Chapter 133 - All-Out Gentleman

Once Briar returned to Eudora, she heaved the biggest sigh of relief she'd ever sighed. 

Not that she was glad to have returned and that her time with Adrian was over. Of course not! Briar had a glorious time with him. The thing was, something felt off.

Quickly during their time together, Briar had realised Adrian was acting differently, very unlike his usual self. Sure, he was charmingly polite and an all out gentleman… But it was a side of him Briar had never seen before.

Like Adrian had flipped into a different him. Was that crazy for her to think?

'Hmm, maybe Adrian just doesn't show this side of him to just anyone,' Briar thought in her mind whilst she was headed for her room. 

To her surprise, she managed to see Madeline and Xavier walking towards the…

Shocked to see the both of them heading there, Briar quickly thought to herself, 'What could the two of them be doing in the training field?'

Briar then reminded herself that Madeline had powers. 

'Perhaps she agreed to training and learning to deal with her powers,' Briar reasoned.

What was shocking was how Xavier seemed to have more free time. 

Was he freeing up time to be with her? 

'Aww,' Briar thought, a smile in her eyes. 

Madeline and Xavier were deep into a conversation, Madeline all smiles and grins.

Briar reassured herself Madeline would be okay before resuming her walk towards her room.

Why didn't she use her powers to return more quickly and instead took the long route? 

She figured that taking the long, scenic route wouldn't make that big a difference. Briar's schedule wasn't hectic or anything, and besides, she felt like taking her time.

However, when she was halfway to her room, she heard faint mumbling and muttering from somewhere. Searching the area around her, Briar realised the noises were coming from Indiana's room. 

"Indiana dear, it's not what it seems like." 

"Are you serious? It's not what it seems like? You didn't tell me you were coming. I just found out not too long ago, and from Madeline of all people," Indiana said, her brows knitted and her arms crossed. 

She glared at the woman sitting across from her. However, it must be noted that she wasn't glaring at the woman due to hate and resentment, but because she was anything but informed about her arrival to Eudora. Not until Madeline told her, that was. 

"I wasn't supposed to be found, darling. I didn't expect to run into you here either." 

"But you knew I was here, and you just decided not to say hello at the least? Or even tell me you were coming?" Indiana questioned, her eyes filled with hurt. 

The woman's eyes softened. 

Briar took a long time taking it all in.

So they knew each other?

"I'm sorry, my dear. I couldn't tell you, it would've ruined the whole thing. You know how I am," she reasoned, looking guiltily at Indiana.

Indiana lowered her head, trying not to look straight at her.

"I just missed you."

The woman threw her head back and laughed, telling her, "I missed you too, darling. I'm glad to be able to see you again after all this time."

Briar blinked and rubbed her eyes, wondering if what she thought was happening was really happening. 

'But how could they be connected to each other?' 

Thinking of the millions of ways the two of them could somehow be related to each other only made Briar dizzy. 

It couldn't be.

…Could it?

Briar remained quiet and tried staying as still as possible. She couldn't risk being found overhearing their conversation, or she'd be in trouble. Indiana would kill her. 

"So, how are you doing here? Like the place?" 

"Yes, don't worry about it. I'm doing fine."

"Your mouth is saying one thing, your face is saying another, dear. I'm not easy to deceive."

Indiana pouted, "Then why did you ask me that question in the first place?"

"To see how honest you'd be with me, obviously," she answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

Noticing the expression across Indiana's face, she exhaled softly.

"Listen, I didn't tell you for a reason. If I could, I would have. But, it was supposed to be a secret. Only Xavier was supposed to know," the woman admitted, peering down at her lap. 

"Really?" 

"Yes, really. I'm being honest," she replied, giving Indiana a tiny nod. 

[Author's Note: This is not what Briar sees, this is simply what is going on in Indiana's room.]

"I didn't want anyone to know, because I came to make sure that the two girls that are the closest things I ever had to children were doing alright, and that includes you," she added.

Blinking, she corrected herself, "Well, the other one not really, but I think you get what I'm talking about."

Indiana nodded, "I do."

The woman got up to her feet, extending her arms and bringing Indiana into a warm embrace.

"Oh, I really have missed you." 

Indiana bit back a sob. 

"I missed you too."

The woman was the closest thing she had to family. She was the person that had found her when she was dying. When everything had gone wrong, that woman had stood by her, and it was her that had told her to find Eudora. 

So Indiana was glad to see her. 

Without her, Indiana would have died long ago. She would've ceased to exist altogether. Indiana was grateful towards her. 

"So, moving on from hellos, I heard about your situation with Xavier."

Indiana separated from the woman.

"My situation with Xavier?" She questioned, wondering what she was referring to.

'She can't possibly be referring to that, can she?'

"As in what I did to Madeline?" Indiana asked hopefully.

The woman tucked a strand of hair that covered her eye in her ear, "You know what I'm talking about, Diana."

"It's nothing, it's bound to go away anyway."

"It's not nothing. Feelings are anything but nothing," the woman insisted, looking worriedly over at Indiana. 

"I–I plan to do something about it, if that's what you're wondering. I don't want to continue doing this to Madeline, I know it's not right."

The woman sighed, "You're not doing anything to Madeline. It isn't your fault who you have feelings for, even if it is her mate. The heart wants what the heart wants. It's complex. But are you sure you're going to just let your feelings slide away? Will that really work?"

Indiana cursed. 

Of course she would bring that up and point that out. 

She knew everything. Absolutely everything. Even what Indiana was thinking. 

Hiding anything was difficult especially when it came to her. 

"It'll work. I know it will," Indiana insisted, nodding.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"I am," Indiana managed to choke out. 

"My dear, you know I'm here for you. And besides, if you think I trust that you'll just let time pass and lose feelings for Xavier… Then, you've changed a lot since when we first met; when you were still an adorable little girl."

Indiana opened and closed her mouth, wanting to say something before she swiftly prevented herself from doing so. 

Snap, she made a very good point. 

"Can't I just hope I will?" Indiana inquired. 

Briar listened in to the conversation intently, like she was listening to an episode from a drama show. It was all too interesting for her to take her eyes off of. And also, she was overall too stunned to speak. She was too terrified to peek into the teensy crack in the door, so she listened and didn't watch.

It was then the woman noticed someone at the threshold when the door screeched open, realising what had been going on amidst their entire conversation. 

She chuckled, tucking a strand of her own hair behind her ear. 

Briar's eyes went wide. She had been too engrossed in the conversation to the point she hadn't thought about hiding from plain sight. Then again, the woman wasn't taking it too harshly… She seemed calm and composed about it. Her spot was exposed. She knew the woman could see her now. 

"Heh, seems like we had someone listening into our conversation all this time," the woman noticed, acknowledging Briar, who was at the threshold of Indiana's room, staring at the both of them, wide-eyed.

She waved her hand, "You can come out now, friend of Madeline's."

Indiana gasped, her hands instantly flying to her mouth when she saw Briar at the threshold of her room door. 

And yet, it was Briar that ended up more shocked, as her suspicions were finally confirmed. It was the final piece of the puzzle.

The woman that Indiana had been talking to all along had turned out to be…

'Rosalynn?!' 

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Author's Note: And that marks the end of this chapter. Moving on, what does everyone think of the new, commissioned cover for HDA? Hope you guys like it. I couldn't have been able to purchase one if it weren't for you all.. Love you all so much, mari.