Vivyka was standing in the orphanage kitchen, washing dishes after dinner, when the back door opened. She glanced over her shoulder to see the twins creeping in. Danis set a tray full of cupcakes down on the counter while Vinius gave Vivyka a wary look, like she might stop them or something.
She smiled. “Thanks,” she called after them as they crept back out and quietly closed the door behind them.
She dried her hands and went over to look at the cupcakes. A batch always turned up every year on this day, though Vivyka hadn’t known the twins were behind it until last year, when she happened to see them from her bedroom window. Julia hadn’t even known it was them. And no one knew why they did it, or what significance this day had. Vivyka tried to ask them once, but they had just walked off without giving her an answer.
This time the cupcakes had silver icing with black trees on top, like a dead forest in the mist. She laughed softly. “They’re so weird,” she said. But regardless of the decoration, she knew from experience that they would be delicious. She was tempted to grab one now, even though there was the usual note that said, Kids only (all of them). But she decided she would finish the rest of the dishes before handing out dessert.
A few minutes later, she heard Julia in the main room, telling someone she was in the kitchen. Vivyka looked up from her task and was surprised to see Ayden walk in. “Hey,” she mumbled and looked back down. “Where’s Tess?”
“Hey,” he returned. “I was on my way to visit my mom’s grave. Tess doesn’t like graveyards, so she usually doesn’t come with me.”
“Didn’t know you two were capable of physically detaching from each other,” she teased weakly.
He chuckled. “It’s not without difficulty.”
She gave him a small smile.
“So, Matt told me to tell you that you left your jacket in his apartment.”
She sighed. “Yeah, I know.”
“But he said it was crap, so he threw it away.”
“That damn asshole,” she grumbled. “Like I can really afford another jacket. It took me a long time to save up for that one.”
Ayden handed her a brown paper package tied with some string. “Yeah, well, he asked me to give you this.”
She didn’t touch it, just stared at it for a long moment, not knowing how to react. Finally, she just nodded at the table and returned her attention to the dishes. He set the package down, then grabbed a towel so he could dry the dishes as she put them in the rack.
“How’s Sera?” she asked quietly as she handed him a clean plate.
“Good. She’s gained a few pounds this week, and she’s actually spent most of today out of her bedroom.”
“I’m glad.”
“Me too,” he said. “So… I came to say sorry. What I said before… I was really upset, but—”
“Don’t apologize. You were right,” she said, not looking at him. “I was so stuck on my own issues that I wasn’t thinking clearly. I shouldn’t have done that to her. If I wasn’t so self-involved I would have realized that beforehand.” She sighed. “The truth is… I didn’t wanna believe that someone else could get what I couldn’t.” She smiled sadly. “But it’s Sera—guess she could change anyone. And how could someone not love her? I was a bit jealous. Still am I guess,” she admitted. “And if I hadn’t been so mad at him for…”
“Not loving you?”
She blinked back tears and rolled her eyes at herself. “Yeah.”
“I get it. I thought Tess was in love with him for a while, and… it made me a little crazy.” He sighed. “We all do or say stupid things when we’re hurt.”
“But you’d never do something that bad,” she told him. “You’d never hurt someone you love like that.”
“I would,” he said sadly. “I almost killed him. If it wasn’t for Tess, I would have happily done it. That would have hurt Sera. And my intentions weren’t all good; it wasn’t just because I wanted to protect her. It was because I hate him. Maybe for the wrong reasons, but…”
“Because Tess was with him?”
“That’s most of it. I mean, I loved her for twelve years and then he just walks in and…” He sighed. “I know it was my fault. I should have made sure she knew. But he knew—I had told him I loved her just before he… but he didn’t care at all,” he said spitefully.
“At least you have her now.”
“Yeah,” he agreed with a small smile. “But I still wish I could travel back in time and make it right. Undo what’s been done, un-see what's been seen.” He shook his head. “Anyway, the point is: I get how hate and heartache can make it hard to see what’s right.”
She nodded. “So… do you really believe he’s changed?” she wondered.
He thought about it for a moment. “Yeah. But enough to keep him on the good side, permanently?” He shrugged. “I don’t know. And what happens when he inevitably gets mad at Sera?”
“I’m worried about that, too. He’s wonderful when he’s in a good mood,” she said with a sad smile, "but then he gets mad and…” She shook her head.
“Wonderful is probably the last word I’d use for him, but yeah.” He took another dish and dried it. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see,” he said solemnly. “But I’m glad that you found him.”
She looked at him finally. “He said?”
“Yeah.”
She nodded as she returned to her task, now scrubbing the last pot. “So, you just gonna be friends with him now?”
He huffed. “Like I have a choice. As long as he makes Sera happy, then I’ll be civil. Actual friends or liking him at all?” He let out a short, humorless laugh. “When goblins have tea parties.”
She nodded again. “So, how’s Tess feel about it?”
He sighed heavily. “You know her; she gets over things faster than you can snap. She’s acting like nothing happened, back to being all friendly with him.”
“That worry you?”
“Yep.”
“She loves you, though.”
“I know. It’s just a bit hard to compete with… that,” he grumbled. “And now he gets to live next door where we can see him all the time. Can’t tell you how much I love that,” he added sarcastically.
She laughed softly. “You might not be all well-muscled and gorgeous, sorry.”
He looked a bit sour, but shrugged.
“But you’re cute and a really great guy," she continued. "Plus, a girl couldn’t ask to be more loved.”
“Thanks.” He dried the pot when she gave it to him, then set it down. “Well, I should go. But… we’re okay?”
“Of course. And thanks,” she said, smiling and nodding to the dry dishes.
He smiled back. “See you later.”
“Bye.”
Maybe Sera would get her happily ever after, just like Tess and Ayden had. Some people got that. And some had a date later with a glass of whiskey and some good-looking man who would be fun for the night. Everything was fine. At least, that’s what she told herself.
Just then, she remembered the package on the table and looked over at it. She just stared for several minutes before taking a deep breath. Unwrapping it, she found an expensive crimson leather jacket. Momentarily forgetting who it was from, she held it up and instantly fell in love with it. It was beautiful.
She slipped the jacket on and it fit the contours of her body perfectly, as if it were made for her. She caressed the soft leather and pressed her cheek against the collar, inhaling the light musky smell and sighing. She looked at her reflection in the window and smiled at how perfect she looked in it.
But then she noticed something on the front. She looked down and found a small embroidered V just above the left breast pocket. She touched the gold letter and the delicate, stylish swirl on either side. Her breath caught. It had been custom made for her.
Abruptly she took the jacket off and threw it on the table, getting it away from her as quickly as possible. Her eyes stung with furious tears. Why would he do this? Was it some sick joke to mess with her head? Give her something he knew she wouldn’t wear? Torment her with the nice things he knew she couldn’t afford herself? He knew she would love it, and he also knew she would never wear it. She wouldn’t wear anything that came from him. She hated him.
She grabbed the jacket, stormed upstairs, shoved it in her closet, and then slammed the door shut. There it would stay, forgotten, until it rotted. She leaned her head against the door and tried to hold her tears back. She just wanted to forget about him. But even without the jacket, Matt living in Brunya City and dating Sera meant she would never forget him.
I hate you! she thought angrily. A tear slipped down her cheek, and she couldn’t stop more from following. “Why'd I ever have to meet you?” she whispered. “Why’d I have to love you?” She hit her fist against the door. “I hate you! Gods, I just… I hate you.”
“Vivva?”
Dirk’s soft voice startled her. She hurriedly wiped her tears away and took a deep breath. “Hey,” she said. It annoyed her that she couldn’t manage to keep the pain out of her voice.
“What’s wrong?” he wondered, his brown eyes wide and curious. “Who do you hate?”
“No one, it’s nothing,” she said dismissively as she bent down to him. “And it’s definitely not you.” She gently tapped his nose with a finger and forced a smile for him. “So… what’d you want?”
“Can I have a cookie?”
She picked him up and stood with him. She hugged him to her for a moment, finding some comfort in his little embrace. Then she took another deep breath and did her best to push her ex-boyfriend out of her mind. She leaned back a bit and smiled sincerely now. “No cookie, but we just got some cupcakes. You wanna help me hand them out?”
He smiled and gave a big nod. “And I can help eat ‘em up too!”
She chuckled. “Oh, I know you can do that.”
