Page 90 of Novice Girlfriend

Everyone had lived without them, and a reminder of how that was wouldn’t be a bad thing. Also, it would give them a chance to really work for a bit while I did. Hint, hint.

I think they heard me, but everyone had too much on their plates as well. I was debating bringing it up at the next weekly meeting with the normal people on Sundays. It sounded smart… Right?

It was hard to think about much besides the situation with Jason Berns. The way that had blown up was unreal. Some of it was genuinely good. People were realizing that things were worse than they understood and not accepting the status quo anymore. I heard more than one clip with someone saying that maybe the council should be at less events and get stronger to protect us.

Well said.

The outpouring of sympathy for Eunice’s family was honestly touching. Everyone who had ever met him, from teachers to those who had worked with him to coaches to students who had known him—everyone adored him. Hanson had been right about that and Jason had picked the one person they all adored.

I knew some people blamed me. They didn’t say it and no one even gave me so much as a look, but I could hear their familiars. I knew what they said when no one was around.

It made me retreat into my work and school. I brushed everyone off, even Winter when he confronted me. I snapped at him that I wasn’t sure what he wanted me to say when he didn’t seem to know what he wanted from me overall.

The confusion coming from him made it all weirder and I had walked away.

“You are a lot of things, but good at hiding when you’re upset isn’t one of them,” Taylor muttered as he fell in step with me while I was on my long run Thursday.

“I’m actually very good at wearing masks,” I argued. “We wear them well as Shaws.”

He was quiet several minutes. “Fair, but you fall into wearing them now when upset, and that’s the tell people recognize. Please at least tell me because Tracey’s worried and I can’t stand to see her worried when she’s got so much already on her.”

“Low blow.”

“Yeah, but it works,” he said without any remorse.

“Everyone’s going to make it a bigger deal again like the stupid bikini thing.”

“I promise you on Cheese’s tail that I will make them not be so stupid again and just please make my life easier,” he said firmly.

I snickered. Not just swearing on his familiar, but his adorable familiar’s tail is what made me break. I sighed. “Some people are blaming me for Eunice.”

“I’ve not heard one person say that, Bev.”

“No, you wouldn’t.”

He swore, immediately catching on when I put it like that. “I’m sorry.”

“Me too. That Eunice was such a good guy and died, not that people are lashing out in their grief. They’re not even saying it to me, just venting to their familiars. They don’t understand how much familiars gossip. I just need a bit of space.”

“Yeah, I would too.” He huffed and then shot me a look. “Now I want to ask if Cheese has told you things I don’t want you to know.”

I snorted. “You mean besides the mess about you and Tracey’s sex life? You want more than that?”

“That scarred me enough, but I think you’re deflecting.”

I was and he busted me. “They all tell me stuff, Taylor. It’s harder than any of you ever understand or could ever understand.”

He didn’t say anything for at least half a mile. “That sounds really lonely. I’m going to say we all have things like that not to diminish what you’re going through, but so you understand that it might be different, but you’re not the only one.”

“What’s yours?” I asked quietly.

He snorted. “My parents are both powerful magics. I tested below average. It was mortifying for them no matter what they say. The way their faces fell—it’s something I can never unsee. The fake smiles and the way they would make my other accomplishments seem so important.”

“They love you—truly love you,” I whispered.

“Yeah, that made it so much worse because nothing hurts more than disappointing the people you love. It’s why I left so I wasn’t the embarrassment right in their faces—right in everyone’s faces all of the time.”

I nodded that I heard him. “It’s getting better.”