I would like to be excluded from this conversation,he stated bluntly.
“He knows,” Ava accused. “He doesn’t think we’re ready to hear the answer.”
I frowned. “Cryptic, as always. Oberi, can’t you be of helpjust once?”
I’ve been helpful more than once, thank you very much. I believe I’ve already exceeded your expectations, he complained.
I scowled. “You’re an ass.”
Thank you very much,he replied proudly. I swore, he made it his life’s goal to piss us off. Perhapshewas the one sending us the dreams.
Ava finally dropped her hands. “I don’t know what to do about the dreams, Charlie.”
“Me, either,” I admitted. “I don’t want you taking on my memories.”
“Why? Are you hiding something?” she asked.
“No,” I insisted. “You know what I’ve been through. Don’t tell me you want to live through that.”
She hesitated. “I’d rather not.”
“Maybe they’re happening because we’re fighting,” I thought. “If we can get along, hopefully they won’t happen again.”
“And how will we do that, Charlie?” Ava demanded. “We haven’t had a decent conversation in… I don’t know how long.”
“We’re having one now,” I pointed out.
“Do I need to remind you of what you said the last time we spoke?” she questioned.
“No, ancestors. Please don’t,” I begged, running my hands through my hair. “I reallyamsorry about that. I didn’t mean what I said.”
“You sounded like you meant it at the time,” she grumbled.
“I don’t know what I meant. I was pissed, and I just said it to hurt you. It wasn’t fair. You don’t deserve that.”
She paused several moments before speaking. “I… appreciate the apology. Thank you. And I’m sorry for the extreme reaction I had.”
“Don’t be sorry for your performance.” The words spilled out of me before I realized what I was saying. I’d been so pissed about her song, but maybe it wasn’t as bad as I thought. “You were hurt, and you channeled that pain into art. The song was actually really amazing. The fact that you took the time to write it… well, it shows you’ve come a long way since we first met.”
My stomach twisted. I couldn’t believe I was admitting this out loud.
“Oh,” she said, like she’d expected me to fight back. “Um, thank you. It means a lot.”
Silence stretched between us. We both stood there awkwardly, like we didn’t know what to do next. Sure, we’d apologized, but we weren’tgreat. There were plenty of harbored feelings still eating away at us both.
“We should get back,” Ava finally said. “We don’t want to be gone too long.”
“Yeah,” I agreed quickly. “Alistair’s probably waiting for me in the library. I’ve got another braille lesson.”
The tension in the air didn’t seem to go away until long after Ava and I had gone our separate ways. Oberi had left with her, so I was alone. I stopped in the hall and leaned against the wall. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around our conversation. We’d been civil, but something was stilloff.
I’d never admit it to myself, but I knew Ava and I belonged together. Nothing would ever feelrightunless we got back together again.
But that was never going to happen, was it?
I forced myself to stand upright and make my way to the library. I got turned around a few times, but finally found my bearings when I passed the Villain’s Den and heard the sound of the air hockey table whirring. From there, I could find my way to the library. I walked in to hear a group of people laughing in the corner. I made my way over to them.
“Do we get an invite to the wedding?” Alistair asked.
