Eternal: Chapter Two, Part 5

“Why are you with her?” Valetta demanded when we stepped through the door. Her anger flooded the room as she stood, glaring at him.

I could feel Drei shrinking beside me under her fury. Our talk earlier hadn’t completely settled him, and he still hadn’t decided the answers for himself. But I didn’t want her bullying him when it was my fault and I was around—I didn’t want her being hard on him even when I wasn’t around, but that was slightly harder to control.

Slipping my hand into his, I stared back at Valetta. “It was my idea,” I stated, determined not to fold under her ferocity. “I asked him to come with me because I wanted to be with him.”

She was completely taken aback—not expecting me to speak on his behalf, apparently—but it wasn’t long before she recomposed herself, her anger still obvious but not nearly as strong. “Why?”

“Because I love him, Valetta, and I enjoy spending time with him,” I explained gently. I knew she had once felt the same way, but somehow she seemed to have forgotten that.

“But he was not there to protect you, and he turned—”

“We were both responsible for what happened, and we’ve come to terms with it already.” I was trying to remain patient. She didn’t know the circumstances and seemed reluctant to even attempt understanding them, but that didn’t give her an excuse to completely ignore their existence. “We went over the whys and the hows and we’re past it. We just want to be happy. Just like you.”

Mitchell took Valetta’s hands and pulled her aside. They argued a moment over whether or not to trust what I was saying, if they were really my own words or somehow Drei’s influence. He eventually talked her down, taking our side, and explaining how he saw it to her. We weren’t trying to spite her; Drei wasn’t trying to take advantage of me. We were simply making the best of our situation and living our undead lives the way we wanted. And for once, Mitchell was speaking straightforward and, instead of hitting him, I kind of wanted to give him a huge hug.

“Apologies are in order,” she said when Mitchell finished and they had approached us again.

“No they’re not,” I said, crossing the space between us and taking her hands in mine. “You were just standing up for what you felt was right. There’s nothing to be sorry for in that.”

“But—”

“You are worse than Abriel when it comes to arguing about everything.” Drei was unsure yet about whether he was still in deep with her or not, but not so uncertain as to remain silent. “She is right, though. There is no reason to apologize.”

“I yelled at you,” she persisted, her dark eyes wide and befuddled. “I was cruel and judgmental; I separated you, and—”

“We needed that,” Drei finished for her, steadily growing surer of his position in this. “At least I did. It gave me time to contemplate how much I do value her;” he met my eyes and held them. A faint warmness spread through my body and my lips upturned slightly. “How I have made mistakes in the past, and renewed my resolve not to repeat them.”

“I do not recall mushy messes being on our itinerary,” Mitchell teased, successfully coaxing grins from all of us—even an eye roll from Valetta. I was grateful he was breaking up the cycle of reassurances that was bound to follow, but it didn’t stop me wanting to hit him for his teasing.

“Do you always have to be insensitive to the moment?” I asked, my hands on my hips.

“Only when you are around,” he taunted jovially, hugging me.

“Of course. So what should we do now that all this drama is done with?” I asked as Drei slipped an arm around my waist, his other hand disappearing into his pocket.

We all looked at each other, hoping someone had an idea. “What if we just talk?” Valetta suggested after a while. With no other suggestions, we sat in the living room and talked.

It was entertaining, as we covered recent events—both serious and frivolous—debated about different places in town, and discussed what I had come up with for my movement. From their reactions, I really had figured it out—all of them had known since before meeting me, but none of them would ever tell me what it was.

It was well into the afternoon before Drei insisted I should sleep. Mitchell and Valetta agreed, despite my arguments, but then Valetta suggested we all retire for the day, as if to ensure they weren’t just treating me like a little kid. Mitchell even proposed we go out as a group the next night before we parted ways. Things were somewhat back to normal for the time being. Valetta didn’t even say anything about Drei and me sleeping in the same bed again. That was probably the best thing, too. I felt like I was actually able to fall asleep.