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Perrie
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After their encounter with the mermaid, Perrie was even more exhausted. Every single part of her body and mind was.
She, Neven, and Maisie stumbled upon a, hopefully safe, place to sleep, far away from the fresh burial plots. There hadn’t been any other sign of life along the way, only more and more glass statues. Would this ever fucking end?
They each took a shower, and Perrie curled up in bed beside Maisie in the abandoned room. Worry poured through her thoughts, almost all of it about Vale. Throughout the day, she’d wondered where he was, how damn close he could be. Maisie and Neven weren’t overly concerned—they were too confident he wouldn’t find them. Perrie knew better, though. Her gut told her he would find her, and that it would be before they were prepared to fight him. Yet, she didn’t think they could prepare for him at all. Tomorrow they were going to continue toward the Glass Vault. It would be days before they got there, but they would attempt to destroy the museum as soon as they reached it. Maybe Vale wouldn’t expect them to return to that hell.
She felt so ... lost.
There were moments between Vale and the Bride that she wouldn’t think about, that she couldn’t think about. Perrie would rather hold on to the time in the tower when he’d snatched her by her hair and dragged her down the hall. That drive was what would help them win.
Maisie rested beside Perrie, fast asleep, her chest rising and falling. Most likely dreaming about sunshine and rainbows. Her cousin almost wouldn’t sleep in the bed, until they’d found a spare set of sheets in the linen closet. Maisie was so lucky. Perrie wished she could borrow her damn optimism, even just for a little while. After all her cousin had been through, she was still just as strong as she was before the Glass Vault.
Much more than Perrie was. But she was going to force herself to push forward, like she’d done when she was inside the Glass Vault’s displays.
As Perrie listened to Maisie’s soft snoring, relief filled her again that she’d found her cousin. If she hadn’t, Perrie didn’t know where her dark thoughts would’ve taken her if she’d still been alone and on the run from Vale. She honestly didn’t know if she could’ve survived. Even if they defeat him, Perrie wasn’t sure if she would ever truly be free of him.
He was the reason she wasn’t asleep, snoring softly like Maisie. When Perrie closed her eyes, she was back there in his bed, or on the metal table, bleeding out. She could see his green eyes, dancing in the shadows, following her wherever she went. Eyes she longed to gaze into, and eyes she wanted to run from. She saw his image in the faces of the people she’d let down—her dad, Aunt Krista, Uncle Jaron, and Neven.
Maisie.
Herself.
Gritting her teeth, Perrie pushed the covers away and padded quietly across the room. Maisie fidgeted, readjusted, then went back to snoring. Careful not to wake her, Perrie closed the door and headed into the living room. A dull lantern illuminated the room, casting shadows on the wall. Nev glanced up from the couch and offered her a small smile. The light lent itself to his pinkish scars, reminding her of another time, in another cell. And guilt seeped its way into her once more—she was the reason he went to the museum that day.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked.
“No.” She shook her head. “Why don’t you get some rest? I’ll take watch. Shouldn’t let a good night’s rest escape the both of us. It’s better if someone gets some sleep while they can.”
A loud whinny broke the silence from outside, followed by the hard thumps of hooves beating the ground. Perrie stilled as a rush of memories hit her of the time she’d spent in Sleepy Hollow—Josselyn as Katrina, bloodied severed heads in the graveyard, the Headless Horseman. Nev raced to the door, pulling Perrie out of her frozen state. She hurried to the window and peered out into the night. It was dark outside but she could see just enough to catch the alabaster fur coat of a horse as it passed by.
Not the Headless Horseman.
Perrie sighed, her body relaxing. Am I going to get this worked up every time I hear a horse for the rest of my fucking life?
“Get some rest?” Neven lifted a brow as they sank back on the couch. “I don’t think I could sleep if I wanted to. I’m a mess, you’re a mess, and the world is a mess.”
“Maisie’s not a mess.” At least ninety-percent of her didn’t seem to be.
“Well, Maisie’s special,” Neven said quietly. He could barely bring himself to look her in the eye as he’d said it too. Perrie knew what was going on—she’d heard it in his banter with her cousin only hours ago.
He could hide it from Maisie, but he couldn’t hide it from Perrie.
“You like her!” Perrie whisper-shouted, fighting a smile.
He opened his mouth to say something, but no words slipped out.
“Don’t lie to me.”
Nev pursed his lips, as if he’d eaten something sour. “I haven’t ever lied to you, and I told you I never lie about anything.”
Perrie jabbed a finger at his chest. “No, but I can tell you want to now, don’t you?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Nev sighed, hanging his head after a few seconds passed. “The world has too many fucked up things going on, and nothing else matters except figuring shit out that doesn’t make sense. None of this makes sense.”
Perrie grabbed his hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. The gesture didn’t stir that rush of butterflies like it used to, just the comforting thought that he was her friend. A friend she hadn’t talked to in a long time. It was like coming home, and everything was the same as before, only this time, they really were only friends.
“I’m sorry about your mom,” Perrie whispered. “I know if anyone loved someone more than life itself, it was you.”
“Me too.” A few tears slid down his cheeks, and he wiped them away.
“It’s okay to cry. Cry as much as you need to, I know I did. I’m right here, and I promise I’ll always be your friend, no matter what.” Perrie pulled him into a hug, holding him tight as he cried.
After his tears subsided, Neven sat up and concealed his face as if he’d never needed that moment.
“Now, tell me the truth. You like Maisie, don’t you?”
His mask finally broke, and he was as relaxed as she’d seen him in the last few hours. Then he nodded.
“Since when?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Since forever ago. Since recently.”
“When we were together?” Perrie hissed. “What’s fucking wrong with you?” Okay, maybe our rekindled friendship is back to being dead. She started to stand, when Nev tugged her back down by the wrist.
“No, Perrie. It was never like that, I swear.” He threw his hands up cautiously, as if that could stop her from punching him in the face. “When I was with you, it was only ever you. Even after you broke up with me.” He closed his eyes and stayed silent for several seconds. “But I liked her before us.”
The hell? “What? What do you mean?”
“Back in ninth grade, and most of tenth too.”
Perrie’s eyes shifted side to side as she thought back. That was when they’d all met, when they first started hanging out together. He’d never told her any of this. How did she not see it? “Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell her? Is this why you were weird around her sometimes? I assumed that was because you thought she was odd.”
He stayed quiet, not giving any damn answers, so Perrie elbowed him.
“Ow.” He chuckled and rubbed his arm.
“Shut up, that didn’t hurt. Tell me.”
“Okay, but please don’t be mad if I tell you this, and don’t run off and tell Maisie. I know how you like to tell her everything.”
“I swear. I won’t say anything. Scout’s honor.” She held up two fingers, fighting a smile, anxious to hear about this new side of Nev.
He rolled his eyes and lifted another one of her fingers. “It’s three fingers.”
“What the fuck ever.” Perrie smiled.
He bit his lip and gripped the back of his neck, appearing nervous. “You remember that time you got sick back in ninth grade? It was pretty bad, you were out for a few days.”
“Yeah?” Where was he going with this?
“We were going to watch a movie, then after you left I stayed with Maisie.” He took a deep breath. “That’s when I knew I liked her, for real. I had a crush on her before then, back when she would make those crazy bracelets before the eye patches became her thing.” A shy smile played at the corner of his lips as he touched his wrist.
Perrie had almost forgotten about those. Maisie would take slap bracelets and place little pom balls in the center to make a design, whether it was a face, fruit, or something else. They’d been really cute and Perrie used to have a ton of them in her top dresser drawer.
“You never said anything to me. Or to her?” Perrie flicked his hand hard.
“Ow. Quit doing stuff like that.” Neven rubbed at the spot dramatically. “I never told you because she was your cousin, and you were my friend. I didn’t want it to mess up our friendship and make it too weird. But...” His voice faded, and he stopped talking.
“Go on.” Before she got the chance to pinch him again, he continued.
“We were watching the Phantom—while wearing masks—and after the movie I sort of kissed her, sneak attack.”
Perrie’s jaw fell open, and she softly shouted, “You did not!” She then snorted because she remembered those masks. One time she and Maisie even made Aunt Krista and Uncle Jaron wear them during the movie.
“I did.” He cringed. “She was wearing this really awesome perfume. I got a whiff of it when she helped me with my mask.” Maisie didn’t wear perfume, but Perrie knew what he was talking about.
“Banana berry bread,” she stated simply. Neven cocked his head, seeming to not understand. “It’s her shampoo. She uses that stuff religiously. Sorry, go on.”
“Right.” His brows creased together. “It was right after the movie ended. I kissed her, she screamed, then ran away.”
“Shut up.” Perrie laughed. “She ran away?”
“She came back out after a while.”
“Then what?”
“Then, nothing. We didn’t talk about it.” He shrugged.
“That’s the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard. You kissed her, and both of you pretended like nothing happened?” Perrie couldn’t hide her shock. Neither of them had said a word to each other or to her. Maisie wasn’t especially good at keeping secrets, and Perrie was surprised her cousin had held onto this one for so long. She was tempted to wake Maisie up right then and ask her about it, but she’d made a promise to Nev.
“Yep.”
“If you ever do make another move, you have my approval, Nev.”
“Thanks,” he muttered, his expression becoming serious again. “But don’t ever think I settled for you. I wouldn’t take it back—I wouldn’t take any of it back.”
Perrie folded her arms around him again, remembering their first kiss, their first time together, and all their special moments. Their chapter had ended a long time ago, and a new one, though different, would begin. “Me neither, Nev. You should try talking to Maisie about how you feel since you never know what’s going to happen.”
“I don’t think I want to make her scream and run away again.” He chuckled.
Perrie didn’t have an answer for him because this time she didn’t know what Maisie would think of this. Her cousin hadn’t ever liked anyone that she knew of.
They then talked for a while and their friendship felt as it always had, before Vale came into the picture. As Perrie’s thoughts drifted back to Vale, a light shuffling came from the room behind them.
She released her hold around Nev, and they both looked behind them to find Maisie’s shadow standing at the now half-open door. Maisie slid to the side out of view and didn’t come out. Perrie rolled her eyes. Does she think she’s invisible? Nev frowned at the doorway then turned back around.
“I better go see what that was about,” Perrie said.
“Goodnight. Also, ask Maisie if she army-crawled back to bed.” He smiled.
Perrie headed into the bedroom and glanced to her left where Maisie had slid to. But she was already gone, lying in bed like they hadn’t just spotted her. Perrie crawled into bed beside Maisie, her cousin’s body already cocooned into the blanket. Maisie didn’t just wrap herself up into an angry burrito for no reason.
“Psst.” She poked Maisie in the side.
Her usual response would’ve been a laugh. Instead, she didn’t move and only whispered, “I’m sleeping.”
“No, you’re not,” Perrie said to Maisie’s back. “We saw you in the doorway. Look at me.” Maisie finally rolled over, still bundled in the blankets. “What’s going on with this attitude?”
“Nothing. Sorry I interrupted you and Neven.”
Then it hit her. Perrie should’ve seen it earlier, but she’d only been seeing how Nev felt about Maisie. Her cousin was friendly with everyone, so it was harder to notice it. But it all made sense now. “You like Nev, don’t you?” Perrie murmured.
“What? No, I don’t,” she answered hurriedly.
“I told you already we weren’t getting back together.”
“You should get back together. Plus, you were already cuddling,” Maisie snapped. Perrie could hear the jealousy in her voice.
“We’re just friends. You know, if you ever decide to get with Nev, you have my approval.” Perrie smiled. Maisie may not see it, but Perrie knew she heard the smile in her voice.
“Wouldn’t that be incestuous, though?”
“Maisie, how would that be incestuous? You aren’t related to Nev,” Perrie said, incredulous.
“No, but I’m related to you, and you’ve had sex with him.”
“I think there are stranger things going on in the world than that right now.” Perrie had more things to be worried and angry about, and she would never be upset with Maisie about this. She was her cousin, her best friend, and she wanted her happy.
“Thank you for the approval if I ever decide to go in that direction.” Maisie unraveled herself from the blanket and spread it across the both of them. Her cousin liked him, more than liked. This was odd to Perrie because she didn’t think Maisie ever crushed on anyone. She kind of liked that her cousin did have a few hidden secrets. Perrie had promised Nev she wouldn’t say anything and she would keep that damn promise, but that didn’t mean she wouldn’t give Maisie a nudge in his direction.
