To Love A Myth - Book 2: Mr. Higgs and the Lady 🎩✔️

23

a/n: there are lots of capitals in here - sorry

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Merida tidied up the room where Emmeritt had been staying and met Edgar out in the hall as she carried the sheets.

"Blimey, lad, what are ye still doing up at this hour?"

"He's gone, isn't he?" he asked.

"Aye, lad, he's gone."

"Maybe he'll visit again one day."

"Considering where he is in time as well as how far away he is, we dinnae ken how many months it takes for him to do another cycle. Besides, with all of that other timeline mess, who's to say he will be able to visit us?"

"True."

"He did say we could write to him, though. Obviously he couldnae write back but maybe being able to write out any of yer issues and knowing for sure that someone is there who will understand ye will help ye not keep things bottled up so tight that ye explode. Help ye move on and the like."

"Yeah... but where would we even put them?"

"Ye leave that me, laddy."

"Ma, I don't want to go back to the school. Can I stay here?"

"Ye need to finish ye studies. Mr. Higgs pays a good sum to make ye an educated man."

"I never said I don't ever want to go back, I just... really need some time."

"For what?"

Edgar licked his lips as he tried to find the words to express himself properly. "The more I... The longer I'm away from everyone, the more I seem to fantasize. I can't get the way I feel about you and Mr. Higgs' relationship out of my head and Emmeritt said that maybe I'm causing my own grief by burying it with a fantasy that when I leave and come back, everything will be as I believe it should be. But when I come back, it's further and further from what I wish to happen and so... the more I fantasize about it, the more frustrated I become... So, maybe by allowing myself to be continuously exposed to the truth, I'll be able to overcome it instead of bury it."

"That's not a decision I can make, it's up to Mr. Higgs... I assume ye havenae spoken with him yet?"

Edgar shook his head. "No, I thought it would cause more problems if I mentioned it."

"Are ye trying avoid him?" Edgar didn't say anything. "Do ye have a grudge against him?" He said nothing again. "Lovey, ye cannae do that."

"I know; that's why I need to face these facts. They aren't going to change and I need to look that truth in the eye, so the speak, in order for me to be at peace."

"Wouldnae make ye more angry instead?"

"I don't know anymore..." he said, leaning onto her shoulder. "I just don't know what else to do! If I leave, even seeing what I see now, I'll just imagine that things will turn back on their own, the world will right this wrong. I know that's not how it works, but for some reason that's how I keep imagining it will be. Being here to see it will make me angry but... what else am I supposed to do, Ma!" Merida pulled him into a hug as he wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tightly. "This feeling of utter sadness just won't let me go. I keep... I keep spiraling in all directions. I know it's not my fault but it feels that way every waking moment I see him with Lady Hinkley. I pushed him to her. I made him choose... It's silly and dumb but..."

"It's not silly not dumb. It's called regret." She let go and pushed him to look at him. "We need to talk together about what's to be done and what has been done. I ken Higgs is still asleep from the festivities. His phoenix form doesnae take will to alcohol and there was a lot of dancing."