Torture Me Sweetly
Chapter Two
Freddie kept catching her eye more and more. The longer she was in her relationship with Blue, the more she was drawn to Freddie. She tried to push these feelings away. She had chosen Blue, chosen him over everything, and there was no reason to go back on her decision now.
But then Freddie would walk by, and she would watch him leave. And the all access key seemed to be haunting her with the amount of time she spent thinking about it. Sometimes she felt it in her pocket, and she would rip through her pockets to find that it was just a crumpled wad of dollar bills.
Blue seemed to be oblivious to her unease, always trying to kiss her now that he wasn't cursed. He just wanted to spend time with her, and she always tried to hold back her feelings of despair and go along with him. If he kissed her, she kissed him back. If he asked her to hang out, she enthusiastically agreed. He was her boyfriend, not Freddie, and she tried to be the dutiful girlfriend to him.
Compared to Blue's obliviousness, Freddie was insightful. Whenever she began feeling hopeless while hanging out with Blue, Freddie would always look at her as if seeing into her soul. He'd raise one of his eyebrows questioningly and pucker his lips when she'd shake her head to tell him she was fine. He never believed her and always seemed to see through her bullshit.
But then he'd let it go and become the always-happy nicest-boy-in-town again, reverting from seriousness to silliness really quickly, so that Mira was the only one who noticed the shift.
Mira was drowning more and more in her despair lately, and not even Blue's kisses could stop the outpouring of fear when it came to the Dream and Blue's secret suite that held a dead Jane and that might someday contain, if she continued heading down this road, a dead Mirabelle right next to her. Relationships shouldn't be this stressful or dangerous to be in.
And then she'd catch Freddie's eye again.
Mira, Blue, Freddie, Jewel, Rafe, and Henley were all hanging out at Rafe's mansion. Henley was pouting and being his usual down-in-the-dumps self because his fairytale princess had been caught in bed with another dude. His rage was right under his skin, festering like a sore. He downed beer after beer, trying to take the edge off, but alcohol usually just made him more angry. Mira stood up and walked over to him when no one else would. She sat down next to him and pulled the beer from his tight grasp. She reached over and unclenched his fist for him and brushed her fingers over his forehead, smoothing out the creases.
"I'm fine," Henley said gruffly, looking down at the ground as if fascinated by the marble flooring.
Mira just gave him a disbelieving snort and shook her head. "No, you're not. And to be honest, you deserve way better. If she wants to sleep around and try to "live" before her curse sets in, fine. But she shouldn't drag you into it. You deserve a girl who's going to put you first and treat you how you actually should be treated. You're not a toy, you're a human being."
He bumped his shoulder against hers. "I know, but it's more complicated than that."
She placed her hand on his drooping shoulder and squeezed. "Isn't everything? You're obsessed with her, and you're an important part of her curse, but you aren't meant for each other. She has a prince out there somewhere, maybe not even born yet, who's going to wake her from her curse, and then she'll dump you again. You need to go out there, make yourself available, and find someone who doesn't treat you like garbage. You're way more than a gardener, and if she can't see that, well, screw her."
Henley gave out a self-deprecating laugh. "That's exactly what I want to do."
Mira laughed. "Oh shush. I'm going to set you up with someone. I'm going to search all of Beau Rivage for the one for you. Maybe even someone not cursed, someone who doesn't see you as Viv's lapdog. Okay?"
Henley just sighed and looked down at the ground again. "I know I'm going to regret this, but okay."
Mira clapped her hands together excitedly, hugged Henley unexpectedly, and left Rafe's mansion in search of a girl who could make Henley happy.
Before she could make her way further down the street, she heard her name being called. She stopped and turned, only to find herself facing a panting Freddie.
"Mind if I come with?" Freddie asked, his voice breathy from panting.
Mirabelle looked everywhere but at Freddie's heaving chest, his muscles showing through his tight shirt. She tried to come up with any excuse that could actually work but she drew a blank. She began repeating Blue's name in her head like a mantra. Keep calm, she thought to herself. Freddie's your prince but not your boyfriend.
Mira just shrugged and tilted her head forward, giving him permission to continue on his way with her.
When they ran across a crying girl on the corner, Freddie, being Freddie, walked up to her and asked her what's wrong. The girl just sniffled and stood up, walking away and saying "You wouldn't understand."
As she walked, her loose blouse pulled away from her back, showing to Mira and Freddie the heart on her lower back, a fist-sized tattoo-looking heart that was almost exactly like Blue's and Felix's.
Mira just shook her head and grabbed the girl's arm to pull her back. "You're cursed. Don't worry, so were we." Mira lifted the back of her shirt, showing the wheel on her back to this stranger.
The girl looked at Mira's blemished skin in shock. "Were?"
Mira rolled her eyes and looked at a proud Freddie. Mira tilted her head in Freddie's direction and smirked. "My prince here woke me from my curse with a kiss. He had a sword and everything."
The girl stared them down, as if trying to decide if they were lying or not. "The Sleeping Beauty curse thing, huh? Well at least you don't have to worry about it anymore. Now you're both in your happily ever after honeymoon phase, right?"
Mira coughed uncomfortably and looked anywhere except at Freddie. Freddie stared at Mira imploringly, but she wouldn't look him in the eye. "We've decided to stay friends, actually," Mira said quietly.
Under his breath, both girls heard Freddie murmur that she was the one who decided, not him, causing Mira to blush and the other girl to look at them with interest.
"My curse is a little more complicated than you guys' though," the girl said after a long pause of silence. "I'm Blair by the way."
Mira smiled at Blair. "Mirabelle, but you can call me Mira. And this is Prince Frederick, sword wielder and curse breaker."
Freddie blushed and scuffed his tennis shoe against the concrete. "Most people just call me Freddie, though."
Blair looked between Mira and Freddie as if she was reading an interesting story. "Again, your curse is straightforward. Mine is different."
Mira stared the girl down in defiance. "I'm dating Blue Valentine and used to date his brother Felix. You want to talk about difficult curses? Then let's talk."
Blair's eyes widened in what looked like disbelief. "Both of them? And you're still... here?" She stuttered over the word that all three were thinking. Alive.
Mira rolled her eyes. "I don't scare very easily. Now why don't we go have a chat about this curse that I won't have any understanding of?"
The trio walked into a tea shop called Down the Rabbit Hole. Mira ordered a chai tea while Freddie and Blair both ordered Earl Grey. Blair stared at the two over her plastic cup, before taking a deep breathe.
"I was cursed a few years ago, around age 12. We lived next door to a dark fairy, and I accidentally kicked my soccer ball into her backyard. When I went to go get it, she cursed me with a Romantic curse. She said every boy I would ever love would die right after they professed their love for me. My mom's best friend is a light fairy, so she called her over. Her name is Salya and she lightened my curse. She said they wouldn't die, they would just fall out of love with me. Until I find the boy who can empathize with me, I will forever be cursed. Salya said that if the boy who empathizes with me is also cursed, I might be able to break his curse when he breaks mine. But I don't have hope that anything like that will ever happen, so I try to stay as far away from relationships as I possibly can."
Mira and Freddie locked eyes and had a silent conversation. "Henley," they seemed to whisper to each other, but neither made a sound. If they could get Henley to empathize with this girl, he'd be free from Viv. Then Blair could fall in love with whoever they wanted and Henley could stoop being an obsessed Viv-stalker.
Mira looked up at a sad-looking Blair. "Blair? I have an idea."
A/N- Let's break Henley free from Viv's ungrateful grasp, shall we? Thanks to the four reviewers for letting me know their thoughts about chapter one. I know not a lot of people read Kill Me Softly fanfictions, but I'm really enjoying writing this and isn't that what it's all about? See y'all soon!
Raegan