Broken Mate, Fixed By Fate

07 ~ Call me

I put my phone back inside my bag, not bothering to respond. I’m not interested in what he has to say anymore. There’s no point, really, is there?

I look outside the window again, at the scenery we pass by.

He made a choice, and it wasn’t me. Talking with him will only mess me up even more right now. Closure will have to come later.

I sigh. Thank goodness I left the village. It would have been harder to resist if I were still there, tempted to peek through the window, waiting for him… pining for what can no longer be.

Lila had not been kidding, the villa really is in the middle of nowhere. But the good news is, there is more than enough space for everyone that I don’t have to see Maria’s son all the time.

Unless it’s breakfast, lunch and dinner, that is, for which my host adamantly put her foot down—after I spent the whole day after we’ve arrived in some sort of self-induced coma stressing over Jack—and she declared that we will all eat together from now on.

“I will not have you going back home to your sister in the same state you arrived here. My reputation is on the line, you know! I promised her you will get better under my care and you will, even if I have to spoon feed you myself at the beginning!” She tells me firmly before grinning to soften the blow. “Only at the beginning, of course, because I promise, you’ll be picking up the spoon more than willingly in just a couple of days.”

That night, I turned off the phone to avoid being bothered by Jack. Instead, I slept, drowning my thoughts with music blasting in my earphones all night long.

The next day, I pretend to still be sleeping until very late, just to avoid breakfast, but when I finally come downstairs almost in time for an early lunch, they are still sitting on the breakfast table, waiting for me.

Elijah is reading a newspaper and I see his amused eyes follow me as I enter the kitchen, shaking his head as if thinking ‘amateur’.

Maria gives me a chastising look as I take a seat and puts a plate of eggs and toast before me.

“Eat your breakfast. We’ll just have a late lunch.”

Elijah lowers his newspaper and sips from his cup of coffee before glancing at me with eyes begging for mercy. “Do have pity on me and try to arrive for the meals on time. This is my seventh cup of coffee. She would not let me leave the table until all of us had broken fast. That’s how she will succeed, you know. Sheer bullheadedness and emotional manipulation.” He teases his mother.

Maria grins, unabashed. “Whichever works, whatever it takes. All is fair in love and war!” She declares this proudly.

I stare at my plate for a few seconds. She can’t possibly believe I can eat even half of what she put there.

I sigh in resignation and begin to eat.

After forcing as much food as I can down my throat, I decided to go for a walk in the garden, taking a deep breath and closing my eyes as the air is filled with lovely scents from all the flowers in bloom. Finally, I feel myself relaxing for the first time in a very long while.

Aroma therapy at its purest and finest.

I walk around, observing the pretty blossoms and loving the explosion of their various colors. It’s such a feast to the eyes and for a moment I forget about my sorrows and my creative mind begins to see designs and shapes of dresses from the flowers I pass by.

Until I arrive at a garden patch where rows upon rows of red tulips have yet to bloom.

They are my favorite flowers.

I kneel down, feeling sad as I stare at the still greenish yellow buds with a vibrant dash of red peeking from the internal side of the petals.

I wanted to have a bouquet of red tulips for my wedding. In the language of flowers, their deep red hues evoke feelings of passion, love, and lust — making them an especially popular choice for younger couples. But they can also mean eternal love and passion. These are flowers that say “believe me” or that “my feelings are true.”

Too bad that in our case, only my feelings were genuine.

I feel a tightening in my chest but my eyes remain dry.

Cry, damn it! I mutter furiously to myself. Just let it go already!

Nothing. I try to think of my wolf, wondering if she’s truly gone or if she can still hear me. But as always, there is only silence. This must be what it feels like to be human.

Strangely enough, I find comfort in it. Bearing the heavy sorrow of my own broken heart is hard enough as it is. To feel her pain as well due to the broken bond might be a little too much for me to handle. I’d even dare say she did me a favor by disappearing.

Actually, I had an odd dream of being so angry at her that I locked her away. So strange what our minds conjure when we sleep.

I stand up, suddenly desperate to get away from the red tulips.

My phone ringing all of a sudden makes me jump and my heart pounds as I think of who it could be. Probably Jack again.

During the first few days after I found out about his betrayal, I kept waiting for him to come to our house and assure me that it was all a misunderstanding. When he didn’t visit immediately, I still waited for him to call me and explain. Maybe there’s a reason why it happened and he was simply being forced.

But the days passed and there’s only silence from his part, adding to my fears. And then came the gossip… of his new life with his chosen mate, who is from a wealthy and powerful family.

My worst nightmare has officially come true.

I have been betrayed and jilted. Cast aside like old, unwanted clothes.

Slowly, I take my phone from my pocket, dreading the name I will see on the screen.

However, it is not Jack, just my sister calling. I don’t know why she bothers to call, knowing I’m not going to speak anyway. Sighing, I press the end button, declining the call.

Lila sends a voicemail instead.

“Hey Maeve… I just wanted to know if you’re okay. I’m not sure if I should even tell you, but Jack was here in the shop today. He said he wanted to talk to you, but I… I sent him away. He’s probably going to try and contact you… and I just… I’m worried. Please, Maeve… he’s not good for you. It pains me to say it but he already chose another and they are expecting a child—whatever he will offer you now is just… improper and undignified. You deserve so much better… so much more! I know I shouldn’t interfere… You’re a grown woman now and it’s your life after all, but I… I just want what is best for you—I want you to be really happy. That’s all I want. I don’t think you were happy with him, not really. But I believe you can find happiness again, dearest… just not with him. So please… Please be careful. He can’t be trusted!” Lila takes a deep breath, sounding almost relieved. “There, I said it. You know I already felt that way before but I-I tried to be fair… It’s my biggest regret, Maeve… not speaking out before. So I’m doing it now, I’m taking my stand. Don’t let him back in… Don’t let him hurt you again.”

I stare at the phone screen as it slowly fades to black, waiting for my tears to fall.

And yet nothing. I feel heavy, like dark clouds hovering in the sky, but the rain would simply not fall. Instead, there is a very strong wind blowing… pushing me away.

Only a few minutes later, Jack’s number appears on the screen with a message.

“We need to talk, Maeve. Call me as soon as you can.”

Call him? Call him!?

He can’t even be bothered to call me himself!? Not that I would answer, but the tone of his message just feels so… degrading! But maybe that’s my fault. He was used to me doing his bidding because I always wanted to please him, like a good omega girl.

And now he talks to me as if I would come running to him like a dog eager to please its master, with just a snap of his fingers.

Well, he can shove those fingers up his f*cking ass.

I shoved the phone back inside my pocket, feeling my recently found calm and peace dissipate like smoke from a candle blown by the wind and I resent that.

Back in the house, I feel sick to my stomach, and I can’t eat lunch at all because I feel like throwing up so I just sit there, enduring the suffering looks of Maria as my plate remains untouched.

However, the dark look on my face must have warned them against insisting and she says nothing, while Elijah thankfully pretends not to notice and simply chatters on about nothing of consequence, leaving me to just sit there, quietly simmering with my own dark thoughts.

And then he surprised me with an invitation that I could not resist.

“Miss Maeve, would you like to come with me this afternoon to see the Crystal Cave? It is said to be home to healing faeries.”