47- Forts and fallouts


    The next three months continue in this fashion. Megan and Darrien continue to visit me and I continue


    to live on autopilot. I lose weight because I can’t seem to eat or sleep properly. I’m working more than


    ever. It helps to stay busy. It means less time staring at the wall. I still help Megan with wedding stuff


    but my enthusiasm is even more false than it was before. Still, the wedding ns continue to progress.


    Maggie messages me on multiple asions inviting me to stop by. I make excuses every time. I


    haven’t cried since that day and I don’t intend to cry again. I haven’t seen or heard from Bemy either,


    although Megan and Darrien insist that he has been checking in with my guards regrly. That actually


    makes things worse. If he wants to talk to me all he has to do is call, ore see me. Instead he’s


    spying on me from a distance getting reports from others. It only confirms that he has no interest in


    actually seeing me. Darrien suggested I should go see him. But if he is avoiding me then I won’t force


    my presence on him. asionally I emerge from my spiral of depression long enough to be angry. HE


    was the one who ran away when he heard the truth. Am I really so awful that he couldn’t stop to talk


    about it at least? Two more weeks have passed when I run into Maggie downstairs. I have been


    avoiding her but I do live just above her so I was bound to run into her eventually. I’m justing back


    from an afternoon shift at work and I don’t make it up the stairs before she sees me. I thought she


    would be heading to bed by now. Tomorrow is the day of Megan’s wedding and I’m already anxious


    enough as it is. I don’t think I can pretend very well tonight.


    “Ryann,e inside for a moment.” She calls out. I shake my head and put on a false smile.


    “I can’t Maggie, I have things that I need to get done.” I lie. She rolls her eyes at me.


    “Sweetheart I wasn’t really asking. Come inside for a cup of tea, something’s up and we need. to talk


    about it.” I shake my head again.


    “I can’t talk about it Maggie. Not with you. You know all the people involved, it would feel wrong.” I


    admit. I don’t want Maggie to think poorly of me, or Bemy or anyone really. She’s too trusting and I


    don’t want to poison her opinion with my current bitterness. She puts her hands on her hips and res


    at me.


    “If you don’t want to talk to me, that’s fine. But you need to talk to someone, Ryann. You’re clearly


    miserable. Find someone to talk to. Promise me.” She stares at me, she even meets my eyes for a


    moment. She doesn’t hold them, but I didn’t expect her to. The fact that she tried


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    shows me bow serious she is She is worried about me. I feel instantly guilty. Maggie is the closest thing


    to a mother I have ever had, I don’t like upsetting her.


    “Ill talk to someone.” I promise. I then flee back upstairs and hide in my room. I take my promises


    serioush, so now I have to talk. But to who? It needs to be someone I know well enough to talk to,


    someone who might understand why I can’t trust so well. It has to be someone who knows about my


    magic. It also has to be someone who won’t talk to Bemy, or Megan, or Darrien or my guards, or


    basically anyone else. Inspiration strikes, but only if I still have the number. I grab my phone and search


    it frantically, YES! It’s still here. The card Harrison gave me. We’ve known each other since we were


    kids, he knows about my magic, he was there when I was figuring it out. He would never have a reason


    to talk to Bemy or any of the other Shifters. He has no stake in any of this so he should be a good


    second opinion. I also remember from when we were kids, he’s actually not a bad listener, when he


    does decide to listen that is. He’s also an orphan like me, so he might understand my issues a bit at


    least. Having to cut contact with him was one of the most miserable parts of my childhood. But Inncubi


    don’t really have friends when they’re teenagers. Their magics kick in and they be less than ideal


    company. Theoretically they grow out of that initial stage of lust driven idiocy and Harrison certainly


    seemed more like his old self when I saw him earlier. I feel like I’m trying to justify this to myself, but


    there’s really no question. I already know I’ve made my decision about who I want to talk to. I take a bit


    of time and figure out an appropriate invite for him. It’s not a good idea to give an Incubus any false


    expectations, love the chase entirely too much. Which is basically why I stopped being friends with


    Harrison when we approached our teenage years. While I do believe that he is far too good a guy to


    abuse any of his magics, I don’t think he would have handled being constantly rejected by me well. I


    stare at the words I’ve typed out and hit send before I can change my mind.


    they


    Ryann- Hi Harry, this is Ryann. Do you remember when we were kids and we used to watch cartoons


    together in that nket fort we built and we would share our secrets? I was hoping you might want to


    come round and we can do that. Talk that is. It’s okay if you don’t want to.


    I get a response almost immediately.


    Harrison- When?


    Ryann- Now?


    Harrison- I can do now, you better start getting supplies out for that fort we’re building. What’s your


    address?


    2/4


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    I smile, my first proper smile in weeks that isn’t forced because someone is watching me. Maybe a little


    bit of good cane out of this mess. It will be nice to have Harrison as a friend again. I send him my


    address. Next I head to my room and grab all the nkets and sheets off my bed. I also grab a few


    armfuls of pillows and dump them in the living area. I pull out myptop and charger and stick them on


    the table. It takes me about fifteen minutes to get everything and I am just debating if we will need to


    make a run to get some snacks when a scuffle outside my door draws my attention. I can hear Harrison


    speaking.


    “Hey man, what the hell? Let me go!” He sounds annoyed. Oh shoot, I forgot to warn Aaron that he


    would being. Aaron insists on spending most of the evening outside when he guards me. He says


    it’s so he can keep an eye out for dangers but I think it’s so he can avoid me trying to convince him to


    talk again. He usuallyes inside around midnight. I don’t know what he does after that, stares out


    the window I suppose, he is very dedicated to his job. I rush over and fling the front door open. Aaron


    has a firm grip on Harrison’s arm and is ring at him.


    “Aaron, he’s my friend. I invited him. Let him go!” I insist. Aaron turns and stares at me incredulously.


    “An Incubus?” His tone implies I am insane.


    “Let him go Aaron. Now.” I meet his eyes. He drops them after only half a second and immediately


    releases Harrison. His expression is a clear question. Why do you have to make my life harder than it


    has to be? He reaches for his pocket. I can tell he’s trying to be subtle. I roll my eyes at him.


    “Go on, go ahead. Tell your Alpha everything just like you always do.”


    “He won’t like this.” he murmurs. I turn to Harrison. He’s settled down now and actually looks


    a little amused.


    “Sorry about that, let’s head inside.” I gesture for him to lead the way. I follow Harrison in but


    turn to make sure that Aaron doesn’t follow us. His expression darkens.


    “I havepany Aaron, Bemy may insist that I still need a guard and I can put up with that, but I


    know you report on everything I do, so I’m sorry but you will have to stay outside until Harry heads


    home.” I close the door on his unimpressed face. Harrison immediately


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    begins howling withughter.


    “Oh Ry, you really haven’t changed.” He states when he finally gets ahold of himself.


    “What do you mean?” 1 ask, confused.


    “Everyone thinks you’re so quiet and obedient, and you are most of the time. But as soon as you


    decide on something there’s no going against you.” Harrison grins. I stare at him and my eyes start to


    water a little. This, this is what I needed. Someone who knows me well. Megan is amazing and I know


    she is and will be my friend forever and that is amazing. I know that, given time, she will know me


    better than anyone else. But we aren’t there yet. She’s my best. friend, but in many ways she is still a


    stranger to me. Harrison notices my reaction and with at gentle smile he opens his arms wide in the


    universal gesture for ‘hug?‘ Unable to stop


    myself


    I dart forward and wrap my arms around him. He hugs me back as I fight the urge to cry. I pull away


    after only a few seconds and he releases me easily. I’m not sure I’m ready to talk


    vet.


    So, are we gonna build a fort then?” I force cheer into my voice.