In Pieces

4 | The Contract |

Gio seemed like a laid-back, funny guy—I had to give him that. He wasn't like anyone I'd met, not that I met many people other than my tutors or the kitchen staff. Perhaps this was one of the downsides of living in a castle and being homeschooled.

As I sat next to him, twirling some grass around my finger, I dragged my gaze to the dark, gray river. The water reflected the perfect V shape of a stork family passing through the sky. I wondered who the leader of that flock was, the father bird or the mother.

"How do you know my mom?" I asked, remembering how she called out Gio's name every day. "Are you her lover?"

"Eww..." Gio shuddered as if trying to shrug my tasteless words off of him. "We signed a contract years ago. I've been serving her every once in a while, that's all. Yuck!"

I bit my lip to hold back a giggle. It seemed like Mom didn't have many fans in this world, either. "Well, what was her contract about? What did she wish for?"

"I don't discuss my contracts with anyone."

I sighed, raking my fingers through the soft grass. "I want to go home."

"We can discuss that." His lips twitched into a smile.

I waited for Gio to start talking, but he kept staring at the river with that mysterious glow in his eyes. The air around him was subtly buzzing again.

I slammed my hands on the ground. "Are you planning to hurt me, dude? I might look thin, but I took golf lessons. I can easily grab a stick and—"

"What? No!" He jumped onto his knees, his mouth wide open as if I'd slapped him. "Look, I get that you don't know me, but if I hadn't pulled you out of that mirror dimension, you would have stayed there forever. How about a little thank you for starters?"

The thought of that dark place and my three broken reflections sent cold shivers down my spine. "Thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome." His ears quivered again and made me smile.

I crossed my legs comfortably, picked a dandelion, and watched the wind blow its pieces toward the river. Gio was studying me—I could tell. It was weird to be the focus of someone's attention. I wasn't significant or beautiful like my mom. I couldn't help but wonder what he saw when he looked at me.

"I've never seen anyone else in pieces."

My smile froze on my face. "Excuse me?"

He shrugged. "You must have broken yourself before you broke the mirror today."

Was it the mascara? It broke my eyes, didn't it? I jumped up and ran my fingers around my face. My eyes were still there—a little sticky, but there. So were my lips, nose, and ears. Good, my face wasn't broken. I checked my legs and muddy toes—

"Not on the outside. You're broken inside." Gio laughed and stood up, dusting the back of his pants.

"What does that even mean?" I protested.

Gio stepped closer. The buzzing intensified. His minty breath heated my cheeks. I'd never seen eyes as starry or as deep as his.

"Don't you feel it?" he asked and then poked the bandage on my chest.

Just like that, I felt my heart shatter into pieces. I backed away and held where it thumped. My eyes widened. My lips parted for a silent scream.

"What did you do to me?!"

"Nothing!" he yelled back, raising his hands in surrender. "Told you! Your heart was already in pieces when you came here!"

I gasped for air, my fingers clenching, squeezing my chest. Is this what dying feels like?

"You're not dying." Gio rolled his eyes.

"What the—are you reading my mind?" I screamed at his shameless face.

"No!"

I kept panting and sank onto my knees. Was my heart really broken?

"Aren't you exaggerating a little? It's nothing that can't be fixed. I've seen worse." He crouched next to me and smiled. "Once, I met this man who suffered from a broken—"

Really? Was he going to tell me a story right now? "I'm dying here!" I screamed.

"Right, let me get that," he apologized. And with a tilt of his head, the pain was gone.

I fell onto my hands, gasping for deep, long breaths.

Gio shuffled his hair. "I've taken all the pain away when you scratched that little wound—your heartache too. And when I touched you again... I didn't mean to hurt you, believe me." His head hung low. "Sorry about that."

Sorry? Really? Was he sowwy? It was his stupid name and that mirror that got me into trouble in the first place!

"I'm only trying to help...."

"Stay away from my thoughts!" I barked as I rubbed my chest and sat back on the grass. This place didn't feel like a fairyland anymore. I really wanted to go home now.

Gio sighed and sat beside me. "For the record, I can't read your thoughts. I'm a good observer, that's all. And you can't go home yet."

I rubbed my temples, trying hard not to spill the tears that burned my eyes. Crying is a weakness, Mom would say, and I wasn't allowed to show mine to anyone. Though I couldn't stop my voice from trembling when I asked, "Why, Gio? Why can't I go home?"

"You are in pieces, Alaia. You need to put them together first."

With a sniff, I wiped my nose on my arm. I knew what Gio was talking about now. My heart was shattered, alright. Its phantom pain was the proof.

"What do we do to fix me? Where do we start?" I asked.

Gio beamed with the widest smile. "Do you want my help?"

Of course, I wanted his help. I didn't know what I was missing, how to find those pieces, or where to look. So, I nodded.

Gio clapped and pulled a scroll out of thin air. "We need to sign a contract, then," he said with a heartening chuckle.

He handed out the roll but pulled it back cautiously when I reached for it. "Read my terms first. We can discuss them later."

His warm tone set my cheeks on fire. "What if I don't want to sign?"

"Then you'll stay here forever."

And just like that, my cheeks weren't the only parts of my face that were on fire. My lips pressed into a sharp line. My hand lingered in midair.

The thought of living in this forest and not being able to see Dad or the staff again choked me for a moment. I had so much to live for in my world...starting college, new friends, and many birthday parties that were yet to come. I couldn't live here with Mr. Pointy Ears forever!

I grabbed the scroll, but Gio didn't let it go. "Just promise me you'll think about it."

I nodded and gently pulled the paper from his hands. His ears quivered with excitement as he leaned in to peek while I opened the roll.

My eyes widened when I saw the words.

'Will you marry me?'