“Yes,” I huff.
“Kairi said he seemed very concerned when he brought you into the cleric’s hut.”
“I think he just knew that if I were injured, it’d take longer for me to finish my weaves.”
“Hm.” Elena licks her lips, looking nervous.
“What?”
“Something doesn’t sit right with me. The chatter this morning…”
“About me spicing myself up in hopes of enticing Ramsey?” I roll my eyes. “Remind me to thank Violet.”
Elena smirks. “I have to admit, it was Nori-level logic, and for a moment, it got me thinking.”
“Are you saying you believed it?”
“No, but as you can imagine, I had questions.” She frowns. “But with the Ramsey-Amber development, there’s no point in asking them anymore.”
Do I tell her what happened? Of all the people on the island, I trust Elena the most. But what if she blames me for Ramsey and Amber’s new relationship?
If it were to come out another way, which isn’t out of the realm of possibility with Amber, things could go poorly for me.
I have no choice but to tell her.
“Elena?”
“Yes?”
“Promise you won’t be mad…”
She sighs. “Promise you won’t give me a reason to be mad.”
“Can’t do that.”
She gives an exaggerated motion with her hand. “Go on.”
“Ramsey kept telling me I smelled, so I started using the men’s soap, because it was more potent, but he still complained.” I let out a short, humorless laugh. “That’s why I rubbed the strongest spice into my skin, one I knew he liked.”
“That…an interesting choice.”
“I was desperate. Every night, he’d come home moody, yelling as he does, and I was fearful for Harold.”
“Who’s Harold?”
“Never mind, he’s fine.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“After putting the spice on, I spoke with Nori, telling her my reasons for rubbing it onto my flesh, and she suggested Ramsey might actually enjoy my scent, which makes him mad because he believes me so weak.”
“Interesting…”
“Later, he came home, and I told him what I’d done. He panicked and rushed me to the cleric’s tent. They gave me a salve to bathe with, and Ramsey took me to the cave.”
“That makes sense.”
“I thought so too, but he didn’t leave me there. He insisted on getting in the water with me…”
