"She never gets sick."
"Your body will be forced to get sick when you're traveling from two polar opposite countries every day," he voiced. "Just because Aurora's a dark god, that doesn't mean she's invincible. We all have limits to our power supply and have to recharge. Thankfully the festival is going so smoothly and is well protected, so none of us are worried about that," Fuwa summarized.
"Brianne can't do this anymore," I muttered.
"And do you think you'll be able to stop her?" Fuwa offered back. "Cause at this point, I have a strong feeling only you could be able to convince her to either rest or ask for help."
"She's going to hurt herself if she keeps doing this."
"She's frightened to tell you and the others," Fuwa muttered.
"That she's taking care of Elijah," I concluded. "We already speculated that."
"You and I both know that's not what she's frightened about."
I sighed and decided to just say it. "She still loves him, right?"
"Love is a bit of a strong word," Fuwa grumbled but didn't deny the obvious truth.
"Love, like, crush, still has butterflies at the thought she potentially still cares about Elijah and the tempting possibility he may still care for her, type of love, correct?"
Fuwa moved to lean against the wall before crossing his arms.
"Why did you move over there?" I questioned.
"It's getting too hot," he replied and gestured to where I stood. "All up in there."
"Ugh," I grunted and tried to calm myself down. "It just pisses me off."
"Why?"
"Because he's not one of us." I went straight to the point. "He'll never be close to us, or a part of our Notorious crew. He's hurt Brianne's heart and she had to learn how to live with the guilt and harsh words he threw at her out of his own frustration. She had to learn to let go, to live, and to love and be free of the past. And now all this truth is coming out and only making her realize she may have fallen out of love with the wrong person.”
I had to state this properly or I'd be interpreted wrong.
"I'm not saying that what happened to good Elijah is fair. In fact, if I was in his shoes and I woke up from a coma and looked back at losing the one girl I was best friends with and had a crush on but didn't have the balls to say shit because my fucked-up twin brother or triplet or whatever number of clones he has screwed everything up in my love life and formidable future, then ya. I'd be more than a little pissed, but it's just..."
"You’re afraid she won't have enough love to give you with him in the equation?"
"No," I whispered and rubbed my hands along my face. "Brianne has too much fucking love. That's the problem, Fuwa."
I lowered my arms to look directly into his eyes. "Her heart never lacks! It's like love just pours out of it and when she starts falling for someone, I know she can fight as much as she wants, but in reality, she won't be able to let go. You see it, don't you? She wakes up at four in the morning after falling asleep at two, gets up, trains, and then goes to make sure he's comfortable, groomed, and getting enough nutrition. No matter the fact she can barely keep up with school and cheer practice right now and is basically driving herself into exhaustion, just because she knows that Elijah not only has nobody who dares do the same for him but because she knows she wouldn't dare let anyone she loved experience such a horrendous way of living."
Taking a breath, I let it out nice and slow. "I heard those nurses. The mockery, the gossip. Like fuck, if I was in a coma and had to listen to all of that crap, I'd pray for someone to pull the damn plug. I knew from the look in Brianne's eyes when she saw Elijah in that bed that she wouldn't abandon him. Even if that was the evil Elijah, nothing would have changed. She would make sure he was taken care of because that's our Red. Our Notorious Queen with an ever-loving heart that pours and pours until she has none for herself, and that's what scares me. You know why?"
He seemed to swallow - his Adam's apple moving up and down.
"Because a moment will come when she'll have to choose between herself and one of us, and I know without a doubt in my mind that the woman I love will once again wedge herself between a strike of an arrow and one of the men she cares dearly about," I revealed the ultimate truth. "And it scares me because I know without a doubt that Elijah may be included in that equation because out of all the fucked-up shit we've dealt with in almost four years, I'm sure he's experienced ten times worse with not even one person to lean on."
We stood there in silence and I noticed then that Fuwa's legs were disappearing. He bit his lip but looked up at me. "Where do you wanna go? It's not safe to stay here."
"My place," I suggested. "Would be easier to get to the festival."
He nodded, and I swiftly moved to slowly scoop Brianne up from the bed. Elsa was still snuggled in her spot. Fuwa was next to me, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. The world around us shifted swiftly until we were right in my room.
I looked to Fuwa as his disappearing speed increased. Facing me, he got to the point. "Tell Brianne you guys know." He wasn't saying that lightly. "All of this is giving her anxiety and if we're not careful, it's going to trigger something. Whether that be her passing out at the wrong place and time like today or triggering her temper or frustration, which isn't good timing, period."
He took a step back though half his body was already gone.
"Fuwa," I whispered. "Why did you tell me all of this?"
"Again, out of the four of you, Brianne won't argue with you," he revealed. "And to be truthfully honest, deep down, you may be the only one who really understands Elijah."
"Why is that?" I tried to dismiss him, but his smile caught my attention as he was on the verge of disappearing entirely.
"Deep down you know what it's like to be a shadow."
Just like that, he was gone with a blink, leaving me in the middle of my room with Brianne still in my arms.
When the emotions you've kept buried are ignored, you merely wish for them to be heard by those you love the most.
22
Spring Festival Of Fulfillment
~BRIANNE~
* * *
Hmm. So sleepy. When did I fall asleep? What year is it? Wait...that's a stupid question.
Festival. Sleepyhead.
Festival...
The mere reminder suddenly clicked in as I tried to recall when I'd decided to take a nap. I could recall going to see Elijah, feeling super tired, and blank.
Oh fucking hell!
My eyes snapped open before I tried to move off my pillow and get out of my bed, only to be stopped as an arm hooked around my waist, keeping me captive.
"Why is my pillow kidnapping me!" I huffed and turned my attention below before I froze. Talk about deja vu.
Here I was, my hands pressed to the sides of my boyfriend, reincarnated husband, and Witchling Academy's president for the last four years, Jax Morgan. This was beyond ironic because we were in his room, just like that moment in time when I fell through his ceiling and on top of his bed that fateful day.