Page 40 of The Never Queen

Ella joins Tad on the porch and makes a show of collecting his hand in hers. She had a huge crush on him when we werehooking up, and I would sometimes find her peeking through the curtains of her bedroom window when he dropped me off.

I’m glad she got the guy she wanted, but Tad was always kind of an idiot. She deserves better, to be honest.

“Seriously.” Tad shakes Ella loose and then runs his hand through his hair like he’s losing his damn mind. “Winnie. Where have you been?”

“I’m sorry I left without telling you. I had family stuff going on.”

Understatement of the fucking century.

Still have family stuff going on.

When will it ever end?

Tad leans his ass into the porch railing. “I feel like I’m seeing a ghost.”

Ella crosses her arms over her chest.

“Hi, Ella.”

“Are you back for good?”

“No,” I say too quickly.

“Wait.” Tad narrows his eyes at his girl. “Did you know she was back?”

Ella shrugs innocently. “I’ve seen her here a few times but it’s been a while.”

“Ella! I asked you!”

“No you didn’t!”

“Yes I did!”

“Well I wasn’t the only one! Anthony saw her months ago at the tea house! Why don’t you ask him why he didn’t tell you?”

Oh crap. I’m really regretting coming out here now. I just wanted some fresh air.

“You guys, I’m sorry. Tad, it’s not Ella’s fault. I should have let you know I was okay.”

Ella looks wounded and embarrassed, and Tad is just flustered and pissed.

“I can’t believe you kept it from me. I was worried about her. I was worried about you!” he says to me now. “I even filed a police report!”

“You did?” Ella and I say in unison.

“Yes!”

I sense Vane approaching the front of the house from the backyard. I sense him like a rising tidal wave about to swallow me whole.

Goosebumps run down my forearms.

I’m not sure if I want to shoo these two away to save them the intensity of Vane’s attention or keep them here so I can show off Vane, proving just how far I’ve come.

Ella and Tad keep arguing, mostly about Anthony now, when the Dark One, the jabberwocky with a thirst for blood and a scowl that melts iron, steps onto the porch.

His steps are intentional as he crosses the porch and comes to stand beside me, half his body leaning casually against the house.

Ella and Tad go silent.