Favorite Curse 296 - Lethal Temptation

296 Bing Herself

Mara

“Mara, how are you? How is everyone?” Martha asked gently, settling across from me.

+8 Points

I reached out and touched her hand, the sting of emotion rising in my chest. There was warmth in her voice, but still, I couldn’t ignore the ache her silence had left behind.

“I thought we connected, Martha,” I said softly, my voice catching. “Not even a call. Nothing. Not for

Tiffany. Not for Darian. Not even for baby Emma. Why didn’t you reach out?”

Her smile faltered. “Mara…”

She sighed and looked down at our hands.

“I wanted a break. I needed it. To find myself again. To breathe without obligation. If I’d called… I think I

would’ve given in ande home. And I wasn’t ready.”

I nodded, even as my throat tightened. I could see she was struggling, torn between guilt and the rity

she’d earned in her time away.

There was something else in her eyes too. A question forming. A hesitation.

“Olivia gave you my address, didn’t she?” she asked.

I nodded again. “She did.”

I shifted gears, not wanting to push too hard yet. “Congrattions, by the way. The foundation you started in Goldenpeak, it’s inspiring.”

That lit her up instantly. Her hand squeezed mine. “I got all your donations, Mara. Thank you so much.”

“You’re wee,” I said.

Then a pause, an awkward, lingering silence.

“Would you like some tea?” she offered suddenly, rising to her feet.

I burst outughing, unable to help it.

She blinked, confused. “What’s funny?”

“When we went around visiting your friends to recruit female fighters, they offered so much tea. At some point, I realized it wasn’t about being refreshed, it was their way of dodging hard questions.”

Martha stared at me for a second, then broke intoughter. Real, full, warmughter. The kind I hadn’t heard from her in what felt like years.

Weughed together for a moment, then I looked at her, really looked.

The joy in her face didn’t hide the pain behind her eyes.

296 Bing Herself

“You need toe home, Martha,” I said softly. “He’s not okay. He’s unraveling without you.”

She stoppedughing, and the light faded just slightly from her face.

“I can’t,” she whispered, shaking her head. “Not yet.”

Her voice trembled, but her resolve held.

+8 Points

“I can’t deal with the jealousy… the bitingments. The way he makes me feel small. It’s only been three months, Mara, but in those three months, I built confidence I never thought I’d have. I started discovering

who I am outside of being someone’s afterthought.”

Her eyes welled with tears.

“I still yearn for him. I do. But I can’t go back to that life. Not unless it’s different. Not unless he is.”

I listened in silence, my chest heavy.

“You’re lucky, Mara,” she added. “You mean the world to Lucian. He loves you and respects you. Vander… he might think he loves me. But he’s never respected me. Not truly. And I can’t live like that anymore.”

Tears slipped silently down her cheeks.

I reached for her hand again and held it.

And in that moment, I knew something had shifted, not just in her, but between us. She wasn’t just Martha

anymore.

She was finally bing herself.

“Mara, how are you? How is everyone?” Martha asked gently, settling across from me.

I reached out and touched her hand, the sting of emotion rising in my chest. There was warmth in her voice, but still, I couldn’t ignore the ache her silence had left behind.

“I thought we connected, Martha,” I said softly, my voice catching. “Not even a call. Nothing. Not for Tiffany. Not for Darian. Not even for baby Emma. Why didn’t you reach out?”

Her smile faltered. “Mara…”

She sighed and looked down at our hands.

“I wanted a break. I needed it. To find myself again. To breathe without obligation. If I’d called… I think I would’ve given in ande home. And I wasn’t ready.”

I nodded, even as my throat tightened. I could see she was struggling, torn between guilt and the rity she’d earned in her time away.

There was something else in her eyes too. A question forming. A hesitation.

“Olivia gave you my address, didn’t she?” she asked.

I nodded again. “She did.”

296 Bing Herself

+8 Points

I shifted gears, not wanting to push too hard yet. “Congrattions, by the way. The foundation you started in Goldenpeak, it’s inspiring.”

That lit her up instantly. Her hand squeezed mine. “I got all your donations, Mara. Thank you so much.”

“You’re wee,” I said.

Then a pause, an awkward, lingering silence.

“Would you like some tea?” she offered suddenly, rising to her feet.

I burst outughing, unable to help it.

She blinked, confused. “What’s funny?”

“When we went around visiting your friends to recruit female fighters, they offered so much tea. At some

point, I realized it wasn’t about being refreshed, it was their way of dodging hard questions.”

Martha stared at me for a second, then broke intoughter. Real, full, warmughter. The kind I hadn’t

heard from her ever.

Weughed together for a moment, then I looked at her, really looked.

The joy in her face didn’t hide the pain behind her eyes.

“You need toe home, Martha,” I said softly. “He’s not okay. He’s unraveling without you.”

She stoppedughing, and the light faded just slightly from her face.

“I can’t,” she whispered, shaking her head. “Not yet.”

Her voice trembled, but her resolve held.

who I am outside of being someone’s afterthought.”

Her eyes welled with tears.

“I still yearn for him. I do. But I can’t go back to that life. Not unless it’s different. Not unless he is.”

I listened in silence, my chest heavy.

Tears slipped silently down her cheeks.

I reached for her hand again and held it.

And in that moment, I knew something had shifted, not just in her, but between us. She wasn’t just Martha

anymore.

She was finally bing herself.