Page 111 of Red King

It’s not just me; she feels the same as I do. She’s putting on an act. The knowledge nearly has me dropping to my knees and begging her to stay, but I don’t. I can’t.

I made the promise, but my Council will expect it of me, anyway. I’ll try to move on. I’ll go through all the motions and date the humans. It’ll be a waste of my time, but what the fuck! I’ll do it, anyway.

“I’m not sorry,” she says, smiling. “I’d do it all again.”

“Me, too.” I walk over to her and hug her.

I squeeze my eyes closed when she hugs me back. We hold tightly onto each other. I can’t quite believe that this is the end.

I breathe her in. Hold her close for a while, and thankfully, she lets me.

All too soon, she’s letting go and walking away, and I let her. Neither of us says goodbye.

31

Paisley

Three days later…

We watch the aircraft land. It’s weird; it feels like just the other day when we landed here on the island. It also feels like so much has happened since.

“This is it,” I tell Maggie. “It’s nearly time.” The aircraft taxies into the parking bay.

Maggie is crying when she hugs me. We hold on to each other for a few long moments. Maggie’s shoulders are shaking with silent sobs.

“Stop with the tears,” I tell her, pulling away and holding her at arm’s length for a few seconds before letting her go. “I didn’t peg you for a crier.” I laugh softly even though I feel like crying myself. If I start, I won’t be able to stop, so I hold back.

I’ll cry when I get back to the Mainland. I’ll have plenty of time for that then.

She sniffs, wiping her face. “I’m not normally a crier. I swear. I can’t believe you’re leaving. It’s all my fault,” she says for at least the tenth time, and that’s only today.

“Stop it.” I shake my head.

“But I was the one who told you to go for it. I told you to meet him in the forest. I called you a prude.” She starts crying again, her lip wobbling. Her eyes are red-rimmed. Her nose is running. She hiccups.

“It isn’t your fault. I am a grown-ass woman. I make my own decisions. It doesn’t matter what you said or what you called me. I did exactly what I wanted to do. We got caught. And I’m not completely unhappy about it.”

“Are you nuts?” Mags looks at me like I just grew another head. “But you love it here.” She wipes her eyes, looks through her purse, and pulls out a Kleenex.

“I love it a little too much, and if I’m honest with myself, I was starting to fall for him.” I make a face.

Her eyes go wide. She wipes her nose, shoving the tissue back into her bag.

“The truth is…” I go on, “I would have had a hard time letting him go and watching him date those other women.” It would have hurt me…to my core. “I would have ended up resigning, anyway. It’s better this way. It’s a clean break. No harm done.”

“Maybe you’re right. I somehow had this feeling that the two of you would end up together like a magical fairytale.”

I laugh, even though it hurts just thinking about that outcome. “Fairytales don’t happen in the real world.”

“Sometimes they do.” She looks over at Hazard, who is waiting on the other side of the small airport building.

He waves.

Maggie giggles and waves back. “I’m so screwed,” she mutters.

“It’ll be fine.”

She sucks in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. “I’ve had several panic attacks since agreeing to carry on with our…thing.”

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