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April doesn't mope.

She doesn't drink to excess and she doesn't let herself be seen a mess unless it's going to benefit her in some way. She doesn't waste tears on what's happened when she knows she's as much to blame as anyone. This was inevitable. She had seen it coming and she'd done nothing about it and so she is as much at fault as Les, though that's not the sort of thing she'll ever admit, because being able to blame him is both satisfying and potentially useful, depending on the person she's speaking to.

How upset she lets herself be, how angry she is, how much she blames him and how much she blames Corrine will all depend on what someone is looking for out of her. April is dealing with this in the only way she knows how: she's lying her ass off to anyone who looks at her.

On January first, she's getting out of Siren Cove. At least for a little while. She's been doing her research and there's an opportunity for a short term con about six hours from here and it's something she needs. She's so restless and this town feels like it's digging into her, like its claws have gotten into her skin and she needs out. So in less than a week she'll be gone.

But for now, she's doing exactly the opposite of what people might expect of her. She's been with Caden, she's going out for coffee, she's shopping. She very visibly returned the Christmas gift she had bought for Les and this might be one time that gossip magazine actually benefits her a little, because she's making sure to be seen.

A little sad, maybe, but not a mess. A little sad, but still strong.

This is the woman Siren Cove gets until she figures out exactly how she's going to pay this place back for every last fucking curve ball it's thrown at her. And then she'll be done playing nice.

[Catch her out anywhere, getting coffee or shopping for herself at some fancy clothing store~]

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"I told you, I'm not buying anything made in a sweat shop," Ed told the tailor. He'd been here forever now getting a few minor adjustments to a suit his parents had bought him for Christmas. Only Ed didn't really want a suit because he already had several but apparently they were out of fashion.

"Sir, I assure you, fine Italian suits are not made in sweat shops," the tailor said, giving Ed a bit of a look. He kind of liked that about snooty boutiques. Sometimes they gave you attitude because they didn't care who the hell you were.

"You don't know that. It gets hot in Italy. Italians sweat," he pointed out. The tailor merely shook his head and took Ed's jacket to the back to make one (hopefully last) minor adjustment.

"If I have to wait any longer, I'm going to fall asleep," he called out to the man, causing a few other heads to turn. "And then a bunch of thorns will grow around this place and royalty will have to chop their way through them and kiss me awake. Just you wait and see! Is anyone here willing to save me if it comes to that?"

Rich kids draw attention to themselves.

April has learned a lot over the years, given what she's done, and the fact that rich kids like to draw attention to themselves is more or less a guarantee at this point. Between his volume and the way he's dressed, not to mention the way he looks, she has him pinned as a Cabot even before she's completely turned to look at him.

Which could be very interesting. She's been meaning to maybe have a chat with Will in the next week or so.

"I think it's supposed to be true love's kiss," April points out. "Not just any old sucker willing to chop through some thorns to get to you."

Even in Siren Cove, where attractive people were practically an epidemic, some people stood out as being more attractive than the rest. The woman who spoke was definitely one of those. Ed would rate her somewhere near "flawless". Maybe "Most Flawless of All"? At the very least, if this were a Disney movie, some evil queen/witch would be trying to feed her apples.

"Didn't he meet her for like ten minutes as an adult? I'm 90% sure you and I have almost talked longer than the Prince and Aurora."

"You seem to be more of an expert on Disney movies than I am," April answers with an amused smile. This is exactly what she needs. Light banter, especially with a Cabot, something for someone to see, something for them to comment on. She's going to come out of this looking like a goddamn princess if this is the way it keeps going.

"Didn't they have a little tryst in the woods with singing animals and the like?" she asks, flicking through a rack before glancing at him over her shoulder. "You're not likely to get singing animals around me."

"There were chirping birds but for the most part I think the animals just watched," Ed said, trying to remember exactly. It had been a while since he had seen it but he figured details didn't really matter that much. "I could probably find a few squirrels or something though. The important thing is that now we're well past the threshold where you could come to rescue me."

Given Siren Cove, it was entirely possible that at any point in time something like that may happen. It wasn't quite a town right out of fairy tales but it was the sort of place that could inspire them. He was pretty sure a long time ago the Grimm brothers came across a place like this back in Germany.

"Now you're just assuming I would have any interest in chopping my way through thorns," she points out. "And I believe your initial request was for royalty, which I certainly am not."

She'll leave the princess stuff to her sister.

There's no crown or throne waiting for April and there sure as shit isn't any Prince Charming. Being made a fool of twice is more than enough for her and it isn't going to happen again.

"Well, I guess I'm screwed. Kinda of my fault for wandering around, touching spindles I guess," Ed said. Honestly, if someone really was willing to do that for him he'd probably be weirded out. So, points to the woman for being completely reasonable.

"Besides, I always wanted to be Jasmin. A pet tiger would be awesome."

"Well, now things are just getting weird," April says with an arched brow, looking through another rack. "Which means it's about time I ask which Cabot you are."

Like her family, there seems to be an awful lot of them. Unlike her family, at least they seem to know each other.

Ed wasn't really surprised that she had recognized what family he was a part of. It was flattering, really. While they didn't all look a lot alike, he knew that he looked enough like Henry had and there was more than a passing resemblance to Will that it wasn't a big stretch to guess who he was related to.

"I'm Ed, the baby. Let me guess, you know Will?"

Sometimes Robert worried that when he ran into his children in town they would think that he was keeping tabs on him. While Abigail was right and he probably was a control freak, that wasn't the case. If he was keeping tabs on them he certainly wouldn't be seen.

He liked bumping into them randomly though. He liked seeing them though, the experience was still novel to him and while they might not be too crazy about it, Robert enjoyed seeing them. Which was why it was good to see April at the Quill.

"Have a good holiday?" he asked.

"Got dumped," she answers flippantly, barely looking at her father. She's tying to brush it off as if it doesn't matter, because it really shouldn't. She never should have given Les as much power in the first place and now she's paying the price, but she doesn't have to let anyone know that. For all anyone else can see of her, she's angry, of course, but she's doing just fine without him.

"Oh, but if you really like Les, don't worry, I'm sure you'll still get to keep him around," she adds, finally flicking her gaze toward Robert and giving him a smile. "You see, I got dumped for Corrine."

Les would never say that, of course he wouldn't, but that's the reason. And she sincerely doubts there's any question as to whether or not they'll find their way to each other.

It didn't entirely surprise Robert that Les had done that, but it didn't make him happy. He didn't imagine that April had the sort of relationship with Les that she had with most people. He couldn't imagine her taking it well, although maybe she had steeled herself against rejection a long time ago, it was hard to tell. It probably wasn't his place to try and figure it out.

"I liked him a lot more before you just told me what he did," Robert confessed, making a face. If it had been anyone other than Leslie Parker, he probably would have gone to pay them a visit for what they had done. "What about you and Caden? Or should I just leave the entire situation alone?"

"Caden and I are fine," she answers, though she wonders how true that is. It's not as if her feelings for him have changed with Les leaving the both of them, but April has never been in a relationship before Les and she has to wonder just how much time will pass before she inevitably does something to hurt him.

Caden's a good man. She isn't a good woman.

Then again, she would have said the same thing about Les not that long ago. "Though I guess you can figure out neither of us are in particularly high spirits. It made for a strained Christmas."

"Good, I like Caden. He's pretty crazy about you," Robert said. He would have thought as much about Les too, although with Caden the man had confessed it under siren compulsion so he was more apt to believe it. Apparently he had threatened the wrong partner though.

"I'm sorry, it's a particularly shitty time to do that to someone," he said. Not that there was ever really a good time to do it, but this seemed even worse. "Speaking of which, I got you a present."

"I didn't get one for you," she says, although she doubts he's expecting anything in return. And as she collects her coffee, she has to admit she's curious. Gifts, as far as she's concerned, are a chance to prove what a person knows about another. She's sure not many people look at them like that, but she's always been a bit of a cynic and with good reason.

Gifts are just another way to manipulate people.

"If it's a big, flashy ring, just know I'm going to use it to punch Les in the face," she tells him.

Robert didn't care if she got him anything. While he would have been pleased if she had April had made the sort of relationship they had very clear. That didn't mean he couldn't try and spoil her just a bit. Estranged parent's perogative and all that.

"Well, now I had wished I'd gotten you a big, shiny ring," Robert said. Whatever Les was to Corry he had clearly hurt April. "Instead, you will find that you're no longer a wanted woman in the state of New York. I didn't know if you had a favorite state you couldn't visit but I figured Ndw York would be useful at least."

Both her eyebrows lift at that, though she tries not to let her expression betray her thoughts. She's wanted in three states, though New York is the one she's most missed visiting and the idea that she might be able to go back there is awfully appealing.

"Really?" she asks, her voice slow and cautious. "The warrant for my arrest has disappeared?"

"I know a detective there who is open to bribes. No one was out for blood in your case so it was possible to make it go away," Robert said with a nod. She would probably check things out on her own, he'd be disappointed if she didn't. But she'd find that no one in the state of New York would be on the lookout for her.

If there was anyone that looked the exact opposite of April, it was Will. She was well presented, strong, confident and he looked rough, weak, on the edge. Running his left hand through his hair, he ignored the shocked whispers as people saw his hand or rather saw what his hand was lacking; his wedding ring.

Slamming his money on the counter, he muttered under his breath before taking the coffee to go. Picking up the overnight bag, he headed towards the door and held it open for April. He wasn't staying to be talked about, about what an idiot he was for falling in love with a woman who clearly didn't love him.

"You too?" Will asked tiredly.

"Me, too," she agrees with a faint smile, because while she still sees little need to show most of Siren Cove the part of her that's hurting, Will is the right person to show it to. He's been through worse, he'd gotten married, and while April is sure she'll never do that, she'll never get married, she expects it hurts a hell of a lot more for Will than what she's going through right now.

She catches sight of the overnight bag and arches an eyebrow, falling into step beside him. "Where are you staying?" She had assumed he'd be with his family, but it doesn't look like it.

"At the hotel. My grandmother is still trying to find ways to have Corrine killed without it coming back on the family," Will replied, holding the door open until they're both outside and in the fresh, cold air. Outside where he, at least, couldn't hear the whispering and the muttering. And it felt as cold and as empty as him. "When did he tell you? I got Christmas morning at least."

With Corry pretending everything was normal, kissing him and talking about their future before she abruptly changed.

"Two days before," she says, wincing as she looks over at him. "Christmas morning, huh? That's rough." Not to mention selfish, she thinks. She's less concerned for herself, the holiday means little to her, but for Caden and Will, both of whom have families and people who love them, it's supposed to be a happy time. The fact that neither of them could wait until the holiday was over is selfish.

She knows she's hardly one to talk, but there it is.

"Nice of them to give us such a wonderful holiday season to enjoy, wasn't it?" she asks dryly, looking over at Will. She's trying, but he looks so broken up, so different from the man she'd first met that day in town.

"At least he was honest about it. Think I probably would've had a better time this Christmas if I'd kept chasing after you, not your sister." Will said, carrying the bag over to his car and dropping it into the back seat. He's going to hire an entire floor, wallow there instead of at his families. He'll get his house on the market, maybe torch his boat. Try and forget how happy he'd been, all the while Corry had been miserable. "Yeah well, I don't think either of them thought anything through. It's not... it's not how Corrine is or who she is. Are you staying in town?"

"For now," April says, lifting one shoulder in a smooth shrug. "I'm going to head out after the new year, spend a little while on my own." She's not sure where she's going yet, only that she has to go somewhere. She needs to be alone.

"What about you?" she asks. "Sticking around or bailing?"

"Don't get into too much trouble. Or call me if you do, I'll come and get you." He replied honest about that at least. He liked April, he'd liked April before everything had gotten complicated with Corrine. And people like him, her, and maybe even Caden should probably stick together since their partners had ditched them for the others. "Sticking around. I've got to sell my house, might buy myself something ridiculous and obnoxious instead."

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