Chapter 6
However, while we were convinced Sirius would have given up, he still waited at the front gates over the next few days.
When I finally had enough and went out, I saw that he had lost a pound, and his clothes were draped loosely over him. His cheeks were deathly pale, while there were dark circles under his eyes.
Still, as soon as he saw me, he opened his collar to reveal that Lola’s mark had been removed, smiling sycophantically as he quickly said, “See? I had the mark surgically removed, and I’m clean now! We can be together again!”
Removing a mark was a risky surgery and could prove lethal, as each mark ran deep beneath a beastfolk’s skin and it meant removing every inch of flesh it reached.
Virtually no beastfolk would risk it.
I frowned. While I was surprised that Sirius would go that far, surprise was all there was to it.
However, he took my silence as forgiveness and promptly pressed his advantage by shoving two woolly objects into my hands.
It took me a while to realize that it was his and Lola’s tails.
He flashed me a pained smile as he said, “I’m sorry I was such a douchebag. I’ve only now realized how much you were suffering! But now, I didn’t just cut off my own tail-I cut off that bitch’s tail too! Just forgive me, okay? I will repent and atone for the rest of my life!”
I was completely unaffected.
Did their tails bring my tails back? And mine were eight precious lives!
Glowering, I said, “If you want to make amends, then stay well aware that we’re never getting back together. Ebony and I are already married, and we’re happy.”
Sirius screamed frantically, “No, you’re lying! There’s no way you’d get marked with anyone else!”
At the same time, he scrambled to get another bouquet of roses from his car trunk, “See? Roses! They’re your favorite-”
Someone kicked his roses away before he got close, and I turned to find Ebony glaring at Sirius threateningly.
Sirius promptly snapped, “Why did you do that?!”
Ebony smirked in contempt, “You keep saying that you want to get back together with Winnie, but you don’t even know that she’s allergic to pollen? Talk about lip service!”
All color drained from Sirius’s face as he was left at a loss.
“I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean it… I thought…’
11
He thought I loved roses too, when it was always Lola who did.
However, I also knew that Lola didn’t really like roses all that much, but she loved seeing me hurt.
That was why she always pretended to be generous, sharing some of the roses that Sirius gave her.
Whenever I told my parents or Sirius I had pollen allergies, they refused to believe me, insisting that I was just trying to make Lola look bad.
That was also why I was forced to go to the hospital every other day.
My eyes were cool as I leered at Sirius’s dispirited self. “If you think a simple apology can undo all the hurt I’ve suffered over the years, then you’re just lying to yourself.”
He staggered and almost lost his balance.
Still, just as I hugged Ebony’s arm and we were about to turn and leave, Sirius suddenly jumped up to his feet.
Ebony instinctively shielded me, but Sirius ran toward a nearby fruit stall instead, throwing down a black card and picking up several mangos.
I stiffened as I watched him shove them down his mouth and remembered…
