Fairy tales are a load of bull. At least, that's what Valerie Lockhart believes.
Not the part about magic or fate or fairy godmothers - though she highly doubts that those exist either - but the part about happy endings. The happy endings in fai...
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Maeve swung around and brought her foot up to land a roundhouse kick to Hayden's chest. With a grunt, he stumbled back, falling against the ropes of the boxing ring. Seizing the moment, Maeve lunged at Hayden and brought a wooden sword up to his chest.
"I win," Maeve said simply in her quiet voice, brushing a strand of her red hair away from her face. She lowered the practice sword and held her hand out to help Hayden up. "Again."
Hayden took her hand and let out an angry sigh. "Sorry, my head's just not in it today."
"So I see," she said, wiping a hand across her head even though there wasn't a drop of sweat. She gave him a small smile. "Thinking abaout her again?" The red haired girl tried her best not to sound bitter.
"That obvious, hu?" They got out of the boxing ring, each one grabbing their water bottles.
"She still hasn't called. Or sent a text. I wouldn't be surprised if I haven't so much as crossed her mind."
"I'm sure that's not true," she said, looking up at him with her startling blue eyes. "You're the type of persone one can't help but think about."
An awkward silence followed her heartfelt comment, and Hayden cleared his throat.
"Thanks for the match, but I think that I'm gonna head out now. I should probably go check up on Valerie; she has a talent for getting into trouble."
Maeve tried to ignore the spark in his eyes when he spoke of his mate. Tried to, but it still hurt. "Sure. Catch you later."
Hayden wiped his brow with a towel as he walked to the makeshift locker room at the underground level of the Nerve. Or the hotel, as Valerie had put it. The ghost of a smile spread across his lips at the thought of her. But his lips soon turned down when he thought about the previous week. He'd been scared out of his mind when he had seen Valerie with Sebastian. His mate, sitting with the King of the Unseelie Court. If that monster had hurt her in any way... it would have been Hayden's fault. Payback for what happened 50 years ago.
He shook the bitter memories away, and walked out of the locker room dressed in a clean white shirt, jeans and a leather jacket. He was tired of waiting. He had given Valerie plenty of time to cool off. That short temper of her would be the downfall of both her and Hayden.
A short while later, Hayden stopped in front of Valerie's apartment building, a bouque in hand. He'd stopped at a florists before coming, just in case she was still mad at him.
When he arrived at her appartment door, he hesitated. Would it be weird showing up at her doorstep? She knew he knew where she lived; he'd dropped the flowers off at her apartment. But maybe showing up in person was a step too far?
Too late now.
Hayden threw caution to the wind and knocked on her door. And waited.
