The Forgotten Fairytales (31 page)

“You mean to tell me, he kissed you and you didn’t feel anything?” She narrowed her hazel and green eyes at me and stripped off her jacket, showing off the white tank top she had on. In the middle was a glittery red heart. “You’re so weird. You should’ve at least jumped his bones. Rumor has it, he’s packin.”

Wolf let out the loudest groan and stood up. “Yeah, I’m done with this conversation.”

So much for goodbye.

“So spill. You and Finn were so on the right track, a little romance, fueled by forbidden desire and we had the makings for a power couple.” Desiree stirred in her seat, grinning ear to ear.

“I have to focus on April, not boys. Besides, Finn’s an ass.” My attention lingered past her and to Wolf, who was walking out of the cafeteria after snatching a drink from the espresso bar. I couldn’t let the day go on without talking to him. “I have to go. We’ll talk more later.”

Instead of waiting for a goodbye, I grabbed my bag and hurried after him, walking so fast I almost ran over a dwarf. My sneakers squeaked against the floors as I kept myself from sprinting. The less attention the better.

“Wolf,” I shouted as I gained on him. “Wait!”

He stopped in place, the muscles in his back tensed at the sound of my voice. I swallowed the fear building in my throat, ignored the nausea twisting through my stomach and the shakiness in my hands. Pain burned my calves when I came to a halt in front of him. I still didn’t feel one-hundred percent.

“Sorry about that, Desiree doesn’t know how to shut up.”

He scratched his sideburns, not looking right at me. “I know. She’s my friend, remember?”

“Yeah.” I flinched and pushed his negativity away. “Finn might like me, but I don’t like him. Not in the slightest. What do I have to do to prove that to you?”

I’d do anything. Anything to show him I cared for him, that I loved him, that no one even held a candle to him.

“Nothing, Norah. You don’t have to do anything.” He turned and walked away. No. He was not getting off that easily.

I caught up and grabbed his arm, frustration coursing through me. “Yes. I do. God, Wolf. I slept with you. You might not feel the same, but last night.” I sucked in a breath and released it slowly. “Last night meant everything to me. I don’t know what is going on. Why you’re so hot and cold, but all I want is for you to let me in.” Tugging on his arm, my hand slipped in his. “Please, let me in. Tell me why you keep pushing me away.”

His eyes held mine for what seemed like minutes, but was only seconds. Something happened in those moments. The wall which so carefully shielded Wolf’s heart fell and he stared at me with a different intensity. My cool fingertips trailed up his arm, whispering for him to unleash his fears.

“The day of the rumor my uncle came to school. He reminded me of who I am, who my dad is, who he is. How being with me would kill you like it killed my mom. I fought them at first. Till they said the council would lock me away for being with you. I didn’t want to believe them. I tried not to, until my uncle saw you and your dad. Don’t you see how similar we are? If we defied the council we were both as good as dead. No matter what I feel it will never be enough. And I won’t let you suffer. I can’t.”

My eyes shut, soaking in his words, his pain. They royally fucked him. Screwed him in the mind. There was a tiny part of me that feared the council. But the rest of me followed my heart, despite the laws, despite the consequences. Nothing made my feelings for Wolf lessen. No matter how similar the situation, we were different. My parents were too afraid to stand for what they believed in. I was not.

“I’m not afraid of being with you.” I held his hand tight. “Because you and I? We’re fighters. Whatever happens we can get through it. Together. I’m not my parents. I won’t run away.”

I wasn’t afraid of the future, of what they’d do to us. Well, okay, a little, but I wasn’t going to let fear stop me from having him.

His forehead pressed against mine and he breathed in. “I’ll never understand what you see in me. But, god, I hope you never change your mind.”

And then, he kissed me. It was smooth and level, like breathing life back into someone who was almost dead. Someone who was beaten and tired and defeated. His kiss told me I didn’t have to fight alone. He sealed his promise with something that left me winded, breathless, and begging for more.

He pulled back and I opened my mouth to speak.

The words disappeared when I glanced to the side. Through the small window into one of the classrooms I saw Gale and Danielle kissing. Not just kissing—full on making out, Danielle’s shirt was draped over the table, leaving her in nothing but a white laced bra and skirt. My heart hammered in my chest, my mouth dry and cottony as I watched them.

With it being so early, there were few people roaming the halls. In fact, I hadn’t seen anyone walk past in minutes. She groped him and he groped her, and all I saw in my mind was April. Poor, innocent April. She was so infatuated with Gale and here he was, mauling Danielle like they were animals mating at a zoo!

Beside me Wolf cursed as Danielle giggled and kissed Gale deeper. Poor April, poor James, poor Kate. Danielle deceived them all. Wolf’s hand poked at mine, trying to release the death grip fist I made at my side. With one swift motion, he yanked me away and into a doorway where we couldn’t be seen. God, I just wanted to kill her.

“Just breathe,” he said.

“I didn’t want to be right.”

His hand trailed down my arm until it was nestled in mine. “She’s a conniving, soulless bitch. We both knew that.”

Sometimes I wondered why I was surprised anymore. “I have to destroy her.” Venom seeped through my voice, my flesh aching with the desire to smash her head into a wall.

“I know.” His arms laced around my waist, pulling me close so I could rest my tired head on his chest. Inhaling his deep pine smell soothed me enough to not stomp over and punch her brains in. “We’ll get her back.”

“Together?” I peered up at his dark, rich face. The mark from the attack shone brightly from this angle.

“Hell yeah,” he grinned. “We’ll come up with a killer plan. But that means you have to control yourself. No breaking skulls yet.”

I smiled, relieved that Wolf was with me. “Alright. No breaking skulls.”

How did a person become wicked? Something had to happen to make them snap, to push them over the edge. To change them from the inside out.

The entire day I sat behind a desk, nervous and jittery as the image of Gale and Danielle dry humping replayed in my mind. My fists clenched and unclenched and I had a massive migraine. In princess classes, I sat as far away as possible and watched Danielle and April giggling, sitting side by side, locking arms when they walked as if they were the best of friends. Even worse. Sisters.

I ground my teeth together. Her book played over and over like a film in my mind. She had no soul, no conscience, no heart. The weight of my knowledge was almost too much to bear. Too many secrets filled my mind and I couldn’t handle it.

I walked from class to class like an angry zombie ready for the apocalypse. Holding in my fury only made it stir more, to bubble like a volcano ready to erupt. By lunch, my jaw ached from gritting my teeth. Wolf told Kate what we’d seen. Her eyes teared up at the thought of Danielle cheating on James. The love she still had shone through, like a bright beacon.

Across the lunch room, Danielle sat like a queen on her throne, Gale to her left, James to her right. And while she spoke to James, Gale’s foot rubbed against hers while he flirted with my sister. Of course, April was oblivious. God, I hated how she had no clue, how she thought everyone loved her, when in fact, they were plotting against her. Danielle had no interest in Gale, he was her puppet. Everyone was. Danielle whispered something to James and rose from the table, pushing the blonde wisps of hair from her face. A face I wanted to destroy. I
needed
to destroy. Springing up, I ran across the cafeteria where she walked toward the line.

“You are such a backstabbing whore!” I shoved her forward. She toppled in her glass heels but didn’t fall. Instead she caught herself and swung around. “I know about you and Gale.”

A smile spread over her soft pink lips. “Wow, congrats, you’re a regular Nancy Drew. Now, if you don’t mind?”

“How do you think James would feel if he knew the truth about you? About Gale? About Kate? Oh wait, he doesn’t remember Kate, does he? But I do. And I have the letters to prove it.”

Her glittery blue eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

I stepped closer, trying to control my breathing and the fierce anger coiling inside me.

“Norah?” April’s voice peeped. My back went rigid. “What are you doing?”

A group had formed around us now, April, James, Gale, all the people who hated me. Hated me because of her. Because she destroyed hearts. “Why don’t you tell her, Danielle? Tell them all how you’ve been messing around with Gale behind their backs.”

Danielle rolled her shoulders back and stuck her nose in the air. “Fine. Gale and I had a fling. Once. Way before James and I were ever together. Happy?” Her pale eyes glittered with fake tears. “Is that what you wanted to hear, Norah?”

“You are such a liar! I saw you making out with him today.”

“No one appreciates your stories.” She stepped closer, her voice hushed. “Would you
really
want to hurt your precious baby sister?”

“You’re hurting her. You lying, manipulative bitch!”

I shoved her and slammed my fist into her face. Danielle stumbled backward, latching onto a chair before she lunged at me, shrieking, and she grabbed a hold of my hair. My hands fumbled through her arms until I had a clear shot and socked her in the stomach. With a swift kick, we were both on the ground, rolling and screaming, her hands in my hair, as if she knew no other method of defense.

“Just.Tell.The.TRUTH!” I shouted.

I straddled Danielle and wrenched her hands free of my hair by elbowing her in the chest.

“FINE!” She screamed again and slapped me across the face. “Gale never liked April. He likes me. He’s always liked me. Happy?”

We both stared at each other, huffing and puffing, surprised that despite the crowd, no one had broken us apart.

“No.” I punched her again, this time so hard I knew she’d have a black eye. “Now I am.”

One hand flew to her face. Despite the hit, despite our fight, she stared at me with both pain and pleasure.
Pleasure.
A sliver of a smile spread over her lips. Danielle was happy. What the hell did she have to be so happy about?

Oh-my-gosh. Oh no.
Panic set in and I looked up and saw April. Her eyes were wide with tears, and then she took off running. Before I had time to do anything else, I hopped up and hurried after her, surprised at how badly my shins hurt.

“April, please!”

She swirled around, moisture soaking her porcelain face. A face that, despite the tears, was more alive than I’ve seen in years. “How could you?”

“Danielle was playing you. I couldn’t let her get away—”

“No!” She pointed her manicured finger at me. “You couldn’t handle the attention. You couldn’t handle that I was happy and in love. You had to come in and take it away from me!”

I took a deep, shaky breath. The rusty taste of blood trickled into my mouth. How could she be so mad at me for protecting her? Gale had cheated on her. Used her. There’s no way she could be okay with it.

“April, I never meant—”

“Just stop.” She held her arms out to keep me away. “Danielle may be lots of things, but at least she didn’t make a scene in from of the entire school. You did. You embarrassed me for your own sake. I
hate
you, Norah. I
hate
you so much. I never want to see you again!”

April ran down the hall and my heart sank, tears flooded my eyes. All I wanted was to keep my baby sister safe and protected and instead I’d lost my temper and hurt her even more. April was right. I was the
worst
sister in the world.