writing_shadows

"Having fun with Eli?"

The words surprised me. Eli? Eli, of all people? I looked through my lashes at Nemoa's expression, but it was the knowing smirk of someone who'd gotten a juicy bit of gossip with which to tease someone. It was an expression I knew well.

I wasn't really interested in Eli at all. Oh, he was gorgeous enough, but he was utterly transparent - not just physically, but metaphorically. His pain crackled around him like static electricity, and he was practically asking to be shattered like glass.

I wasn't interested in the slightest.

I was, depressingly, becoming less interested in new bedpost notches in general. It just wasn't a challenge anymore, I told myself.

I knew the real reason. I was in love with a Darkling.

And anyway, here I was with a boyfriend of all things (I gave him three months before he got fed up with ice skating up hill). I had a perfect excuse not to sleep with anyone else I didn't want to.

But on the other hand, I didn't want people re-evaluating me. I wanted them to think I'm a vapid slapper (and not just because I liked the way those words rolled off the tongue). "Hide your love, hide your hate" was all well and good, but why stop there? Did people really think if you show everything but two extremes of emotion, you'd be safe? From anything at all?

They really were a stupid bunch, weren't they?

Back to the matter at hand. Eli. Well. What a terrible Winter Courtier he was, unless...well, unless his motivations were the same as mine as I said:

"I always have fun."

I may as well take advantage.