Healing Hearts | Keelin

Chapter Ten

 Margret and Keelin drove back to New Orleans mainly in silence. They were both shocked by the news of Hayley's death. Margret had only met Hayley a few times, but she had always given the impression of a good and strong woman. Now Hope had lost her mother and Freya lost a friend. 

 Freya Mikaelson. Margret hadn't thought about her once during their road trip. She had Freya had formed a friendship while Margret was living in New Orleans, and here she was going on trips with her ex-girlfriend right after they broke up. What friend does something like that? Apparently, the answer was whatever kind of friend Margret was. 

 Margret was at Hayley's funeral, but afterwards she kept some distance between herself and Keelin and the Mikaelsons. Keelin's comfort seemed to be what Freya needed right now, and Margret didn't want to get in their way. 

 In all honesty, Margret was afraid of the idea that Keelin and Freya would get back together. Freya might realize the mistake she made (if she hadn't already) by breaking up with Keelin, and then the two of them would get back together and live happily ever after. Whatever had been between Keelin and Margret might be forgotten, and then where would Margret be? She would be alone again. 

 Was it so much to ask that someone should truly love her? She never seemed to be able to find the woman who could, or who would. Keelin could; Margret was sure of that. But now there was the question of whether she would. 

 For the next few days, Margret began frequenting Rousseau's again. It had become a familiar environment for her, so that she gravitated towards it. At least there would be a bartender to talk to. She preferred Josh, but she didn't mind telling her romantic woes to any bartender who would be willing to listen to her. 

 On one of these nights, Keelin walked in, and she went over to the bar when she saw Margret sitting there. 

 "Hey. I've been looking for you," she said. "You're not drunk, are you?" 

 "No, not tonight," Margret answered. "I guess you caught me at a good time. So, what's up? How's Freya?" She hadn't meant for it to come out sounding so bitter, but it did. 

 "I think we should talk outside," Keelin suggested. 

 Shrugging, Margret slid off the stool and followed Keelin out onto the sidewalk. 

 "I'm sorry about how that sounded," she said. "If you and Freya have gotten back together, it really shouldn't be any of my business." 

 "I think it should be," Keelin replied. "Freya and I haven't gotten back together, and we're not going to." 

 The sinking feeling Margret had suddenly paused. "What was that?" 

 "Freya and I aren't getting back together, Margret," said Keelin. "It's not happening. I'm always going to have some feelings for Freya, but we're over. It wouldn't be fair to either of us. She needs to focus on her family, and I need to focus on my own life." 

 "Oh. I'm...I'm sorry that things didn't work out for you." 

 "Thanks, but you don't need to apologize. You see...I started falling for someone else," Keelin went on. "It started while we were writing back and forth to each other, when I was away. It was just a small something, and I let it sit there. I didn't think much of it. But when Freya broke up with me, I went straight to you, and I realized that whatever I felt had grown. I didn't like that, but I went on your road trip, anyway. That's when I decided to face the facts: I want to have a chance with you, Margret Janssen." 

 And in this moment, the only thing Margret could think of to say was, "My real name is Margreet de Vries. I wasn't born Margret Janssen. I changed it when I became a vampire."

 Keelin raised her eyebrows. "Okay. So, more things you haven't told me." She kissed Margret's cheek. "But we have plenty of time now, for everything." 

 "Yes, we do," Margret said with a smile as she leaned in to kiss her.