Page 103 of Heart’s Rescue

Phaedron has stopped walking again. I turn and see his face is tight with concentration, and there’s a thin gleam of sweat on his brow. Walking to the World’s End pub is taking it out of him.

Damn. I probably never should have suggested this.

“Have you talked to her about it?” Phaedron asks.

I shrug. “Not really. No. Not so much.”

Phaedron rolls his eyes so dramatically I think he’s going to fall over backward.

“Look, Rowan,” he says. “Just because she chose to be with you doesn’t mean she’s going to be happy about it all the time.”

“Yeah,” I say. “Okay, but. Shouldn’t I be making her happy? Isn’t that what, you know, partners do?”

Phaedron gets that expression again like he’s trying not to laugh.

“Do I make you happy all the time?” he asks. “Does Arryn? Is that what you did on your little jaunt through the void, spend all your time and energy forcing her to be happy? Is that why she fell in love with you?”

I sense a trap. I narrow my eyes and scowl at my brother.

“Look, I’m just saying don’t put so much pressure on yourself,” Phaedron says.

“Don’t put so much pressure on myself!” I yelp. “Phae, she gave up literally everything to come to live in this shithole! And now she’s miserable, and I’m an asshole, and—”

“Stop.” Phaedron puts his hand on my shoulder and squeezes. Hard. “She made her decision, not you. And it’s not your job to make her happy, Rowan. It’s not your job to make anyone happy.”

I sigh. I feel like I’m deflating.

“She made her choice,” Phaedron continues. “She wanted to be down here. That doesn’t mean it was an easy choice, though.”

“Phae,” I say, and it comes out almost like a whimper. “I’ve never had a girlfriend before. I don’t know what in the voids I’m doing.”

“A girlfriend is just a best friend who you’re fucking,” Phaedron says. “So, treat her like a friend. Talk to her.”

I run my hand along the back of my neck. The lights of the World’s End pub flicker hypnotically from between the trees.

“Yes, there are times when she seems unhappy,” Phaedron says.

My heart clenches.

“I mean, wouldn’t you?” Phaedron continues. “What if you’d left the Lands Below and gone to live wherever she comes from? Wouldn't you feel at least a little weird about it? Maybe a little sad?”

I shiver, then stamp my feet to cover it up. Phaedron has no idea how close I’d come to doing exactly that. When Lythienne had pulled Arryn to the portal, when I’d realized how close I was to losing her forever. I’d made my decision, right there in the king’s tower.

I would have gone with Arryn. I would have left everything behind, even Phaedron.

And, yeah, I would have felt like garbage about it.

I sigh heavily. “Okay. Fine. I’ll talk to her.”

“You could start sentry duty again,” Phaedron says.

“What?”

“With her,” Phaedron adds. “Introduce her to everyone. She’s smart, she’s curious, and she’d probably like to get out of the house and actually do something.”

“You’re insane,” I reply.

He’s right, is what he is. Damn it. I knew Phaedron would have the answer.