Page 129 of Pack Scratch Fever
“Only me, for now.”
“You didn’t tell…” I can’t even say their names.
“Do you want me to tell them?” she asks gently. “I can only avoid them for so long. They know you’re sick, but they don’t know you’re here.”
I swallow. “What do you think?” I ask.
Blair sighs. “Honestly?”
I nod.
“I think they should know. They still care about you greatly. I mean, I know you don’t want me to say this, but…”
“Just say it.”
“I think they love you, Piper.”
The heart monitor increases the pace of itsbeeps.
“That doesn’t change anything,” I murmur, my stomach twisting.
“I know,” Blair replies. “But I think they should know. Can I tell them?”
I meet my friend’s eyes and nod slowly. “Okay.”
“And if they want to visit?”
My instinct is to say no, that it’s already more than enough that I’m allowing them to know anything about my life anymore.
But my inner Omega pleads for mercy.
We have to see them just once. Just scent them one more time.
“Then it can be a proper goodbye,” I say. “A clean break, and a clean slate.”
Blair is skeptical, but she doesn’t argue. “Alright.”
“Speaking of,” I add, clearing my throat. Somehow, tears have formed in my eyes. “How are the cats?—”
“Everything is fine, Piper. Everyone is stepping up. Including them.”
It takes me a moment to understand what Blair means. “What?”
Beep. Beep. Beep.
My heart monitor’s pace increases, and Blair’s eyes flick to it worriedly.
“Yes, they’ve been helping, more than I thought possible. They know they messed up. But I also know how stubborn you are and told them that this may not win you back. They care about the cats, Piper. Theydo.”
A tear slides down my cheek, and I sniffle. “Yeah. I guess you can tell them, then,” I huff. “But you don’t need to tell them in the middle of the night. Just wait until tomorrow.”
I don’t want to deal with anything right now, especially the emotions that I’m trying so desperately to keep in check.
“I will.” She stands and heads to the table, grabbing her purse. “I’ll be back soon, but I need to check on the cats first.”
“Oh! Can you bring my laptop then? I want to look at potential rental spaces and post on our socials.”
She furrows her brow. “No. Go to sleep. No working until this infection is out of your body.”
