Page 45 of Hallows End

A few minutes later, my cousin opens the door.

“Oh, I wasn’t expecting company.”

“I brought you some things, and I wanted to talk to you.”

Breena’s too polite to turn us away, so she just shrugs and gestures for us to come inside.

“The weather sure decided to get dramatic,” she says as she closes the door behind us, then leads us to her craft room, where she has all kinds of things covering her worktable. “I’m just making moon wreaths for my online store.”

“These are always gorgeous,” I murmur as I pick up one of the finished products and admire the craftsmanship. It’s a crescent moon wrapped in flowers and branches and adorned with crystals. “You should make a few for me to sell at my place.”

“Oh, that would be nice. Do you think your customers would be interested?”

“Are you kidding? Of course, they would. And I need more rose quartz candles, too.”

“I have it on my list to make some tomorrow.”

“Perfect, thanks. Listen, Breena—”

“I’m fine,” she interrupts, but when her green eyes meet mine, I can see that she’snotfine.

She just doesn’t want to talk about it.

“Have you spoken with Lorelei?”

“No.” She won’t look up at me, just concentrates on securing an amethyst to the moon as if it’s heart surgery. “She called, but I didn’t pick up.”

“No one meant to hurt you the other day.”

“I’m not hurt.” Her smile is fake, and it makes my heart ache like a sick tooth. “As I said, I’m fine.”

“Breena.”

“Okay, I’m embarrassed.” She shrugs and then sets the moon down when her fingers fumble. “Is that what you want to hear? That I felt humiliated and sad and just wanted the earth to open up and swallow me whole? Because I did.”

“I know.” I reach for her, but she moves out of my reach. “But I also know, without a doubt, that Lorelei didn’t mean to blurt it out like that. We were all emotional and exhausted and—”

“I get it,” she says, interrupting me again. “I do. Lorelei wouldn’t purposely hurt me. But she did say it in front of Giles, and it really hurt my feelings that she wasn’t more thoughtful. Because I wouldneverhave done something like that to her.”

“I know,” I repeat. “You have such a sweet heart, Breena.”

“Do you know what’s exhausting?” All traces of sweetness and forced happiness are gone from her face now. There’s no more pretending here, and I’m so relieved because Breena has a habit of covering up what she’s feeling to make others comfortable.

“Tell me.”

“Knowing that I’d walk through fire for people who wouldn’t walk across the street for me.”

“Breena—”

But she holds up her hand, and I stop speaking, ready to hear her out.

“Iknowthat you both love me. I’m not wallowing so deeply that I don’t recognize that. And I also know that you’d both do anything for me. But in that moment, in justthatinstant, Lorelei was careless with me, and her love for me and my feelings was nowhere to be seen. And that, Lucy, is exhausting for me because Ialwayshave others in the forefront of my mind.”

I simply cross to her and wrap my arms around her because I don’t know what to say. She isn’t wrong. As much as Lorelei loves Breena, shewascareless in that moment, and it was wrong.

“I’m sorry, Breen,” I say softly. “I know that Lorelei is miserable, too.”

“Did you speak with her?”

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