Hidebound

Chapter SeventyThree

"Uh yeah, yeah it's been good" I answer. The last twenty-four hours hadn't been good but I wasn't about to announce that to West. The last thing I need is for him to somehow retell it to my father or use it as an opportunity to swoop in.

I subtlety shake my head at my paranoid thoughts. I don't even know if he's still in contact with dad.

"How have you been?" I ask. I look at his hands but there isn't a wedding ring and I wonder if he has found anyone. Why is he back here? His parents live in France, why would he leave them? Especially to come back to this town where nothing ever happens?

He rubs the back of his neck and sighs.

"Its been complicated. I moved back a couple of weeks ago" the stress lines make themselves known as his eyes and mouth crinkle in a slight frown.

"Permanently?" I question, still not understanding why he would want to move back here.

He nods his head, yes. "I enjoyed the time I spent with mum and dad but I need my own space, my mother became slightly overbearing."

I nod in understanding. The last time I had seen his parents had been before we were assigned Platonic's but they had never seemed like the friendliest folk, they were kind of pretentious and cold.

"Want anything?" West asks as he nods in the direction of the ice-cream bay.

"No thanks" I can't stomach anything right now. I watch as he stands and orders himself something. I take a moment to gather myself, the nagging in the back of my mind reminding me that maybe I should have told Hex where I was going. But then again; he doesn't tell me where he's going.

West comes back quicker than I want him to with a plastic cup in hand and the smell of coffee lingering.

"I was at your dads wedding, kind of thought I would see you there" he says suddenly as he takes a sip of his coffee. He sees the look in my eyes when I look up at him at the mention of my father. His widen like he's regretting bringing him up. "Sorry about how everything turned out by the way; you know...between your parents."

I shake my head, wanting to dismiss the topic. "It was for the best" I mumble and pick at my nail-bed. His eyes squint like he's surprised. The separation couldn't have possibly been a surprise to him, did he see the way dad talked to mum at all or was he too far up dads ass?

I take a deep breath in an attempt to stop the rising temperature building within me.

My reaction leaves an awkward silence between us but I break it by sitting up straighter and clearing my throat.

"I-I wanted to apologise" I murmur, just loud enough for him to hear. "I know we didn't end on good terms and I take full responsibility of that. I was too wrapped up in my own feelings and that lead me to be selfish and not consider how you felt." The words role off my tongue and I see him deflate with each syllable, like he had been waiting years to hear this from me.

"Look, Poppy" he takes a deep breath. "Its okay, I accepted it a long time ago and I should've accepted it long before that. He was your Darling and that overrides a Platonic every time, I probably would have done the same thing." He rubs the back of his neck and I see the sadness fill his eyes when he thinks of his deceased Darling.  He hides his eyes and looks off to the right, and when he looks back they're back to normal.

His eyes drop to my left hand and land on my wedding ring.

"I guess it worked out, huh?" His mouth cracks a small smile. I lift my hand and gaze at the ring that lies there; it sparkles in the light that shines through the window.

"Yeah" I smile "it worked out."

I spin my ring into the correct position and then lay my hand back on the table, both of our eyes still attached to the diamond.