Chapter 673

"But I was fine!" I protest, casting out a hand. "That guy with the beard - he was just hitting on me! He was harmless - he went away as soon as you asked him to!"

"Right," Tony says, nodding to me. "But he could have been dangerous. It was just luck that brought a relatively nice guy over to your table. Luca left you high and dry, Ari, and you should be madder about it than you are."

"I'll be fucking mad about it for you," Jesse murmurs, slumped in his chair with his arms crossed.

I take a deep breath, looking down into my lap, getting angry. Because everyone's being very cruel about Luca – and no one's giving him a chance. “Luca is a full, complicated person," I say, a bit between my teeth. "And he's allowed to have flaws. He's...he's got a lot going on, emotionally. He doesn't have it all figured out!"

"You're very kind, Ari," Ben says, reaching out and putting a warm hand on my knee. I look up at him, blinking hard against the tears stinging my eyes. "It's one of my favorite things about you."

I gulp back my tears, nodding to him, thankful to have such a good friend.

"Ariel," Tony says, gentler than before. I turn my eyes back to him to see his face looking almost...pleading. Like he really wants me to understand. "Just...one more thing, okay? And if I'm wrong about it, I'll back off. I promise. Even be nice to that prick -"

"Tony," I growl, warning, even as I sniff back my tears.

His face twists into a sad little smile, but he nods to me, agreeing to be nicer to begin with.

I nod to him in turn, letting him get to his one last thing.

"After I left the table," Tony says, measured and low, "and you guys left the bar - let me just tell you what I think he did, according to who I think he is and how he treats women. Okay?"

I hesitate but then nod, allowing it. Kind of curious, despite myself, if Tony knows Luca better than we all thought. Better than me, even.

"My best guess," Tony says, his face even, "is that you left the bar together and you were angry and told him how you felt. Then he apologized immediately."

I go a bit still with how right Tony already is.

"And then," Tony says quietly, nodding in tune with my reaction, "Luca told you something that made you feel sorry for him. And then you

spent the rest of the night talking to

him about his problem, about something that made him sad. So essentially, he did something shitty to you and instead of spending the rest of the night making you feel better about it.... he turned the tables, and you spent the rest of the night making him feel better."

My jaw drops open as I stare at Tony.

Because...when he says it that way...

I realize that that's exactly what happened.

"Manipulation 101," Tony says, quiet and sad. "Find a nice girl. Treat her like shit. Make her comfort you for doing it."

Tears again fill my eyes as I look down at my hands, not liking this realization at all. Kind of wishing I'd never heard it. Because honestly, it was almost easier when I didn't see it.

"And today," Jesse says, his voice thoughtful. "Ari has an incredible breakthrough with her magic -"

Ben perks up a little at this news.noveldrama

“And instead of celebrating her by coming to dinner and making her feel amazing about it, Luca mysteriously disappears and makes you feel sad instead. Makes the way you're feeling tonight all about him, instead of about you..."

I sniff hard, whipping my eyes up to

my cousin, my lip trembling even as I frown. "He's tired," I say, my voice all wobbly. "He... he has complicated feelings about being part of my magical gift...he's allowed to have feelings."

"I'm sorry, Ari, but that's bullshit," Tony says, his voice full of grief. "He

just can't stand that you're the most powerful, badass person in this school, maybe this nation. He thought the Goddess gave him a princesstrophy mate and he's now figuring out that he's the side piece who stands around holding your hand while you make a burning Whirlwind of destruction. It makes him feel worthless and instead of dealing with that his solution is to make you feel worthless in turn. Seriously, you have this amazing breakthrough today, and he's got you so worked up that you're too sad to eat? You're being way too kind, Ariel. He's treating you like crap and I can't fucking stand it."

I drop my eyes to my lap again, tears slipping down my cheeks.