I was halfway through the book when Robin got back, hanging up her bow and cloak before flopping down on the bed. Her eyes were red, cheeks flushed, and when she ran a hand under her eye I knew that I couldn’t ignore it.
Something had obviously happened, and if Robin’s crying over it, it’s really bad.
“What’s wrong?” I asked her.
She sat up and looked away, shaking her head. “Nothing.”
“I haven’t known you long,” I started, making her turn her head towards me, “but I know better than to believe that.”
The blue of her eyes somehow seemed duller as she blinked away tears. “I—I saw your mother.”
My head snapped up and I looked at her, then tore my gaze away and looked at my feet instead. “How’d you know it was her?”
She swallowed. “She—she said she couldn’t believe you were…dead.”
“Blond hair?” She nodded. “Green eyes?”
“She said your name,” Robin said. “It couldn’t be anyone else.”
“How was she?” I asked hoarsely.
“Sad,” she said, averting her eyes. “Depressed. You meant more to her then you think, William.” She looked up at me through her lashes. “And I think you feel the same.”
I took a deep breath, images of my mother flashing through my mind. Is it really selfish to be letting Robin stay safe instead of telling my family they’re crying for nothing? I don’t know what else I could do, Robin’s the most important thing to me right now. “I do, but I don’t want you to try and solve this, the best thing we can do is wait it out. I just can’t leave the forest right now.”
“Why?” she whispered.
“What?”
She looked up at me, her gaze clear and calm. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why would you rather let me live without capture than tell your family you’re alive?” she asked. “Why would you rather have them suffer instead of me? Why did you refuse to tell me the last time I asked? What aren’t you telling me? Because I know that you’re keeping something to yourself.”
I don’t know how to answer that. If I tell her the truth, then she’ll know how I feel. She’ll know, and then nothing will be the same. I really don’t want to know if it would turn out okay or destroy everything. I can’t answer her, and even if I did tell her the truth…I could overwhelm her. I’d be admitting to choosing her over my family, not budging because of how I think I feel. I could even be wrong about it all, not actually be in love. What the hell am I supposed to do?
“Why?” she repeated when I didn’t answer.
“Why does it matter?” I asked.
“Because I don’t get it,” she said. “I don’t understand why you’d want to choose me over your family, especially when they’re crying their eyes out because they miss you so much!”
“You don’t have to get it,” I said. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does!” she shouted, standing up. “Your mother’s a mess, she misses you so much! Your funeral’s in a few days and she’s broken inside! She didn’t even get to see your body; she thinks it—and you—are gone forever!”
“Well, I’m not!” I said, standing up beside her. “She can know when Hellbound is dead, but for right now we can’t fall into his trap!”
“Are you just not thinking?!” she yelled, running her hands through her long, red hair. “Why am I more important then everyone else?! None of this makes any sense, William, and all you’re doing is confusing me more and more, making me wonder what you aren’t telling me!”
“It doesn’t matter,” I mumbled. I know it’s selfish, but I can’t imagine her going to Hellbound and just giving up so she can save everyone else. I wasn’t going to be a part of that; I wasn’t going to let her dive right into death.
Her eyes widened. “What is wrong with you?!”
“Nothing,” I lied, my heart pounding against my ribcage.
“It sure seems like there’s a million things wrong with you, if you don’t even care about anyone missing you so much it hurts!” she yelled. “What the hell happened to you?!”
“Nothing,” I said, gritting my teeth.
“Then tell me why you want to save me instead!” she pleaded, the hurt in her blue eyes making me want to tell her.
I shook that thought. “I can’t!”
“Why not?”
“Because I can’t!” I exclaimed. “Why do you need a reason for everything?!”
“I don’t need one for everything!” she shouted, exasperated. “I just need to know when it doesn’t make sense. And this doesn’t make any sense!”
“Yes, it does, Robin!”
Even I know that’s a lie, I guess I’m just buying time now, hoping she’ll drop it.
“Then tell me!” she said, her voice breaking. “Let me see how it makes sense, I can’t see it now. And I can’t let anyone suffer for something not worth grieving over; you have to see that, William. I have to come forward.”
“No.”
“Why?!”
“Because I love you, Robin!”
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A/N: So hey, y'all. And here's the fifth author's note today. Someone shoot me, have something happen, get a bird to hit my window, give me something to write about! I don't even know. Eh, at least I'm not done with the next chapter yet...so, at leat for now, I don't need to worry about writing another one.
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For the Love of Robin Hood
خيال (فانتازيا)**Second book in the Robin Hood trilogy** Robin and William have spent the past couple weeks fooling around and playing games like Hunt, thinking the threat is gone completely. Little do they know that he is not dead, that he was granted more lives...
