𝐀𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐃𝐄 ~ | 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘓𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘤

XXIX

Chapter Twenty-Nine

~ Rest in spaghetti never forgetti ~

Evie's POV 

They ate it up.

The public was hungry for any little morsel of information about us. Everywhere we went, there were flashbulbs and shouted questions. It was a never-ending circus.

Charles seemed to be in his element, charming the cameras and the adoring public with equal ease. The day after our 'date', Fred and Amelia were very pleased with our... performance.

That's what it was.

A performance.

That's all it would ever be. A lie. For the cameras, for the media, for the world.

It didn't matter how he looked at me, or how he kissed me. It was all an act. And I will never forget that. I could never forget that.

He was good at lies.

He could always make me feel it. That little tug in the pit of my stomach, that flutter in my chest. It was always there, just beneath the surface, waiting for him to give it life. It was like he had some sort of power over me, some secret weapon that he could use to make me feel things I didn't want to feel.

But I had to remember that every word that fell from his lips was a lie. Every gesture, every look. Even the way I felt about him was fake. It was all part of the plan, part of the game we were playing.

And so I played along, too. I smiled for the cameras and laughed at his jokes. I let him think that he was winning, that he had me right where he wanted me.

I had to be patient.

I would play the part.

It was a role I knew well, one that I had been playing for years. I had perfected the art of smiling, of pretending, of making people believe that I was something I wasn't. It was a survival mechanism, a way to navigate the treacherous waters of this place.

For now, I just had to wait. I had to be patient and bide my time. Because in the end, it wouldn't matter how convincing his lies were, how well he played the game. Because I knew the truth. I knew the real him, and I wouldn't forget it.

Charles hadn't spoken to me since that night.

I hated that I felt slightly disappointed when I didn't hear from him. It was pathetic, I knew. But it was true. Even when he pretended to care, someone still cared. Even if it was fake, it was nice to feel it.

Something.

Anything.

Thea was away now too, and Aurora had gone on a trip to 'find inspiration' for her writing. I was left alone with Beetle, who seemed to have taken a liking to me.

I loved taking care of him, even if it was only for a little while. Beetle was an odd name for a cat, but it seemed to suit him. He was small and brown, with big ears and a long, fluffy tail. His fur was soft as silk, and he had the most expressive green eyes I had ever seen.

I think he might be my spirit animal.

He spent all day sleeping on the floor, only moving to stay in the sun rays. We would curl up together on the couch and watch movies. Sometimes I wished he could talk.

Was that strange?

I don't think so, right? I just find it comforting to have someone around. Someone who doesn't talk or question me. Beetle is a good listener, and he doesn't judge. He's just there, curled up beside me.