~ Audrey ~
“I can’t believe I’m ditching my own party, my dad’s gonna flip if he finds out…” Audrey looked from side to side, making sure that no one was following them.
“Let’s just make sure that he won’t,” the brothers replied simply.
It was Audrey’s home, but Caspian was leading the charge. The three of them scaled up the stairs and jumped out of a window, climbing up to the roof of the building via the fire exit. It was a hard maneuver with heels and a dress, but the brothers lent each of their hands and Audrey took them.
The next thing she knew, she was standing on the rooftop of her townhouse.
“I knew it. These old townhouses always have a nice rooftop,” Caspian walked around and inspected the edges. They were about four stories up from the ground.
“Wow, I’ve lived here for years and I’ve never even been up here,” Audrey took note of the bright full moon above them and the skyline of New York City in front of them.
“How long have you lived here?” Killian asked.
“Since I was born. I only moved out a couple of years ago for college,” Audrey replied, she found a cozy spot on a corner and took a seat.
“Where to?” Killian took the seat to her left.
“Gramercy Park East,”
“The white building by the park?” Caspian took the seat to her right.
“That’s the one,” she nodded.
“That’s a nice place,” Killian said.
“Yeah,”
“Cheers to you, princess, happy twenty first birthday,” Caspian took out a bottle of champagne he had stolen from the party below. He popped the bottle open and chugged some of the spills before giving the bottle to Audrey.
“Thanks,” she took the bottle and drank a sip. It tasted nice and bubbly, but also a little too strong for her. She wasn’t much of a drinker, she was barely twenty one and she had always followed the rules, meaning she didn’t really drink alcohol at all.
“So, what are you studying in college?” Killian received the bottle from Audrey and took a sip.
“Creative writing,”
“Are you a writer?” he said as he gave the bottle back to her.
“No, not yet,” she took another sip and choked back the bitter taste.
“Why not?” he asked.
“Because I haven’t got any interesting stories to tell yet,” she shrugged.
The brothers exchanged a look as if they didn’t believe her.
“What?” she asked.
“I doubt that. I’m pretty sure a girl like you has lived quite a life,” Killian smiled meaningfully.
“What does that mean?” she questioned him.
He looked at her meaningfully and said, “Come on, tell me, what’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done,”
“No,” she shook her head quickly.
“Tell us. And then I’ll go and Cas will go too,” Killian pressed on.
She looked to Caspian on her left and to Killian on her right. She thought about it for a moment and said, “No, you guys go first,”
“Well… okay,” Killian nodded. “Craziest thing I’ve ever done, when I was eighteen I almost crashed a plane,”
“A plane?” she gaped.
“I just got my flying license and I was excited to fly my first flight alone. I went up, everything was fine, then suddenly there was a machine malfunction. Everything lit up like wildfire and the plane started going down. It went so far down, I almost hit like a mountain. Luckily, I caught the error in time and navigated back to my route. I was pretty damn lucky,”
“Wow…” her mouth formed an ‘O’ as she listened to his story.
“So, when I was sixteen, I banged four hot chicks in the bathroom of the Louvre in Paris,” Caspian said nonchalantly.
“You did what?” Audrey almost spat the champagne in her mouth. What a lady, she thought to herself.
“Not at the same time, they took turns, but it was like minutes apart, you know what I mean?” Caspian kept going.
Audrey turned to Killian and he just shrugged, as if to say, ‘that’s my brother for you’.
“I swear, true story,” Caspian said again, “And after that time I popped my dick. Fucking hurt like hell. And that’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done,”
Audrey was fascinated. She never knew that a guy’s dick could… pop?
“Sadly, I can attest to that. He’s telling the truth,” Killian nodded to his brother.
“Oh wow… Just wow,” she gaped at both brothers. What a character, she thought.
“So, what’s yours?” Caspian asked.
“Yeah, we’ve told you ours. Tell us yours,” Killian added.
Audrey took a moment and drew a deep breath. “Well… uh… this one time, my friend Olivia and I were at Whole Foods… we were so hungry but we left our wallets in the car, so we stole some bananas and oat milk, we put it under our jackets and just walked out. It was so… intense,”
Audrey smiled sheepishly, but the brothers held a ‘are you serious’ look on their faces.
“No,” Killian denied.
“No, come on. Tell us a real story,” Caspian followed.
“I swear, I don’t have any stories interesting to tell,” she groaned.
“How about your love life? Your kinks or whatever?” Caspian asked.
“Kinks…?” Audrey wasn’t sure of what that meant.
Caspian’s eyes lit up and he turned to Killian, smacking his brother on the arm and said, “Bro, I think this girl’s a virgin,”
“No, she’ can’t be,” Killian chuckled. Turning to Audrey, he said, “You’re not a virgin. You can’t be,”
“What does that supposed to mean?” Audrey narrowed her eyes at him.
“Means he thinks you’re too pretty to be a virgin,” Caspian answered.
Audrey was trying her best not to squirm or blush bright red, but it was useless. Her entire face was bright pink as she said, “Um, well, I’ll have you know, I’m just waiting for the right time…”
“Shit, you really are a virgin?” Killian gaped. Caspian’s eyes also shot up to look at her.
“What?” she looked at the two brothers. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
The two brothers didn’t say anything for a while. Killian was in full-on shock and Caspian only shook his head in disbelief.
“Yeah, you should wait, princess,” Caspian said as he took a sip of the champagne. “It’s very important to get to know the guy who’s gonna penetrate you,”
“Ew!” Audrey cringed at his choice of word.
“That’s exactly how a virgin would react, you see that, Kill? Take notes,” Caspian laughed away.
Audrey was mortified, absolutely embarrassed at how the conversation had gone this way. When she agreed to ditch the party with the Vanderbilt brothers, she never thought that the topic of her virginity would ever come up or that she would be teased like this.
Oh, god, what have I gotten myself into?
“Can we please talk about something else?” Audrey laughed nervously. “Literally, anything else,”
“Wait, you said you’re waiting for the right time, not the right guy. Does that mean there’s someone special in mind?” Killian asked.
“Yeah, I guess you can say that,” Audrey muttered under her breath. She didn’t understand why the topic of her virginity was so amusing to the brothers.
“Oh, spill it,” Caspian nudged her elbow.
Ah, what the heck, might as well, she said to herself.
“His name’s Ashton and he goes to NYU with me,”
“Ashton what?” Killian asked.
“Whitaker,”
“Don’t think I know his family,” Killian turned to his brother, asking, “Do you?”
Cas thought about it for a moment before shaking his head no.
“His family’s not… from around here,” Audrey said. She had carefully picked those words.
“So, why is this guy the one?” Killian asked.
Audrey smiled at the thought of Ashton being the one. “He’s very kind. He’s very cute. He makes me laugh… and he’s the first guy that sees me for me, you know? Not as Audrey Huntington or whatever,”
“Seems like quite a guy. Why isn’t he here at your party?” Caspian asked.
“He’s not on the list,” Audrey admitted.
The brothers knew exactly what that meant. They gave each other a knowing look.
“What?” she asked them.
“Nothing,” Killian muttered.
“You’re such a cliché,” Caspian answered. “The rich girl falling for the guy her father disagrees with. How very Romeo and Juliet,”
“I am not a cliché!” Audrey snapped.
“Hey, it’s okay, it’s your life. Do whatever you want,” Caspian raised his hands in surrender.
Audrey did not like to be called a cliché. She believed the opposite. A cliché would be her picking one of the lame guys at the party and marrying them. Dating Ashton was her breaking the cycle, not choosing the cliché option.
“So, when’s the right time for the two of you then?” Killian asked, pulling her from her train of thought.
“Soon, I hope,” she smiled meaningfully.
“Well, if you need any pointers, I got your back,” Caspian teased.
“Thanks, but I think I’ll manage,”
“Just sayin’, you’re talking to a guy with a lifetime of knowledge,”
“I’d rather shoot myself in the foot,”
“How’s that rejection taste like, Cas?” Killian laughed.
“Oh, you’re saying no right now princess, but watch… someday you’re gonna be begging for me,” Caspian smirked menacingly.
“If that day ever comes, you shoot me in the foot,” Audrey said to Killian.
“Deal,” Killian shook her hand.
“Oh, this is gonna be good,” Caspian licked his lips and grinned to himself.
Audrey wanted to smack that grin off his face, but she refrained. Instead, she rolled her eyes and took the champagne bottle that was in his hand. “Give me that,”
“That’s what she said,” Caspian muttered and Audrey almost spat out her champagne.
“Woah, slow down,” Killian pulled out a handkerchief for Audrey. “You’ll spill everything,”
“That’s what she said,” Caspian said triumphantly.
Killian didn’t want to laugh, but it was hilarious and he couldn’t help himself. They all broke out in wild laughter after that. As the night went on, Audrey had lost count of how many sips she had already. She was too busy talking, laughing, and rolling her eyes at Caspian’s sexual innuendos.
As the three of them finished that bottle of champagne, Audrey was feeling a little dizzy, but also her body felt light and her mouth had lost its filter. She was absolutely enjoying herself, she had forgotten where she was and who she was with. She just felt like she was amongst friends. She didn’t even realize that when she would touch Killian’s chest or when she shoved Caspian’s elbow playfully, the brothers’ body turned stiff. As much as they wanted to play it cool, her touch triggered something inside of them. Something they didn’t realize yet at this moment.
“Ugh, I wish I could see Ashton right now,” Audrey groaned after she shook the empty bottle of champagne in the air. She was hoping for some more, but there wasn’t a drop left.
“Why don’t you just go see him?” Killian asked.
“He’s way downtown and I’m here, entertaining guests at my party slash auction,” she sighed miserably.
“Well… If you want, you can sneak out. We’ll help you,” Killian offered.
“Really?” A light bulb flashed in her head. Her eyes shot up in excitement as she said, “You guys would do that?”
Killian turned to his brother and said, “We have a damsel in distress here. What do you say, Cas?”
Caspian grinned knowingly and pulled out his phone, “I say, let’s call the driver,”
*
*
*
- - - - - To Be Continued - - - - -
- - - - - THREE YEARS LATER - - - - - ~ Killian ~ “Alright baby, it’s your first day, are you excited?” “Yes!” Grace squealed in excitement. She was wearing her favorite dress and her hair tied up in a ponytail. She also got her pink backpack and Princess lunchbox with her. Today was her first day in kindergarten. Audrey and Killian were dropping her off in front of the school. Some other kids were crying because they didn’t want their parents to leave them with a bunch of adult strangers, but not Gracie. She was fearless, like her mother. “We’ll be back in a few hours to pick you up,” Killian said and kissed the top of Grace’s head. “Listen to your teachers, be nice to your friends, and have fun,” Audrey added. “Yes, I will!” Grace exclaimed and waved her hands. “Bye, mommy. Bye, daddy!” “Bye, baby. We’ll see you again soon,” Audrey and Killian waved back as Grace raced to the doors. Her teachers were greeting her and she greeted them back politely. “I can’t believe she’s i
- - - - - ALTERNATE ENDING - - - - - ~ Caspian ~ “Daddy, daddy!” Caspian opened his eyes to see Grace looking straight at him. Her little hands that were the size of ravioli were resting on his face. She was tapping him lightly, wanting to wake him up. “Mmhm,” Caspian groaned and turned around. He was teasing Grace on purpose. “Daddy, wake up!” she protested. Taking after his daddy, Grace was a persistent girl. She climbed up the bed and climbed on top of Caspian’s body. He was laughing to himself as Grace struggled and got on top of him. “Daddy!” she exclaimed happily as she sat on Caspian’s chest. “Hey, good morning, you,” Caspian chuckled and opened his eyes in defeat. “Good morning, daddy,” Grace was laughing triumphantly and hugging his neck. “Did mommy send you to wake me up?” “Uh-huh,” she giggled. She had her mom’s smile and that made Caspian smile. “Where is she?” he asked. Grace pointed to the floor, meaning downstairs. “Alright, let’s go get her,” Caspian got
~ Audrey ~ “Sweetheart, you’re making all my dreams come true,” Killian’s words made Audrey’s heart swell. Her eyes softened and glazed over. Her hand reached for his face and her thumb caressed his skin. Their eyes were locked onto each other and she stared at Killian as if her life depended on it. “I love you so much, Kill,” she whispered. Killian leaned down and kissed her in response. His kiss was so tender and deep, Audrey couldn’t help the tear falling from her eyes. She was so incredibly happy. And he was too. She could feel it. “I love you too. So, so much more,” he whispered back. Killian pulled her into his chest and Audrey tightened her grip around his neck. She wanted to feel more of him, so she linked her legs around his waist too. Killian held her entire body up with ease and he carried her up to their room. He laid her down gently on the bed, and he stared at her eyes for a moment as he hovered above her body. Audrey was seeing her entire world in Killian’s pier
- - - - - Six Months Later - - - - - ~ Audrey ~ “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Gracie, happy birthday to you!” The whole room was singing and cheering for baby Grace’s first birthday. She had no clue what was happening though. She was sitting on her chair with a pink dress on, staring at everyone in front of her. Her biggest fans in the world were in the room, her mommy, daddy, grandpa Max, grandpa John, and grandma Anna. Even uncle Mikey, Uncle Sebastian, Auntie Liv, and Uncle Benji were there too. Audrey and Killian invited their closest friends and family to attend an intimate weekend celebration for Grace’s first birthday party. They wanted it to be extra special, so instead of doing a house party at their home in Brooklyn or at the Vanderbilt mansion, they decided to have it in Bermuda, the place that inspired her namesake. The Vanderbilt villa was big enough to house everyone. And out in the garden, Audrey, Mikey, Liv, and Benji had dec
- - - - - Six Months Later - - - - - ~ Audrey ~ Audrey was staring in front of her laptop for the longest time. A word document page full of words was staring back at her. She thought for a moment before her hand reached for the keyboards again. And just as she was about to start typing, she heard a loud cry coming from the next room. Audrey immediately knew what that cry meant. After listening to her baby’s cries for six months, Audrey could tell what she needed just by the way she cried. Getting up to her feet, Audrey quickly went to the nursery. She opened the door to see Killian and Virginia, their postpartum doula, picking up baby Grace from her crib. Yes, following their busy schedules, Killian and Audrey thought it’d be a great idea to have a doula live in their home and help with the baby. Virginia was a highly experienced postpartum doula in her mid fifties. She had great insights and support on infant feeding, infant soothing, and coping skills for new parents. She also
- - - - - One Month Later - - - - - ~ Killian ~ Killian lay in bed that night staring at the ceiling. Not being able to sleep was a normal thing for him, but there was another reason why he couldn’t sleep tonight. Tomorrow was a big day for him and Audrey. It was the day where their baby girl would come into the world. Audrey decided that she wanted to do a homebirth. They didn’t have the best memories the last time they were in a hospital. And Audrey felt most relaxed and comfortable being at home. Dr. Shepherd, who was closely monitoring Audrey and the baby, agreed that home birth would be a viable option. So they set on a date, got all the equipment ready, hired a midwife-nurse, and set aside a hospital transport just in case. Tomorrow was the D-day and Killian was too nervous to sleep. He kept checking the clock to see if the hour hand had moved. Audrey seemed like she was nervous too. It was about eleven-thirty at night and she was usually asleep by now. But tonight, she wasn
- - - - - Two Weeks Later - - - - -~ Audrey ~“Good afternoon, Mrs. Vanderbilt,” the receptionist greeted Audrey politely. It had been a whole month since people started calling her by this name and she still got giddy every time she heard it.“Hi, is Killian done with his meeting?” Audrey was biting her lip to stop herself from smiling too much.“Yes, he’s in his office. Would you like me to call him for you?”“No, don’t call him. I’ll come up and see him,” she said quickly and winked. “It’s a surprise,”The receptionist nodded her head and opened the door to the private elevator leading up to Killian’s office. Since he started working as the head of both the Vanderbilt and Huntington corporations, Killian would divid
- - - - - Two Weeks Later - - - - -~ Killian ~ Two weeks had gone by so fast. Before they knew it, it was already the last night of Killian and Audrey’s honeymoon. Sure, being in Bermuda was great, but Killian enjoyed spending uninterrupted quality time with Audrey the most. He couldn’t care less of what they were doing as long as they did it together. And they did everything together, from exploring around the island to trying out the local food, and visiting historical sites that she liked so much.The days went by so fast, but the nights were a bit more troubling for Killian. Ever since the accident, Killian had been having trouble sleeping. Every time he closed his eyes, he was back at the steering wheel again. He’d try to drive away to safety, but the end result was always the same.Letting out a deep sigh, Killian opened hi
- - - - - Two Weeks Later - - - - - ~ Audrey ~ “Welcome back to Bermuda, Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt,” Benji greeted Audrey and Killian with his signature toothy smile. “Thanks, Benji,” Audrey replied. She hadn’t seen Benji, the Vanderbilt’s personal tour guide, since their last visit to Grace Bay two years ago. “It’s been so long since your last visit. Congratulations on the wedding,” he said as he took their luggage and put it in the trunk of the car. “And I am sorry to hear about Mr. Caspian. I cry when I see the newspaper,” “Thank you, Benji. I appreciate it,” Killian replied. Though Benji’s English wasn’t particularly great, Audrey could see the sincerity in his eyes. He must be sad to hear about Caspian’s passing. Whenever he visited Bermuda, Caspian always treated him very well. Benji only wor