Page 26 of His Blazing Witch (The Silver City #3)

"Here."

"Thanks..."

I grab the glass of water he just brought back from the kitchen, but my hand is still shaking. Liam sits right next to me, looking concerned. I feel... sick. The fever from that nightmare still isn't gone, it's like this pulsating headache. I force myself to drink, just to realize how dry my throat is. I'm extremely hot too. I hand him the glass of water while I take off that stupid T-shirt; it’s drenched in sweat, but at this point, neither of us cares. I just need a few deep breaths and some fresh air.

"Come."

As if he could read my mind, Liam gently takes my hand and guides me to the balcony. The rain must have stopped while we were sleeping, but it's humid and cold out here. This feels good... We both step barefoot onto the terrace, and Liam takes me to sit on the little bench, finding his place next to me. I rest my head against the bay window behind us.

The fresh air feels so nice... The clouds are still heavy and dark, but the lights of the city are enough to see. I almost wish it'd rain, to wash away all that angst. Liam is still holding my hand, gently caressing it with his fingers.

"Better?" he asks softly.

"...Yeah."

We stay a little while longer just like this as I calm myself down. I don't know how late it is, but I still feel tired. That nightmare has exhausted me. What was that, anyway? I usually don't remember most of my dreams, or they don't make any sense. Yet, this one was so clear and vivid... I try to hold onto it before it fades away.

"...Are you sure I called out my mom?"

"You said it once or twice. But mostly, you were just apologizing and crying... You were already in complete panic mode when I woke up. I actually shook you for a while before you finally snapped out of it."

I can tell. I feel the sides of my arms aching, where Liam held me to try and shake me awake. I'll have bruises tomorrow, but honestly, I couldn't care less about it.

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

I glance at him. He's even sexier and cuter with his messed-up hair and those dark gray eyes. I can tell he's still tired, yet he wants to listen to this crazy witch's nightmare. I nod slowly and start talking. I don't have much to say, but I try to do my best to describe it to Liam. It's not just about telling him, I hope I'll remember it better if I put words to those visions, and not forget them yet.

He listens to me without saying a word. I can't tell what he's thinking, he doesn't move an inch. Still, I feel better just talking to him, as if I was finally letting go of that pressure, taking the dream away from reality, putting a nightmare back to where it belongs.

When I'm done, I glance down at our hands, still intertwined, and suddenly, I want to feel him a bit more. I don't dare move, though. I just wait to know what he's thinking.

"...You said you have no memories of who your mother is?" he asks.

"I don't... We only found a picture at the apartment. Of a child who is... very likely to be me, and a woman."

"Could it be your mom?"

"I don't know..." I sigh.

It kills me to not even be able to remember my own mother. I shake my head, mad at myself. I hate this black hole in my head, I hate running after the answers.

"Hey..."

Liam notices my expression, and gently comes closer. Pulling on my hand, he makes me sit right against him, my legs over his, and wraps his arm around my shoulders. I am not so hot anymore thanks to the fresh air outside, so his warmth is more than welcome. He gently kisses my lips, a brief kiss.

"Don't worry, we will find answers soon, okay? Let's go check the docks again at dawn, and the cemetery too. I bet we will find some clues there."

I nod, but the truth is, I want to go now. My heart can't contain all of this anymore. I look at the city beneath us, and for once, I'm not amazed at its beauty. I just wonder which part of this world I do fit in. I can't find the right spot for me, that place where I'd say, “Ah, this is where I belong.”

I feel like I'm just trying on some shoes that don't fit, one after the other. As if mine had been broken, and I was just gathering the pieces... I let out a long sigh, and curl myself into Liam's arms, trying to repress those dark feelings. I will get my answers. The wait will be over soon. Liam gently rubs my back, my shoulders, letting me calm down until I fall asleep there. I have a vague sensation of him putting me back to bed, but I'm not really sleeping.

His arms around me, I try to find comfort in them. We don't care about the distance anymore. Liam is falling back to sleep next to me, and I want to snuggle in his arms, breathe his smell, and hear his gentle breathing. I take deep breaths too, trying to calm down. Our bond is all I need for now... Right? I will be fine. As long as Liam is with me, I will be fine...

I try to, but I can't seem to fall back asleep. Liam starts gently snoring, and that's all I can focus on for the next hour.

When he finally moves, I decide to get up while he has released his grip around me. I watch him sleep for a while, a little smile on my lips. Moon Goddess, if you're real, I have to thank you just for allowing me this vision. There's a demi-god half-naked in the same bed I slept in, snoring with his mouth open and expression as innocent as a young boy. I bite my thumb for a bit, and grab Liam's phone, taking a picture silently. This has to be illegal, but I don't mind being a criminal for this... I smile and get up, looking through his wardrobe to borrow some clothes I won't sweat in. I find a gray T-shirt and a pair of jeans. Of course, they are too large for me, but with a belt, I manage to make it work.

As I wash my face with some cold water in his bathroom, I check my appearance, but my dark circles aren't that bad... I do whatever I can to tame my hair with a comb, and finally head to the kitchen, hoping to find some coffee at least.

The oven timer says it's almost 5:00 in the morning. So I probably did sleep a bit before that nightmare... I pour myself what tastes like the worst coffee I've ever had, but it's strong enough to finish waking me up.

What do I do now? I'd rather let Liam sleep after that shitty night, and from the snoring, he's doing fine with that. I walk up to the bag I abandoned in the kitchen yesterday, taking out the map. I should have told him I brought that thing here, maybe. I spread it out on the floor, watching Silver City again. This time, I make sure to orient the map so that north matches our current position. I don't need a knife, my previous cut is still there... I pull on it until it reopens, and a drop of blood falls on the map. I sit cross-legged in front of the map, curious to see what happens.

Once again, the drop spreads toward three points, but this time, one has moved from Sylviana's house to what ought to be here. We have already confirmed we have to check out the cemetery and the docks, probably the point where the accident happened.

I take a deep breath. What do I ask it now?

"...Where is my mother?"

I wait a while, but nothing happens. Either she is somewhere outside of Silver City, or she isn't anywhere... I sigh, a bit disappointed. I have no idea what to ask that stupid map now.

"...Where are the other witches?"

This time, the blood moves and, curious, I watch it go up north. It divides into... two, two dots right next to each other, while a third one goes southeast, behind the territory in green. Shit, so there really are three witches. One of those two up north has to be Ravena, but then, who is she with? I bite my thumb. Is she planning something? Crap, if only witches could communicate like werewolves...

"Meow."

I jump and turn around.

"Spark!"

My cat is there, walking toward me naturally. How the hell did he get here? He definitely has to be a magic cat, I have no idea how he found me, but no normal cat could have gotten into the building, let alone the apartment, like that. He comes up to me, rubbing his head against my knee and purring.

I scratch his head.

"Are you here to tell me something, perhaps?"

It may sound like one damn crazy idea, but... If Spark really is my familiar, could he have appeared because I was talking about contacting another witch? He sits in front of me, his furry butt on the map, like he doesn't care much about the magic stuff going on there. I caress him.

"Spark, can you do that? Can you go talk to that witch for me?"

He meows, and for a second, I wonder if it would be really crazy to try... Should I give him a note or something? He doesn't have a collar I could slide a paper in. Yet, he's still here, staring at me with those big orange eyes. I hesitate, biting my thumb again.

"Spark, if you could speak, that would be so much easier, you know," I sigh.

Another meow, of course. I can tell he's a smart cat. And a magic cat. Why couldn't he be a courier cat...?

"Hey, do you think you can ask Ravena... No, wait, what should I ask?"

She didn't seem to know who I was either when we met...

"...Mara? Who are you talking to?"

I didn't realize the snoring had stopped. Liam arrives, still looking half asleep. Damn, he's just irresistible with his messy hair and grouchy morning face... I get up to go greet him, and to my surprise, he immediately wraps his arms around my waist, putting his head on my neck.

"Morning..." I gasp, blushing a bit.

"Mornin'..."

I chuckle. Is he still half-asleep? Well, I guess it is early, after all... I caress his hair, his breath on my neck tickling me a bit. He starts kissing my shoulder, making me shiver a little. Damn, a clingy Liam isn't bad... After a while, though, he stops, and I hear him growl a bit.

"...What is that smell…?"

"A smell?"

Do I smell bad? Perhaps I should have taken a shower? He keeps sniffing and stands up straight, frowning.

"Yeah, you smell like a... cat."

"Oh."

I glance back, about to explain, but... Spark is gone? I look around, a bit confused, but I really can't see the cat anywhere, and moreover, the map has disappeared too? What the hell is going on now? Don't tell me Spark took it? Even if I could imagine such a crazy scene, it's too freaking big for a cat to transport!

"Mara?"

Liam stares at me, noticing my confused expression. I chuckle nervously, not sure what to tell him. Is there a reason Spark disappeared? He's never done that around Kelsi!

"Coffee?" I suggest.

Liam nods, and we both head toward his kitchen to make another round of coffee. I hadn't noticed, but the sunrise had just begun outside. The big wolf yawns loudly while we wait for the kettle to be ready. He really only uses that to feed himself... A couple of seconds later, I hear his stomach complain. I raise an eyebrow.

"Seriously?" I chuckle.

"Werewolf stomach..." he grumbles.

Well, the werewolf stomach will have to wait, because I'm pretty sure there's only coffee here. Liam suddenly glances at me with a smile, and I wonder what he's up to. I step back as he steps forward, but my back hits the kitchen counter. He grabs my waist before I can do a thing, and lifts me up to sit on it. I like it... I'm a bit taller than him now, and I easily wrap my hands around his neck, pulling him in for a kiss.

He gently chuckles against my lips, and we exchange a morning kiss, the water slowly boiling somewhere on the side. I swear, those lips can make me forget anything... His taste is so unique and addictive. I can feel the little spikes of his growing beard too, a little scratchy against my hand, but more than this, I love caressing his hair. He still smells a bit like sweat and rain, I hadn't noticed that before... I feel his hand going under my shirt, caressing my back, and I pull in a bit closer, my waist against his abs. He groans a bit, biting my lower lip.

"You're making me crazy," he whispers.

"...Really?"

"Yeah. You're a sexy witch."

I chuckle. A sexy witch, me? I'm dressed in oversized male clothes, probably not too fresh either, and I have nothing to pretty myself up with. I shake my head.

"You're crazy for sure," I chuckle. "...You're the sexy one."

To add to those words, I caress his skin, my fingers going down the lines of his abs. He growls a bit. I love it when he makes that sound. It's animalistic, but it really gives him that... Alpha male thing. Liam grabs my wrist before I get too far, and intertwines his fingers with mine, coming back for another kiss. The kettle hisses behind us, but who cares. We kiss some more, caressing each other, trying to tame that growing desire. I'm so glad I'm wearing these jeans, otherwise, his hands would be wandering around more than just my butt... and I don't hate the thought.

After a while, though, we both pull back, a bit out of breath. He smiles gently, his eyes driving me crazy again. I caress his scar with my finger, trying to imagine what he'd look like without it...

"So, are we going back to the docks?" he whispers.

I nod.

"The cemetery too."

"Weird place for a date," he sighs.

I tilt my head.

"Are we dating...?"

Liam looks at me, a bit surprised.

"You don't want to?"

I stay quiet for a while. It's not that I don't want to, I just feel there's something... wrong with that. How will his family react to this?

"...I'm not sure your brothers would be fond of the idea," I mutter.

I can almost hear my self-confidence crashing to the floor. I can see his older brothers' eyes again, both filled with something dark and scary. They don't like me. No, they don't like the witch I am. They don't trust me at all, why would they trust me with their younger brother?

Liam looks shocked, staring at me with a baffled expression.

"Seriously? You're afraid because of my brothers?"

"...Maybe she should be."

We both freeze and turn our heads.

His older brother is standing at the entrance of the apartment, the blonde one. Nathaniel Black, dressed in a black suit. Of all people, the one I wouldn't want to have to face the most in this position... He's with a little girl, who is holding his hand and she’s carrying a cute school bag. She has her mom's hair, but her dad's bright blue eyes. I immediately push Liam and jump down from the kitchen counter.

"Hi, Uncle Liam!" says the little girl. "We brought you croissants!"

"Hi, little star."

She's super cute, but the atmosphere between the adults isn't as warm as her... I feel really bad. I guess this is the feeling of being really unwanted... especially since his brother's blue eyes are glaring at us. He's definitely not happy to see me here. I can almost hear them talking in their strange way of communicating, even if there are no words exchanged that I can really hear. What do I do? I want to walk away from Liam, maybe step back a bit, but he holds on to my hand.

"...Daddy?"

As the two of them are still glaring at each other and it gets more uncomfortable, I exchange a glance with the little girl. She smiles at me, looking very sweet. Damn, she's really cute with her ponytails... even cuter than her cute white wolf pup appearance.

"Hi, Estelle," I greet her.

"Hi..." she answers shyly.

Yet, those two don't stop. I sigh and pull on Liam's arm for him to finally let go.

"Have breakfast with them, Liam, I'll get going."

"What?" he says, turning to me. "No, we said we're going together. You're staying here and you can eat with us."

"No, I'm good, I'm full with the noodles anyway..."

I notice his brother raising an eyebrow. I hope it's because I mentioned the noodles, not because he realized I slept here... I mean, we didn't do anything wrong, but still. If a glare could kill... I step away from Liam, and with my fists clenched, I go to grab my bag and shoes before he says a thing, almost running to the door. As I walk past his brother, he and I exchange a glance, and once again, I get that chill down my spine...

"Mara, wait!"

I run to the elevator, still barefoot, a bit confused, and my heart thumping like crazy.

I am not sure where to go, but I feel a lot better once I'm outside. The atmosphere of the apartment was so stuffy with Liam's brother in it... I don't know why he's so scary to me. Both of his older brothers are like terrifying monsters I can barely look at. Their auras are... oppressive. Would I react to Liam's the same, if we weren't mates? I take a second to breathe in.

The rain from last night has left a fresh smell in the air, and some little puddles in the streets. Some rooftops are still dripping a bit, and people are wearing jackets because of that little breeze in the air. It's still early, though. I left in such a hurry, I barely took a minute to put my shoes on in the elevator. I crouch down to redo the laces and realize my bag is heavier than it should be... I frown and check it.

The map! The map is back inside. What the hell? How did it get back here? I'm sure I had left it on the floor before Spark disappeared along with it...

"Meow..."

I chuckle. Of course. The black and gold cat is right there, coming out from under a car like any regular stray cat would. I smile and grab him to carry him. He stares at me with those big innocent eyes.

"You smart boy, Spark... Did you help me hide it?"

He purrs and rubs his head against my chest. I pet him for a while, taking a little walk with my cat. At least I can count on him... My heart aches a bit when I remember the look in Liam's eyes when I left. I didn't want to leave him, but his situation with his family isn't for me to handle. I have a lot on my plate already, I can't face his brothers for him. From the way Nathaniel Black glared at me, there's definitely more going on. He needs to tell them about our bond too... I guess we should have known this relationship wasn't going to be easy.

I look around, but I don't have anything on me. Can I walk back to the docks from here? It should be closer than the cemetery, but it still took us a long while to get there with Liam's bike… I grabbed his phone, but I don’t know Kelsi's number by heart. Should I go back to my apartment? I'm not even sure which way to go. Oh, I can grab a cab and pay at the destination, right? ...If I can find one. I decide to keep walking, Spark in my arms, trying to look around for a solution. I really feel at a loss at times like this.

"Mara!"

I stop and look around, only to find a familiar old Toyota with Ben and Kelsi inside, waving at me.

"Guys!"

I run to them, and they park to come and meet me. Before I can react, Kelsi suddenly hugs me, looking relieved. I hug her back, a bit surprised. We've only been apart for a few hours, I'm glad to see her... although I have questions. Ben nods with a big smile behind her.

"What's up?"

"How the hell did you find me?"

"Selena texted me," explains Ben. "She said you'd probably be in this neighborhood, but she didn't explain much."

Oh... Was she expecting her husband to kick me out or something and told Ben to come and get me? I nod, a bit thankful. Kelsi checks me out from head to toe, a bit confused about my attire.

"You're trying the boyfriend style?" she asks, raising an eyebrow.

"I... have a couple of things to explain. And so do you, by the way. I know you saw that text."

Kelsi pouts but still nods. We both turn to Ben, who's waiting for us, clueless, his hands in his pockets.

"So, where are we going, ladies?"

We find a nearby café to stop at and have breakfast as those two apparently left in a hurry. I take another coffee while, as usual, Ben orders a lot and Kelsi only has a bowl of granola. I fill them in on everything I learned so far. Not only my strange relationship with Liam Black, but also Sylviana's house, the map, and that short meeting with Ravena at the border. They both stay mute but listen to each word, concerned, letting me do all the talking for a while. When our orders arrive, my throat is so dry again, I have to order a smoothie.

"I don't know about that witch, Mara," says Ben. "I mean, no offense, but there are reasons werewolves don't get along with witches, and I don't think this one is going to be on your side..."

"I agree," sighs Kelsi. "The fact that she was lurking at the border isn't reassuring."

I nod.

"I hope she doesn't get any closer, but... I keep thinking I could use someone to help me. I keep second-guessing everything so far, and the progress is super slow."

"Well, you would have progressed faster if this idiot had paid attention to the clues earlier," says Kelsi, glaring at Ben.

He almost spits out his coffee, shocked.

"What, me? What clues?"

"Mara Jones! You're a werewolf, couldn't you have told us there was a Jones family of Alphas when you heard that name?"

"Hey, it's a super common name, and I was only half-listening back at the library! Plus, I'm not involved in any way with that pack, why would I make the connection?!"

Kelsi rolls her eyes, and this time, I agree. Ben can be super slow, for a werewolf. She turns to me, shaking her head and playing with the lace of her pink sweatshirt.

"If any smart werewolf had heard that name, they would have told you to go see that family, Mara. I bet it's another clue you left for yourself. You should meet them and ask if they know anything about you. Plus, isn't that witch Sylviana's house right on their territory? Isn't that too big of a coincidence?"

"Maybe that's what I was meant to find by asking them," I sigh. "The house."

"Anyway, you have to ask," says Kelsi.

I nod, petting Spark who's purring on my lap. I've been thinking the same thing too. It looks like Mara Jones, or Clarissa Garnett, definitely left a few clues behind, voluntarily or not... I didn't tell Ben and Kelsi about the actual magic behind the map or the circles. I made it sound like Sylviana's map was just as it is, with the cemetery and the docks popping out. I didn't say a word about the circle in my room, either. I have a feeling Spark hid the map on purpose, but from whom? Nathaniel, or... Liam? Anyway, maybe I shouldn't trust anyone so fast. They already doubt me and watch my every move...

"So, what now?"

I glance up at Ben, but he already looks a bit excited.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to go there? To the docks? Or shall we go see the Jones’ first? I think we should give them a heads-up, but they are rather... open to visits."

I look at both of them, looking ready to go and follow my every move. I am a bit baffled.

"You are still going to accompany me? After what I told you?"

"Why not?" asks Kelsi, looking confused.

"I mean... you don't have to follow me anymore, no? The werewolves know me now, Nora and Selena probably agreed to let me go anywhere, and with Liam Black being my... well, my fated mate, Ben, you probably don't have to watch me anymore, right?"

He slurps his fruit juice slowly, looking at me with a little frown.

"Mara, why do you think we came to get you?"

"...Because Selena asked you to?"

He rolls his eyes and ruffles his hand through his hair.

"Little witch, I may be a poor bodyguard, but I'm a very good friend. Kelsi and I got ready in like ten minutes to come and get you. You barely gave us any news since last night, I was a tad worried. Mara, I may not show it, but I do worry about you. And Kelsi. You know, I don't really have to sleep on the couch of your apartment, they rented an apartment for me in the same building. I also insisted they don't change your designated bodyguard wolf, aka me, for someone else even if I got an earful for losing you a couple of times. Because I really do consider you my friend. It's fun to hang with you chicks, and to play detective looking for answers too."

His answer makes me smile. I always forget because Ben doesn't express himself often, but... at least he's here, and staying around. I appreciate that. I nod slowly. Kelsi too is rubbing the ends of her sweatshirt sleeves together, and blushing a bit.

"Me too, Mara... I know I probably wasn’t the friend of the year, but... I really want to help you too."

I glance at her, a bit unsure. I sigh, still having this picture in mind.

"...Are you sure we are done with secrets?" I ask.

She gasps, and looks down again, hesitating a bit. Then, she glances toward Ben, biting her lower lip. He is back to eating his meal like an ogre, although there isn't much left on the plate. I don't think he cares much or listens anymore now that he said what he wanted to say. I sigh.

"So it was really you?"

"...Which one did you see?"

"Can I borrow your phone?"

She nods and hands it to me. I remember the name of the magazine and the ad, so I quickly find the picture. It actually looks like there was a full campaign, the same picture appears repeatedly all over the search results. I hand it back to her, and her expression immediately sinks.

"So... I was right? That model is you, right?"

She frowns and nods, but immediately closes the window and puts her phone back into her pocket. She seems upset... Kelsi shakes her head.

"Yeah... This one was taken a couple of years ago, I had forgotten it. I didn't really mean to hide it from you, I just... wish I'd forgotten about it. Like, all of it. I hated that... I hated being a model."

"Wait, who is a model?" asks Ben, his mouth full.

Kelsi glances at him, and from our expressions, it takes him a full minute to get it. He starts coughing, almost spitting out his food.

"You?" he asks Kelsi, laughing. "You're kidding, right?"

I glare at him. How much of an idiot is he? Even if she covers herself in oversized, ugly clothes and hides behind those glasses, Kelsi is obviously pretty. She is taller than me by half a head and rather thin too, her legs look like chopsticks... His expression falls, he stops laughing.

"What...? Seriously? Hey, can I see that picture?"

However, Kelsi glares at Ben once more before turning to me, the two of us ignoring that idiot.

"I always knew I was really pretty," she says. "My... dear mother would brag about it all the time. She made her friends jealous because she had such a pretty daughter, her daughter had naturally good skin, pretty hair... I was skinny too. I mean, more than now. Hearing my mom say it so much, I got sick of it... I hated being the pretty girl. If I could have chosen, I would rather be normal. I tried to eat more to gain weight and not stand out so much, at some point. I was just tired of it. There are so many labels around pretty people, and it stuck with me until I got fed up with it. I could never make friends, and I never fit in at school."

"...How long ago was that?" I ask.

"I don't know... since I was eleven or twelve until I moved here. I really wish I could leave it all behind me.

Kelsi shook her head, glancing at her empty plate with a bitter expression.

"...Everyone assumes you have some eating disorder because there's no way you're naturally skinny. You should eat more, you are unhealthy. You had surgery. You must spend all your time in your bathroom. You must be so popular. ...It made me sick, hearing all those people think they knew me, but my mother was the worst."

I notice Ben has stopped eating, sending us glances and not daring to say anything. Spark too moves under the table to go from my knees to Kelsi's lap. I don't think I've ever seen him act this cuddly with Kelsi before... She smiles and gently starts petting him, but I can tell Spark didn't just go there on a whim. She is probably even more sour about those memories than she looks...

"When some guy from a model agency scouted me on the streets, my mother went nuts... She had me sign right away after her lawyer had double-checked everything, of course. As soon as the contract was signed, I was taken from photoshoot to photoshoot, during whatever free time I had. I took so many pictures, probably hundreds of thousands like this one. I... I never really felt like saying no. When I did, everyone would remind me how it was such a waste, how I was so pretty and should be grateful someone wanted to make me a model, how lucky I was, how famous I could become... I don't know. It was all glitter and bright lights in front of my eyes, so much so that I felt blind and just followed their instructions."

I... feel sorry for her. For that young Kelsi. I've always known her as introverted, a bit quiet, and she never had any strong opinions other than to support me, but I would have never imagined she went through so many things before meeting me. I had just assumed she had come to Silver City on a whim, not to escape an overbearing mother... She puts her hair back.

"My mother controlled every aspect of my life. What I ate, how much I slept, where I went... I was terrified, sometimes. If I had dark circles, or if I gained a bit of weight, she went crazy. She'd cry that we were going to lose that contract, or that I didn't care anymore about her... She made everything about us or her. I started getting scared of that, so I just went along with her whims for several years. It was the worst part of my life."

She sighs and plays with Spark's ears with a bitter smile.

"I didn't make any friends for years... I was too busy with being a model, my career, and my mom's ambition, school became my only refuge. Yet, I couldn't make friends. I was the pretty girl who was a famous model. It was hard... They had all made up their minds about me. I was pretty and famous, so I was probably some self-centered bitch. I was acting too mighty, I thought I was better than them... To be honest, the only girls who approached me were just interested in getting free makeup or wanted to ask if I could help them become models too. I got so fed up with that, I stopped talking to anyone and just studied like crazy to avoid them. If I had an exam coming up, it was the perfect excuse to stay at the library and avoid my mother."

I think I understand her feelings a bit... feeling it wasn't worth the effort, that no one would acknowledge her anyway. No one cared about her situation or tried to really know her. They all had their assumptions, and Kelsi didn't have the strength to refute them.

"At some point, I went crazy at a shoot. The lights were too bright and close to my skin, I got burnt and collapsed. My mother and I had a huge fight at the hospital. She wanted to sue the agency. I told her I wanted to stop, and she lost it..."

"What happened then? She agreed?" I ask.

Kelsi shakes her head with a bitter expression.

"No... The fight went on for several days, and I begged my father to help me. I said I'd die if I didn't stop. My mother said she'd kill herself rather than see me ruin my career and future... Eventually, my older brother intervened too and talked to my dad. They agreed to send me away for a while. My father said I could do whatever I wanted for a year, as long as I came back knowing what I wanted to do with my life. They didn't leave me anything but the savings my mom hadn't taken. I took a plane to Silver City. They have some great scholarships if you're willing to work hard, so I registered at the university, picked some subjects I wanted, and looked for a place to rent... You know the rest of the story."

So that's how she arrived here before she and I met. That explains a few things... also why she stays home or wears those kinds of clothes and those ridiculously big glasses outside. Also, why she was in such a bad situation with money, despite some of her brand name clothes. Probably had been bought during her modeling period. Strangely, it makes me feel a lot better to finally know more about Kelsi's past, and all the real reasons behind her attitude.

I'm about to say something when we both turn our heads. Ben has his eyes almost full of tears. ...Seriously?

"Moon Goddess, that is so unfair... Don't worry, we are your friends, and we won't judge you!"

"Thanks..." says Kelsi, a bit confused by his attitude.

"...Ben, weren't you the one who was laughing about Kelsi being a model just minutes ago?" I whisper, slapping his knee.

"I didn't know the whole story!" he protests. "...Can I see those pictures now?"

"No!" we both yell at him.

He shrinks in his chair with a grumpy expression. What an idiot... I shake my head and turn to Kelsi.

"Sorry for–"

"No, Mara. You were right for doubting me. To be honest, it felt good to have someone who didn't know about my past, and... had something else to focus on rather than my looks."

"So... all the cute sweatshirts are all... a facade?"

She chuckles.

"No, I really love them! It's comfy, better than wearing tight jeans and crop tops. I love my stupid geeky shirts, I'm not going to stop!"

I smile back. So, after all, I already knew all I needed about Kelsi. Even with her past, she's still that introverted, cute, and geeky Kelsi. We chuckle for a while, a bit relieved. Finally, Ben finishes his plate.

"Alright, ladies. Let's get going to our next adventure. So, where to now?"