Page 23 of Bonded Ever After

I stiffen.Is he talking about what I think he’s talking about?

“What happened?” Beva asks, looking between us.

Teth draws his shoulders back. “Elora walked in on me kissing someone.”

“We don’t have to talk about it,” I rush out, not wanting him to feel pressured.

But he looks determined. “The thing is, I’m in love with that person. I think that I’ve always been in love with that person. At first, I just thought I had an interest in them, that they fascinated me, but the more we secretly hung out, the more I couldn’t deny my feelings.”

I stare at him. I’ve never known two men to be together. I’ve never even considered the idea, but when I search my feelings to decide how I feel about this, I’m just happy that he’s found someone he feels this way about, even if I’m also sad they can never be together.

Like Callum and I.

Reaching between us, I take his hand. “I’m happy for you, and I’m sorry.”

He nods.

Beva lets out a rush of air. “I don’t really get this, but I just hope she makes you happy.”

Teth flinches at the “she,” but smiles. “Thanks.”

We continue eating. Teth and I both reach for the last mozzarella stick, fight over it, then end up ripping it in half. I put a generous helping of orange chicken on my plate, right next to a pile of lasagna.

“So, tomorrow morning?” I say to Beva.

“Tomorrow morning,” she repeats excitedly.

A plane passes us overhead, and we all look, probably thinking the same thing. Beva will be on a flight tomorrow, and then she’s never coming back. She’ll finish her degree and then run as far and as fast as she can in the outside, going to a place where Paradise Falls can never find her.

“You be careful out there,” I say. “Watch your back, but have fun.”

“And,” Teth grins, “remember that you’re a badass bitch and that no one is better than you.”

She laughs, but tears start to roll down her face. Without a word, she pulls us closer to her, wrapping an arm around our necks and pulling us into a tight hug. “You have no idea how much I’m going to miss you. Like, seriously, no idea.”

I’m about to say more when I see movement. Pulling back from Teth and Beva, I see Ari walking towards us. She has her red hood up, and her hands stuffed into pockets. She’s looking left and right, as if checking for someone following her.

When she reaches us, she says, “I have to talk to you,” and her gaze is fixed on me.

I nod and tell the others to keep eating, then follow Ari into the forest. We walk for a while, definitely long enough to be sure we’re alone, but she keeps going. I start to think about telling her we should head back, but I’m too curious about what she’s going to say.

Finally, she spins around. “We need to talk.”

“Okay.” I wait, then say, “Did you want to know what we found in the science building?”

“I already know.” She dismisses me easily.

I stare and wait again, wondering what this is about, if not the science building.

“You’re leaving to Neverwood in five days.”

“Yes?”Where is she going with this?

With a straight face, she says, “When you go, I think you should stay gone.”

My mouth drops open. “Stay gone? Is this a joke?”

Her expression grows fierce. “No, this isn’t a joke. You need to leave Paradise Falls for good.”

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