Page 74 of Heir of Fire
Gianna got ready for the day, throwing on a pair of jeans and a pink sweater. She had her theory class today and it was always freezing in there. She opened the door to her room but screamed when she saw that two people already stood there.
Blair had her arms crossed, a look of disappointment on her face and Cecilia stood behind her with wide, scared eyes.
“What’s going on?” Gianna asked, opening the door wider. “I’m trying to go eat.”
Blair pushed through, letting herself in while Cecilia followed meekly behind. Gianna desperately tried to look at her, to see if she had accidentally mentioned anything, but she refused to make eye contact.
Anxiety settled into her gut like a boulder. Gianna closed the door, swallowing harshly. “Are you going to say anything or are you just going to be silent the entire time?”
“What the hell were you doing last night at a diner on campus holding hands with Finn?” Blair finally asked, breaking the silence.
Gianna’s eyes widened. The urge to throw up swept through her entire being. “How do you know about that?” she whispered.
“I was there with the pre-law society,” Blair answered. “The one that your brother also happens to be a part of.”
“Was he?—”
“No, he wasn’t there last night. I don’t think he would have waited until morning to confront you if he was,” she said. “What the fuck are you thinking, Gianna? And telling Cecilia of all people? Have you lost your mind? Did you forget who Finn is or do you need a reminder?”
The questions overwhelmed Gianna. She took a seat on the bed, running her hands through her hair before she settled on biting on her fingers. “Cecilia found out accidently. As for how it happened, I honestly couldn’t tell you. It just kind of did.” She let out a long exhale. “I know who he is, and I get all of that, but he’s grown on me.”
“Want to know what else grows on people and is bad? Diseases,” Blair hissed.
“Come on, Blair. Don’t be so harsh,” Cecilia said, speaking up. “She knows all of this. Just let her live a little.”
“Living a little is going on a trip. Living a little is buying a nice bag or a treat for yourself. It is not fucking your best friend’s brother.” She sighed, pacing the room. “What the hell are we going to do because all three of us are now lying to Luna?”
Guilt rattled through her core with a power she had never felt before. Gianna’s hands shook as she raised them to her mouth,the nerves finally hitting her all at once. She shook her head. “I never wanted any of you to get involved for this very reason.”
“Well, it’s a little too late for that now.”
Blair’s words only dug the knife deeper. Gianna had let herself believe that what she was doing was okay, perhaps even right, because it felt good. But everything about it now felt wrong, horribly wrong. The guilt, the betrayal, the lying, the disappointment—this was what a relationship with Finn really was. Maybe there would never be any good to it.
But then what were all those feelings while she was with him? The lightness, the warmth, the fun, theunderstanding. That couldn’t have been something she made up in her head. No, it couldn’t have been. Not when she had tried to push him away over and over again and he held on. That was real. All those feelings were real.
“I’m sorry you’re in this position now,” Gianna said, setting her hands on her lap. “But I’ll tell Luna myself about it. I’ll keep you both out of it, so she doesn’t get upset with either of you. If you choose to take her side, I won’t blame you. Hell, I’d probably take her side too.”
“What are you talking about?” Cecilia said, shaking her head. “There aren’t any sides to this. We’re all best friends. This is something that needs to be worked out because we’re not throwing away our friendships just because you fell in love with Finn.”
Gianna’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. “What?”
“That’s what this is, right? That’s why this all matters so much?” Cecilia asked. “If it didn’t, we wouldn’t even be having the conversation. Hell, you wouldn’t be considering going to Luna yourself if it didn’t mean something.”
Blair ran her hands through her hair. “Is that true?”
She swallowed harshly. Was it true? How the hell was she supposed to know? It was too early to tell. Gianna had only reallyaccepted the relationship a few weeks ago, and to be honest, the thought of moving that quickly terrified her immensely.
They must have seen the look of pure confusion and shock on her face because they both nodded their heads. Well, Cecilia did. Blair huffed again, muttering something under her breath.
“Take your time to figure out whatever you need to,” Cecilia said, grabbing her hand. “I’m not rushing to tell anyone and neither will Blair.”
Said girl rolled her eyes. “I’m not going to run off and scream it at the top of my lungs, but I’m not accepting it either. Think about it long and hard before you make any final decisions on the matter.”
Gianna nodded her head. “Thank you.”
Blair opened her mouth to say something when her phone began buzzing in her hand. “Speak of the devil,” she said, answering right away.
Gianna tried to listen to what was being said, especially when Blair’s face contorted from one of confusion to one of worry. Blair shook her head. “No, I haven’t seen him, but I’ll let you know if I do. The same goes for Cecilia and Gianna. Keep me updated.”
