the knowledge that this injury has forever blemished the most feminine part of her body hurts in a way that’s far more than physical.
“I’m so sorry,” he says, hanging his head.
A knocking on the doorframe has everyone turning their heads in that direction. Nurse Sharon peeks her head through the doorway, her curtain of ebony ringlets spilling forward over her shoulders.
“Mr. and Mrs. Pierce, can I borrow you both for a moment to go over some insurance papers?” She winks at Brielle as Frank and Bea stand up and gather their things, as if she knew Brielle wanted some private time with her friends.
“Will you be alright here without us for a moment?” Frank asks Brielle.
“I’ll be fine, Dad,” she reassures him with an almost amused, long-suffering tone.
He nods and finally leaves, following Bea and Nurse Shannon out of the room.
Jareth closes the door behind him, giving them even more privacy.
And giving Tristan the red light to vent his anger.
He lets go of Brielle’s hand and stands, turning on Cassandra. “Do you have any idea how much worse this could have been?” The words come out like a hiss, laced with venom.
“Yes, I do,” Cassandra replies, averting her eyes and crossing her arms. Brielle can see the shame splashing red high on her cheeks
“I don’t think you do.” Tristan stalks closer to her. “You are the most powerful among us, and from what I can see, the most childish.”
Cassandra’s jaw drops like he just slapped her in the face.
“What are you even doing here? It’s your foolish hatred of Brielle that nearly got her killed—”
“I know!” Cassandra shouts. “And I hate myself for it!”
Tristan fumes in place as he stares at Cassandra, whose eyes are misting but refusing to spill.
It pains Brielle to see Cassandra like this now that the two of them are back to being the friends they used to be. It was almost worth getting a little barbequed if that’s what it took.
Brielle already knows how sorry Cassandra is about what happened. She can taste the guilt in the air, and it’s foul. She’s already alleviated it once, and she suspects she’ll have to do it many more times to come, especially if Tristan keeps grilling Cassandra.
“Tristan,” Brielle implores, reaching a hand out in his direction. “Can we please let this go? Cassandra and I have already made peace.”
That makes Tristan look at her with wide eyes, then back at Cassandra, who nods sheepishly.
“I think what this proves is that we need to get Cassandra into training as soon as possible,” Brielle continues. “Teach her how to control her powers, and how to properly use them when we need them.”
Tristan grits his teeth, his fingers flexing in and out of a fist. “Alright. But no more petty arguments,” he says, pointing a firm finger at Cassandra. “Nothing like this can ever happen again.”
“It won’t,” Cassandra says with conviction.
The room is quiet for a moment, and Tristan slowly returns to Brielle’s side and sits in the chair.
“McNary is no longer a problem,” he says.
A chorus of surprised “whats” follows, each face wearing a different mixture of shock, relief and curiosity.
“I found him at the abandoned apartment,” Tristan explains. “We fought, and I won.”
“You went alone?” Brielle accuses, imagining the epic fight it must have been, and also how easily it could have gone wrong for Tristan.
“I had to,” Tristan explains, face stony. “Jareth and Veronica were out searching for you. McNary called and said that he ‘took care of you’, so we went looking. Then Veronica told me she pinged him at the apartment. I wasn’t going to let him hurt you.” The emotion in his last words makes Brielle’s breath hitch.
Even if she and Tristan aren’t what she wishes they were, she’s very lucky to have him in her life. He really does care about her.
She looks into his eyes, and they say so many things. All the words she wishes she could actually hear but knows she never will.
“Hey Jare, I think I need some coffee,” Veronica says. “Come with me?”
“Huh?” Jareth asks.
Veronica widens her already large eyes and darts them back and forth between where Brielle and Tristan are and the door. “Come with me to get coffee,” she says each word with emphasis and nods her head insinuatingly toward the door.
“Oh, right. Sure,” Jareth says when he finally gets the hint.
“I’ll come, too,” Cassandra says.
And without any further show, the three leave Tristan and Brielle alone in her room.
Tristan continues to hold Brielle’s gaze