BooksBarbecue
Back The Ever After Save as PDF
Chapters (92)
  1. Cover
  2. TheEVERAFTER
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
  67. 65
  68. 66
  69. 67
  70. 68
  71. 69
  72. 70
  73. 71
  74. 72
  75. 73
  76. 74
  77. 75
  78. 76
  79. 77
  80. 78
  81. 79
  82. 80
  83. 81
  84. 82
  85. 83
  86. 84
  87. 85
  88. 86
  89. Epilogue
  90. GLOSSARY
  91. TheEVERAFTER
  92. By Amanda Hocking

She shook her head furiously, her dark auburn curls shaking. “I thought that you knew me better.” Then, as if she was yelling at herself, exclaimed, “I’ve been so foolish! What was I thinking?” She cringed. “I kissed you! You let me kiss you!”

“I put a stop to it right away,” Pan said quickly.

“But I wouldn’t have done that if you’d been honest that she was your girlfriend!” Rikky shot back.

“You asked if she was my girlfriend, and I said no because we haven’t . . .” He shifted his weight between his feet and glanced back over his shoulder at me. “. . . discussed labels.”

Rikky glowered at him. “She’s not your girlfriend but she’s definitely your something.”

“Yeah, she is,” he said.

“So you lied,” she countered, nearly growling out the last word.

Pan rubbed the back of his neck. “It’s more complicated than that.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh, I don’t doubt that.” Rikky stepped closer to him, her hands balled up at her sides, but Pan didn’t move. “You lied when you could’ve just told the truth. But you didn’t. Because you don’t know me at all, and you’re a selfish coward.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t more honest with you,” he told her quietly. “I wasn’t trying to keep anything from you or do anything to hurt you. But I was still figuring things out myself. I still am, honestly.”

“Whatever you say.” She looked around as if just realizing her loud confrontation had drawn the attention of other patrons.

Bryn had stopped playing økkspill, but she still held the kasteren axes and stood beside me, in case things got out of hand. I was a few feet behind Pan, standing awkwardly and unsure what to do.

Rikky cleared her throat and straightened up. “When your friends come for the results, it would be better if you stayed away.” And then she turned and left the bar.

31

image

Summoned

After the commotion, everyone went back to their own business. Pan righted the chairs that Rikky had knocked over, and then he slumped into one of them. I sat down next to him and put a hand gently on his arm.

“Sorry about all that,” he said, frowning.

“It wasn’t your fault.”

“I never meant to lead her on or anything.” He ran a hand through his dark curls and stared off at the sun slowly dipping below the treetops. “I was trying to let her down gently, and I didn’t want to use you as an excuse not to be with her. Because even if I never met you, I don’t want to be with Rikky anymore. But I guess I should’ve been more blunt about it with her.”

Just then, a waitress came over and set a mug of ale in front of Pan. “This is from the little guy at the bar.”