Our laughter died as we saw Odette approaching. We hadn’t seen her all day. Emma perked up in my lap, but her hopeful gaze became frightened.
Odette’s lip trembled. There were tears blooming in her eyes, welling over the lids. She stopped in front of Emma and began shaking, stomping her foot.
“I hate you, you know that?” she snapped at Emma. Kiara and Delmare both reeled back in shock— Alexei, Stefan and I looked at each other, while Emma stiffened.
“I did it to protect you!” Emma insisted. “You know I had to tell Theo—”
“You didn’t need to tell him anything!” Odette shouted. “There’s nothing wrong with me!”
Odette’s hands clenched into fists, and they quivered at her sides. She appeared to be overstimulated, from the loud music and all the people inside the Rec Room. It was only making her anger worse.
“Odette, calm down,” I said gently.
Odette ignored me. “I can’t trust you, Emma! You’re an awful friend! Just stay away from me, okay?”
Emma’s voice was gentle. “I care about you, Odette. You haven’t been eating, and you’ve been purging your food. I couldn’t allow it to go on.”
I was shocked. Odette had an eating disorder? I suppose looking back, the signs were clear to see... but how terrible. Emma had been carrying this alone, for I wasn’t sure how long.
And I’d gotten drunk last night, leaving her to shoulder the burden. I was a terrible mate. I couldn’t have known— but still, we were all friends. I should’ve caught on.
“What?” Delmare burst. Her eyes widened— this was news to her as well.
Kiara was similarly surprised. “Odette, why didn’t you tell us? We could’ve helped you.”
Odette didn’t answer. She only had eyes for Emma. “You know how important ballet is to me. Maybe if you took your skating career just as seriously, you’d be able to keep up with Gabby instead of falling on your ass all the time at practice!”
That was a mean comment, one that I knew dug at Emma. My mate flinched, before she gathered her bearings and let out a comeback. “If your ballet career is so important, why did you leave the Russian ballet for Arcanea University?” Emma snapped. She was finally losing her patience.
Odette nervously pulled at her hair, on the verge of a meltdown. A few blonde strands came out as she burst, “I didn’t come back to dance in the Malovian Ballet, I came back to dance with—”
Odette took a breath. She didn’t finish her sentence, but everyone around us heard her words.
She hadn’t left Russia to attend Arcanea University. She’d come back for Theo.
Emma’s features rearranged into porcelain glass, fragile and hopeful. “It was worth it. Odette, Theo is your mate.”
I expected some grand revelation to come upon Odette, but it didn’t happen. Odette wiped at her face. “No. Don’t lie to spare my feelings, Emma. I thought there was something between us, but I was stupid. There’s nothing there. And I’ve moved on, so don’t try to get involved like you always do! You like sticking your nose into other people’s business, and I’m just sick of it!”
“It’s the truth!” Emma objected.
“Theo tried to say the same thing, but I know he’s lying. If he loved me, he would’ve told me by now. He’s been nothing but friendly toward me. That’s not how a mate acts.” Odette sniffed. “Now he’s trying to make me feel better by tossing himself at me, when I know he doesn’t care. It makes me feel pathetic.”
This was all wrong. Odette took Theo’s passiveness for apathy. She thought he didn’t love her.
What a terrible mess.
“Odette, Theo does love you,” Emma pleaded. “He told me himself.”
Odette shook her head so rapidly, I imagined it flying off her shoulders. She put her hands over her ears and said, “I don’t believe you. I don’t feel anything for him anymore. If we were mated, I would feel the bond, and I don’t. I’m involved with someone else now. Please, Emma, keep your distance.”
Odette tore off. She ran through the crowd, darting between bodies on her way out of the Rec Room.
“Odette, wait!” Emma cried. She got off my lap, and I jumped up to go after her.
We wove around the room in our chase, but Odette disappeared into the crowd. Emma and I got turned around. We circled in place, but didn’t see Odette anywhere.
We’d lost Odette. Damn it. Emma turned toward me, tears brimming in her eyes. “Do you think she’ll ever forgive me?”
