Pg. 263 discussion on front steps

The entire day at school, Quince was looking around for Lily. He'd stuck around her locker before the first bell, even gone to ask Shannen at lunchtime if she had seen her. But she confirmed his doubts; she'd stayed home from school. He couldn't blame her, after the previous day's events. Revealing her secret to Brody and getting that closure came in the most harsh, direct form, but she finally had it. And then she had to erase the memory of it, too? Quince was new to the whole magic world, but that couldn't be easy.

Finally, rolling down the street in the afternoon, he felt her dejection before he could turn into the driveway. Lily was sitting on her porch's front steps, only by the time he was ready to go comfort her, her lips were pulled upward into a smile. He wanted to believe that smile was because he was there, that he could be a source of happiness for her, but Quince was not sold on that.

"You weren't in school," he pointed out, beginning with the obvious before he planted himself next to her. "You okay?"

"Sure," the princess replied.

Quince squinted skeptically, his chest pinching in sympathy for her. She was so willing to resist talking and just be fine. "Seriously, Lily. Are you all right?" He looked into her eyes and saw weakness for the first time. Lily wasn't firing back at him, she wasn't trying to argue or fight him.

"I'm disappointed in myself. All these years wasted on loving Brody…" Lily said, turning to look at the street ahead of them. "And it was all a fantasy. Just like you said."

No part of Quince wanted to even say 'I told you so' even if it was something he thought of. He didn't need to be right, or even want to be. If only Lily had realized much sooner.

"Yeah, well, you had to realize that for yourself," Quince said. He'd certainly tried to help her realize that more than once. He reached his right arm around to her right shoulder, hugging her against his torso.

"You told me so," Lily said, her face turning back to look at his deep blue eyes. "You told me my image of Brody wasn't real, and you were right. I was just too blind to see it."

He chuckled to himself. It was hard to believe that she was really giving him every satisfaction of being right, and he didn't even want it. Still, he knew that's sort of what love was about. "You were too blind to see a lot of things, princess," he said, looking out at the street absentmindedly. He wanted to take in this moment, sitting with her in the quiet Florida sun. A part of him tried to nag at him, telling him to appreciate it while he still could. I don't know that, though. Maybe this is a change for the better, he turned his face to look at her, practically getting a mouthful of curly blonde hair in his face.

"Did you break anything?" Lily asked, turning back to look at him.

Quince raised his eyebrows in confusion at the question, and then she nodded toward his hand. Oh, "No. The idiot might need an ice pack or two, but nothing requiring medical attention."

Then, Lily laughed. A deep, irresistible laugh that she couldn't control. He couldn't help his own smile on his face, even if he didn't understand it. Quince needed to see her happy. She leaned across his lap to grab his left hand, inspecting his knuckles. "I meant you, blowfish. Your bones."

Quince kept smiling to himself, appreciating this moment. Lily held him, caring for his own wellbeing. Blowfish. Even more, though, just a few weeks ago that name would've still seemed weird. All of her fishy vernacular was bizarre and quirky, but it flowed so naturally for her. Every time it came up, it would catch Quince off guard. But now he understood where it all came from and why it came so easily for her. He shook his head at her question, lowering his voice to a whisper. "No. I pulled my punches. Principal Brown already thinks I'm one step away from juvie. Don't need to put myself there."

Lily's eyes met with his for only a beat, but then her gaze lowered to the neck of his t-shirt. She brought her palm up to his collarbone, laying her hand over the fabric of his shirt to touch the sand dollar necklace around her neck.

"You're still wearing it."

Quince stared very seriously at her, looking into her eyes until she closed them. "Always," he admitted. Immediately, he felt her confusion flood into him all at once. The doubt and uncertainty and fear-

"Quince, I-"

"I get it, Lily," he instinctively interrupted, looking at her closely. He studied her face, admiring her freckles and her nose and everything about her, while simultaneously hoping that he could help give her the confidence that she needed. "Really I do. You've been through a lot in the last two weeks. I know you need some time to process."

"Thank you."

"But, that doesn't change how I feel," Quince leaned down slightly, closer to her face. "How I've always felt. I care about you, Lily. I-"

"Stop!" she interrupted, pulling away, out of his arms, still keeping her eyes shut tight.

Quince winced empathetically. He understood how overwhelming it was, though.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," he soothed. She only interrupted him because she knew exactly what it was that he was going to say. "I don't have to say the words. You know."

There wasn't even a natural pause before Lily changed the subject. "Are you ready to go back to Thalassinia?"

Going back means severing the bond, doesn't it? He thought to himself, looking at her very seriously. Is there an alternative to that? She doesn't know what she feels, or what she wants. She's still asking to return, but maybe she's just going through the motions, to keep trying to make up her mind, he swallowed and nodded. "Sure. Just let me go tell my mom I'll be gone," he said, placing a hand on either side of himself to push up to stand. As he walked away, he could still feel her confused feelings clouding.