Fletcher put the mug on the worktable, spilling some of his tea. “I just need to show Valkyrie that she’s wrong,” he said. “I just need to show her that she’s made a mistake. I need to prove myself.”

“You want to make her beg to take you back.”

“No. No, of course not.”

“You want to punish her.”

“Fine,” Fletcher snapped. “Yes. Is that wrong? She’s the one who cheated on me.”

“It’s never going to happen,” Ghastly said. “This is Valkyrie we’re talking about. She doesn’t beg. If she changes her mind, she’ll come at you with a very practical reason why you’re getting back together. If you put her in a position where she’d have to beg, she’s going to walk away out of sheer principle.”

“So… how do I get her to take me back?”

“I don’t know. But my first suggestion is to take some time.”

Fletcher frowned. “What? No. The longer I leave it, the more Caelan will sink his fangs into her.”

“Caelan doesn’t matter. He’s never mattered. That’s not going to last. Guys like that never do. But you’ll do yourself no favours if you run up to her with tears in your eyes.”

“I never mentioned tears,” he said defensively.

“A friend of mine once said that a man never got a woman back by begging on his knees. Give yourself some time. Get over the pain. Man up. Then go back to her. Let her see what she’s missing. I’m not saying it’s going to work, but I’ll be honest, it’s your best shot.”

Fletcher nodded. “Thanks, Ghastly. I didn’t have anyone else to talk to. I’m pretty sure I don’t even have any friends. Valkyrie was my only friend.”

“Then you need to get yourself a life, kid.”

“Yeah,” said Fletcher. “Yeah, I do.”

Chapter 38 - Back at the Window Again

Chapter 38
Back at the Window Again

tapping woke her.

Valkyrie groaned, turned over in bed, cracking her eyes open to look over at the window. The morning sunlight framed the curtains, and through a sliver of an opening she saw Skulduggery’s gloved hand. Her parents were gone but she still lay where she was, unsure if she even wanted to talk to him. Then she got up, wrapped the sheet around herself, and walked over. She pulled the curtains apart and undid the latch, then returned to her bed. She was snuggling down again as the window opened and Skulduggery climbed in. Valkyrie turned so she was facing the wall.

“I’m in bed,” she told him. “I’m having a lie-in.”

“I can see that. Do you plan on rising any time soon?”

She shrugged.

“Oh,” he said. “So that’s it.”

She waited for him to continue.