The Dare of Truth [slash]

Chapter 12

The rest of the day was a blur. Fyn continued to work as usual, but he was on autopilot. Celia noticed, of course, but thankfully she didn't say anything on the matter.

In the evening, the journalist went home to a dreadfully empty apartment. He had gotten so used to Eondar's presence that his home now seemed cold and deserted. No delicious smell wafted from the kitchen, no gentle voice greeted him. And no one would thank him for a mug of hot milk in the middle of the night.

The lifebearer sat down on the sofa and stared out the window. The sun was just about to set over the skyline of the city, turning the sky into an ocean of colors. It was such a beautiful and romantic sight, and Fyn felt a big lump in his throat. But he wouldn't cry over this. It wasn't worth it.

Just as the journalist decided to get up and make himself dinner, his phone rang. It was Kalish.

"Fynnie! Sweetheart, how are you? I'm guessing you had just as bad a headache as I did this morning. Anyway, I wanted to ask you if you'd meet me and Rick for lunch tomorrow?"

Fyn didn't hesitate. He wouldn't mope around! "Yes, of course. I think I can also get some time off in the afternoon. My boss owes me one."

Kalish laughed. "Great! Listen, would you be a dear and help me find the perfect outfit for the bonding ceremony? You're the only one I can trust to give me an honest opinion and help me decide. Pretty please?"

"Well, I can't let you walk down the aisle in a horrid outfit, can I?" Fyn answered with a fond smile. He just wasn't able to stay mad at anyone for long, and he truly wanted Kalish to have the perfect bonding ceremony. He walked into the kitchen and put the phone on speakerphone to have his hands would be free to make dinner.

"Thanks, you're the best!" Kalish hesitated a moment. "Listen... Rick told me everything about him and you this morning. I must admit I was really surprised, but I do hope you guys will get along. After all, we're all gonna be a family."

"I know. And I want to get to know him, Kalish. Not necessarily as a parent, since I already have the best parents on Wyndrah, but as my best friend's bondmate," the journalist replied as he pulled a soup can from the cupboard. "And I guess he's really not so bad. We just need time."

"Of course," Kalish said. "I understand that. And speaking of bondmates... did Eondar behave last evening?"

Fyn sighed and put the can down. Sooner or later, he had to talk about this or he would go crazy. And after their fight about keeping things from each other, he wasn't about to start having secrets from his best friend. "Well... I guess so. But... I didn't. You know the saying about drunken people not lying? Anyway, nothing happened. But now it turns out that..." He paused. "He isn't really interested in me, just as I said from the beginning." In short words, he told Kalish about his earlier conversation with Eondar while his dinner heated up on the stove.

The other lifebearer was silent for a moment after Fyn finished, then he said, "Are you sure? Did he really say that this Sharelan was his destined mate?"

"Well, he said that he thought so back then. What does it matter?" Fyn asked.