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I leave tomorrow to journey to the Spring Court, where I’ll stay overnight with all the other finalists.
I should definitely eat. But my appetite is gone, and I just don’t have the energy to force down food at the moment.
Through the thin walls, I hear the oven ding. A moment later, Zinnia’s voice rings through the house. “Summer! I made your favorite!”
Ever since I returned home last Sunday, Zinnia’s baked enough to feed half the town. Vi’s drank enough to petrify her liver. And Jane’s found every excuse there is to disappear into the woods.
As for me, I’ve held a five day long pity party for one.
God, I miss my friends. I worry about Mack and how she’s holding up. I miss having to hide all my food from Ruby. I miss Eclipsa ordering me around during training.
And Valerian . . .
Ugh. Don’t think about him.
Flipping onto my stomach, I reach onto my nightstand and grab my phone. Eclipsa’s string of text messages show up first. I flip through them, eyebrows knitted together.
I’m sorry.
I was an asshole.
I shouldn’t have said that.
I’m the worst.
Worse than an orc boil. A troll’s fart.
Hellebore got to me . . . that’s not an excuse but, please just text me back.
I’m worried about you.
And the Winter Prince.
If you don’t message me back, I will come to your house and kick your ass.
I blow out a breath, sending my greasy hair flying away from my face, and check my last text message from Valerian. It’s from the night at Yule.
I can’t wait to see you in that dress.
My throat tightens, and I scroll to my texts with Mack. Her last message was from the night of the party.
Where are you? Jace is hooking up with a satyr and Richard is drunk-crying over Evelyn. Need reinforcements STAT.
Now, I send off a quick, Hope you’re doing okay, and wait.
Nothing.
I sit up in bed as Zinnia’s footsteps echo down the hall. A moment later, my door creaks open.
“I come bearing gifts,” Zinnia calls, waltzing inside with a tray of goodies. I stare at the sliced and buttered banana bread. The sweaty glass of sweet iced tea.
And burst into tears.
“Oh, darling. Don’t cry.” She deposits the tray on my desk and rushes over.
I’ve been trying to keep it together. Trying to focus on the gauntlet and be strong. But the second she wraps her plump arms around me, I can’t stem the tide of tears.
I bury my head in her chest and let everything out.
