I wake up to the soft sound of birds outside my window, a rare moment of peace before the whirlwind of the day begins. The sun is barely peeking over the horizon, casting a golden glow across the dorm room. I stretch lazily, my body still heavy from the mental exhaustion of yesterday. The fitting, the endless lectures from my mother about tonight’s business dinner—it’s all been weighing on me. But for now, I push those thoughts aside. Today is going to be long. Between hanging out with Grace and Henry and then prepping for this dinner, I know I need to pace myself. I roll out of bed and grab my phone to check the time, wondering if Grace is awake yet. Sure enough, there’s a text from her. **Grace**: _Coffee? I’m dying for caffeine and sunlight._ I smile, already feeling lighter. Grace always has a way of pulling me out of my head and into the moment. She’s the balance I need right now. **Lillian**: _Meet you in 20?_ **Grace**: _Perfect. Henry’s coming too._ I pull on some comfortable clothes and head out the door, taking my time as I walk across campus. The air feels fresh and cool, a nice contrast to the usual heat of the day. When I arrive at the little ==café== where we often meet, Grace is already sitting at a table outside, sunglasses perched on her nose and a large iced coffee in hand. Henry joins us a minute later, looking as effortlessly put together as always, despite the early hour. “Morning,” I say, sliding into the chair next to Grace. “You two look suspiciously well-rested.” Grace chuckles. “I live for mornings like this. Coffee, sunshine, and absolutely no plans.” Henry grins. “Speak for yourself. I’m meeting half the ==Riverton== elite tonight, thanks to this dinner. I need to be on my game.” I roll my eyes playfully. “Oh, right. You’re going to charm your way into the family business.” “Damn right I am,” Henry says with a wink. “I’ve got to make sure I’m ready when the time comes.” We spend the next hour sipping coffee and catching up on the party from the other night. Grace and Henry recount the ridiculous moments, and I laugh, even though my mind keeps drifting to the dinner tonight. I’m trying to enjoy this calm before the storm, but it’s hard to shake the weight of what’s coming. “So, how are you feeling about the dinner tonight?” Grace asks, nudging me with her elbow. “You ready to smile and play nice?” I shrug, staring into my coffee. “I guess. It’s the usual routine—shake hands, make small talk, and try not to embarrass the family. I’m just trying to get through it.” “You’ll be fine,” Henry says, his voice reassuring. “Besides, I’ll be there too. If things get awkward, we can escape to the bar and make fun of the old money crowd.” Grace grins. “Oh, I’d pay to see that.” “Trust me, we’ll need some kind of distraction,” I say, smiling despite myself. “I’m already dreading the endless conversations about business deals and family legacies.” “Speaking of distractions,” Grace says, her tone shifting to something more mischievous, “you might run into Thaddeus again.” she winks at me I blink, surprised. I hadn’t even thought about him being at the dinner, “Oh, right,” I say, trying to sound casual. “We’ll see.” Henry raises an eyebrow, grinning. “Thaddeus, huh? I didn’t realize you two had a thing. What about Trey?” “We don’t,” I say quickly, feeling my cheeks flush slightly. “We just talked at the party, that’s all. and Fuck trey” Henry gives me a knowing look but doesn’t press the issue. “Well, if you need an escape from all the business talk, I’m sure Thaddeus will provide some entertainment.” As the day wears on, the time to get ready for dinner approaches faster than I’d like. Back in my dorm, I lay out the dress my mother had fitted for me—an elegant, floor-length gown in deep blue that hugs my figure perfectly. It’s beautiful, no doubt, but it feels like a costume. I glance at myself in the mirror, smoothing down the fabric and adjusting my hair. It’s like slipping into a role I’ve played a thousand times before: the perfect Prescott daughter. When I’m finally ready, Henry comes by to pick me up, looking every bit the part in his tailored suit. His hair is slicked back, and there’s a confident air about him that tells me he’s already mentally preparing for the night ahead. “You clean up nice,” I say with a smirk as I grab my clutch and head out the door. “You too, Prescott,” he teases, offering me his arm. “Shall we?” The drive to the venue is quiet, the weight of the evening hanging in the air. When we arrive, the grand ballroom is already filled with people—men in sharp suits, women in designer gowns, and the familiar hum of polite conversation about business and wealth. Henry disappears into the crowd almost immediately, eager to network and meet the people who could help him cement his place in his family business. I watch him go, feeling a strange mix of pride and sadness. He’s going to thrive in this world, but I’m still figuring out where I fit. As I wander through the room, making small talk with various guests, I spot Thaddeus across the room. He’s leaning against one of the tall windows, his usual lazy smile in place, looking completely out of place in the best way. He’s wearing a suit, but the way he carries himself—slightly rumpled, as if he couldn’t care less—sets him apart from the stiff, polished crowd around him. Our eyes meet, and he gives me a small nod, pushing off the window and making his way over. “Well, well,” he says when he reaches me, his voice low and familiar. “Look who’s all dressed up.” I roll my eyes but smile. “You don’t look too shabby yourself.” Thaddeus grins, glancing around the room. “These things are always the same, aren’t they? The same people, the same conversations.” “Yeah,” I say, sighing. “I’m trying to survive it.” “Well, if you’re looking for an escape, I might know a place,” he says, his tone casual but with a hint of something more. I hesitate for a moment, but then I remember how much I enjoyed talking to him at the party. There’s something about Thaddeus that makes me feel like I can relax, like I don’t have to be the perfect Prescott daughter for a little while. “Lead the way,” I say, and without another word, we slip out of the ballroom and into the cool night air. We walk across the garden, past the ornate stone fountains and perfectly manicured hedges, until we reach a secluded area where the stars are bright overhead. Thaddeus pulls out a joint from his pocket, the same lazy grin on his face. “Care for a repeat of the other night?” he asks, offering it to me. I laugh softly, taking it from him and lighting up. The first inhale is familiar now, the warmth spreading through me as I exhale and hand it back. We sit down on the soft grass, leaning back to stare up at the sky. “So,” I say after a moment of comfortable silence. “What’s your story, Thaddeus?” “My story”he says raising an eyebrow “Yea i mean most of us enjoy the lights and attention but not you” He chuckles, taking a long drag before answering. “That’s because I don’t really care about all this,” he says, waving a hand in the general direction of the party. “The suits, the business deals, the endless talks about wealth and legacy. It’s all a game to me.” I raise an eyebrow, intrigued. “Then why are you here?” “Because it’s expected,” he says simply. “My family’s part of the old-money crowd, just like yours. I play my role, do what’s necessary.” I nod, understanding more than I expected to. “I know the feeling. It’s like you’re part of this world, but you don’t belong to it.” “Exactly,” Thaddeus says, passing the joint back to me. “I don’t see the point of chasing after more money or power. I’d rather live quietly, away from all of this. But my family has other plans.” I take another hit, the smoke swirling around me as I consider his words. “So what do you want to do?” Thaddeus leans back on his elbows, gazing up at the stars. “Honestly? I don’t know. I’ve never had the luxury of really thinking about what I want. It’s always been about what’s expected of me.” I sigh, feeling the weight of his words settle on my chest. “I get that. My dad wants me to take over the family business, but that’s the last thing I want. It’s just… exhausting.” Thaddeus turns his head slightly to look at me, his expression softer now. “I suppose ==thats== where ==im== lucky ==im== not the first born i ==dont== have as much weight on my shoulders to carry the family legacy. I can imagine its not easy being you, you carry it with a beautiful amount of grace and i wish to have half of that. ” I smile faintly, appreciating his words. Thaddeus leans back, taking another long drag of the joint, his eyes fixed on the stars above us. There’s something so calm, so effortless about him. He doesn’t carry the same tension that I see in people like Henry or even in myself—the constant pull to be someone, to fulfill expectations. Thaddeus feels like someone who’s figured out how to step just outside of it all without completely abandoning the world we both come from. “So, second-born son,” I say, glancing over at him with a smirk. “What’s it like living in the shadow of the heir?” He lets out a short laugh, one that seems to carry both amusement and a touch of bitterness. “The shadow’s not so bad. At least it’s quiet there.” I raise an eyebrow, intrigued. “So, you’re not gunning for the family fortune? No desire to one-up the golden child?” Thaddeus shakes his head, a slow, deliberate motion. “Nah. My brother can have all of that—the meetings, the investments, the endless responsibility. I’m content being… well, let’s call it the ‘spare.’ No one expects much from me, which is exactly how I like it.” I take another puff from the joint, feeling the warm haze settling over me. “So if you’re not chasing the family legacy, what _are_ you chasing?” He looks at me then, his dark eyes locking with mine, and for a second, the world seems to fall away. His gaze is intense—deeper than I expected, like he’s trying to figure out something about me. It sends a chill down my spine, a flicker of electricity that I can’t quite explain. “I guess I’m chasing freedom,” he says softly, his voice low and contemplative. “From all of this. From expectations. From the idea that we have to become what our families want us to be. I just want to live on my own terms.” I nod, understanding. “That sounds… nice. But can we ever really break free? It feels like no matter how hard I try, I’m always being pulled back into their orbit.” Thaddeus chuckles, but there’s something almost sad in the sound. “It’s hard. I won’t lie about that. But I think it’s possible. Maybe not completely, but enough. Enough to live a life that feels real.” We sit in comfortable silence for a moment, passing the joint between us. The stars above are brilliant, and the world around us feels still, like we’re in our own little bubble, far removed from the fancy dinner party we just left behind. “So, what about you, Lillian Prescott?” he asks, breaking the quiet with a sly grin. “What’s your grand plan for the future? Besides dodging your father’s expectations.” I scoff, leaning back on my hands. “If I had a grand plan, I probably wouldn’t be sitting here smoking weed with you at my family’s business dinner.” Thaddeus laughs, and the sound is warm and genuine. It makes me smile, too, despite the weight that’s been sitting on my chest all day. “I think sitting with me is a pretty good grand plan” I smile rolling my eyes at him “I’m serious, though,” he says, his voice a little softer now. “What do you really want to do? Forget your family for a second. What would you be doing if it was just up to you?” I pause, thinking. No one ever really asks me that—not in a way that feels like they care about the answer. And to be honest, I’m not sure I even know. But something about the way Thaddeus is looking at me, with that quiet intensity, makes me want to answer honestly. “I want to understand the world,” I say slowly, the words forming as I speak them. “I want to know how things work—politics, diplomacy, power. I want to travel to see things from other perspectives. It feels… important.” Thaddeus nods, his gaze still locked on mine. “That makes sense. You’re too smart to stay stuck in one place, playing the same old game.” His words send another shiver down my spine, and I feel my heart skip a beat. There’s something about the way he’s looking at me, the way his voice is low and steady, that makes everything feel more intense. It’s like he’s seeing through all the layers I’ve built up—the pressure, the expectations, the ==façade== I put on for everyone else. “You give me too much credit,” I say, trying to deflect the intensity with humor. “I’m just trying to survive like everyone else.” He smirks, his eyes flickering with amusement. “Maybe. But I think you’re doing more than that, even if you don’t realize it yet.” The conversation drifts again, moving between light banter and deeper topics. We make fun of some of the people we saw at the party—James Ashcroft’s overly polished appearance, Sophia ==Devereaux’s== constant need for attention—and laugh until our sides ache. But every now and then, the conversation veers back into something more real. We talk about our families, about how they’ve shaped us in ways we didn’t ask for but also in ways that created who we are today. Thaddeus shares more about his older brother, _Edgar_, the heir to the family fortune who thrives on responsibility. “Edgar’s always been the ‘perfect son,’” Thaddeus says with a smirk, though there’s an edge of bitterness there. “He’s the one who’s always had a plan, who’s always known exactly what to do. Meanwhile, I’m the ‘free spirit’—the one who doesn’t take anything seriously. But the truth is, it’s just easier for me to pretend not to care than to live up to all of that.” I nod, feeling a pang of recognition. “I get that. Everyone expects me to follow in my father’s footsteps. The Prescott family business is everything to him, and he wants me right by his side. But the more he pushes, the more I want to run in the opposite direction.” Thaddeus leans back, his gaze fixed on the stars again. “I think we’re both trying to figure out how to be ourselves when everyone around us is trying to mold us into something else.” His words hang in the air, and I feel a deep sense of connection with him. It’s strange, how comfortable I feel with him—like I don’t have to pretend or hold back. He gets it. He gets me. The night air is cool against my skin, and the stars seem to shine even brighter as we sit there in silence for a while, just watching the sky. There’s no rush, no pressure to fill the quiet. It’s easy, natural. After what feels like hours, Thaddeus glances over at me, his expression softer than usual. “You know,” he says, his voice low, “for someone who spends so much time being forced to be like everyone else, you’re pretty damn good at being yourself.” I look at him, feeling a warmth spread through my chest that has nothing to do with the weed. His gaze is intense again, the kind of look that makes me feel like he’s seeing right through me. It’s both comforting and unnerving, and I feel a shiver run down my spine. “Maybe you’re right,” I say, my voice quieter now. “But I think I’m still figuring out who that is.” Thaddeus nods, his eyes never leaving mine. “Aren’t we all?” The way he says it, so simple and honest, sends another chill through me. Our eyes lock, and for a moment, it feels like the world has shrunk down to just the two of us, sitting under the stars, sharing a quiet connection that goes beyond words. I don’t know how long we sat there like that, just looking at each other. The tension between us was palpable but unspoken. There was something electric in the air, something that made my heart race and my breath catch in my throat. But before the moment can stretch into something more, Thaddeus grins, breaking the spell. “Come on, Prescott,” he says, his voice playful again. “Let’s get back before they send a search party.” I laugh, shaking my head as I stand up, my legs feeling a little wobbly from the combination of weed and the intensity of the night. “Yeah, wouldn’t want to get caught sneaking off with the second-born son.” Thaddeus smirks, winking at me. “Hey, we’re the best kind.” As we make our way back to the party, I can’t help but feel lighter, more at ease than I have in a long time. Thaddeus may not have all the answers, but for the first time, I feel like I’ve found someone who understands what it means to be trapped in a world you didn’t choose. And maybe, just maybe, that’s enough.