Yo I finished an essay so have this. As per usual you guys are super sweet and nice in your reviews and it sounds like you're loving the inner circle interaction and ships. I won't lie, until ACOWAR comes out it seems a bit risky to start putting characters into ships but all well haha. A lot of you say it's helping with ACOMAF hangover feels which is 100% the reason why I even write this, so unsure what will happen when ACOWAR comes out as it's so soon now. I want to finish this before then because I definitely feel like I won't be able to finish it knowing how it will end, but I can't promise anything. Thanks again for everyone leaving reviews it definitely guilt trips me when I don't update for a few days haha.
Feyre's head was throbbing like there was still loud music playing nearby. Her head felt so disconnected from her body she wondered if it was even still attached to her. That was until she tried moving an arm to cover her face from the faint light of morning and found that she was stiff and sore.
Feyre could have lied down, tucked into warm, clean sheets all morning if her mouth wasn't as dry as a desert, and her tongue as rough as sandpaper.
Her hand blindly reached out searching for her bedside table where she normally kept a glass of water, and instead hit something soft and fleshy, and very much alive.
Feyre yelped and jolted upright. She relaxed when she saw Rhysand sprawled across her mattress, mouth open and eyes shut, clearly dreaming.
He was still fully clothed and had half kicked off the blanket he had taken from the end of her bed.
Feyre registered she was wearing a baggy, oversized t-shirt that was definitely not her own.
When Feyre tried to remember the bar last night, all that came up was her and Rhys playing their game with Amren, and Nesta beating Cassian at drinking. Much of whatever happened afterwards was a blur.
A rising sense of nausea and a sickly heat had Feyre scrambling from the bed and running to the bathroom as her stomach punished her for all the alcohol she had consumed.
Feyre sat huddled over the toilet bowl as her sweat slicked hands gripped the bowl until her vomiting subsided.
She thought she had been quiet until a soft padding of footsteps told her otherwise. A warm hand pulled back her hair while the other rubbed her back and shoulders soothingly.
"Morning." Rhys said sleepily, while quickly planting a kiss on the top of Feyre's head.
Feyre groaned back in response which made Rhys chuckle.
"If it's any consolation, I think Cassian is having an even worse time than you." Rhys laughed.
Cassian's room was near Feyre's and they shared the same bathroom wall, which meant that Cassian could probably hear her throwing up right now, if Cassian was even conscious.
Feyre wiped her face with some toilet paper that Rhys handed her.
"You did this to me." Feyre said groaning, as she rested her forehead on the cool outside of the toilet bowl.
"I never did anything to you, this is your own fault."
Feyre went silent before asking, "Did you change me?"
"As fun as that would have been, no. You insisted you could do it yourself and I had to leave the room. It took you three times to finally get it on the right way, and not inside out."
"Is this your shirt?" Feyre asked, eyeing the gray material.
"Maybe." Rhys shrugged.
"Why?"
"You asked to wear it, and I obviously didn't mind." Rhys said, glancing down at her exposed legs.
Feyre groaned at how embarrassing her drunk self was. "Sorry, I guess I must have been a handful last night, huh?"
Rhys just smiled at her softly, "It's repayment, for you looking after me the other night and making sure I didn't do anything stupid."
"Did I do anything else… stupid?"
"You were fine. Perfectly well behaved."
"Really?" Feyre asked surprised.
"No." Rhys laughed. "When I got you home you refused to go to bed until I'd made you pancakes. You then dropped the entire bag of flour and decided to paint with it. You also kept touching my hair and saying how much you liked it."
Feyre curled into a small ball on the floor and hid her face from Rhys. "You can just kill me now. It's okay I'm ready."
Rhys instead pulled her to her feet and convinced her to go to the kitchen and try to eat some food.
In the kitchen Feyre was surprised and a little afraid to see Amren and Nesta sitting together and talking easily.
Amren offered them a small wave when they entered but otherwise ignored them for her conversation. Nesta however, looked up and locked eyes with Feyre before her eyes flitted to the shirt she was wearing and how it was so obviously not her own.
Feyre tugged at the hum of the shirt self consciously and wished that she had changed into something else before coming down but it was too late now.
"How's Cassian?" Rhys asked.
"He wakes from a coma long enough to hurl his guts up before slipping back under." Nesta grinned at them.
"I'm glad someone taught him a lesson for once." Amren muttered.
"Maybe I should go ask if he wants a coffee or something?" Feyre asked.
Behind the counter, and out of view of Nesta and Amren, Rhys wrapped an arm around Feyre's waist and tugged her closer.
"He'll be fine, he just needs to sleep it off." Rhys said into her ear.
Feyre blushed as she felt Nesta's eyes lock on them again.
"What happened to you two last night?" Nesta asked suspiciously.
Amren cut a glare at the two of them. "Well I know what they were doing before they disappeared."
"No hard feelings Amren?" Rhys said winking, which Amren pointedly ignored.
"I didn't see you leaving the club." Nesta tried again.
"That's because you were too busy drinking flammable liquids." Feyre quipped back.
"Feyre was a bit tipsy so I brought her back home to sleep." Rhys added when Nesta looked like she would question further.
"I suppose she also doesn't own her own pyjamas, so you brought her some of yours too?" Nesta asked with a sardonic grin.
At that Rhys sputtered and Nesta turned to Amren who grinned back at her.
"Are Mor and Az home?" Feyre asked quickly.
"Yeah, they came back just before dawn." Amren answered.
Just then a news report came on the television that had everyone racing to get closer.
A headline was flashing across the screen as well as a photo of Tamlin which read, "Tamlin claims abuse rumours made up".
"This ought to be good." Amren rolled her eyes.
Feyre's eyes were glued to the screen as Tamlin appeared on camera being interviewed by a reporter.
"Were you and Feyre in a relationship?" The reporter asked.
"Yes, we'd been together for several months." Was Tamlin's monotone response.
"And did you attack her?"
"Absolutely not. I loved her." Tamlin's response was adamant.
"Then why would she spread these accusations?" The reporter pushed.
"Because she was using me for my money. I was supporting her family who lived in another town and I recently stopped, she must have gotten mad and decided to get revenge."
Feyre's blood was boiling as she witnessed Tamlin lying on national television. She reached out to take Rhys's hand for support which he squeezed back.
"She also mentioned that you were backing a deal which could potentially destroy a whole community?" The reporter asked.
"That's ridiculous, why would I take part in anything like that knowingly?"
Feyre was disgusted and made to turn off the tv when it switched to footage captured on a cell phone of her and Rhys leaving Rita's. She watched in horror as she was clearly drunk and unable to walk, with Rhys swinging her into his arms before they disappeared from view.
A voice over from a reporter cut in, "Clearly Feyre Archeron attracts the attention of very wealthy and influential men, seen here leaving a night club last night with Rhysand. Can we really trust her word?"
"What just happened?" Feyre asked in shock when a new segment started.
Amren quickly shut off the tv, leaving them in silence.
"He'll pay for this." Rhys growled, still staring at the tv as if he could see Tamlin.
"No. Getting into another fight isn't going to help anyone." Feyre said rubbing her temples.
Quick footsteps from the hallway alerted them to Mor and Azriel entering.
"We just saw the news!" Mor said horrified. "Feyre I'm so sorry this has happened."
"It's fine. We knew this could happen." Feyre said trying to remain calm, but her voice broke on the word fine.
"We just need to discredit him further." Azriel suggested.
"Yeah, find someone, a witness maybe?" Mor agreed.
Feyre listened to them all argue it out while she retreated into her own thoughts. The reporters didn't have to use the words that everyone would now associate her with. Gold digger. Man eater. Slut.
She sat down on the couch and stared numbly at the ground trying to sort out how she felt.
Rhys continued to talk to the others, shooting her worried glances, but giving her some space to think.
When the doorbell rang everyone jumped.
"I'll get it." Azriel said.
They all listened quietly as Azriel answered the door. He spoke so quietly that Feyre couldn't hear what he was saying but she thought she heard him dangerously growl "Get out".
Eventually two sets of footsteps echoed down the hallway and Azriel reappeared looking angry but wary.
When Azriel stepped out of the way Feyre saw why. Standing behind him was Hybern.
Rhys was immediately in front of Hybern, standing face to face with him as he did everything but outright snarl and bare his teeth.
"You are not welcome here." Rhys said growling.
Hybern simply smiled slowly. "How nice it is to see you again Rhysand. Shame about your house, but I am actually not here to see you." Then Hybern turned his dark eyes to look directly at Feyre.
Rhys noticed the look and took an impossible step closer to Hybern, practically nose to nose.
"Leave her out of this." He said dangerously.
"I just want to talk to the lovely Feyre." Hybern smiled sweetly.
The compliment only angered Rhys further who looked like he was one word away from throwing a punch.
"Rhys it's okay. I want to hear what he has to say." Feyre interrupted.
Rhys whipped his head to look at Feyre and the moment he saw her, his eyes softened and he stiffly nodded, moving away to stand back by her side.
"Impressive." Hybern whistled. "Do you know how many years I have tried to train that mutt?"
"It isn't too late for me throw you out of here. Say whatever it is that you want, and then leave." Rhys warned.
Hybern held up two hands in surrender. "Alright. I simply wanted to ask Feyre to drop her ridiculous allegations."
Amren scoffed. "And why would she do that?"
"Because I asked her very nicely." Hybern smiled sweetly at Feyre, but Feyre could see the rottenness underneath, and the threat that was thinly veiled.
"…And if I don't?" Feyre challenged.
"Well. I'd lose a lot of money if Tamlin was unable to fulfil his part of our deal due to… unforeseen circumstances. It would be quite terrible for my staff. Some you may even know." At this, Hybern smiled wickedly and Feyre had an uneasy feeling in her gut.
"Either tell us what you mean, or get out." Rhys snarled.
"Manners Rhysand. I know your mother taught you, what would she say if she could see you now?" Hybern taunted, and it broke Feyre's heart to see Rhys's composure break a little.
"Enough. Tell me whatever it is you came here to do or I'll call the police." Feyre asked angrily.
Hybern sighed dramatically. "If you kept a closer eye on your own family members Feyre, you would already know."
Feyre's heart plummeted. She glanced at Nesta confused. Nesta had her brow furrowed and looked like she was furiously trying to solve something.
"Just tell me already!" Feyre practically shouted.
"Tamlin was so very kind to give me some details when I mentioned I needed a new receptionist. Elain is a very diligent worker." Hybern bragged.
Feyre started shaking in anger but it was Nesta who spoke to Hybern.
"If you hurt her-"
"I would never hurt an innocent girl. Neither would any of my business partners. But, as I said, bad things happen when I lose money. So many workers lost." Hybern said sadly, and turned on his heel to stride back out the front door.