I nodded solemnly.
‘Why? He’d just lie, and tell you it wasn’t true.’
‘Maybe that’s what I want to hear,’ I said, realising how foolish I sounded.
‘Don’t be ridiculous,’ said Fae.
I sighed. ‘There might be another side to the story. I mean, what if Camryn just wanted to hurt my feelings?’
‘You are blinded by affection for this boy,’ said Fae.
She was right. Perhaps I didn’t want to believe the worst of Jack. After all, I thought I’d known him well. Regardless, I needed to hear the truth from him. Yes, I was angry and upset, but Jack had always been good to me.
‘He’s helped me a lot,’ I said. ‘He was always there for me.’
‘There for you? He was only there because you resembled this other woman. Do you think he would have given you a second glance if you looked nothing like her?’
I tried to ignore the things Fae said. ‘Please. You don’t know Jack. He’s … a good guy.’
Fae rested her chin on my shoulder, watching my face closely. Her gaze made me feel uncomfortable. For someone so young, she was extraordinarily opinionated.
‘Why are you defending him?’ she asked, slightly annoyed.
‘Because he’s done so much for me. Helped me. Saved me. If you knew him, you would understand.’
‘But … he lied to you.’
I sighed. ‘Sometimes people lie, I guess. I know I do. A lot.’
‘What have you lied about?’ asked Fae, her expression one of suspicion.
I rolled my eyes. ‘I lied about Helena being a Mage for the last ten years.’
‘That isn’t a lie,’ said Fae. ‘You’re protecting your family. What he did was inexcusable.’
I closed my eyes and exhaled through my nostrils. ‘Maybe he had a reason.’
I had considered talking to Mr. Greenwood about the necklace, but had decided against it. After all, he’d never shown any recognition towards it. Besides, I didn’t want him to know that I was currently furious with his son. Despite this, however, I still had the locket on its broken chain in my pocket. I’d decided to keep it on my person as a reminder of the betrayal.
‘You’re making excuses. You just don’t want to believe the worst in someone you care about.’
‘You’re right,’ I said. I didn’t want to talk about Jack anymore. It stung my chest too fiercely.
‘You don’t like it when I say bad things about him, do you?’ she said softly.
I shook my head as a single tear slid down my cheek. It was not molten lava, as per usual, for Fae’s Power suppressed my own. Especially at a time such as this, when I was feeling vulnerable, her Power was particularly dominating.
Fae lifted her hand to my cheek, and wiped the tear away with her thumb, grazing it over my cheek gently. I gave her a watery smile, thankful for her company and support. Despite her opinions, she was still here for me.
Fae smiled, her eyes studying my face for several seconds. She seemed to take the lingering contact to heart because the next moment, Fae was leaning towards me. I thought I knew what was coming, though I did nothing to prevent it. Perhaps curiosity got the better of me.
Fae leaned towards me, taking my face in her hands. She pressed her lips to mine in a forceful kiss. It lasted only a couple of seconds before she pulled away, her expression expectant. I stared, unsure what I was meant to say, or do. I was absolutely lost for words.
‘Um.’ I bit my bottom lip. ‘That was … that was-’
Fae waited for my response, her eyes wide.
‘-Unexpected,’ I finished.
Her shoulders slumped, and I felt an immediate sense of guilt.
‘Sorry,’ I said. ‘I’m just … thinking about Jack. But thank you. I really appreciate the gesture.’
‘You have no idea how amazing you are, do you?’ she said, placing her hand on my knee. I shied away, rather uncomfortable with her affections. I liked Fae very much, but my heart ached for Jack.
Fae frowned and leaned away. I felt guilty about my less than adequate response. But what was I supposed to say? Fae was my friend.
‘I’m sorry,’ Fae sighed. ‘It has been a long while since I got close to another female.’
I patted her shoulder gingerly. ‘You will see R?ven soon, I know it.’
Fae nodded and rested her head in her hands. I felt bad for her loneliness, and could relate to it all too well. I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek and a warm smile.
‘Thanks for talking to me,’ I said. ‘You should get some sleep. It’s very late.’
Seemingly crestfallen, Fae got up and brushed the grass from her bottom. She bent down and kissed me on the cheek before she walked over to Shadow, who was snoring peacefully. She lay between his large paws, using his chest as a pillow. I felt her eyes upon me for a long while, but I didn’t look over my shoulder to see if she was awake still.