Chapter 134 - It's No Biggie

"Briar, how much did you overhear?" Indiana asked worriedly. 

"Uh," Briar hesitated.

The look on Indiana's face had prevented Briar from answering Indiana's question. Indiana looked flat out mortified. 

"I heard the entire thing," Briar admitted, lowering her head a bit. 

Indiana opened and closed her mouth, before she apologised. 

"Listen, I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you before, but I didn't know how to. It was difficult to explain, and I really–"

Simply standing there, Rosalynn watched them talk to each other, staying silent. 

She didn't know what to say. Heck, she was more interested in what Rosalynn and Briar would talk about.

Rosalynn hadn't gotten to know Briar well, they'd talked a couple of times but it was just greeting each other. That was all. 

'Wonder what Madeline will have to say when she discovers me and Indiana knew each other previously,' Rosalynn thought to herself, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently. 

"You and Rose know each other?" Briar asked. 

From what Briar had heard, long story short, Rosalynn was the reason Indiana was in the Eudorian pack. And also, that Rosalynn and Indiana had a mother daughter sort of bond. She was shocked to see Rosalynn there with Indiana, but… 

'Come to think of it, Rosalynn and Indiana seemed awkward when Madeline first introduced them to each other.' 

"Does Madeline know?" Briar, who was still in a state of shock, asked next. 

Indiana stuttered, "Uh, um. No, she doesn't. I kept this from her too."

Briar was even more shocked Indiana had kept it from Madeline. 

If she were Madeline, she'd be quite upset Indiana had kept something like this from her. Then again, it wasn't really any of Madeline's business who Rosalynn was close to and knew… But, it would've been nicer Indiana had told Madeline any of this instead of keeping it away from her and locking it up like it was some secret. 

However, it wasn't Indiana's fault either.

From what Briar could gather, Indiana was shocked as well.

Shocked to see Rosalynn in Eudora. So, Briar figured blaming Indiana for everything would be unfair to Indiana as well. 

Indiana was unaware Rosalynn would be visiting Eudora. She was also unaware that Rosalynn was connected to Madeline.

Then again, how could she have known in the first place? Rosalynn wasn't really an open book. Not to mention, they seemed to have not seen each other in a long while. They must not have contacted each other frequently either, or so Briar assumed.

'How will Madeline react once she knows?' 

Hmm, speaking of Madeline…

"Alright, jokes aside, we really do have to begin training," Madeline reminded him.

"Right," Xavier mused, hearing the sound of footsteps approaching. 

"Briar's coming," he told her.

Madeline looked to her right to see Briar storming towards her. 

"What is it?" 

"I have something to tell you," Briar said to Madeline. 

Madeline turned to Xavier, "No eavesdropping."

"But what if I can't help it?"

"Don't."

[Author's Note: Think of it like this. Xavier can control his super hearing and choose whether or not to hear things and not to.] 

"Fine," Xavier said. 

"What is it?" Madeline asked, walking with Briar.

"Something important? If not, you could always tell me later you know."

"It is important," Briar said. 

"Something to do with you know who?" Madeline asked, referring to Indiana.

"How did you know?"

"I don't. I just know you," Madeline answered.

"You found out she has feelings for…"

Madeline paused, Xavier was in hearing distance. 

"How do you know?!" Briar asked loudly.

Madeline covered Briar's mouth, "Don't speak too loud."

"He's nearby," Madeline reminded Briar.

"Oh right," Briar realized.

Madeline could feel Xavier glaring at her. She could feel his gaze piercing through her. 

It was like he was telling her, 'Why don't you just let me listen? This sounds interesting.'

"You knew about this all this time and you kept quiet about it?" Briar asked Madeline, staring straight at her.

"I kept it quiet because I knew how you'd react," Madeline admitted. 

And she was saying the truth. Even if it was unintentional - as in, Indiana's feelings for Xavier. It was never her fault. 

Having feelings for someone else was never their fault. And Madeline knew that Indiana had harboured feelings for Xavier before she ever came to the picture.

She could read it all over Indiana's face when she first appeared on her doorstep and accused her of using Xavier, etc. Indiana wasn't trying to spite her or trying to hurt her. She was trying to protect the one person she had been in love with for a long period of time. 

"And how do you feel about this?" Briar asked Madeline, only to get in response, "I'm alright about it."

"I don't mind. And besides, it's not her fault for having feelings for someone. We shouldn't try to distance ourselves from her because of that. It's not her fault, it never will be. And, I had my own intentions for befriending Indiana anyway," Madeline explained.

Briar stared dead straight at Madeline, shocked that she had known this entire time, even before she decided to befriend Indiana in the first place. 

That was unexpected. She thought Madeline would have been just as shocked as her when she found out the truth about Indiana. 

However, there was something Briar knew Madeline a hundred percent did not know. And that was how Indiana and Rosalynn knew each other beforehand. 

"It's not only that," Briar whispered. 

"Hmm, there's something else you want to tell me?" Madeline asked, raising her eyebrow. 

"Yeah," Briar nodded. 

"Oh?" 

Madeline muttered, 'If this isn't important...'

"Does this also have something to do with Indiana or is it completely irrelevant?" She asked Briar, wanting to know the details. 

"Err, yes actually," Briar answered.

Madeline blinked. She had not been expecting Briar to say yes. 

For a moment, she had expected it to be about something else. Perhaps it was about Rosalynn, or Emilio. 

Or her time with Adrian! 

Madeline had first expected Briar to come find her to tell her all about what had gone down with her and Adrian. Especially the spicy details.

However, Briar decided to come find her to tell her about Indiana instead. 

"So you don't come to me to tell me about how you and Adrian's plans went, but you come to tell me things about Indiana?"

Briar blinked. 

"Well, when you put it that way-- I was planning to tell you all about it later but--"

"I'm kidding," Madeline reassured, before apologising afterwards, "Sorry."

Briar stared at her, "It's no biggie." 

"So, what was it about Indiana that you wanted to tell me?" 

Briar then proceeded to whisper something into Madeline's ear. She basically gave Madeline a short summary of everything that had happened. 

Firstly, about how she had overheard Indiana and Rosalynn talking to each other in Indiana's room and how they knew each other from past encounters. As well as how Indiana had found out she had overheard her and Rosalynn's entire conversation and actually approved of Briar telling Madeline this. 

Briar would never have told Madeline anything had Indiana not allowed her to tell Madeline. After all, it was Indiana's choice whether or not to have to tell Madeline about her and Rosalynn. It was never Briar's place to tell her anything, unless Indiana gave her the sign of approval. 

And fortunately, Indiana actually did allow her to tell Madeline. After she admitted she had been having trouble finding a way to tell Madeline. 

"Ah," Madeline said, a hint of fathom in her voice. 

"So they know each other."

"Shouldn't you be more shocked? Don't tell me you knew about this too," Briar said to her.

"I am shocked," Madeline admitted, "I just… Indiana obviously had her reasons not to tell me." 

"Huh?" 

"What do you mean, huh?" Madeline asked. 

Honestly, all she wanted to do was begin her training with Xavier. All the Indiana stuff and all the Indiana information could wait till later. She had powers to learn how to use. 

Briar could have always told her this later, there was that option. 

But no. And the worst part was, Xavier had heard all of this. He'd ask her about it later on. 

Sure, it wasn't a big deal. But Madeline knew for a fact that Indiana would not want Xavier knowing about her having feelings for him. 

It would have been cruel of her to tell Xavier, especially when she wasn't allowed to. Heck, if she was in Indiana's position, she would have been furious if she discovered Indiana had told the man she had feelings for that she had feelings for him.

Not that Madeline was admitting she had feelings for someone…

Of course…

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Author's Note: Sorry for the one chapter update today, had a busy weekend and barely got any time to write. On a good note though, I will begin updating more tomorrow onwards, so that's something to - hopefully - look forward to. Alright, that's all from me. Author out.. Love, mari.