Chapter 28

28

O ctavia

I finally muster the energy to get myself up. It's hunger that does it in the end.

I cook a huge breakfast for myself. Food has always made me feel better, and today will be no different. Besides, after eating almost nothing for days, I feel like I deserve some extra sustenance. I fry up some eggs and bacon and make toast. I would make pancakes, but I can't find any flour. Then I pile my plate high, grab my freshly brewed cup of coffee, and scoff it all down on the back porch.

The back garden is possibly prettier than the front. There's a beautiful lawn and a big oak tree on one side. Just off the deck are large flower beds overflowing with beautiful blooms and vibrant colors. It's peaceful. I could live here. I mean, if it wasn't Mistveil, I could see myself in a house like this so easily.

I push my plate away and groan, so stuffed that the sofa is calling me. I head back inside. There is a new season of Bridgerton I've been dying to watch. I hope they have cable out here.

I look at my dirty dishes in the sink and sigh. Then I get to work cleaning the kitchen. I've only just loaded up the dishwasher and am preparing to wipe down the counter when there is a knock at the door.

A knock.

Why is someone knocking?

Did Creed forget the keys?

Who could it be? Does someone know that Creed is home? It could be that.

I consider ignoring it when they knock again.

I wipe my hands and then walk to the front door, catching my reflection in the big mirror in the hallway.

"Crap!" I mutter to myself when I see that I have a yellow smear of egg yolk on the front of Creed's black shirt. It's official, I'm a pig.

Also, it's easy to see that I'm not wearing a bra, something that can't be helped. The sweatpants are laughable; they're so extra-sized on me. I run my hands over my hair, which has dried a little frizzy. It doesn't like the humidity on the island.

Oh, well. It'll have to do. I'm sure it's just a delivery or a—

I open the door, and I know it's her the moment I see her. I just know. She's taller than me. Her hair is long and thick and very blonde. For whatever reason, I never pictured her as a blonde. I don't know why. It's silly.

Her huge smile falters when she sees me. Her eyes narrow in confusion and then she smiles again. Her face is devoid of makeup but perfect, nonetheless. Her eyes are a bright blue. Like a winter sky.

"You must be Aspen," I blurt. She's ravishing. I'm not even sure where the description comes from, only that it is fitting. I can see how she and Creed must have made the perfect couple. She suits him. He suits her. They suit each other.

Perfect.

"I'm sorry. I thought…I… Sorry, um, who are you?" She cocks her head, looking at me with confusion. "I heard that there was a human staying on the island." Then she gasps. "She came back with one of the jungle males. That must be you. And—" She gasps again. "Is he…? Is Creed back, too?" She covers her mouth. "I thought so when I couldn't find the key and had to knock." She points up at the beam where Creed found it just yesterday. "When I heard noises coming from inside. But I was sure it was Pearl…his mother. Or…" She waves a hand. "It doesn't matter. Is he here? Creed." She raises her voice, calling him as she looks over my shoulder. "Creed!"

I nod. "Yes, he's back, but he's not here right now. He helped me escape the jungle and um…yeah..."

"I heard all about it; you crashed your helicopter. It was all over the news." She clutches her chest. "They sent teams out to search for you, but there wasn't much hope until they did find you and brought you back unharmed."

I nod while she talks. "If it weren't for Creed, I would never have made it out alive. He helped me and protected me."

"That sounds like my Creed." She gets this look.

My.

My Creed.

I force down the now-familiar feeling of jealousy .

I have no right. I have no right.

"Once we got back, he graciously let me stay at his house." I look back over my shoulder for a second before looking back into her beautiful eyes. I always envied girls with blue eyes. I always hated the gray in mine. I thought it muted them…I still do. She blinks a few times, and I realize that Aspen is waiting for me to say something more.

What the hell do I do? What do I say?

I frown. "Forgive me for asking, but why are you here? It doesn't sound like you knew he was home."

"I didn't." She shakes her head. "I come every Tuesday morning to clean his house."

"So, it was you. He thought it might have been his mother." I swallow. "He told me about you. Shit! Where are my manners? I'm Octavia. I'm…um…Creed's friend. I leave in a few days. I'm going back to the Mainland. My whole life is there…you know?" I don't know why I felt the need to say all of that. "Sorry, I'm a little nervous. I'm shocked to see you. Creed told me you'd be mated by now…in one of those circle bond thingies. He was sure you'd have a couple of kids."

"He told you about me?" Her brows shoot up. "What did he say?" Her eyes go clouded. "He must have told you what happened. How I messed up?" She bites down on a perfectly plump lip.

"We spent a few days together in the jungle; there was time to kill, so, yes, he told me about what happened."

"Has he forgiven me? Did he tell you if he still…?" Her shoulders slump. "I'm being unfair asking you. I need to ask him myself."

"Do you want to come in?" I feel stupid asking. I've been inside this house for all of five minutes with zero ties to Creed. She should be the one inviting me in. This feels so weird. So awkward. I realize that I'm twisting the bottom of my shirt into knots and force myself to stop.

She looks longingly into the house. Shit! She still has feelings for Creed. Of course she does. She's here every Tuesday. I was hoping it was guilt, but it's not just that; there's more, so much more. I should be happy, but all I feel is more jealousy. Crap! I need to stop with that particular emotion.

"No, I'll come back later." She licks her lips. "Where did you say Creed went?"

"To visit with his parents," I tell her.

"Pearl and Benji will be thrilled to have him back. Levi too." She smiles. "They've really struggled since he left. The last year more than ever. We expected him to come home as soon as his sentence was carried out. There was no word of his death, but that is normal for the jungle dragons. We rarely get word either way." Her eyes fill with tears, but she blinks them back. "I knew deep inside that he was still alive." She touches her chest, right by her heart, and then gives a watery smile. "I would have felt it if he was gone. We've always been so connected. It was all my fault. I caused it," she says in a soft voice. "I've lived with regret ever since. I really need to see him. I need to apologize…to explain… I just, I…really need to see him," she whispers the last.

I nod. "I understand. You should come back, for sure. I know he would love to see you."

What am I saying?

Her eyes light up, and she beams, looking even more beautiful. "I will, for sure. Or he can find me at my apartment. The same one as before; I'm still there. He knows the place."

I frown. "Didn't you move when you got married…mated? Sorry, I forget the terms." I'm not sure why I asked that question. Actually, I know why I want to know if she got married. I'm getting a bad feeling about all of this.

"Oh, um…" She bites her lip. "I didn't mate anyone else. I loved Creed. I still love him. It was stupid to try to bring that male into our life. I shouldn't have done it." A tear slides down her high cheekbone. She wipes it away, smiling. "Like I said, I've lived with regrets since. You'll give him the message?" she asks. There is a pleading edge to her tone.

"Yes, of course. I know he will be happy you came. He'll want to see you."

"Thank you, Octavia. Oh, and…I didn't change the bedding in the spare room for a good few weeks. I hope it wasn't too dusty?" She lifts her brows. Is this her fishing? I think it is. I'm not biting, though.

"It was fine. All good after sleeping on the floor in the jungle for days on end." It's not my place to tell her about Creed and me. Not that there is a Creed and me. There isn't. Also, Creed is, for all intents and purposes, single. He thought his ex had moved on. What we did wasn't wrong. It didn't feel wrong to me. In fact, the opposite is true. The thing I am struggling with is how right it felt.

Standing here, with the sun on my face and Aspen in front of me, it feels anything but right. It's a good thing since I'm leaving. Since he will be getting on with his life like I urged him to do.

It's good.

It's perfect.

They will make the perfect couple. Creed will be happy and have the life he always wanted.

"I'm not sure when he's coming back, but I will be sure to give him the message. I'm sure he'll rush right over to see you. He had a lot of really nice things to say about you."

"That's so good to know." She presses her lips together. "When are you going back to the Mainland?" Her tone is a little clipped. I suspect she can guess that Creed and I are not strictly friends. Maybe she can smell it on me; I don't know. Maybe it's just a woman's intuition. She knows. Again, it's not my place to say anything. We didn't do anything wrong.

"In a couple of days. I'll probably go and stay at the castle before then. Um…they were getting a room ready for me…and…I'll leave today," I stutter and splutter my way through that, sounding like an idiot.

Aspen visibly relaxes. "It was good to meet you, Octavia. If I don't see you again, I wish you all the best." She touches my arm. Then she turns and walks away. Her legs are impossibly long beneath her short sundress. She turns and waves when she reaches the bottom of the path.

I wave back.

She is really nice, just like Creed said. I wish she wasn't. I wish she was a bitch and I hated her, but I don't. I should feel happy for Creed…and I do; it's just that I feel shitty for myself.

I have no right.

No right at all.

I close the door and go inside to wait for Creed.