To Love A Myth - Book 2: Mr. Higgs and the Lady 🎩✔️

6

When Edgar got back to the mansion from going to the market to get the requested liquor, he found Merida sitting on the ground with Higgs laying on top of her in what looked like a very uncomfortable position. Looking around at the scene of what looked like a terrible altercation, Edgar stepped tentatively into the room, but ended up stepping a broken piece of something. Upon hearing the noise, Merida turned slowly.

"What the hell happened?" Edgar asked softly.

"I'll have to tell ye about it later." She whispered. "Help me get him up."

Edgar put the sake on the table and grabbed Higgs off of his mother. He mumbled something but Merida took the other half of her employer's body and they carefully crab-walked him up the stairs. It took longer than they intended but they eventually got him into his room. Merida maneuvered him into the bed and then tucked him in, closing the door behind her.

"What happened?" Edgar asked again, looking at Merida's wound on her arm.

"What did I tell ye about voicing yer opinions about me and Mr. Higgs?"

"I just... I didn't..."

"Because ye were so obvious in yer frustration, I couldnae make up excuses for yer sour attitude anymore. I was trying to save us this heartache and ye... ye just couldnae listen for one wee moment." She growled, trying to keep her composure.

Edgar went to touch her arm but she pulled away. He looked down.

"I'm sorry, Ma... I don't know exactly what I did but..."

"It was fairly obvious that he loved me. Any daft fool could tell... He was trying to keep himself from seeing the truth so that he wouldnae have to face the cruel reality of the fact that he loves me but he ken he cannae trust me enough to break the curse. Or rather, he cannae trust himself. I'm too good to be true and his past just willnae let him believe it."

"So you were fine living in a delusion of platonic love?"

"We werenae in a delusion. We were perfectly happy the way we were. Sure there was a lot of opportunities that we could have made, but I was letting him do them on his own. An he wanted to be with me, he'd do what he could. But yer pouting and carrying on made him face the issue in a much darker way than I ever wanted him realize." She sighed, running her fingers through her hair. "It's neither here nor there now... He's broken to bits now and I swore that I would ne'er be the one to do it."

Edgar crossed his arms and looked away, angry and ashamed. "How the hell could anyone have ever known that all that was brewing under the surface? That's almost impossible even for Cupid himself to have noticed."

"Dinnae ye get cross with me, boy, I'm not angry at what happened, I'm angry at ye not listening to me. Everyone kens they know Higgs and I when no one knows Higgs and I. I say things for a reason and do them for the same. I dinnae just blow air out of my mouth."

"So then... what now?"

"I dinnae. I truly dinnae ken what to do. I guess taking a drink to that socky will do."

"I thought-"

"Weel, I willnae let a good liquor go to waste. Orient or not, it does the same for times like this: helps me forget for a wee bit. Can ye give me that? A little liquid forgetting?" Edgar nodded. "Good lad. An Higgs wakes up, ye dinnae bother him but to ask if he's thirsty, alright right? Ye ken it?"

"Aye, Ma, I do." He said in a sad voice.

Merida left and Edgar clenched his fists. He wasn't angry at her or at Higgs, he was more angry at himself and hurt that he had hurt them. There was no way he could have ever known the tumultuous emotions that was hiding beneath the skin of the man he had always considered a father. But Merida knew... she always knew. She had always been able to detect Higgs' emotional state with almost fantastical ease and she was rarely wrong. He should have known that and he should have listened.