MPOV

My heart stopped as I saw what was in Ben's hand, my spellbook.

"What's this?"

Before I could stop myself a lie left my lips.

"speed reading spell… a blonde hair spell… cooking spell."

His voice grew colder with every flip of the page and the panic set in like ice in my veins.

Tears flooded my eyes as I began to cast a forgetting spell, until Ben's next words snapped me into reality.

I had truly tried to hex him, to make him forget.

"Are you trying to spell me right now?!" He yelled his eyes darkening with rage and hurt.

My voice was strained as I yelled at him, tears rolling down my cheeks.

With ease I turned the food into the sandwich it had been originally and stared into Ben's eyes.

"I'm not like you Ben, I have to go."

I pushed past the young king ignoring every time he called my name.

Each step seemed to tear my heart apart.

By the time I had got back to the dorm I was shaking. To my surprise Evie wasn't there the solitude being the only reason a sob escaped my lips.

The tears blurred my vision as I pulled a pack of cigarettes from under my mattress lighting it with magic.

The sobs slowed as I exhaled.

Evie and Jay were the only ones that knew of the habits that I still carried with me off the Isle. Even the ones I had tried so desperately to forget.

With a shaky hand I pressed the cigarette to my skin, hissing at the burn.

The pain helped dry my tears to help put air in my lungs.

Just as the skin began to turn red the door opened with a bang.

I could have sworn I locked it.

I looked up wincing as Jay's face softened with understanding and emotion.

"Mal give me the cigarette" Jay's calm husky voice said as he knelt in front of me. I shakily handed it over knowing Jay had seen me like this years before.

"I don't belong here Jay" I cried not meeting his eyes.

"Mal, please… look at me." He moved onto the bed pulling her against him.

I obeyed watching as the thief frowned and wiped away my tears.

"Mal I promised you if it came down to it I'd take you back to the Isle myself. I promised that before we even left the Isle, and I still mean it."

Jay stared into my eyes i knew they were vibrant green with emotion.

"Please Jay, I can't stay here. Evie, Carlos, even you belong here… I don't"

Jay cursed under his breathe with anger and pain.

I looked at him my mouth slightly parted in shock. .

"Jay?..."

The thief shook his head

"Mal if you go I'll go I made a promise and I meant every word of it. I miss the isle too… well some of it."

Unlike the other VKs Jay stood up to his father and took the punishments with ease.

He was like my older brother, always taking care of me feeding me when my mother starved me as a punishment and helping patch my wounds when I was beaten.

The thief pulled me away from my thoughts by running his hands through my hair.

I looked at him calmly kissing him chastitely as a thank you for caring.

On the Isle a kiss meant everything and nothing. It could be a thank you, or a sign of friendship. Or sometimes the kiss could be claiming.

I remember the kisses Evie and I used to share after waking up with nightmares.

The claiming bruising kisses me and Harry shared.

The ones for gratitude between the VKs.

And then there were the kisses I shared with Ben, they were longing and loving and they stopped time… or at least they used to.

"Mal!" The door flew open as Ben ran in.

I jumped away from Jay and looked at Ben in shock all the pain suddenly tearing me apart all over again.

The king's face turned into rage as he stared.
"W-What is he doing here!?" Ben yelled taking things out of proportion.

"Ben it's not like that! It's an isle kiss" I said trying to make him hear reason this time.

I had tried to explain how things worked on the Isle before how we had different ways of showing emotion.

The idea was preposterous to Ben. The idea of expressing emotion through physical contact was taboo on Auradon, especially between friends.

Ben puffed up his chest and glared.

"Your lying! Now what are you doing? She isn't yours!"

Jay snarled. "I'm fixing the mess you made!"

I tried to catch Jay's arm as he jumped up but he had only gotten stronger since coming to Auradon.

"Jay! Ben!"

I jumped up and tried to get in between the two.

The thief grabbed the king and slammed his face into the door. Breaking his nose with a sickening crunch. Shock filled Jay's eyes as he looked at the young king realizing what he did.