floor.

"I did not see that coming." Maximilian mumbled from beside me. Me neither...

We played more, Adrian throwing out more tricks as Edgar and I tried to match him. Edgar seemed great after that one ball.

"How?" I asked Adrian before I took a bite of the hotdog in my hand.

He laughed. "I do not look like the type?" he asked.

"Honesty? I couldn't even picture you touching a ball before we came here." His smile wavered as he turned to look at Emily as she bowled.

"Well... Maybe try broadening your frame." He replied.

"I-I didn't mean... It isn't bad –" I was saying.

"Yes, it is. You see me as some stuck up rich person, right?" He asked. "You look at them and then at me and think: 'what happened?'" he motioned to his brothers who were laughing at something Edgar had done before he continued, "'They are so down to earth and he is completely the opposite... They are so friendly and he is so full of himself... They are so real and he...'" he drifted.

I opened my mouth but shut it unsure of how to respond to him – if I should respond to him. I felt my heart pumping in my throat.

"I am sorry." He suddenly looked at me, "I was just being senseless. Forget I spoke... Please." He smiled at me before he pulled out his phone and began typing.

I stared at him trying to wrap my mind around what he had said but I was cut out of it pretty quickly.

"Jessica." I looked up as someone said my name. "Your majesty." He bowed.

"Good day." Adrian smiled back.

"Um... You don't mind me... borrowing her for a bit? Your cousin, right?"

Adrian looked at me giving me a 'do you know him?' look. I did, but I didn't. I recognised him from our Accounting class at school; he was also in the soccer team with Maximilian and the others but he had never spoken to me when he was at our table.

"Don!" Maximilian greeted noticing him.

"Hey, Max –" I watched as they gave each other the usual manly hug.

"What is going on here?" he asked glancing at me.

"Oh, nothing. I-I just wanted to ask Jessica if she wanted to have a drink with me." Don said smiling at me. He was nice, I felt bad.

"Um – well –" I began not knowing what I was going to say.

"Family time, she cannot." Adrian cut me off. I was a little happy he intervened because I was just going to keep stuttering.

"Yes, family time." Maximilian agreed.

"Family time? Guys, you have the whole week with her – heck, you have however long she stays here. Go with him, we'll be right here." Emily smiled.

"But –" I looked at Maximilian.

"Fine." He cut me off. I looked at him shocked and he gave me a mischievous smile before turning back to Don, "You will be right there, right?" He pointed to the cafeteria.

"Yes." Don said.

"Cool, take her away – but keep your hands off her. We have people watching you." Don chuckled at what Maximilian said.

"Got it." He held his hand out and helped me to my feet.

I shot Maximilian a frown at why he agreed as Don led me away. I grimaced as he puckered his lips. What the hell was wrong with that boy? Oh crap. Was he trying to get me a boyfriend? I almost snorted. This drink would end here. I didn't need more people to get attached to. I would be gone in a couple of months, all of them being just faces in the crowd of people I had seen during my missions. The thought hurt enough already, I didn't need to add people to the list of people I knew I wouldn't forget... maybe ever.

I had messed up way too much already.

This was just a drink.

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