Page 65 of Noble Charms

Aria faced the water outside the breakfast nook window, hiding half his face with a hand. “No.”

The magic veil dimmed back to normal and the candles flickered to their typical dim glow. Noble hummed. “What did you do?”

Aria laughed nervously. He was too drunk to understand any of this; like he was in some kind of hazy dream. Or nightmare? “I cannot say.”

Noble's voice remained toneless. “Did he bring you off?”

“I don't believe either of us finished, no.”

“You don't believe…?” Noble's inflection grated upon Aria's mind, ruining the buzz he had from the champagne and the kissing.

Near-whispering, Aria said, “We just touched over clothes for a bit, that's all.”

“Do you think he's the one?”

“I don't know,” Aria lowered his hands, and tucked his hair behind his ears, fingers buzzing to do something while he spoke. “Probably not? He doesn't plan to stay in New Hieroph for more than a year.”

“You let him touch you anyway.” Again, Noble's voice was utterly flat.

Aria’s tender heart tightened as if in a vice. “He's been nice to me.”

“That all it takes?”

Aria met Noble's glare. “What's wrong with you?”

“You're ignoring how you feel about Ellor by fucking random men.”

“I'm not.” Aria found it hard to breathe. “That's what you do, Noble. Not me.” Noble scoffed, and that sound, and the rolling of his eyes, made Aria snap. “You're the one who’s fucked half of New Hieroph. You'll be the one fucking random men soon when there are no women left for you.”

“What I do in my bed is different from what you do, because we’re different people. You know that. You? And Hampenstead?” Noble’s disgust was visible on his face, and in his voice, and Aria had preferred the cold mask. “Tell me, in full honesty, that you see yourself with that man, and that you aren’t kissing him just because you can.”

Aria sank into his chair. He couldn’t deny it. Hampenstead was an odd match, but he seemed to care for Aria, and his disposition was opposite of Ellor. A comfort.

Hampenstead was, without a doubt, kind. So, yes—Aria had wanted a kiss. It’d been months. It took him a minute to find his voice again. “Hampenstead is the first man I’ve kissed since Ellor.”

Noble's eyes snapped to his, like a cat locking onto prey. “No. He’s not.”

He was not. Aria stumbled over his thoughts as the memory of his birthday flashed like lightning behind his eyes. “That’s not—you’re not being fair to me. It was my birthday, and it was you,” Aria said with tearful, heart-tender emphasis. His sudden influx of tears blinded him from Noble's face.

Noble stood up without a word and marched away. Distantly, Aria heard his bedroom door slam shut. What had gotten into him?

NOBLE

One month from Winterend, Noble went on his first second date. The auburn-haired lady from Romy's housewarming—Terra Leigh. Daughter of a duke. She was incredibly enthused when Noble asked her out for one of the pre-Winterend charity fundraising events. He was surprised, after he rejected her.

He'd really been terribly mean. To her, to Aria. To Morgan.

Morgan straightened him out, though, with a swift punch to the gut and demanded apology. Which Noble gave.

And Noble was sorry. It's just that he'd zero control of his life, and he couldn't stand his own insignificance. He couldn't have Virginia. He couldn't have Aria. He couldn't have a title, an estate, his parents' affection, or even a single glass of red wine at this fucking party.

“It really is absurd,” Terra huffed. “Who only serves white wine?”

“Monsters,” Noble said with full sincerity.

But Terra laughed. She leaned against his arm. “You're too funny, Noble. You don't mind if I have a glass, do you?”

He didn't reply, which Terra took as confirmation. When one of the waiters passed through the crowd of partygoers, she snagged a glass from the tray, and took a healthy swig. “At least it's good white wine.”