Secret Love

Chapter 6

I hope you have a box of napkins with you, because I can't guarantee smiles in this chapter. You were warned.

Mal was sitting on her bed, looking at the dragon-shaped rock on her hand. Just looking at it made her think about the man who made it for her. He was the man she fell in love with. The man she kissed every day. The man who made her happy.

However, lately, she's beginning to see the kind of person she's becoming because of her love for him. The fact that the person she's becoming is someone that belongs in Auradon made her sick to her stomach, yet she can't stop herself from committing good deeds when she sees someone in need of help.

Mal can hear footsteps coming up. It was Carlos, carrying a bag full of more paint grenades.

"Hey," he greeted.

Carlos leans in to kiss her, but she turned away. She gets off her bed and stares at the wall.

"Is something wrong?" asked Carlos.

"I can't do this," said Mal softly.

"What?" asked Carlos.

"I can't do this anymore, Carlos. I can't," said Mal.

"Can't do what?" asked Carlos. "Are you tired of playing with paint grenades, is that it?"

"No, I meant I can't do us anymore," said Mal.

"What are you talking about?" asked Carlos.

"My mother was right," mumbled Mal. "Love is weakness."

"I thought you said your mother's wrong," said Carlos.

"That love is worthless, yes. That love is weakness, no," said Mal.

"Where is all this coming from?" asked Carlos. "Did your mom find out and is making you say this to me?"

"No, I'm just starting to see the truth," said Mal. "Carlos, if I have to be honest with you, what we have is wonderful and I love it, but it's making me soft."

"Soft?" asked Carlos.

"I saved a little boy from getting beat up. I helped a little girl get back her missing dolly. Yesterday, I offered to walk Sammy Smee back to Hook's Inlet after he sprained his ankle," said Mal. "Don't you see, Carlos? Falling in love is turning me into a good person, and I can't be like that. I'm supposed to be the baddest, vilest, evilest of the new generation, but being with you is making me the opposite."

"So, you're throwing away what we have because you still want to prove yourself to your mother?" asked Carlos.

"I'm sorry, Carlos, I really am, but I can't let anything get in my way," said Mal.

"You won't give up being evil, not even for me," said Carlos sadly.

"You expected me to?" asked Mal, sounding a little furious.

"I expected you to do what makes you happy," said Carlos. "I guess being with me doesn't."

"Don't say that," said Mal. "You do make me happy, Carlos."

"But not as happy as being rotten to the core," interrupted Carlos, looking away from Mal.

"I hate for it to end like this, but I'm afraid we can't go on," said Mal.

Mal takes Carlos' hand and gives him the rock. Carlos can feel his heart getting heavier the longer he stared at the rock in his hand. He looks up at Mal, who just turned away, refusing to face him.

"Go," she said. "Don't ever come here again."

Carlos didn't argue and left the castle.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ ROTTEN TO THE CORE ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Carlos headed to the Broken Bridge at the edge of the Isle. He looks at the rock in his hand one more time. He closes his fingers around it and prepares to throw it away. However, he froze. His eyes watered as his arm shook.

Should he just throw away the rock and pretend like his love for Mal never existed? Should he hold on to it as a reminder? What am I going to do, he asked himself.

In the end, Carlos collapses to his knees as the tears start raining from his eyes. He didn't care if he was showing a sign of weakness. Mal just threw away something special they had together, and it hurt him, like a dog just bit his chest, where his heart is.

😢 I know. This is sad, but the relationship had to end soon.

This is the last part of Mal and Carlos' secret relationship. The rest of the story will take place during Descendants 2. I won't be long.