The Rules of the Red - 2014 Watty Award Winner |✓|

Chapter Twelve - Part One

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CHAPTER TWELVE

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Monday morning, I rose and showered mechanically. My actions were perfunctory and my thoughts were muted, as I tried not to think about the Leadership. It would be hard to sit next to Ethan's father during a meeting, knowing what I knew about him now. But I would do it because I had no choice but to. That's just the way of the road for liars and the company they keep. You could never run towards something, without running away from something else.

I stepped out of the shower, yawning as I wrapped myself in the largest, softest towel I could find from the rack. And as I did so, a wave of familiar feelings passed across me, and I paused before the bathroom door as I realized that Ethan was close. In fact, he was already within the house. So, quickly, I exchanged my towel for a less revealing terry robe, and then walked from the bathroom and back into my room where I could await his arrival. He was much too close now to keep me waiting.

There was his knock, my answering permission for him to enter, and then there he was – tall, dark, and handsome, with a bouquet of skinny, purple flowers in hand. And the puppy dog eyes matched his mood – apologetic and unhappy. I sighed, crossed my arms over my chest and purposefully didn't look him in the face. If I did, I would lose my willpower in those eyes – they'd swallow me up if I let them.

"Ethan." I said. It was a plain and stiff hello.

"Hi," he said. Awkwardly, he held out the flowers, lowered them, and then held them out again. He was self-conscious and unsure of himself – odd actions for a guy with his personality.

"How did you get in here?" I asked, still fixedly avoiding his gaze. "I thought Trentley said she'd never to let you in again."

"Diamond earrings." he said matter-of-factly.

"You brought me diamond earrings?" I gaped, unable to resist his gaze now.

"Uh, no. Those were for Trentley– just a couple carats, nothing major. I knew she wouldn't let me within ten feet of you if I didn't improvise..."

"So let me get this straight." I said. "The flowers are for me but the diamonds are for my butler? Yeah, that isn't backwards at all."

"Aw, I can buy you diamonds any old time, Noble. But flowers, they're just so much more personal. Especially the ugly ones."

"Well, I will agree, they are pretty ugly."

I rolled my eyes, but was unable to suppress the grin.

"Look, if you're here to apologize, don't. I'm the one who should be saying sorry." I admitted, feeling guilty. "I was in a bad mood, and I snapped at you on the phone that night when I shouldn't have. I was a jerk."

"It's ok. Really." he insisted. "Mimi, what I did to you... Tricking you into letting me become your Champion – I know that'll take some time to for you to be able to get past. And honestly, when you yelled at me, I deserved it. But I just don't think I can sit through another meeting where we ignore each other. That's not how I want us to be. So.... Say you'll be my friend again? Please?"

"Ok." I said, and that was all it took. My defenses lowered the rest of the way and Ethan swooped in, dropping the flowers as he enveloped me in his hug. And for the next few seconds I stood within the perfect circle of his arms, convinced that it was the safest place I could be.

"Um, yeah." I said quietly, pulling away and breaking the hug prematurely. "I should probably ask Mrs. Trentley to put the flowers in water."

"I wouldn't hold it against you if you didn't. I'll admit, they aren't the greatest looking flowers in the world." Ethan said with a grin. He held out a hand, stopping me so he could stoop to pick up the flowers himself. "I asked for another kind but the florist gave me these. I think they're called hyacinths."

"Well, they're really not that ugly." I said, prompting Ethan to close the distance between us again, offering the bouquet. Accepting the flowers, I noticed the logo of a shop that read 'Peggy's Flowers'. Touched, I closed my eyes and took a deep whiff of their sweet and bitter fragrance.

"Wanna ride with me to the Maison?" Ethan offered.

"Yeah, sure." I said, walking to the closet and throwing it open on the pretext of searching for clothes. He was getting too close, too charming for my comfort. I had to remind myself that just because he was attractive, I couldn't lose my head.

"Good. Then maybe on the way we can talk strategy."

"Strategy?" I said with a frown. "Strategy for what?"

"Strategies for helping the Elder deal with those witches in Hasting. There was another murder last night. It made the news."

Feeling oddly guilty, I hung my head for a second.

"What's the number now?" I asked quietly, turning my full attention from the closet and back to Ethan.

"Three," he said looking grave, and serious. And for the first time I looked at Ethan and actually saw a man – not a 'guy' or a 'boy'. He had grown up right before my eyes and I yet I had hardly noticed. And it seemed that no longer was he the same "boy" who had once trespassed on my property to swim in my pool. He was turning into a Leader. A potential Elder...

"Mimi?" Ethan said, looking deep into my eyes. He was several feet away but even from this distance I felt my face go warm beneath his gaze.

"Yes... Ethan?" I said, suddenly nervous.

"Do you think you could ask Tidus' witch for information? I was thinking maybe she might know something about the sacrifices, or maybe she could find out."

"You want me to talk to Claudia?" I asked, wondering why I felt so disappointed all of a sudden. "Hmph. Wonder why I didn't think-a that?"

"Oh, you just aren't as clever as I am, that's all." Ethan replied, moving the flowers to a safer spot on the bed so he wouldn't crush them when he sat.

"Oh really?" was my rhetorical reply. I wasn't at all surprised to see that some of his usual conceit had returned. "

"Witches aren't exactly enthusiastic, when it comes to exposing information to other Supernaturals – especially if it's information about their own. But considering the odd friendship between Tidus and his witch, why not take advantage of it?" he said with a shrug.

"As good of an idea as that is, I'm pretty sure that if I ask her anything about the sacrifices, Claudia will shut me down. She and I aren't exactly what you'd call friends." I said in reply to Ethan's questioning look. "We're more like really, really, really, really unfriendly acquaintances. And that's putting it politely."

"Then why not try appealing to her through Tidus?" Ethan replied casually. His voice was innocent enough, but I could hear the impurity behind his intentions.

"Yeah, ok." I replied, turning back to the closet and fumbling along the racks.