Find What You're Looking For

Chapter Nine

December 22, 2023
Monaco
Lily

I found myself on the front steps of the Leclerc mansion once more. I was spending the night... with Fallon. A certified girls night in with wine and chocolate and rom-coms that made me cringe.

The sleepover would bring a moment of peace during the whirlwind of Holidays and all our friends in town. I was excited to spend some quality time with my best friend. And I was glad to escape my brother and Kika's love fest for a while. My knuckles rapped against the front door and nearly a second later, Arthur was yanking me inside the foyer.

"Welcome back, Lils." He spoke with a mouthful of food.

I glanced at his hands, noting the giant bag of chips that he was picking from, and let out a chuckle. "Are you also having a self-care night?"

"A what?" Arthur whirled around, furrowing his thick-brown eyebrows.

I rolled my sea-green eyes and stepped right in front of him. He didn't drop his gaze, still looking just as confused. My hand flung to the crinkly plastic and grabbed a handful of potato chips. Arthur groaned and tried to knock them out of my grasp, but all he did was nudge me with his hip. I threw one salty chip in my mouth and chewed. "A self-care night. Where you take care of yourself... I know that's a hard concept for you."

"I take care of myself." Arthur led her into the kitchen, where Charles and Lorenzo were cooking dinner. The room was the biggest in the house- considering Pascale loved to bake all sorts of delicious concoctions, and the Formula One son excelled at cooking. Charles was best at making pasta and it smelled like he hadn't strayed away. I let the scent of garlic, onions, and basil seep into my nose. "I take care of myself just fine, thank you very much."

Everyone knew Arthur burned himself out taking care of Fallon, even though she never asked for that type of protection. He did it all on his own.

"Don't we know it." Lorenzo grumbled, glancing over at me with a brighter smile then what he had been shooting his brother. "Hello, Lily."

"He-lo." I couldn't help but use the corny line from when I was a kid. He gave me the exact expression from the very first day I'd met him, which was an upsetting frown. Arthur and I chuckled, hitting one another with our elbows as we threw our heads back.

"Please Lily..." Lorenzo walked around the counter and gave me a kiss on the cheek. His touch was warm and also a bit sweaty. He must have been exercising after work. His kiss, unlike Arthur's, did not make my heart flutter. But it was sweet nonetheless. "I thought we killed that nickname already?"

"You did." I smiled over my shoulder at him as he walked backwards towards the staircase. "I didn't."

He just winked in response. I turned back around to Charles who was busy eyeing the pan on the stove. He didn't meet my gaze, but spoke with a grin. "Hungry?"

"Very." I could practically hear my stomach rumble on cue.

"Good girl." Charles nodded.

He was only wearing a pair of basketball shorts. Any other girl I knew would have been foaming at the mouth at the sight of him, but I was only wishing that the youngest Leclerc had been wearing the same. I couldn't lie and say Charles didn't look handsome... but he always did. He was the Prince of Monaco after all. "Dinner should be ready shortly. Mamá is at her friend's house for their book club and we boys will be heading to the boat in a few, so you and Fallon get the house to yourselves."

I glanced at Arthur, trying to read his expression. "Neymar is going too?"

He leaned against the granite countertop, cocking his head to the side to look at me with a sour grimace. "Dreadfully."