Of Fire and Ice

C.25

"You don't love me?" Grey growled and my eyes widened.

"What?" I asked. "Don't play stupid. Natsu came to check on you and he heard you say you don't love me." Grey's eyes narrowed. I sighed and hung my head. "I'm gonna kill that boy."

Grey just huffed. "Look, let's just talk about this when we get back home, okay?" I sighed and Grey gave one nod. "Fine. I'll leave you two alone. Maybe you'll learn to love him." Grey said and walked out again.

I turned and put my head on the counter. "Gods, what do I do? If I stay in here he'll get pissed, if I go back to the room, he might try to talk it out or fight in front of our friends..." I sighed and looked up at Gabriel. "Kill me, please." I sighed, and he laughed. "Sorry, no can do. I'm not going to jail, not even for a pretty, troubled girl." He said and I nodded.

Turns out that our stop was only minutes away, so I spent those few minutes with Gabriel and went back to get my stuff and rejoin my friends right before the train stopped.

The seven of us got out on the platform, and Grey immediately started talking. "So you in love with the bartender boy yet?" He said and I sighed. "No, and we're not at home yet. Can't you wait?" I said, trying to keep my cool. I still cared deeply about Grey.

"No, why not get it out of the way? I mean you basically poured your heart out to that guy, what's a few more people?" He shrugged, talking loudly now. I kept myself silent and looked away from him, now walking away with the others, who were looking pretty nervous.

"So what exactly is wrong with me in your book?" Grey asked me. "Nothing is wrong with you, Grey. You're fine the way you are." I tried to calm him and keep him quiet so he wouldn't start a scene. "Well something is obviously wrong with me, because we all know you're so perfect." He shrugged, talking loudly and now attracting attention from others.

"Grey, please stop. This is not about you, it's completely and wholly me. Nothing is wrong with you, I'm the flawed one here." I said softly to him. "But that can't be possible. You're perfect and oh so special to everyone you meet. You know what? Ari is right. You're a pathological liar. You lie to everyone you meet to get them to like you. You manipulate people, Henley. You get people to like you all the time, and they don't even realise it." He said, getting in my face.

"Grey, please, you're talking crazy." I whimpered, backing away, thoughts intruding in my head. "You got Lucy to like you. You got Natsu to like you. You got Happy, and even Erza to like you. You just got the bartender to like you by spilling some sob story just now! And you... you got me to love you." He said and I hung my head.

"You got me to love you and then I hear you don't even love me back. So I go to ask you about it, and I see you flirting with the stupid bartender!" He said and tears filled my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Grey..." I choked softly. "I'm don't think you are sorry. I think you're a monster." He spat and I turned, grabbing my bag, and ran out.

I went all the way home and locked myself in my room. I sat on my bed and stared at the wall. I felt the urge to cry, but I couldn't. Tears just wouldn't come out.

So instead, I laughed. I laughed until my voice gave out and I just sat there shaking with my mouth open in a wide smile. My eyes were wide and my hands gripping my scalp through my hair. I knew I looked deranged.

And I didn't care.