Brendan was apathetic, distant, and even a little impatient.

He did not believe her.

Deirdre felt weight crushing her chest. For some reason, she was reminded of what Emily had said to her. 'You shouldn't blame anyone for this. If anything, blame yourself for being so useless. You can only rely on Brendan to do anything at all. Think about it. What happens when he stops trusting you?'

Deirdre understood the thorn in her words now. It felt like cotton had been stuffed into her throat.

A long moment later, Deirdre finally spoke again. "What happened, Brendan? What did she say to you that just… makes you trust her so much? We both already know that she likes you! So why is it so hard for you to believe she would do anything to get you?"

Brendan caressed her cheeks. He looked like he was grappling with his own confusion, too. "Dee, I love that you're wary about her existence. I love that you're jealous of her, but jealousy doesn't mean someone has to be this evil demon you're making