Swapped Fate

28: One plus One Makes a Team

The masked shadow did not return. Only when I caught a glimpse of the first morning rays through my window was I able to breathe right. The worst things more often than not crept about in the night, using the darkness to their advantage. But daybreak brought light that fostered ease and calm, fighting the darkness.

However, where there was light, there would always be a lingering shadow. I could not let my guard down.

Despite staying awake since the attack, I was the last to arrive for breakfast.

"Mavis, good morning," Rebecca was the first to greet me, her voice laced with concern. "I just heard about what happened last night. Are you alright?"

I offered a reassuring smile as I took a seat. "Yes. It was nothing, really. The shadows probably made the spider bigger than it actually is."

"I'm such a deep sleeper so I tend to black out completely at night," Rebecca informed, "so forgive me in advance if robbers come in and I'm nowhere in sight."

"Well, something like that can be quite helpful," I said. "For instance, it could help you live, right?"

She chuckled. "Right."

By accident, I looked at Tristan and caught his gaze. No words were exchanged between us.

I assisted in clearing the table after breakfast and while I put the remaining pastries away in the cabinet, Rebecca approached me.

"Mavis, could we talk for a bit?"

"Sure," I replied, closing the cabinet and turning to face her. "What is it?"

"I would like for us to start over," she began. "I know we got off on the wrong foot and I would like to put that behind us so we can be friends."

"You want us to be friends?"

"Of course." She smiled. "I will be staying here for a few months and I think it would be great for us to become close. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Er....yes," I answered, flustered. "I don't see why not."

"Well..." She flipped her hair back with a motion of her hand. "I heard from Tristan that you two aren't really....courting. That it's only in name as part of a deal you have with Aunt Felicity. He says it's for about three months, right?"

I nodded. "That's true."

Tristan sharing this information with her meant they were that close.

"That means it's not about feelings then," she surmised, a bit pleased. "And that you don't harbour any feelings for Tristan, right?"

"Feelings?" I spat the word as though it was venom and grimaced. "Romantic affectionate feelings?"

"Yes?"

I laughed for a good fifteen seconds. "Oh no," I wheezed. "No no no no no. Not now, not ever. Not for him."

She brought a hand to her chest and sighed, liberated. "What a relief. It would have been harder if you did. The friendship, I mean. And that's because Tristan and I are so close, you know? If he was in a serious relationship with you, you would probably feel bad because of how close we are. And I wouldn't want that for you."

"I see."

"But since neither of you like each other, then you and I can be friendly without any tension or hard feelings," she chirped, touching my arm. "Isn't that great?"

I stretched the corners of my mouth upwards to show a smile that matched her vibrant energy, but I bet it came off as forced. "It's terrific."

She was rather forward. I still could not pinpoint how I felt about her but she was nice. Not in a Lea kind of way but in her own way, I suppose. That's what mattered. I had had my fair share of conceited mistresses who thought nothing of anyone a class below them, so it was a relief that Rebecca wasn't one of them. She meant well.