Had Ayden and I reached the point in our relationship where we couldn’t go any further and it was starting to break down? That thought did make me sad, but only because I didn’t want to lose his friendship.
“Have them home by ten, son.” My father’s deep voice, deeper and more commanding than usual, came from the living room, startling us all.
“Yes, sir.” Ayden nodded his head and hooked arms with me first and then Eden.
We walked arm in arm down the street, getting to the main street which divided the two sides and then finally entered the East Side. I was amazed to see hundreds of students in their best clothing atop horses and carriages, all making their way to the event.
The dance wasn’t being held at school, it was at a lakeside mansion owned by the queen that was directly across from campus and nestled into the park. Apparently, she rented it out for school events like dances, and graduations, and things of that nature.
“So is Ariyon going to the dance solo?” I asked.
Ayden shook his head. “Staying home. He thinks dances are lame anyway.”
Of course he did. He was probably going to drink liquor and write songs or maybe even paint. Why was that so hot? I wasn’t supposed to like the bad boys. They were called bad boys for a reason, so that you would stay away from them. Yet their allure was stronger than their warning.
I struggled to keep up with how fast Ayden and Eden were walking, the way my dress was sewn made it hard to take big strides.
“Hey, can you slow do—” My toe caught a large rock and then suddenly I was falling forward. Because my dress was sewn tight at the knee, I couldn’t even attempt to spread my legs and break the fall. Instead, a shriek tore from my lungs as I barreled, face first, into the cobblestone pavement. One second, I was trying to keep hold of Ayden’s arm, and the next his fingers grazed my bare face.
Fresh, hot pain laced along my spine as I barely got my hands out to catch my fall and Ayden screamed.
“No!” Ayden yelled when I crashed onto my gloved palms and then rolled to my side, fully wiping out. There was a ripping sound as something in my dress tore. The touch of my face was brief, but it still caused my curse to activate.
“Fallon!” Eden ran to my side, but I put my hands out to stop her. I didn’t want to be near anyone right now.
She skidded to a stop and then I looked up at Ayden. He was cupping his face in his hands and looked like he was going to be physically sick. His eyes were wide and his mouth open in horror.
We locked eyes and I knew he was done. That moment we’d spoken about on the bench in front of his house had come. “I can’t do this anymore,” he breathed, confirming my suspicions.
There it was. The moment that I’d been waiting for. He’d hung in there as long as he could, and I appreciated it. We’d tried.
I nodded, sitting up, and a wave of pain caused me to tremble. Even though I knew this moment would come, it didn’t make it any less painful. My heart broke open as loneliness enveloped me, a tear slipping out of my eye and down my cheek. I hated my life right now. The one night I was going to go to a dance and feel like a normal girl was ruined. The sleeve seam of my dress was split, and I was in pain, and it was over, everything with Ayden was over.
“Can you give us a minute?” Ayden looked at Eden.
My best friend looked on the verge of tears herself and I gave her a nod. “He’ll meet you at the dance. I’m okay,” I told her and slowly got to my feet.
She hesitated but finally walked off, looking over her shoulder at us a few times.
We were right out front of school and over a dozen people had seen my fall. I’d hoped this wouldn’t happen, but I’d prepared just in case. Reaching into my wrist satchel, I pulled out a bottle ofPain-be-GoneandNerve Tonic. Avis had made them especially for me in case I was touched, and they didn’t have the sleepy side effects of the other pain tinctures. Though I had that as well back home for an emergency. Taking a small sip of each, I stowed them back in my satchel and then sighed in relief as they went to work immediately, dulling the pain by half. This would allow me to function. Ayden walked to the bench nearby and sat, and I sidled up next to him, hugging my arms. My skin burned but my heart hurt more in this moment. Because I knew I was about to say goodbye to one of my best friends.
‘It will be okay,’Yanric said into my mind, and I wanted to cry even harder. He must have been watching from a nearby tree.
“I guess this was inevitable,” Ayden breathed. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this anymore. I want to but…it kills me to see you in pain and to know that I caused it.”
I nodded, blinking hard to clear the tears that kept coming. “It’s okay.”
“After what happened at the cookie party, I get anxious when I get too close to you. But you’re so beautiful Iwantto be close to you. I’ve had nightmares of touching you… I don’t know how your father does it.”
I chuckled, wiping my tears and taking a deep breath. “He complains a lot. When he found out Ariyon could hug me, he said he was jealous.”
Ayden swallowed hard. “You hugged Ariyon?”
I frowned. “Well, yeah, but only that one time when you sent me a hug through him.”
He looked confused, so I went on.
“Right after the attack at your party. You were home healing…” I trailed off because now Ayden was looking slightly pissed.
