Page 39 of Hero of Havoc

All the while, I can sense four sets of eyes aimed my way, and it takes everything inside of me to pretend I don’t.

I might be working on forgiveness, but I’m always working on me too, and that has to take precedence.

“We need to lock in on girl time,” Meadow declares as I choose my food.

“Absolutely,” I agree, opting for the buffalo chicken sandwich and fries with a bottle of lemonade.

“I could do with a sprinkling of Greta’s greatness,” she adds, turning my attention to her.

Her eyes crinkle at the corners, sadness shimmering ever so slightly in her dulled orbs.

“Is everything okay?” I ask, and she nods, nipping at her bottom lip.

“It’s my mom’s birthday next week, and it’s… hard,” she admits.

Toby places a hand on her thigh in silent comfort as I shuffle closer and wrap my arms around her shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” I breathe, and she offers me a watery smile when I lean back.

“It’s okay, I just, I need… I don’t know what I need. It doesn’t seem to get any easier,” she admits with a sniff.

Glancing between my friend and her mate, I sense the helplessness buzzing through Toby as his pleading eyes beg me to find the right answer. Unfortunately, I’m not well-equipped for these kinds of scenarios, since it’s only ever really been Hugo and me.

Instead of leaning on past experiences, I look inward, considering what it is I would hope for in a moment like this. Although that can’t be all that accurate because my father’s dead, I watched it happen with my own eyes, and I felt nothing but freedom. That’s not what she’s dealing with, and for a split second, I’m a little jealous of the sensations she must be feeling, but I quickly berate myself.

This isn’t about me.

It’s about my friend.

Clearing my throat, I squeeze her arm in support. “Do you want to remember her or forget the pain for a while?” I ask, and her nose wrinkles for a moment as she shrugs.

“Both?”

“Okay, then how about we make a plan to celebrate her one afternoon this weekend, and have a little get-together to forget it all too,” I offer, and her eyes widen, the familiar softness returning as she places her hand on mine.

“You are the best friend I’ve ever had.”

I scoff. “That must be bad because I’ve been lousy,” I admit, and she rears back.

“You haven’t,” she insists.

“Regardless, we’ll make a plan. Whatever works for you, I’m here.”

“What if all I need is some juicy gossip about what’s going on between you and those fated mates of yours?” she asks, wagging her eyebrows at me teasingly, and I roll my eyes.

“Then I’d tell you that you’re insane. Or I am, because I’m considering it.”

10

IVY

Apparently, without the weight of despair on my shoulders, I can breeze through the week with ease. Lessons feel irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, but that makes me eat them up more.

I'm locked in, determined to expand my mind, which is easy enough when there’s no drama or attacks on the kingdom threatening our power source.

My only real irritation with the week is how I barely crossed paths with Meadow. Other than a few meal times, we’ve been passing ships, and I feel pretty down about it, especially knowing she’s going through a tough time.

I want to be there for my friend, and what we've had so far isn't enough.