After a couple of hours on the highway, the luxury van finally slowed down as it passed through the towering, ornate gates of Everything Kingdom.
The sprawling resort and theme park opened up before them in a flash of vibrant colors, grand castle arches, winding roller coasters, and bustling crowds of visitors.
The driver pulled into the packing Zone right outside their resort hotel, bringing the engine to a smooth stop.
The moment the side doors slid open, Jace was the first to hop out, stretching his arms toward the sky with a loud groan of satisfaction.
“Finally!
My legs were starting to go numb!”
One by one, they all climbed out into the warm, lively afternoon air.
The driver popped the rear trunk, and everyone gathered around the back of the van to haul out their bags.
Chloe stepped out, balancing in her stylish shoes, and immediately let out a dramatic, delicate sigh.
She slunk over to Ashton’s side, leaning her head against his chest with a soft pout.
“Baby…
could you help me carry my bags?” Chloe whined playfully, batting her eyelashes as she pointed toward her heavy bag.
“My feet are already hurting so much…”
Ashton chuckled softly, giving her a fond smile as he pulled her suitcase out along with his own.
“Of course, babe.
I’ve got it.
You just focus on walking.”
Jace tossed his bag over his shoulder and gave Kira a sharp nudge with his elbow, a massive, teasing smirk spreading across his face.
“Okay, these two are definitely going to make this whole two-day trip feel like we tagged along on a private honeymoon!” Jace shouted loudly, making sure his voice carried across the whole driveway for the couple to hear.
Kira burst out laughing, shaking her head as she hoisted her own backpack onto her shoulders.
“Right?
I give it two hours before they start wearing matching outfits!” Ashton didn’t even flinch.
Instead, he smoothly wrapped his free arm around Chloe’s waist, pulling her tight against his side with a proud, cocky grin.
“Y’all are just jealous you don’t have the most beautiful, most gorgeous lady of Clifton Heights as your girlfriend!” Ashton called back with a wink.
Chloe flushed a pretty shade of pink, giggling as she buried her face in his shoulder.
Before anyone could reply, Ashton stepped over toward Keegan, slinging his arm right over Keegan’s shoulder.
“And unlike you bitter haters, I know my boy here isn’t jealous!” Ashton declared proudly, shaking Keegan slightly by the shoulder.
“I’ve got my Blue-line, who always has my back!
And he’s gonna get a beautiful, incredible lady of his own real soon…
cause he’s gonna need a date when he stands right next to me as the best man at my wedding!”
The words hit Keegan like a sudden, quiet punch to the gut.
Best man at my wedding.
For a agonizing second, the air left Keegan’s lungs.
The thought of standing up there in a sharp suit, watching Ashton vow his entire life and love to someone else, twisted like a cold blade in his chest.
But years of practice took over automatically.
Keegan swallowed the sharp sting down into the darkest corner of his heart, forcing his lips into an easy, sarcastic smirk.
“Whoa, hold your horses, Montgomery,” Keegan chuckled, using his forearm to shove Ashton’s arm off his neck.
“Let’s make it through these two days of theme park rides before you start drafting your wedding guest list.”
“Hey! You are reading on g.com, the official source.
I’m just planning ahead!” Ashton laughed, catching his balance and winking at Chloe.
“A guy’s gotta keep his priorities straight.” Jace rolled his eyes with a loud groan.
“If I have to hear any more wedding talk before we even check into the hotel, I’m riding the mega-coaster five times in a row without a seatbelt.”
“I’ll join you,” Kira joked, stepping up beside Keegan and shooting him a subtle, gentle glance—catching the slight flicker of tension in his eyes before anyone else could notice.
“Come on, let’s head inside and get our room keys before Jace actually passes out from drama overload.”
⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯
The glass doors slid open automatically, welcoming them into the soaring, marble-columned lobby of The Kingdom’s Grand Hotel.
Cool air-conditioning washed over them, carrying the faint scent of fresh lilies as soft ambient music played through unseen speakers.
They approached the high front counter, where a young receptionist in a crisp burgundy suit stood up, offering a warm, professional smile.
“Welcome to The Kingdom Grand Hotel,” she greeted smoothly.
“How may I help you today?”
Ashton stepped up to the counter, leaning one elbow against the polished granite top with an easy grin.
“Hey there.
Reservation under Montgomery.”
The receptionist tapped quickly on her keyboard, her eyes lighting up as the file popped onto her screen.
“Ah, yes!
Mr.
Montgomery.
You have a reservation for three VIP suites for two nights, correct?”
“That’s us,” Ashton confirmed with a nod.
“Wonderful,” she smiled, but then her eyes hovered over a small note on the side of her screen, her expression shifting slightly into a polite, cautious grin.
“Oh…
Mr.
Montgomery, I actually have a direct priority note attached to your reservation file from your mother.”
Jace groaned softly from behind, leaning his head back against his bag.
“Oh boy.
Here it comes…”
“Mrs.
Montgomery called ahead earlier this morning once she was made aware of your trip arrangements,” the receptionist explained gently.
“She left instructions regarding room assignments.
Since your party consists of both young men and women, the girls will be assigned to one suite, and the boys will be placed in a separate suite across the hall.
Co-ed suites are strictly off-limits.”
Jace tossed his arms up in the air with a dramatic whine.
“Ahhh, really?!
Come on!
“Besides, the only actual couple here who would even think about doing…
stuff like that if we shared a room is these two right here!”
Chloe’s jaw dropped in sheer outrage, her face instantly flushing hot as she spun around to glare at both Jace and the receptionist.
“What the actual fuck!?” Chloe snapped, her high-pitched voice echoing slightly off the marble lobby walls.
“We are paying customers!
It’s not like we’re staying here for free!
We’re not middle schoolers for his mom to tell us what we can and can’t do!
He’s my boyfriend—does that mean I’m not even allowed to have sex with my own boyfriend just because his mom called ahead?!”
Keegan quickly covered his mouth with his hand, trying to smother a sudden burst of laughter, while Kira choked on her breath in utter disbelief.
Ashton’s eyes widened in sheer panic.
Before Chloe could announce anything else to the entire lobby, he spun around and slapped his palm firmly right over her lips, muffling her protesting squeaks.
“Okay!
Baby, okay, calm down!” Ashton hissed hurriedly.
“Hush, hush!” Gently ushering a fuming Chloe toward Kira, Ashton practically handed her off.
“Kira, please…
help her calm down before she gets us kicked out of the VIP lounge.”
Kira grabbed Chloe’s shoulders, chuckling as she pulled her back.
“Come on, Chloe, take a deep breath before you give the lobby staff a heart attack.”
Ashton cleared his throat, running a hand through his hair as he turned back to the counter.
He took a quick, stabilizing breath and glanced down at the golden name tag pinned to the receptionist’s lapel.
“Alright…
Ms.
Clara,” Ashton said, putting on his most charming, disarming Montgomery smile.
“We’ll take the rooms.
We’ll sleep in separate suites from the girls, exactly like my mom requested.
No problem at all.”
Ms.
Clara breathed a quiet sigh of relief, her professional smile returning instantly as she tapped her screen and pulled out three gold-embossed room keys.
“We greatly appreciate your understanding, Mr.
Montgomery,” she said smoothly, sliding the key cards across the counter.
“We hope you and your friends have a wonderful stay at The Kingdom Grand Hotel.”
“Thanks,” Ashton said, picking up the key cards.
He turned around to face the group, tossing one of the keys in his palm.
“Okay then!
So the girls will be in—”
Before he could finish his sentence, two loud, booming voices echoed right from behind them across the polished lobby.
“Yo, Montgomery!”