In Rosaline's experience, when one person said to another the phrase, "We need to talk," it was never a good thing. She sat on her rented bed with the letter in her hands. Cabhan's letter. Not only was she spending the weekend mentoring Conall, but apparently she also had some business with the other boy. He hadn't spoken to her in weeks. What could he possibly want to do with her, now, after suddenly cutting off all contact? Honestly, she hadn't the faintest idea of what she could have possibly even done to offend him in the slightest.
The last time that Rosaline had seen Cabhan Daley had been at the Regan New Years Eve event, to which Cabhan had accompanied her. They had danced and drank and, she thought, had a rather good time with one another. Of course, they were merely platonic, and so she hadn't kissed him at midnight. She'd kissed Zachary Incarnadine, instead. Then again, she and Zachary were also platonic... However, he was an attractive, older man. She had been rather intoxicated. Cabhan couldn't possibly be upset about that, could he?
No. Impossible. That was ridiculous, even in theory. Sure, Addreig might have feelings for her. But, certainly not the younger Daley boy as well.
So, then, why hadn't he spoken to her? Why all of this, "we need to talk" nonsense, now? Why was all of this making her anxious? Rosaline sighed, carefully folding the letter once more and setting it down on her nightstand. Hopefully he would arrive soon. She had responded to his owl by informing him of what room she had booked, and she had given a time when she would not be busy with visiting her mother, or her siblings, or Conall.
Looking out the window for a moment, she felt nostalgic. She remembered walking in Hogsmeade with Cabhan and Conall when they'd been in school; buying sweets from Honeydukes, prank supplies from Zonko's, and butterbeer from right here in The Three Broomsticks. The three of them had been inseparable. Well, for the most part. There were times when it was just her and Cabhan, whenever Conall decided that there was someone else, like Lorin, that he would rather be snogging.
In some ways, it still hurt her that Conall Regan had moved on. Perhaps she had cared more for him than she had let herself, or him, believe that she had? Or perhaps she just missed the attention that he gave her, especially now that nobody else seemed at all interested if she wasn't going to shag them? Sure, he had pressed the matter a time or two. But, he had never made her feel as if she absolutely had to engage in coitus with him. Obviously, that was what he had wanted, however. He was with Lorin, now. Not that Rosaline and Conall had ever technically been an item. The whole thing was confusing. She wasn't used to having... feelings.
Her nose wrinkled and her upper lip curled at the thought.
Feelings? Ha! Walking to her bag, she pulled out a tiny potion bottle. Maybe just a little something to calm her nerves? She was going to have to pull herself together. Hopefully this meeting with Cabhan would not be emotional in the least, though something in her core was telling her otherwise. Pulling the top off of the bottle, she downed the potion inside before replacing the cap. There. That was better.
Stuffing the bottle back into her bag, she quickly closed it once more. There was a knock on the door. That had to be him. Why was she so nervous? Probably because of the foreboding nature of his letter. Luckily, the potion acted fast and she was already starting to feel a little more calm. Smoothing out her
dress, Rosaline walked to the door and opened it a little to peek out and be sure that it was actually him. Wouldn't you know it? It was...
Bloody hell."Hello, Cabhan." Rosaline opened the door the rest of the way, stepping aside to let him in. "Come inside. Have a seat."
