Where it concerns my love’s safety, there can never be too many precautions.
And, no, this isn’t a result of paranoia at all.
Me: Please tell me. I am little more than a bundle of pricked nerves at the moment, and it is quite akin to torture.
Willow: That sucks.
Willow: Maybe I’ll tell you if you work things out with Cael and Pollux. Come to movie night with Dani. And bring snacks.
Me: “Working things out” with Cael and Polly is not that simple.
Willow: Why not?
Me: Because. We already “worked things out” decades before you were born, and they decided I didn’t belong with them. “Working things out” was workingmeout of the friend group. The end.
Willow:What happened?
What happened?
What didn’t happen…
Forcing down a deep breath, I type furiously.
Me: That’s none of your business.
Willow: So, what you’re saying is: a conversation I wasn’t invited to is none of my business?
Willow: How odd.
Willow: How strange.
Screw her.
I absolutely despise her.
And, yet, it is exactly this attitude of hers that no doubt played a large role in the outcome of all my schemes last week.
After Thursday when I showed up at Alexios’s first birthday party and revealed that Alana and Willow had organized a littleVillain Protection Programwithout permission in front of everyone, I expected pain, suffering, and backlash—for all those involved, including me. With all I did, I never even anticipated that there would be peace at the end of the day.
I wanted them to hurt.
I didn’t care if I hurt, too.
I orchestrated dissonance between Cael and his soulmate. I prompted Zahra to choose between her baby and her friend. I instigated broken trust between Alexios and Pollux. I puppeteered betrayal upon betrayal.
I practically proved why it was so very good for them all toget rid of me.
I should be hated.
Cael, in all his brilliantmoth prince glory, should be rallying troops to eradicate me by now. Both he and Pollux were meant to regret not having destroyed me years ago.
Instead of all that, because ofWillow, everyone with a cell phone sent me a friend request on Finch.
Less than an hour after I’d teased and mocked and tormented all of them, they’d filled my Tree Town. I don’t know what power this woman holds. I don’t think I’ll ever understand how such a mismatched group of people could respond to my schemes with kindness.
On top of having my anger met with such explicit grace, finding my soulmate felt like a turning point.
A chance.
