Secrets of the Great Oak

Chapter 33

The drive was quiet. Anna opened the window to let some fresh air in. It smelled of rain and wildflowers outside. She would have enjoyed it, drank it in if it weren't for the events of this evening.

Tears streamed down her face as she looked out the window, gazing at the moon. The breeze ruffled Jake's already messy hair. She noticed that he left an arm on the center console, hand dangling. It was there for her to grab if she wanted it.

She wasn't sure what she wanted.

Jake said he wanted to talk, but he hadn't spoken a word in the twenty minutes they'd been in the car. Anna didn't feel like she should be the one to start the conversation. His drumming on the steering wheel and low background noise of the radio were the only sounds in the car.

"Anna. I want to make it clear that I didn't do anything with Saleh. She was touching me to anchor me so I didn't get lost inside my magic. She knows about you, it was one of the first things I told her."

He pulled the car into a parking lot of a grocery store down the street from Anna's house and turned in his seat to look at her. The heater in the car combated the cold of the march evening.

"I know what it looked like. I know that she was close to me and that we were holding hands, but Anna... please... say something."

"You lied to me." She managed to look at him. Although the image was blurred through her silent tears. "We always said no lies. No secrets. Ever. And you lied to me."

"I'm sorry." He blew out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. "I just didn't know how to tell you the truth. I didn't know how to explain this: how to tell you what I am." A small pause. "I was afraid."

Anna could understand that he would be afraid. She probably would have called him crazy had she not seen the world for herself, felt the magic in the air. The fact that Jake was half-fae scared her too. What did that mean for him? Was he immortal?

Not to mention, he had magic now.

She shook her head, trying to gain some traction with her thoughts.

"Jake, what if Maggie is over there? What if your mom was right and she was taken over there?"

"I--I don't know. If she's fae already, she wouldn't be able to survive in our world for very long. She would have to stay over there and if she didn't turn fae..." He trailed off.

"What?" Anna pressed.

"If she didn't turn fae, then she probably didn't survive over there. At least, not for very long."

So, now he decided to be blunt and honest with her.

"You didn't look into that at all, did you?"

Jake hung his head. "No. I didn't. I was too caught up in my discovery, in my heritage and magic." He sighed again. "I'm sorry, Anna. I'm so sorry."

She closed her eyes as fresh tears welled and threatened to fall.

Keeping her breathing even, she responded, "You broke the promise we made ten years ago. And you kept an entire world from me. You lied to me about last night. You lied to me all day today... I--" Her voice broke.

She had no idea what to do. He'd never broken her trust before. Never even made her question. But, now... Now she didn't know what to believe or think.

He reached for her hand and she let him take it. His skin was clammy against hers. Pulling her arm into his chest, he brushed tears from her face.

"I was going to tell you. I wanted to gather more information first. But, I was going to tell you."

She yanked her arm away from him. "How many more lies were you going to tell me before then?" The words came out louder than she meant them. She watched as shock etched itself across Jake's features. "Huh? How many more times were you going to kiss me, and hold me, and touch me, and sleep next to me knowing you were hiding all of this? Hiding who you really are?" She looked at him, waiting for a response.