Mira pulled her comforter even tighter around her, shivering helplessly in bed. Ari was like an air conditioner that never stopped running, and whose dial to change the temperature was broken. Even with pants, socks, and a long sleeve shirt on, Mira was freezing.

Giving up, she threw her comforter off of her and put slippers on before walking outside to her car. She turned the heat up and reclined the seat to get more comfortable. When she turned her phone on, she noticed that she had ten missed calls, all from Layla. With a sense of foreboding, Mira pressed the call button. It rang twice before Layla answered breathlessly.

"Where have you been?!" her voice shrieked over the phone.

Mira groaned and rubbed her eyes. "Sleeping? Like a normal person?" She yawned, her eyes fluttering tiredly. "What's wrong, Layla?"

The Cursed Beauty sighed. "Rafe begged me to go to him. He said to call you if I didn't believe his intentions were true."

Mira opened and closed her mouth, trying to find the right response. "Well... Uh... I visited him earlier today and he is understandably frustrated with his current condition. He's not scary-looking or anything, just kind of... puppy-dog-ish."

Layla groaned. "But he treated me respectfully and kindly. He's never treated me that way before. Is it just to break the curse or is he actually trying for... I don't know... something more?"

The Sleeping Beauty sat up quickly from her reclined position. "Do you want there to be something more?"

Layla sputtered over the phone, "Don't be ridiculous, Mirabelle Lively! I know perfectly well that Happily Ever After is nonexistent. Might I point out that I've lived in this town far longer than you! But if there's a chance of Rafe and I being able to be civil after this, well..."

Mira bit her thumbnail, thinking. "I think that he needs you, Layla. And that he would rather live with you than your dad." Layla gave out a soft laugh. "But the whole point of this curse is to teach him to love. If you don't believe that Rafe can learn to love you, then how do you expect to break this curse?"

A soft sigh escaped from Layla. "I'm gonna sleep on it tonight and make my decision tomorrow. Thanks for talking this through with me, Mira. You're a good friend."

Mira heard a soft click, indicating that Layla had hung up. She got out of the car, phone in hand, deciding to try to go back to sleep for a little longer.

That is, until she saw the grinning face of Felix come out of the shadows.

Mira didn't remember running to Freddie's house. She let instincts carry her, her feet slapping the dark pavement, her wheezing breaths filling the silence around her. She kept turning her head back, staring into the empty street behind her, somehow knowing that he was pursuing her.

She careened to a stop underneath Freddie's window and began climbing up the vine lattice, clinging to the plant like a vice, praying to whoever would listen to not let her fall. She didn't want to be easy prey. She didn't want to be prey at all.

Her fist pounded against the window, her whispering voice begging him to let her in. His window opened suddenly, scaring her so bad that she let go of the vine. His hands grabbed her arms before she could fall to the yard below. Freddie pulled her into the safety of his room, his arms wrapping around her shivering frame.

"Mira? What happened? What's wrong?"

"Fe-Felix... He-He..." She couldn't get the words out, the terror affecting her vocal chords.

Freddie's eyes widened in understanding. He tightened the lock on his window and ran to lock his bedroom door before returning to her side. His warm hands rubbed up and down her arms, trying to put warmth into them. Her skin was freezing, a cold sweat covering her body.

He pulled her towards his bed and into his arms. Her head was pressed to his collarbone, his comforter pulled up to her chin.

"He came out of nowhere," Mira whispered. "He just appeared, smiling at me. I didn't know what to do, so I just started running."

"I'll protect you," Freddie promised. He grabbed his sword out of its scabbard and propped it up against the wall within easy reach.

Mira burrowed under the covers, pulling Freddie with her. She placed his right arm over her onto her stomach and placed her hand over his, in a loose spooning position. "If he comes after me," Mira said quietly, "he won't stop until one of us is dead." Freddie's arm tightened around her and pulled her closer until her back hit his chest.

"I won't let him near you, I swear. We'll call everyone in the morning and inform them that Felix has returned. Maybe your godmothers can put protection spells on you or something?"

Mira felt Freddie's warmth through her shirt. She snuggled as close as possible to him. "Maybe," she whispered doubtfully.

Hi! I'm so sorry it's been so long. It's been almost 7 months and I'm sorry if you've been impatiently waiting! I have a quick question for y'all. Have you read book 2, Tear You Apart, yet? It's not as good as the first, but I still enjoyed it. Another question... Are Bliss and Elsa in a relationship? Or are they sisters? Very close friends? I'm really curious to know, since in my story they are raising two kids together. Comment and let me know!

Raegan