Chapter Thirteen #4
I pushed up on hands and knees, groaning at every ache and creak in my bones.
My phone went off. Fishing in my pocket, I saw the screen, then picked up on the third ring.
“Hell—”
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?!”
I yanked the phone from my ear, cringing.
“You stupid, ignorant, little fool! How dare you!”
Struggling to my feet, I looked around but didn’t see the present.
One of the princesses must’ve taken it away.
“No,” I finally said as I climbed into bed.
“I don’t know what I’ve done because you’ve been holding your cards so close to your vest, you never bothered to tell me if I can or can’t tell people about the hallow search.
Ooooh,” I hissed. “I guess I chose wrong.”
“You fucking—”
“That’s enough of that,” I sliced off. “Why are you so angry in the first place? You’re still in this game.
All you have to do is find the hallows before anyone else does, and then I’ll make you my partner in the creation of a new age,” I crowed.
“But of course that means you’ll have to do... legwork.”
“You think you won.” His voice was a rough, insidious growl.
“You think you’ve done something other than making a massive fucking mistake.
That power is mine, and I never needed Adora to get my hands on it.
You will give me the All Hallows, Charlotte Hunter.
The only question is how much torture and suffering I’ll put you through before you do. ”
Click.
I shook my head, tossing the phone away.
“That man really loves an exit line.” Flipping over, I gazed up at the canopy.
“But not everything he says is a lie. From our first conversation, he told me that he wasn’t all-knowing, and he just keeps proving it.
If he had a clue, he’d know his threats have no effect on me now, right, D?
” I smiled—a sad one, already stained with tears.
“I hear you’re in heaven now. I hope it’s as nice as advertised.
And I hope even more that you arrived as your true self, because the real Dora will always be the best Dora. ”
I paused, swallowing hard. “Sorry I haven’t spoken to you before. I wish it was because I didn’t know what to say, but the truth is I did. I did know what I wanted to say to you, but I didn’t because I was afraid it wouldn’t help. That my final words to you wouldn’t lessen the pain one iota.
“And it hasn’t.”
I gasped, fighting against the crushing agony in my chest. “What is talking to the ceiling supposed to do? It doesn’t change the fact that you’re not here.”
It took me a while to stop crying. Even longer to drag myself out of bed. By the time I did, the gong had long since rung signaling breakfast. My appetite was shot to hell, but I needed to get to class. Without Ronin as my excuse, I couldn’t afford to be marked absent.
I crossed to the other room, forcing myself to go straight to my wardrobe and not linger on the other empty bed. I threw it open, and froze.
“What the—?”
Something poked out of the corner of my eye. Stuck to the door was another note tag. I plucked it off and read—
“From Ronin. Something to make you feel more at home.”
I goggled at it, the sight before me, and then back to the note. “Oh my gods, you fucking asshole!”
RONIN
Tristan banged his head on his mantel as Charlotte’s obscenities poured from the mirror. “Let me get this straight...” Tristan gritted, turning on me. “I told you to perform a grand gesture, so you broke into her room... and stole her clothes.”
“I didn’t steal her clothes,” I snapped. “I returned her clothes. The ones I took after I made her accept the sub bond. She’s lost a lot since she came to hell. My grand gesture was giving at least one thing back.”
The mutt heaved a sigh, pinching his nose. “What’s sad is that you got the intention right, but everything else so fucking wrong.”
“What’s wrong! She loves those fucking clown clothes! She wore them every day!”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” he burst out, throwing out his hands. “Whatever, it’s done. Just move on to step three. That’s the most important one.”
I was shaking my head before he finished. “I’m not doing step three, so give me step four.”
The mutt shook his head right back. “There is no step four without step three, because step four is what you do after she gives you a second chance, and she won’t if you don’t do step three.”
“I can’t.” My voice was flat. “Maybe it’s the love curse, but I just can’t do it again. I can’t... lie to her.”
Tristan rocked back, brows high—then he nodded. “I get it. I don’t want to understand anything about you. But this... I do.”
I said nothing. I just took my mirror and turned to go.
“Hey, maybe steps one and two will be enough,” Tristan called. “Try them again, and do them fucking right this time. If you do, she might forgive and take you back.”
“Yeah,” I said to the door. “Maybe.”
But even as the words came out of my mouth, we both knew I didn’t stand a chance.
Groveling 101
Step One: Gifts That She’ll Love & Shows You Care
Step Two: Grand Gesture
Step Three: Apologize