Page 3 of Awakened
“So, tonight’s it?” Emily asked as Andy set a drink in front of her.
“Yup. I make the big drive tomorrow—” I pulled my hand from hers, fanning it toward the door. “Hopefully never to return.”
Looking down at her glass, she traced the rim with her fingertip and mumbled, “Oh, come on, Celeste. Have a fucking heart. I’m going to miss you.”
Shit. I was such a bitch. Of course, my leaving hurt Emily. In the past ten years, we had never gone a day without seeing each other. She was my first friend in town. I’d been fifteen, the new kid, and lonely, and she invited me into her clique. She introduced me to what I thought was the love of my life . . .
I grabbed Emily’s hand, and she looked up with watery eyes. “Oh, Em. I’m so fucking sorry. I just can’t be here. I can’t seehim. I can’t hear abouthimandher. I can’t have the entire pack pitying me. I can’t havehiminterfering with my life. I won’t have a life here, not anymore. I don’t want to leave you. But I can’t. . . I can’t. . .”
She nodded and turned away. The whole situation was shit. She’d already tried to talk me out of leaving, citing my career and life here, but it always came back to the lack of distance I could put between me and the asshole.
Not having any new ideas on how to solve my life imploding, we both sat silently, drinking and people-watching, until she finally looked at me, her eyes full of unshed tears. “Les, I can’t know how you feel. You know I support you in whatever you need to do to get over my brother. I just want you to know that I will miss you. I love you.” She tilted her head, and her hair fell over her shoulder. “You’re my sister.”
That did it.
I pulled Emily into my chest, and her nose landed smack dab in my generous cleavage. We shook with sobs until they slowly turned into laughs, my stomach aching and my eyes watering for a whole new reason.
“Man, we’re a couple of sappy assholes.”
Emily wiped her rosy cheek with the back of her hand and snorted, “We must look like a fucking Lifetime movie.” After blowing her nose, she checked her mascara and let out a long breath. “Okay, enough. Let’s get shit faced.” She caught Andy’s eye and grinned. “Two shots, one beer, and one long island, please.”
He gave a begrudging nod. “Let’s try and take it easy, yeah?”
“Scout’s honor.” I threw up three fingers.
He dismissively shook his head and handed us our drinks.
“Don’t be like that!” Emily yelled after him as he walked to the crowded end of the bar to take orders. He spared us one middle finger before jumping into making drinks.
Maybe I’ve overstayed my welcome at my favorite watering hole.
My attempts to call out to Andy and drunkenly apologize for being a shitty patron and friend were cut off when Emily yelled out, “To leaving this fucking town and my fucking brother’s bullshit! And to our sisterhood! And to getting laid! Tonight!”
I laughed and clinked my shot glass against hers. The whiskey barely registered to me, but poor Emily nearly spat it out. As she stuck her tongue out and shook off the shot, I looked past her to a pair of dudes smiling at us. “I guess I won’t be paying for my drinks tonight after all.” I flashed them a toothy smile.
A few hours and way too many drinks later, Emily and I stumbled out of Penny’s with Blond Guy and Jeremy. Or was it Jarod?
Who could be sure?
We crossed paths with Seth and Connor as we walked across the parking lot.
“Let me give you a ride home, Les.” Seth pushed off the side of his truck, putting himself between me and the others, their drunk asses leaving me behind as they loudly lamented the price of gas.
“Nah, I’m okay. Thanks, though.” I roughly patted his chest and stepped to the side.
Conflict warred on his face, but after a few seconds, he nodded and let me walk by. Glancing at him as I passed, I noticed how tight his jaw was, but it didn’t fucking matter since he wasn’t going to do or say anything that may put him at odds with the future alpha ass-hat.
Typical Seth.
Shaking off my disappointment, I jogged to catch up with my group.
“To snacks!” Emily’s gentleman carried her on his back as she shouted about nachos and gummy bears.
Jason and I strolled hand in hand a block behind the blond stallion and Emily.
“I can’t believe you’re leaving tomorrow.” He pouted.
I took pity on the poor soul, looping my arm through his and pressing against his side. “Oh, come on now. You’re tall, dark, and adorable. You’ll be fine.”
