It’s not just jealousy; he really is bad for her. But maybe that’s not my call to make. I like Lacey. A lot. Even if she wasn’t interested in me romantically, I’d still want to know her, be friends. I don’t know, maybe I’m just telling myself that.
I didn’t think I was the jealous type, but sometimes I just think about her and Clayton. Not on purpose. I never want to go down the rabbit hole of thinking about him and her together. But sometimes I wonder how she ever became involved with him. I mean, I know she’s a whole adult herself, but he’s got at least fifteen years on her, and maybe if he was like a hot silver fox I would understand, but he just looks like someone’s weird, divorced dad. Which yeah, he definitely is.
I know at this point I’m just being a hater. I don’t actually have a thing against weird, divorced dads. I’m sure some of them are ok.
What does she even see in him? Does he make her laugh? Is it just that he’s a powerful, rich man, and she was just unfortunate enough to be caught in his path?
I sigh and open a new note to draft out a different thought.
Hey, this is just because I care about you, but I don’t expect anything from it. We can just be friends, if that’s what you need. It makes me uncomfortable that you’re still really involved with your ex, but that’s really my problem at the end of the day, and I want to be more mature than making it your problem—
I think I’ve written this out like four times by now, and each time I get to this point and decide against it. She is responsible for who she decides to associate with. It says something about her, what she values. Something that maybe I haven’t been willing to believe because I’m attracted to her.
My phone pings, a noise that makes my adrenaline spike momentarily before I check it and see it’s just my favorite guy. The best thing about having a weird mutant brother is that even when he’s mad at me he has to put up with my bullshit.
I may have been sending screenshots of the conversation to Vin. I’ve sent enough that he insisted he didn’t want to know any more about it, but maybe he got bored.
He’s sent a disappointing reply:I dunno man. She’s got a point. You’re expecting a lot from her.
I’m so peeved about it, I call him.
“You’re supposed to be onmyside,” I grumble instead of a greeting. Of course, he waits until I’m fighting with her to be pro-Lacey, and not like, when I needed him to say just one good thing about her to Maestro.
“When did I agree to that?”
“When I didn’t tell Dad you keep leaving the hideout door open and heating the neighborhood,” I nearly snap. I scrub a hand over my face and take in a deep breath. I can’t help but gesture at the stupid billboard as I insist, “He’s not the hero she wants him to be.”
“And that’s your problem?”
There’s some static and interference on the line as he grumbles and probably puts the phone in his pocket to annoy me. I watch the alleyway below absently, when a familiar, pink pom-pom hat snags the corner of my vision. I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten my claws stuck in its fuzzy knit before.
I move before I give any thought to it, gravitating toward her. I scoot off the edge of the building, dropping silently down ten stories or so before I let my wings catch the air, slowing me down enough to land along the building’s frieze, where I can get a better look.
Lacey.
Of course it’s her, wrapped up in her winter coat. I can just barely hear the pattern of her boots clipping against the damp pavement. The wind picks up and plays with a few strands of her hair, and a terrible pang hits my chest.
I guess at the very least I should apologize for blowing up at her earlier. She doesn’t need me to white knight at her; she’s her own person. But on the other hand, if I just forget about it this time, it’s going to just hurt all the more the next time Steel markshis territory and she doesn’t do anything about it. If I’m going to apologize, I don’t want her to think I’m caving on this.
I frown and prop the phone between my ear and my shoulder. “What do you think I should say, then?”
Vin sighs audibly, draws it out over several seconds so I don’t miss it. Then his voice crackles through the speaker. “Nothing. If you’re done with her, be done with her. I told you she was bad news from the start.”
“That’s not advice.”
“It is. You just want to argue her into being your girlfriend.”
I grimace so deeply I’m unable to respond. He’s always been rude, but that was uncalled for.
“Anyway, you think I don’t know you’re doing this on purpose? Just so you don’t have to get her phone for Maestro?”
“...That might be giving me too much credit,” I mutter. I don’t know why I thought calling him would help. He doesn’t know how to be helpful.
I text Lacey a quick, “Hey,” and watch her ignore it completely. Glad we’re both playing the Do Not Disturb game.
Sitting back on my heels, I contemplate as Lacey reaches the end of the block and turns the corner. We’re still fighting. She doesn’t want to talk to me. And after all that, I shouldn’t want to talk to her. But I need her to understand!
I decide I’m not going to follow her as she disappears out of sight. I shouldn’t keep watching her. She deserves privacy. My hand feels along the building’s brickwork for a grip, pulling myself to stand.
