25. Partners in Crime.

[Liam]
"Okay, Yes Sir, I'll go and see him immediately, thank you for informing me." I sighed as the phone line went dead.
You would think being a member of the royal family was great until you were stuck being one.
I used to think Luke's life was great, I mean what more could he possibly ask for, he had everything.
Until I realized the burdens he carried, my father might be a simple man, he may not be able to afford all the luxuries in the world, but he gave me the most expensive gift of all, his love and his time.
My mother died after I was born so I didn't exactly grow up with a mother, though my father was from a large family so there were frequent visits from my grandmother and aunts.
I don't ever recollect a time when I needed him that he wasn't there for me, he still called me frequently and I made sure to visit him as often as I could.
That was my greatest joy, my father and I were best friends and we were always there for each other.
Another person that was dear to my heart was Luke, ever since we met in high school, we had been inseparable.
The King had even offered to send me to America with Luke but I had refused because I didn't want to leave my father and I didn't want to sadden him.
I walked faster as I approached the Prince's room, I could hear the destruction going on, the doorpost guards gave me passage immediately and I entered his room hurriedly.
I gasped in shock when I got in, there were broken glasses everywhere, he had upturned all the furniture and there were holes in the wall.
"What have you done?" I rushed to him alarmed, I had never seen him in such a state before. "Come with me, let me help you clean your hands up." I pleaded with him.
"I want to leave Luke, I f*cking want to leave, I'm tired of this life, I just want to go back to America and never return again." He was breathing really hard and I could tell that he was trying really hard not to cry.
"I'm so sorry, man, let's get you cleaned up first then we'll talk okay." I hoped that there wasn't any glass particle stuck in his hand and that he didn't need any stitches.
"I've never seen you get so violent, man," I commented as I cleaned and doctored his hand in the sink.
Fortunately, there was no glass particle stuck in his hand and he didn't need any stitches but his hand was bleeding badly, had a lot of cuts and bruises.
"I just got so mad, he never listens to me, he never cares about what I have to say, he has absolute control over my life, can you believe the bloody b*stard said we'll see when I told him that I wouldn't marry Megan." He complained angrily.
I winced slightly when he called his father a bloody b*stard, I couldn't even imagine getting so mad at my father to the point where I would start calling him names.
"You're not doing anything are you?" I asked him sternly.
There was a time when he resorted to alcohol and drugs to relieve his burdens. We were teenagers at that point but I never forgot how scared I was back then.
"I promised you, I wouldn't ever break that." He responded and I hugged him tightly.
"We'll get through this together, I promise you." I patted him on his shoulder.
"What in the bloody h*ll happened here?" Sir Thomas's voice sounded from the bedroom.
"There's been a little accident," I answered coming out of the bathroom.
"How is he doing?" Sir Thomas asked me sadly.
"He'll be fine," I said and the old man nodded his head.
"I'll get the maids to clean this up and replace everything that's been broken, just find something to make him happy." He said and left the room, avoiding the broken glass on the floor.
"He's gone, you can come out now," I told him and bent down to pick a photo from the floor.
In his anger he had broken our graduation frame, I put the picture on the bed and turned to him.
"Let's get out of here." He said picking up some shades.
***
We ended up going to a restaurant in the least busy part of the city and he wasn't recognized, we sat there for a while drinking responsibly before an idea popped into my head.
Sir Thomas did say just find something to make him happy and I couldn't think of anything or in this case anyone that could make him happy other than Claire.
"I want to be with Megan, I like her a lot," I announced suddenly.
He didn't appear to be shocked, he just looked at me silently.
"Well I want Claire, I want her in my bed and in my arms, mine alone." He said sipping his drink loudly.
"Didn't you hear what I said?" I asked him loudly, he must have thought I was joking. "I'm being very serious, she doesn't have to know the real me and Claire doesn't have to know the real you but we can get to be with them."
"Have you lost your mind, friend?" He looked at me seriously now. "Is there too much alcohol in your system or something?"
"Don't you want to try, no matter how long or short this lasts, don't you at least want a shot at this, don't you want to be happy, because I sure do." I went on, ignoring his outbursts.
"You're serious about this?" He raised a brow at me and pushed his drink away from his front.
.
.
[Luke]
"Yes."
I couldn't believe what Liam was saying, I couldn't believe what he was daring to do, at first I thought he was just kidding, maybe it was something from a therapist's handbook but then he kept at it and I realized that he was deadly serious.
"If we do this." I started, considering his offer. "I get to be with Claire and you get to take Megan off my hands," I said slowly.
"We can even pull the switch at other events, regardless of Megan's attendance." He agreed.
At that moment, I thought of Claire and the strange attraction I had to her, it was definitely something I wanted to pursue and ultimately I wanted in my bed, writhing beneath me, I had a feeling that she would give me the pleasure and release I so craved.
I couldn't deny that it was a good deal, dangerous, crazy even, but it was good, I wouldn't have to worry about being a Prince or about Megan and the King, plus I would get Claire.
I was in, oh, I was so in.
"I'm in, they might hate us if they find out but I'm in," I said and finished my remaining drink.
"I'm hoping we charm them enough for them to forgive us when they eventually find out." Liam chuckled.
"Partners." I laughed and stretched my hand to him.
"For life." He shook my hand and laughed too.
I was very happy, if this would work, then I needed to get Claire to forgive me.
We were partners for life.
"Okay, that means I have to get Claire to forgive me," I said.
"Oh, that's easy, you know where she works and you know where she lives, just send her flowers, apology notes, chocolates, whatever, learn from the French." He said.
"Learn from the French." I frowned. "What does that even mean?"
"Be romantic, the French are very romantic, every woman likes that, besides she thinks your name is Jean right, I wonder how she hasn't suspected you yet, you don't sound French at all."
"True, but I look, French, my mother was French after all." I smiled.
Romance it is.
"Do you need Megan's number, you should also call her and apologize," I told him.
"I have her number, apologize why?" He frowned at me. "Wait, don't tell me, you were cold, rude, and insulting to her right?"
"Ding, ding, ding, all three of your answers are correct." I mimicked a tv host.
"Ah come on, she was just beginning to trust me, it will be hard to convince her now." He sighed.
"Well, I guess I'm not the only one that has my work cut out for me, you should also learn from the French." I mimicked him for my last sentence.
He flipped me off.
I took my phone and tried calling Claire, of course, she denied the call like she had been doing but I never thought to send her a text before now.
"You've been rejecting my calls and that too for good reason, I'm sorry for being such a jerk and judging you like that, if you'll just give me a chance to let you know how sorry I am, I'll be truly grateful, please pick my calls or at least reply my message." I finished, smiled at my work, and hit the send button.
I smiled as I watched Liam doing the same thing that I did.
It is on.