Page 71 of Once Upon a Curse for True Love
“Not helping, Quill.”
“Merely pointing out that my foresight has once again proven impeccable.”He settled more comfortably on the table, his quills relaxing.
“You’re going with ‘I told you so?’Seriously?”
“Well, I did.”Quill sniffed.“It doesn’t take a genius to predict getting tangled with a man who once arrested you in your pajamas is a dreadful idea.”
Despite everything, she smiled.“You’re terrible.”
“I prefer discerning.”Quill tilted his head.“What will you do?Take the job?”
Her smile vanished.That was the question circling her mind like a hungry shark—what would she do?It was the kind of position she’d dreamed of—steady, respected, and a place where her talents would mean something.No more scraping by on questionable freelance contracts or wondering where next month’s rent would come from.
But Donatello…
Her chest ached at the thought of him.The way his dark eyes softened when they landed on her.How his hands could be so gentle despite their strength.The sound of his laughter—rare, but worth every effort to coax it out.She’d spent years convinced she didn’t need anyone, and then he’d kicked down her door and arrested her, and ended up imprisoning her heart too.
“I don’t know,” she admitted, scooping up more ice cream.“I know I should take it.Taking the job would be the smart choice.”
“But?”Quill prompted.
“But I love him.”She voiced the simple and impossible truth.“And I hate that I have to choose.”
“Why you?He could resign.”
Andromeda’s laugh was hollow.“Yeah, I suggested that.Turns out being a cop is his entire identity.He’d never leave.”
“Then you should reconsider whether someone so rigid deserves your affection.”
Ah.The irony of that statement coming from Quill.
Andromeda polished off the entire ice cream carton.Then another the next day.And when she ran out of sweets, she moved on to frozen pizzas.Time blurred as Andromeda sank into a thick fog of misery.She didn’t shower and left the couch only to go to the bathroom or to grab provisions.Sarah Michelle was at her boyfriend’s place, leaving Andromeda free to shamelessly wallow in her misery.
On day four, she stared at the ceiling fan’s hypnotic rotation, counting the seventh pizza crust that had joined its brethren on the coffee table.Her post-breakup hibernation was going swimmingly if one’s definition of success involved unwashed hair and scarce personal hygiene.A nagging voice in her head reminded her that brilliant hackers didn’t wallow; they re-coded their problems.But this bug in her life’s program wasn’t yielding to any quick fix.
Drowning her sorrows in ice cream only gave her a sugar headache and a collection of sticky spoons scattered across the living room like metallic confetti.The house resembled the aftermath of a frat party attended only by one depressed blonde witch with a penchant for carbs.
Her laptop sat abandoned on the couch, the screen showing a half-composed acceptance email.The blinking cursor mocked her with its steady rhythm.Take the job.Don’t take the job.Leave Donatello.Stay with Detective Douche.The binary choice smacked her like a cosmic prank, especially for someone who made a living finding backdoors.
“There’s always a third option,” she mumbled to herself.“I just haven’t hacked it yet.”
The sound of keys jingling in the lock had her stomach drop.Sarah Michelle wasn’t supposed to be back until tonight.Andromeda made a pathetic attempt to gather the nearest takeout containers but abandoned the effort when the door swung open.What was the point?The evidence of her mental breakdown was too extensive for a thirty-second cleanup.Not even a spell would’ve been fast enough.
“Hey, I’m ho—” Sarah Michelle’s greeting died on her lips as she took in the disaster zone that had once been their tidy living room.
Andromeda opened her mouth to justify herself, but the words evaporated when she registered her roommate’s appearance.She did a double-take so dramatic it gave her whiplash, still not adjusted to Shelly being a platinum blonde.
“Yeah, takes getting used to.”Sarah’s hand went self-consciously to her hair.“How are you doing?”
Andromeda barked out a laugh that sounded unhinged even to herself.“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?You’re the one who had a magical makeover courtesy of the undead.”
Sarah Michelle’s gaze swept over the pizza boxes, ice cream containers, and the blanket nest Andromeda had built.
“I don’t know.”Her best friend picked her way through the debris field.“You look like you went ten rounds with a garbage disposal and lost.”
“Thank you for that assessment, Detective Obvious.”Andromeda tried for a smile and only achieved a grimace.“The house is a biohazard.I know.I just…” She waved at the chaos around her.
Nox scampered down from Sarah Michelle’s shoulder to go greet Quill.And for all his showing of being pestered, Andromeda could tell the hedgehog was happy the ferret was back.
