Maeve
Sciamachy (n) a battle against imaginary enemies; fighting your shadow
No fucking way, I think as I hit the ignore button on Nessa’s incoming call.
I can’t talk to her right now, especially while I’m in this diner. I’d pushed all of last night’s revelations to the back of my mind, not sure how to handle the deep betrayal I felt. Hell, I FORGAVE this bitch. I remained friends with her. I let her remain in my life, and I pushed Callum away. How fucking stupid. He’d tried to explain himself. Begged me to meet him at our spot to talk. Sent me letters. Countless texts and phone calls. But I’d ignored him. I’d let my pride get in the way.
I know what Iwantto do. A plan had been forming in my subconscious since last night, and it fully materialized when I looked down to see her calling my phone. What I don’t know is how I’m going to accomplish it. I decide to deal with her after Callum and I get back from Ireland. Right now, I’m enjoying our little bubble too much to ruin it with revenge plans.
As I eat my pie, I zone out, looking out of the window beside our booth into the buttery morning sunshine and the passing traffic, trying to shake the surge of anger that had risen inside me. I spear the last bite ofpie with my fork, but before I can bring it to my mouth, Callum plucks the fork from my hand and eats the final bite, chewing exaggeratedly with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Hey, asshole! You’ve got your own pie.”
He grins and gestures down at his empty plates. “It just wasn’t enough. Plus, you just make it look so good.”
He holds my gaze for a few seconds, and I feel heat rushing to my cheeks.
He clears his throat and throws a hundred-dollar bill on the table, then nimbly slips out of the booth. He steps around the table and brings his face close to mine.
“Betcha can’t catch me, Sparky,” he whispers, planting a quick kiss on my cheek, then darting out of the door and into the parking lot.
Oh, it issoon.
“I hope you can put your money where your mouth is!” I shout as I follow him into the gravel parking lot. I pause, looking around. Where did he…?
There. I spot him darting into the wooded area next to the parking lot. I take off in a full sprint. He’s fast, but I’m faster, and I’m gaining on him quickly, the trees flowing by me in green and brown blurs, the wind roaring in my ears. He begins dipping between the row pines, trying to throw me off. But I know where he’s going. A little trail up ahead.
So predictable, I think as I pump my arms and legs faster. I decide to use the woods to my advantage and head in a different direction, veering away through the trees.
I run up a slight rise that the path curved around, and I wind up ahead of Callum. I know all the woods around here like the back of my hand. Lorcan had insisted on it as part of my training — getting the lay of the land, learning how to hide, how to be silent, how to watch and wait. I see Callum through the trees. He has come to a stop on the trail, looking over his shoulder. He’d never see me, unless I want to be seen.
I circle back through the trees and creep up behind him. He has pulled his phone out of his pocket, probably about to call me. Rookie mistake. But just as I’m about to jump onto his back, a fucking twig snaps and he whirls around, catching me around the waist and laughing wildly.
“HA! Gotcha!” he says, a lopsided grin on his face.
But I’m pissed. What a stupid mistake I’d made.
“It was that stupid fucking twig,” I say, my breathing ragged. “I should’ve seen it.”
I can feel the spiral coming. My chest feels heavy, like a huge weight is pressing down on it. My head starts spinning. Small mistakes like this one could cost me my life. Almost had all those years ago. I can’t afford to make mistakes. My breathing becomes shallow, and my vision starts to blur.
Callum’s grin fades, and he slowly releases me.
“Maeve, we’re just messing around,” he says, his voice low and concerned. “It’s nothing to get upset about.”
“To you maybe,” I say, my voice high and shrill, “but to me, that one mistake would have cost me my life. I knew better, but I was in too much of a rush. I was sloppy. FUCK!”
I start pacing back and forth as panic overtakes me, running my fingers through my hair and grabbing it in fistfuls. Callum stands there watching me, a look of helpless confusion on his face. But I can’t stop the spiral. I can’t help it. I’m lost to the memory now as my mind begins replaying the worst hours of my life in vivid detail.
“No! No! No! No!” I yell, darkness on the edge of my vision, Callum disappearing…
I have to get some air. There are too many people here, and it’s way too damn hot. Why did Nessa insist on having my party here, of all places, and with people I hardly speak to? I walk down the dark hallway toward a large red EXIT sign glowing above the back alley door. I push through the door, and the cool air that hits my face is so refreshing. I inhale deeply, savoring the quiet.
Suddenly, a large, gloved hand covers my mouth with a cloth, a sweet smell filling my nostrils while a huge arm wraps around my upper body.
“Motherfucker,” the man mutters, clearly agitated that whatever is on the rag isn’t quite working the way he wants. I start to thrash and kick, but my efforts are futile. Whoever is holding onto me is strong. It feels like I’m slamming against a brick wall.
Where is Orin? I think as panic grips me.
