wrong, and Sir just confirmed it but wouldn’t tell me what.”
He chuckled angrily. “Leave it to you to notice, when Mary didn’t.”
“She would never let you go if she knew, Todd.”
“It makes no difference and wouldn’t have changed what happened today.”
“Trust me, if Mary knew—”
“This is something I have to face alone. She doesn’t need to know and neither do you.” He looked at Brie fiercely, stating, “I don’t want Mary to know anything about it.”
“But—”
“Do not defy me in this.”
His tone took her certainty down a notch or two. Faelan was right. This was his life, his decision. It wasn’t her place to intervene. “Fine. I won’t.”
“At this moment, Mary is basking in the belief that she has one-upped me, but once she realizes what she’s done, she’s going to fall hard.” He looked at Brie with compassion. “If she reaches out to you, promise you’ll support her.”
“But I’m so pissed with her now!”
“Feel free to hit her between the eyes with it, the same way she would you, but be there for her nonetheless. I’m afraid she has chosen a path she won’t recover from.” The look of pain and loss on Faelan’s face undid Brie. She walked over to him and placed her hand over his heart. “I’m sorry.”
He looked at her with those ocean-blue eyes haunted by loss and deep sorrow. “I don’t understand why I was spared on the day of the crash, because nothing I’ve done since has amounted to anything.”
“No, Todd, that’s not true. I’m grateful to know you, and Mary is a better person because of you. Don’t doubt that—never doubt that.”
He shrugged. “Just be there for her, Brie. You’re the only friend she has.”
“Of course. Can I at least ask where you’re headed?”
He smiled sadly, shaking his head. “No, that’s just between me and the powers above.” He slung his duffle bag over his shoulder and grabbed the suitcase. “See you, blossom.”
Brie stood there with tears blurring her vision, the lump in her throat making it impossible to speak—but in her head she was crying, Don’t leave!
Skeletons
M ary avoided Brie like the plague for the last few days of her stay, choosing to bunk with another couple in a room at the other end of the lodge. Whenever an accidental meeting occurred, she treated Brie as if she didn’t exist, although she acknowledged Sir.
“You are being very patient with her,” Sir complimented Brie.
“I understand Mary, Sir. Despite her bravado, she knows she messed up—and bad. She just isn’t ready to admit it yet, especially to me.”
On the last day, however, Mary sought her out while Brie was taking in the mountain scenery from the bridge; the same bridge where Faelan had met with Brie on the first day.
“So you’re headed back into the vanilla world, huh?”
“Yes, but I’m going to miss this place.”
“Yeah, you’re going to wish you could come back here, I bet.”
Brie smiled kindly, grateful they were talking. “I’m sure I will.”
Mary shifted uncomfortably on her feet. It took her several minutes before she told Brie, “If you see Faelan, tell him I’m sorry.”
“I will.” She didn’t have the heart to tell Mary that she couldn’t pass on the message.
Mary looked broken when she confessed, “I don’t think he’s coming back.”
Brie felt tears prick her eyes. “No, I don’t think he will.”
Mary glanced around and stated, “Here I am, living the dream, and it doesn’t mean a thing without him.”
“Brie,” Sir said, walking up to them, “Master Gannon wants to speak to us before we leave.”
“Certainly, Sir.” She reached out to hug Mary and clasped her hand instead when the girl tried to pull away. “Look, I’m here for you. You can call if you need to talk, even though you’ll have to head into Whitefish to do it.”
Mary rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
Brie took the arm Sir offered and they headed towards Gannon’s office. Mary
He chuckled angrily. “Leave it to you to notice, when Mary didn’t.”
“She would never let you go if she knew, Todd.”
“It makes no difference and wouldn’t have changed what happened today.”
“Trust me, if Mary knew—”
“This is something I have to face alone. She doesn’t need to know and neither do you.” He looked at Brie fiercely, stating, “I don’t want Mary to know anything about it.”
“But—”
“Do not defy me in this.”
His tone took her certainty down a notch or two. Faelan was right. This was his life, his decision. It wasn’t her place to intervene. “Fine. I won’t.”
“At this moment, Mary is basking in the belief that she has one-upped me, but once she realizes what she’s done, she’s going to fall hard.” He looked at Brie with compassion. “If she reaches out to you, promise you’ll support her.”
“But I’m so pissed with her now!”
“Feel free to hit her between the eyes with it, the same way she would you, but be there for her nonetheless. I’m afraid she has chosen a path she won’t recover from.” The look of pain and loss on Faelan’s face undid Brie. She walked over to him and placed her hand over his heart. “I’m sorry.”
He looked at her with those ocean-blue eyes haunted by loss and deep sorrow. “I don’t understand why I was spared on the day of the crash, because nothing I’ve done since has amounted to anything.”
“No, Todd, that’s not true. I’m grateful to know you, and Mary is a better person because of you. Don’t doubt that—never doubt that.”
He shrugged. “Just be there for her, Brie. You’re the only friend she has.”
“Of course. Can I at least ask where you’re headed?”
He smiled sadly, shaking his head. “No, that’s just between me and the powers above.” He slung his duffle bag over his shoulder and grabbed the suitcase. “See you, blossom.”
Brie stood there with tears blurring her vision, the lump in her throat making it impossible to speak—but in her head she was crying, Don’t leave!
Skeletons
M ary avoided Brie like the plague for the last few days of her stay, choosing to bunk with another couple in a room at the other end of the lodge. Whenever an accidental meeting occurred, she treated Brie as if she didn’t exist, although she acknowledged Sir.
“You are being very patient with her,” Sir complimented Brie.
“I understand Mary, Sir. Despite her bravado, she knows she messed up—and bad. She just isn’t ready to admit it yet, especially to me.”
On the last day, however, Mary sought her out while Brie was taking in the mountain scenery from the bridge; the same bridge where Faelan had met with Brie on the first day.
“So you’re headed back into the vanilla world, huh?”
“Yes, but I’m going to miss this place.”
“Yeah, you’re going to wish you could come back here, I bet.”
Brie smiled kindly, grateful they were talking. “I’m sure I will.”
Mary shifted uncomfortably on her feet. It took her several minutes before she told Brie, “If you see Faelan, tell him I’m sorry.”
“I will.” She didn’t have the heart to tell Mary that she couldn’t pass on the message.
Mary looked broken when she confessed, “I don’t think he’s coming back.”
Brie felt tears prick her eyes. “No, I don’t think he will.”
Mary glanced around and stated, “Here I am, living the dream, and it doesn’t mean a thing without him.”
“Brie,” Sir said, walking up to them, “Master Gannon wants to speak to us before we leave.”
“Certainly, Sir.” She reached out to hug Mary and clasped her hand instead when the girl tried to pull away. “Look, I’m here for you. You can call if you need to talk, even though you’ll have to head into Whitefish to do it.”
Mary rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”
Brie took the arm Sir offered and they headed towards Gannon’s office. Mary
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