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"What if I date Tristan?"
Nancy was lying on an air mattress in the floor of George's room, staring up at the semi dark ceiling, contemplating out loud.
"What?" George laughed. "I thought we were planning out how to get you and Ace back together? Even if I kind of agree with Ace here," she added. "You need to take a step back before you get killed."
"You don't understand!" Nancy insisted.
"Me, a person who has literally died before, doesn't understand?" George challenged. Her voice dry.
"No," Nancy waved her hand dismissively. "I meant about my plan with Tristan. See. I wouldn't really date him. It would be fake… like in one of those rom coms that Bess loves."
"Doesn't that always end with the fake couple actually falling in love?" George asked, confused.
"Only if they are already kind of in love with each other. I am not in love with Tristan."
George frowned. "I think you've had too much to drink," she sat up, looking for the bottle of wine she'd taken from The Claw. Maybe they should put a cork in it. Neither of them drank much and their tolerance was low.
"I haven't," Nancy sighed. "I'm just desperately trying to grasp at straws."
George's eyes finally landed on the bottle and Nancy's glass. Nancy was right, she had only had a couple of sips.
"Alright then, while you're at it, what's the grand plan to get Nick and I back together? At least we don't have a death curse."
Nancy laughed, the sound rumbling in her chest. "I thought you both agreed you needed time to grow as individuals."
"We did," George groaned, flopping back on her bed. Maybe she was the one who had had too much to drink. "But I hate it. I pushed him to start looking around and he found Jade and I realized I was jealous."
Nancy snorted. "The person you encouraged him to date?"
"Yes," George whined. "I know it's my fault. This whole thing is my fault."
"You were way too young to get married though," Nancy wasn't sure any of them had ever said that to George before. "You were right about that."
George nodded. "I just wish I hadn't had to lose Nick in the process."
"How about this?" Nancy rolled over to face George, wincing as her ribs cracked. "We promise each other that we will give those boys the space they want for the next month, and then we start plotting how to get them back."
"You have a deal," George agreed. "I have enough on my plate already."
Nancy nodded, already regretting the deal a little. She wanted to respect Ace's wishes, but she knew he was reacting out of fear. She had been there before too.
Maybe she needed to use Ace's tactics on him. Maybe taking a month off would be good. Perhaps she needed to be patient and give him some time on his own before trying to convince him to come around on this one. Convince him that they were worth it and that Temperance wasn't lurking around every corner and in every flower pot.
"Tell me more about this fake dating Tristan plan," George's voice came out amused.
Maybe she could get Bess in on it. Steal those relics back from the Glass's for her. "Well…" Nancy started, settling in. How could she make this fun?