No, actually, I don’t.
She must be reading my nonplussed look correctly because she makes a tiny pout and continues. “You’re the bad Wolf, eating my family. Obviously, you can’t be my happily ever after. But I want one. Not just one kiss. A complete ending—”
“With a prince and all…” I finish for her, rolling my eyes.
Riley takes a wary step back, studying me with narrowed eyes. “Why are you so touchy all of a sudden?”
I pick up her strewn arrows and hold them out to her, growling, “Because your royal gibberish is crap.”
Her chin dips down.
“I don’t want you to drop out of our story. Maybe it’s not the best one ever, but it’s good the way it is.”
“No, it’s not!” she counters, back to boiling with anger as she stuffs the arrows into the quiver. “It’s not a love story. It can never be because love only happens among certain society circles. Which, sadly, neither of us belongs to.”
“Is that really what you think?”
“History proves it.”
“Fine. Then go shoot Arthur with Cupid’s arrow.” I wave an arm toward Camelot. “Find your gooey ending. I’m out.” Spinning on my heels, I trudge back in the direction we came from.
Behind me, it’s silent. Riley is probably just standing still, not going anywhere. Otherwise, I would hear her footsteps. Whatever. She can grow roots and hook up with a tree for all I care.
“Jack, wait!” her voice drifts to me a few seconds later. I don’t stop, so she runs after me and slows down at my side. I don’t spare her a glance. Cautiously, she touches my elbow. “I don’t want you to be mad at me.”
That ship has sailed.
“What’s the problem with it?” When I’m still silent, not slowing down at all, she slips in front of me and forces me to a halt with her palms on my chest. “Please, talk to me.”
My sinister scowl doesn’t make her move out of my way, so eventually, I give in and growl, “How would you feel if I told you out of the clear blue sky that I wanted to replace you in our story? That I wanted to find a”—I roll my eyes—“suitable mate, with no thought about your future? As the girl from the woods, I guess you could play Dracula’s bait.”
“Is that it?” Her expression turns so soft and pitiful it’s disgusting. “Are you scared of what will happen to you once I change my ever after?”
I push her out of the way none too gently and forge on. She’s back at my side in an instant, but this time, she walks with me in complete silence for a long time. When we reach the signpost at our usual meeting place, she stops. I can feel her sad gaze following me as I walk on. Her stare is boring into my back like a glowing lance.
Slowing down, I tilt my head back to sigh at the sky and shove my hands into my pockets before I turn around. A flicker of hope—a very little one—crosses her honey eyes. We stare at each other for like half a minute. Eventually, she takes a few reluctant steps toward me.
“You know, we could find you a happy ending, too, if you want.” Her suggestion surprises me. And it’s not at all what I want. A foot away from me, she stops and cocks her head with a weak smile. “Unfortunately, you broke the other love arrow, or we could have used it on the Queen of Hearts for you.”
In spite of my anger, she raises a small smile from me with that. It fades again quickly, though, and I push out a long breath. “I don’t want no queen.”
All I want is a girl with a red cloak. In what way I want her…I don’t actually know at the moment.
“Take care, Riley.” I slip my hand between her hair and her neck to pull her closer and place a gentle kiss on her forehead. Then I turn around and leave.
Chapter 5
Riley
Sleep evaded me for most of the night while the spirit of the story tugged at me. I didn’t realize it would be so hard to ignore. My thoughts were constantly circling around things I should be doing with Jack in the story. With Granny, too. At some point in the night, I started to wonder if it might be best to drop my idea of finding love, bake a new cake, and just run to my grandmother’s house to put everything right.
But I can’t. We’ve come too far to turn back. The day spent with Jack yesterday was so amazingly different. It was funny, it was annoying, it was exciting, and in the end, it was even a little sad. Should it all have been for nothing?
No. I refuse to give up. Somewhere out there is a special happy ending waiting for me, and I’m going to find it. With or without Jack’s approval and help. And once I’m set up with my own Prince Charming—or King Arthur—we’ll look for a suitable mate for Jack, too.
After I finish up my usual morning hot chocolate, I get ready to go to the market. I take the bow and Cupid’s arrow with me because I don’t intend to return home after meeting up with Cindy. Yesterday, I didn’t feel like walking back to Camelot after my fight with Jack. But there’s still a king to shoot in the heart.
The market in Grimwich always bustles with people on Mondays. Stands filled with fruits and veggies line the cobblestone streets around the majestic fountain in the middle of the place. Francois, the baker, tosses me a warm croissant as I pass him. He always does. It’s his way of saying thanks for the turkeys I shoot for him in the woods before Thanksgiving and Christmas each year. With a smile, I nod at him and pluck off a piece of the pastry with my fingers to pop into my mouth. Mmh, it’s so delicious. The only thing that tastes better is vanilla pudding. Actually, vanilla pudding inside the croissant would be amazing.
Reaching the stone fountain with its three brass nymphs in the middle and water pouring from their jugs, I sit down on the edge and wait for my friend. In the crystal-clear pool, a swarm of goldfish lazily glides through the water. When the last crumbs of my second breakfast rain into the pond, they eagerly suck them up with their toilet seat mouths. It’s so funny to watch.
“Hi, sweetie.”
At Princess Cinderella’s voice, I stand up and greet her with a hug. She always looks fantastic, no matter if she’s wearing one of her many princess gowns or, like today, skinny jeans and a light-blue tank top. It must be amazing to have such a wide selection of clothes.
The greeting embraces continue on with Briar-Rose because she and her husband, Prince Phillip, notice us from across the street, and Rory pulls him over. “Ladies,” he greets us with a smile and a head tilt, his hands tucked into his jeans’ pockets. Rory still clings to his arm.
I like Phillip. Of all my friends’ husbands, he’s the most laid-back. Cindy’s Jason always sticks with social etiquette, even outside of their tale, which is annoying because I know nothing about royal customs. Bellina’s beastly Prince Dominic is a little too touchy at times—you always need to be careful about cracking jokes regarding hair in your soup when he’s around. And Prince Finnegan can’t keep his hands to himself when Snow-White is around. I once heard Phillip teasing him about keeping the fairy tale porn for when they were alone in their bedroom. I almost choked on my tea, but it’s true. Having the lovebirds snogging each other beside you is exhausting because, at some point, you just don’t know where to look anymore.
Phillip is probably the guy I would most want my own prince to be like. Because he’s so wonderfully…normal.
“Have a good time with Jack yesterday?” he asks, his warm look zeroing in on me.
Color shoots to my cheeks. Yikes, did Jack run right off to tell Phillip everything after we parted?
At my surprised expression, Phillip chuckles and adds, “We were together in the pub when he was called to you for the second time. That’s rare, isn’t it?”