Page 94 of By the Fae

“What are you doing?” I asked him, the words barely escaping over the tremor in my voice.

He didn’t answer, just kept shoving things inside his bag.

“Goldie, please, what’re you packing for?”

He shook his head, his lips pursed so tightly they turned white. There were tear tracks on his cheeks. He was crying. Goldie, crying.

What had I done?

A sob burst from my chest. I was on my feet. Panicking now. My heart smashing against my ribcage. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I take it back. I don’t love you. I don’t love you! Please, whatever you’re thinking about doing, don’t.”

He knelt. Zipped up his bag. Pointedly did not look at me. Stood. Hoisted it onto his shoulder.

“Please, Goldie. I’m sorry. Please don’t leave.” I pulled at the strap, but of course, fae strength held it firm. “Goldie. Don’t go. I don’t love you. I hate you even. You’re a fucking jerk. I hate you. Please stay.”

He laughed then. It was a laugh through a sob. He faced me and cradled my cheek with his hand, thumbed a tear away. “I can’t do this. Not like this. This isn’t what I wanted. It’s not fair. On either of us. I’m sorry.” And that was all he said before he turned and headed out of his bedroom.

I grabbed the closest piece of cloth, one of his vampire flatmate’s quilts, and wrapped it around myself.

“Goldie, at least tell me where you’re going?” I ran after him, down the stairs into the corridor.

He didn’t spare me another word or even a cursory over-the-shoulder glance before he yanked the front door open, and disappeared down through the steps of the fire escape.

Chapter 32.

Holly

My head fell back against the door frame.

He’d used the emergency exit. The emergency exit!

He ran away.

I told him I loved him, and he ran. Just like I knew he would.

Why couldn’t I keep my mouth shut? Why did I have to ruin everything? Why did he let me come over so often?

I had no idea how long I sat wilted against the wall. The front door still gaping. Praying I’d see the elevators ping open and his blonde head stride through, laughing like it was all a cruel trick. Knowing, instinctively, that would never happen.

Eventually, the anger and sadness ebbed from me. In its place an all-consuming emptiness. A numbness. Hollow. Blank.

Weird.

I had to go to work soon. I should eat breakfast. Did I even like food, anyway?

“Holly? Everything okay?”

The words were distant, deep but tinny as though spoken through an old telephone. A man’s voice. I turned my head, momentarily fooling myself that it was him.

It wasn’t. The voice belonged to the minotaur.

“Oh my Gods, Holly,” said Joey, pushing her husband out of the way and rushing over to me. “What happened?”

I shrugged.

“Where’s Goldie?”

I didn’t have the energy to shrug again, so I looked towards the open front door.

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