AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Decker slugged some beer. “You were so utterly mature the entire time you guys were dating, yeah. The whole let’s-just-see-where-this-goes-and-not-bring-labels-into-it thing? That was emblematic of being in your mid-thirties, not of being, I don’t know, a teenager.”
Zebedee looked him over. “This is really none of your business, dude.”
“He’s not wrong,” muttered Essence.
“Then the pregnancy scare. You were really mature about that,” said Decker, drinking even more beer.
“You know, you’re both very sarcastic,” said Zebedee. “You guys deserve each other. So, you know what? Forget it.” He got up from the table.
“Don’t,” said Decker to Essence.
Essence sighed. “I can’t help it.”
“But—”
“Forget what?” said Essence.
Zebedee was standing over them, giving them both a nasty grin, not leaving the table. “No, no. You guys don’t need my help or anything. You don’t want to get out of those cuffs. I’m sure you’re very happy being stuck together like that.”
“We are,” said Decker, giving him his own nasty grin. “Actually.”
“Well, then,” said Zebedee. “I guess you don’t want me to take you guys to my grandfather’s house, then.”
“Oh, tangles and briars, I bet he could get them off,” said Essence. “Decker, Zebedee’s grandfather is crazy magical. He can do spells. You should have seen the fireworks spells he was doing at New Year’s. It’s worth a try to see if he can.”
“It might be, but I’m not taking you to see him,” said Zebedee, his grin going wolfish.
“This, very mature,” mumbled Decker.
Essence kicked him under the table.
Decker’s nostrils flared.
Essence gave him a look.
Decker looked up at Zebedee. “I’m really sorry, man. I’m sorry if I offended you in any way. I’m Essence’s friend is all. Obviously, in a breakup, I’m going to take her side.”
“Because that’s mature,” said Zebedee, a gleam in his eyes.
Decker gritted his teeth.
“Apology accepted,” said Zebedee, sitting back down. “Finish your drinks, and I’ll take you guys down to see him after that. Let me text him and let him know we’re on our way.”
7:45 p.m.
ESSENCE HAD KNOWN Zebedee since they were kids. They had both grown up in the general area, and they used to go to temple together, which meant that they’d been in some stupid holiday pageant together. She’d been handmaiden to the Holly King one year and he’d been shieldbearer to the Oak King, and their mothers had taken turns driving them back and forth to practices, which had meant every other practice, she’d had to sit in the backseat next to Zebedee while he narrated the practice to his mother moment-by-moment, as if anyone was that interested in listening to Zebedee talk.
He still thought he was the center of the universe.
Why had she dated him?
Well, he’d asked her out for one thing. They’d been at the holiday solstice service at the temple, not last year, but the year before, both with their parents and siblings. Essence’s younger sister Juniper was pregnant at that point, her stomach huge and round, and Juniper couldn’t seem to stop rubbing that bump of hers, grinning and glowing like some fertility goddess, as if she just wanted to point out to everyone else how much she’d succeeded at life when Essence was still unmarried, single, and having trouble keeping plants alive.
No, that wasn’t fair.
Juniper was just happy. She wasn’t making it about Essence.
No, Essence was feeling sorry for herself instead of feeling happy for her sister, because she was selfish and awful.
