A Gift from the Goddess

Chapter 43

Chapter Forty-Three I stared at him in disbelief.

I never thought I was going to see him again, and yet here he was. “...Cai?” was all I managed to say. And then a flood of different emotions hit me all at once, overwhelming me.

… But there was one that ended up prevailing above any other.

I moved so quickly that I almost didn’t even realise I did it... and slapped him across the cheek. Immediately, I stared down at my own hand in astonishment, bewildered at myself as he covered his face. “…I probably deserved that,” he said, and half laughed the whole thing off. “Wow, you really pack a punch these days, Aria.” …Did I actually just hit him? 

I thought I was happy to see him? That I wanted his forgiveness?

But I realised something else, something that had triggered me in the way he spoke.

“You don’t write to me, you don‘t visit, and you left making me think you hated me,” I snapped. “You can’t just show up here, talking like you’re greeting an old friend! You made that fact painfully obvious when you left, Cai.” 

This whole time I thought he‘d hated me. I thought he didn‘t want anything to do with me. And yet he had walked right up, asking me to dance with him, and blurting out some ridiculous old nickname. As if nothing had happened. As if the last two years I’d spent feeling guilty had been for nothing. What had been the point in agonising over what had happened between us when it apparently had meant nothing to him? 1 I could see several people had stopped to stare but I ignored it. I felt too tense to care at that very second.

“I’m sorry, you‘re right... can we please go somewhere and talk?” he asked, his eyes pleading with me.

I wanted to tell him to get lost, that I didn‘t want to see him, but I knew that would be a lie. I couldn‘t deny that a part of me had missed him and that I had wanted to see him again so badly.

I agreed after

a cold voice then spoke behind

heard

“Aleric,” came the reply.

the two regarded each other warily. You

of the main reasons I‘d pursued becoming a Beta, rather than just running away, was to ensure a war didn‘t break out between the two of them, it seemed as though my interference was

eyes narrowed ever so slightly. He only looked away

I‘m not back before

realised then that giving him advice on shifting would seem odd coming from me and had to quickly backpedal. “…Or, at least, that‘s what Father told me.” He looked like he wanted to say something else but he didn‘t, just giving me a nod instead. And so, I followed behind Cai as he led us out onto the balcony. There wasn’t anyone else around

I found even this irritating. It was like he was trying to avoid

possible. “My father thought that it would be best for me to come back and reconnect given it’s been a while,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest. “I had my coming of age about six months ago, so I’m technically here on official ambassador business for a little while... but I knew I had

didn‘t even consider us friends when you left. I spent years blaming myself for you leaving the

friends… I’m sorry,

why..? Why did you do that to me? I deserve an explanation for what happened

hurt you, and I still did it anyway.” I wiped at the tear on my cheek angrily. So, it had been on purpose the entire time? He thought that little of me? “The truth is,” he started, trying to calm himself, “I found out only that day I was going to be sent back home… and I was devastated. I was devastated because I didn’t know how to break the news to you, Aria.

His idea of

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