"And this is my baby. Her name is Raven and you better treat her with respect," I tell Marigold when we get to my black and maroon jet.

Nessa and Daniel are both already inside - bickering about Crystal and who really won the challenge. Paul is carrying everyone's bags since we have a lack of flight attendants and Jack is in charge of tying Jaacobah up inside.

"You named your jet after a bird?" Marigold asks.

"You mean to tell me you don't name your jets after birds? Damn, I'm out of trend over here," I laugh. I could've sworn Marigold's lip curved slightly, but I might just be hopeful over here. "After you," I say and gesture for Marigold to take the stairs.

She looks around nervously and tugs at her skirt.

"A, I'm not kidnapping you, I'm taking you to a doctor. And B, I won't look up your skirt while you go up the stairs," I reassure with a smirk. I love the way Marigold glares at me whenever I smile.

"You do either one of those things and I'll hit you with a wet sock," Marigold threatens.

"Your insults are the highlight of my day," I chuckle back while Marigold climbs into the jet.

I follow her and don't miss the way Nessa and Daniel are checking her out. Those two just love a challenge. And since Marigold over here has proved to be the hardest girl to get, I have no doubt that both their interests are spiked. Only Paul and Jack seem to be minding their own business. And of course Jaacobah that's tied to one of the chairs with furry pink handcuffs. One of Paul's giant pair of socks is still lodged in the Southerner's mouth. I might have to remember feeding him later. Or at least giving him water.

When we're inside and the door closes, Marigold looks awkwardly around. I know my friends well enough to predict that an ice breaker is coming in 3, 2, 1...

"Say, Amberry, do ye prefer the bun or the wiener?" Nessa asks and I choke on air. 

Marigold looks at both Nessa and Daniel for a moment before saying: "Uh... the hotdog?" Daniel jumps up in victory, but Marigold (as expected) quickly adds: "That's why neither of you could ever work for me."

Slowly, Daniel stops pumping his fists into the air and his laughter dies down. He looks at Marigold with disbelief when he asks: "Did... did you just insult my manhood?"

"She's basically one of us," Jack chirps in from the back.

Marigold looks at Jack. Frowns. And then does a small curve of her lips again. Jack looks relieved. The frost in his hair and eyes suddenly melting back to a white Christmas. Nessa seems a little defeated, but it doesn't stop her from eventually grinning ear to ear. Insults to Daniel's manliness always cheers everyone up.

"Well, since Amberry over 'ere prefers the wiener, I'm sure she won' mind joinin' Xavier in the cockpit," Nessa smirks.

Marigold accidentally snorts and the rest of us smile. I walk over to the cockpit, hoping Marigold would follow. When I sit down, I feel a little disappointed at first, but then I hear the door click shut and Marigold sitting in the Co-pilot seat.

Her sitting as my Co-pilot means more to me than she'll ever know.

"Raven, you say. My car's name is Blue Jay," Marigold states - being the first to say something.

"I know," I smile.

"That's right, you know everything. I remember now, you're a stalker," Marigold says with an eye roll and slumps into her chair. I keep the smile, because she's so cute when she's angry. "Was anything you said actually real?" she grumbles.

"I'm not really one to lie, unless it's one hundred percent for someone else's benefit. Ask, and I'll answer truthfully," I say.

There's a moment of silence where I can feel Marigold looking at me while I start Raven and get her speeding down the runway. When we're at the right speed, I pull back and we make for the sky. Freedom. Utter freedom amongst clouds and nothing.

"The orphan thing. Are you really an orphan?" Marigold asks carefully. Even regarding her enemy she doesn't lose all of her kindness. Not even if she wants to.

I ignore the knot in my throat - wishing desperately to have a thread of maroon on me right now. "Yes, that was true," I admit, "My mother left me at the doorstep of an orphanage - hence the last name 'Jilten'. It comes from the word 'Jilted' and the orphanage ladies thought it was fitting since I was abandoned. Left alone..."

I suck in a breath, because I really feel like Marigold deserves to know. Not because I want sympathy, but because I want her to understand I wasn't born a monster... I was made into one.

"I don't remember too much," I continue, "I remember the other boys always picking on me. Hitting me. And when I asked for help... Those boys just laughed at me... I remember the shitty food. The one time everyone got Nutella on Christmas. I remember the maroon bed covers and how that maroon was the same shade of lipstick a nice young lady wore when she visited the orphanage with her husband.

"Her husband's name was Frederick Sauvage Deighton and he was the leader of the Northern gang. He needed a new messenger and through some odds picked me. He took care of me and even though his two sons were spoiled to the bone, I liked living at Isabella. The lady of the house was always so kind...

"And through the years I grew, turned myself into something unyielding with all the death that surrounded me. I had to deliver a message to your... I delivered a few messages until I was made the hacker and climbed the ranks. Everything was going so well until... The South striked...

"First, they made the East and West nearly kill each other. Then, they set a fire in Isabella during a party. Everyone from the Deighton family died, except Miss Sauvage of course. And when the time came to pick a new leader, somehow everyone pointed at me. At fist my biggest concern wasn't getting revenge, but just keeping afloat, but then...

"Then news came that Trebor's 'second in command', Robert, and his family got killed. I wasn't stupid. I knew Trebor was Robert. Even when nobody did and after that, I swore to take the South down. I'm not telling you everything, trust me, the South has taken more people from me than I can admit right now, but know that I'm serious when I say the South is dangerous," I end off with and turn to Marigold.

Something I don't recognize is in her eye. A thought, emotion, hovering there between us and I have no idea what to make of it.

"So, you have Mister Wessils tied up back there, because you want revenge?" Marigold asks.

I shake my head, "No, I need him for information. Then, I'm getting my revenge."

"How do I know you're not lying?" Marigold asks with a frown.

"You don't," I answer honestly.

Even though everything I just said is true, apart from certain details and events I can't open up to right now, I'm being completely honest. I've always believed that honesty is the best policy. That, and loyalty is very, very important to me.

Marigold slowly nods her head and looks out of the window. I let myself glance at her a few times and smile at the content expression she has while staring at the clouds we pass. 

"I want to believe that story," Marigold says while still looking out of the window. "But the thing is, you ordered your men to kill Calvin and Matt and their story wasn't done. Did you know they both loved each other? Did you know they were going to admit to everyone after the attack? Did you know that Calvin loved food and cookies and that Matt wanted to be a butterfly? Did you know I haven't even cried for them yet, because I don't have my own heart in my chest," Marigold whispers. 

My own heart breaks when I see the small, yet noticeable tears lining her eyes. I want to tell her that I didn't plan on anybody dying. I want to tell her that everything I touch always breaks and because of that, I let myself be the bad guy. I let myself be the villain, because it's the only way to save the world. I so desperately want to tell her that it was the south that sneaked in and killed Matt and Calvin and that my whole world stopped when she jumped in front of my gun and I shot her.

But I don't want to make it look like I'm making excuses. And to be honest, I probably deserve to be hated. 

So, we sit in silence while the jet zooms through the sky. I don't know how long we sit like this. Judging by the sun steadily climbing the sky, my guess is hours.

Eventually, Marigold turns to me and says: "You were going to show me proof that you tried asking for help from the East and West."

I almost tell her to forget about it. That I lied, but saying I lied is a lie and I don't like lying.

Damn.

I fish for my phone in my pocked and hand it to her while I keep my eyes on the sky.

"What's the password?" Marigold asks.

"It's E, A, R, T, H, W, O, R, M and S," I reply.

Marigold taps in the letters and when the phone unlocks, she looks back at me with a straight face. "Earthworms? Your password is earthworms?" she asks in monotone.

I shrug with a small smile. "Go to my chat history. You can read the one with Owen and Blake. That was while I was going as an 'unknown number'. Or in your words: Mysterious Fucker," I laugh. "If you want to see proof of me as Xavier asking for help, just go to my emails," I instruct.

I don't bother telling Marigold that most of the time I asked Blake and Owen in person and not email. I don't tell her that every single time, they laughed in my face. It's just petty to want to make Marigold hate them. They're still in her gang and it'll just complicate things if she stops trusting them. I know they're her friends and I don't want to take that away from her. Blake and Owen are young. I can't blame them that much.

After a while of reading, Marigold finally looks up.

I haven't felt my palms sweat in a while. I need something maroon. Anything to keep a straight composure. 

"They told me you never tried reasoning... I don't understand..." Marigold breathes.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Take your time. Don't be mad at them though. People lie when they are scared," I explain.

"And you? Don't you get scared?" Marigold asks with a skeptic look in her eye.

"Does it answer your question if I tell you I never lie?" I ask with a perfectly arched eyebrow and a smirk that gets the adorable glare from Marigold that I always look forward to.

Marigold sits back in her seat. Glancing back at my phone every few seconds and letting a frustrated breath go every time. All the while, I watch out of the corner of my eye. At one point she looks down at the paint on her skirt and then glares back at me.

"Did you put the paint on the skirt?" She asks.

"Yes."

"And that red dress from last year. The green paint. Did you do that too?"

"Yes."

"May I ask why?"

"Who says I don't like to paint myself?" I ask and hand her another charming smirk. Marigold glares at me before crossing her arms and looking back out of the window. She doesn't believe me, I muse to myself.

I look back ahead of me. Calculating that we'll land soon enough. All I want to do is get Marigold to a hospital. And be reunited with my Nutella of course. It's been too long.

I just can't believe those boys didn't think to get Marigold medical attention after her heart transplant. It's a miracle she's still here. Perhaps her body is too stubborn to die. Maybe that fight that I always see inside of her is having a war. 

"So, did you and Nessa back there ever have a thing?" Marigold suddenly asks out of the blue.

I turn to her while still keeping the jet steady and can't help laughing out loud. "Of course not! Are you crazy?!"

Marigold actually smiles when she asks: "So you prefer the wiener over the bun?"

I hand her a smile of my own. "You wicked girl, I prefer you," I reply.

Just as I expect, Marigold starts blushing like a tomato and quickly tries covering it up with a glare and flinging the fist insult that comes to her mind. "Well, you have a better chance at getting laid while being a monk then."

"Not everyone wants to get into your pants all the time, Marigold. Don't flatter yourself. You're only here because I love listening to your insults," I grin.

There's a moment where Marigold is just looking at me - like she's contemplating a question. And in that moment she looks like an angel with the sun and clouds and bright blue sky behind her. 

"Not everyone wants to get into my pants? What happened to bending me over every piece of furniture?" Marigold asks - proving she's as far away from an angel as possible.

And now it's my turn to blush like an idiot when stare back at Marigold, completely astounded. She remembers last night?

Wazzup Goldies!

Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter. Every. Single. Xamber. Shipper. Better. Vote. And the rest of y'all can join in as well ;)

So, I did some planning today and figured out that this book (the sequel) will be 80 chapters. I already plotted all my plot twists and events and everything is figured out! Wohoo!

And if y'all aren't following me on Instagram already, do so @ holly.shmit for the latest news and updates!

~ Holly Shmit