Chapter 52: Priorities
After a delicious dessert of a shot of espresso mixed with vanilla gelato, our dinner was blessedly over. I still couldn’t believe I survived it. The only way I got through it was focusing on the mouthwatering meal.
I wished that I had the money to eat here every day. Some of the groans of pleasure that had come out of my mouth were a little embarrassing, but the food was so delicious that I couldn’t bring myself to care.
Gareth had accounts at all the expensive restaurants in our kingdom, so we didn’t even have to wait for the bill. The five of us walked out of the restaurant, and I chose to walk by Michelle, allowing Isabella and Elliot to go before me.
Night had fallen, and the streets were busy with cars. I glanced around, my mood having lifted slightly, searching for one of Gareth’s fancy cars that would take us home. I was wondering how I would get home after being driven back to the mansion when Beta Kevin pulled up and parked at the curb.
“Michelle, Isabella, and Elliot, Beta Kevin will drive you home first.” Gareth gestured for them to get into the car. Then, he walked closer to me and looked directly into my eyes. “Then, he’s going to take you home,” Gareth told me in a low voice. His cedar wood scent was making my head spin. “And I’m going to ride along to make sure you get there safely.”
My mind seemed to short circuit as I stared into his deep gray eyes, and my hands began to shake.
Behind us, I noticed that Isabella clapped her hands with excitement, but Elliot frowned, then sulked off to the car without saying goodbye. We didn’t have to wait long for Beta Kevin to drive them home since the mansion was close to Nicola’s. My heart slammed against my chest when Gareth opened the car door for me.
Soon, we were alone in the backseat. The energy between us was electric, and when he started driving, Beta Kevin pressed a button to roll up the black divider, giving us some privacy. I wondered if Gareth had asked him to do that.
When I peeked over at him, his whole body was turned away from me as he stared out the window. His tense demeanor reminded me of when he rescued me from Elliot and his horrible friends at the club. My instincts were telling me to follow his lead and keep quiet, but after a few moments of silence, I couldn’t stop the question that escaped out my mouth.