visit a few minutes ago.”
A gamut of emotions warred for first place on Cyndi’s face—fear, need, confusion, and resignation. “What did he want?” she asked in a low tone.
I shrugged. “To gloat, mostly.” That wasn’t exactly the case, but Rumple certainly didn’t seem upset about Max’s plight.
Cyndi dipped her head. “Did he say anything about…me?”
I tried not to smile. She might have escaped from him, but they were definitely not over. “Yes. He seemed impressed you broke the bargain. He’s not going to leave you alone, you know.”
Maleficent’s eyebrow rose at my words and if I weren’t tuned in to her body language, I wouldn’t have noticed her leaning in a little bit in interest.
Cyndi’s shoulders slumped. “He’s too intense. Too much.”
I took a sip of my tea and let the silence drag for a moment. “But you like him.”
She groaned. “I’m not sure like is the right word. He makes me feel like all the air has been sucked out of the room.”
Unfortunately, I knew the exact feeling she described.
Maleficent spoke. “He is dangerous, child. Extraordinarily dangerous.” She leaned back in her chair, a curious expression on her face. “But you don’t care.”
Cyndi’s gaze flew to Maleficent. She paled and opened her mouth to deny it, but she couldn’t. She pressed her lips together and tears shimmered in her cornflower blue eyes. “I can’t help myself,” she whispered.
A rare stab of pity punched me in the stomach. Why were we so attracted to complete psychos? I hated to say this. I shouldn’t have said it, but I did. “Then be with him.”
A teacup shattered on the floor. Maleficent gasped and stood up, shaking off pieces of the fine China that had landed on her robes. “Are you insane?”
I lifted a shoulder. “If she loves him, she should be with him.”
Maleficent lifted her face to the sky and closed her eyes as if to say,
Gods have mercy on this dumb woman
. “He is a monster.”
“Max is a monster, too.”
Cyndi watched us like a spectator at a tennis match. Her mouth was open in surprise and I could see the wheels turning inside her head.
Maleficent slowly sat back down. “Max was human, Snow. He has a daughter.” Some emotion I couldn’t pin flickered briefly on her face. “He is not a monster. He might have acted like a monster on a couple occasions, but when it comes down to it, he would absolutely make the right decision.”
I crossed my arms. “Even now?”
Her mouth thinned. “I don’t like this ‘friend’ thing. It makes me hesitate to tell you what you need to hear.” She thought for a moment. “I don’t know. It depends on his willpower and Naomi’s magic.”
“Exactly,” I said. “If Cyndi wants to be with him, if she loves him, then we shouldn’t stand in the way of it.”
“This is the worst idea you’ve ever had. You cannot possibly know the pain Rumple has caused over the decades. “
“Is it any worse than the things you’ve wrought?” I paused and immediately wished I could take the words back.
Maleficent paled and stood up carefully, her gaze avoiding mine. “This conversation is over.” Her boots crunched over the broken China as she left us alone in the room.
Cyndi snorted in disbelief. “Sometimes you really have no filter.”
Guilt squirmed in my belly. “I’m an asshole,” I moaned.
She didn’t disagree. “But you had a point. A poorly made one, but a point nonetheless.”
“I don’t know his history. I don’t know the things he’s done. But if you are serious about this, you need to make sure these are things you can live with.”
“That’s part of the problem. I don’t think I can.”
We sat in silence, sipping our tea. I put my feet up on the chair Maleficent had vacated. “Max is gone. I don’t know if I can get him back.”
“I know,” she said in a solemn tone. “Rumple was open with some information. Belle must have really done a number on Naomi.”
Speaking of the
A gamut of emotions warred for first place on Cyndi’s face—fear, need, confusion, and resignation. “What did he want?” she asked in a low tone.
I shrugged. “To gloat, mostly.” That wasn’t exactly the case, but Rumple certainly didn’t seem upset about Max’s plight.
Cyndi dipped her head. “Did he say anything about…me?”
I tried not to smile. She might have escaped from him, but they were definitely not over. “Yes. He seemed impressed you broke the bargain. He’s not going to leave you alone, you know.”
Maleficent’s eyebrow rose at my words and if I weren’t tuned in to her body language, I wouldn’t have noticed her leaning in a little bit in interest.
Cyndi’s shoulders slumped. “He’s too intense. Too much.”
I took a sip of my tea and let the silence drag for a moment. “But you like him.”
She groaned. “I’m not sure like is the right word. He makes me feel like all the air has been sucked out of the room.”
Unfortunately, I knew the exact feeling she described.
Maleficent spoke. “He is dangerous, child. Extraordinarily dangerous.” She leaned back in her chair, a curious expression on her face. “But you don’t care.”
Cyndi’s gaze flew to Maleficent. She paled and opened her mouth to deny it, but she couldn’t. She pressed her lips together and tears shimmered in her cornflower blue eyes. “I can’t help myself,” she whispered.
A rare stab of pity punched me in the stomach. Why were we so attracted to complete psychos? I hated to say this. I shouldn’t have said it, but I did. “Then be with him.”
A teacup shattered on the floor. Maleficent gasped and stood up, shaking off pieces of the fine China that had landed on her robes. “Are you insane?”
I lifted a shoulder. “If she loves him, she should be with him.”
Maleficent lifted her face to the sky and closed her eyes as if to say,
Gods have mercy on this dumb woman
. “He is a monster.”
“Max is a monster, too.”
Cyndi watched us like a spectator at a tennis match. Her mouth was open in surprise and I could see the wheels turning inside her head.
Maleficent slowly sat back down. “Max was human, Snow. He has a daughter.” Some emotion I couldn’t pin flickered briefly on her face. “He is not a monster. He might have acted like a monster on a couple occasions, but when it comes down to it, he would absolutely make the right decision.”
I crossed my arms. “Even now?”
Her mouth thinned. “I don’t like this ‘friend’ thing. It makes me hesitate to tell you what you need to hear.” She thought for a moment. “I don’t know. It depends on his willpower and Naomi’s magic.”
“Exactly,” I said. “If Cyndi wants to be with him, if she loves him, then we shouldn’t stand in the way of it.”
“This is the worst idea you’ve ever had. You cannot possibly know the pain Rumple has caused over the decades. “
“Is it any worse than the things you’ve wrought?” I paused and immediately wished I could take the words back.
Maleficent paled and stood up carefully, her gaze avoiding mine. “This conversation is over.” Her boots crunched over the broken China as she left us alone in the room.
Cyndi snorted in disbelief. “Sometimes you really have no filter.”
Guilt squirmed in my belly. “I’m an asshole,” I moaned.
She didn’t disagree. “But you had a point. A poorly made one, but a point nonetheless.”
“I don’t know his history. I don’t know the things he’s done. But if you are serious about this, you need to make sure these are things you can live with.”
“That’s part of the problem. I don’t think I can.”
We sat in silence, sipping our tea. I put my feet up on the chair Maleficent had vacated. “Max is gone. I don’t know if I can get him back.”
“I know,” she said in a solemn tone. “Rumple was open with some information. Belle must have really done a number on Naomi.”
Speaking of the
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