the sleepless elite

xxvi

the sleepless elite

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chapter twenty-six

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"You're in love with him." – These words cut deep into Darling Charming's core.

I'm in love? Darling repeats in her thoughts.

If she wasn't already sitting down, she'd request a chair. Or maybe sat on the floor. But for now, these words are so deep that the blonde woman wants to take a step back; maybe put the world on hold, a pause. She wants to take a long, long walk. She wants to allow herself to think; to deconstruct this simple sentence and break it down into small pieces; try and figure out the meaning behind it.

"What?" Darling blanches when she finally comes to her senses. Blue eyes stare at Raven Queen and she gaps at the proclamation her friend just made. "No!"

Darling tries to not throw her arms in the air, tries not to be dramatic and thinks how it's such a nice day and – Oh, why did she had to have these facts smacked in her lovely face?

Staring at the trio before her, Darling tries not to freak out (too much). The four of them are sitting outside the Wonderland Haberdashery and Tea Shoppe,around a circular table – with Dexter sitting across from his sister, Raven on Darling's right and Maddie on her left – enjoying the sun and the fresh air and the murmuring chatter.

"You're in love." Raven repeats herself, giving Darling a knowing look.

"Wha – ? No, I'm not in love with –" Darling can't bring herself to say his name. "You guys are insane!"

"I may be a little mad but I know love when I see it!" Maddie says but is only shushed by Dexter and Raven.

In love? What?

Shaking her head, Darling tries to shoo this issue away by saying, "I just miss him!" Horribly. A lot! So much. "But, I'm not in love! How can I be? He's – " Just say his name, already! "Chase is – He's so paranoid! Unbelievable paranoid, like can you imagine being in love with someone like that? Can you – He has this giant stick up his butt and he's awkward and he's always tired. And I mean always. All the time. Like, 24/7, I am not kidding –"

"Darling," Raven calls, trying to calm her friend down.

But it doesn't work because Darling only continues rambling, trying to come up with every excuse in the book. Dexter sighs at the denial and Maddie only pours cups of tea to fill up the time. This is going to be a long conversation.

"– I mean, Chase is great despite what I just said. He's a really good person but I, I – I don't not like spending time with him? Does that even make sense? I know I can talk smack about him but I, I wouldn't change anything about him for the world –"

"Darling –"

"– I don't – I'm not in love! Or in feelings with him, I'm just feeling things! And I – I feel weird that he's not here! I can't put a name to it. I don't know what it is –"

"Darling," Raven finally stops her friend's rambling by putting a hand on her shoulder. "You've got it bad."

"No, I don't!" Darling tries defending herself once again. She's trying really hard to say that she's not in love. She's just trying to say that: while she was away from Chase, she realised something!