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"Thank you, Thorn. For everything." I give a watery smile, and he gives a smirk in return. After some time, Thorn starts playing with the handle of his mug, which normally means he wants to ask something but doesn't want to make me feel uncomfortable.
"Go ahead, what's on your mind, Thorn?"
He turns a bit to face me, and though his serious face doesn't change all that much, I know whatever he is about to say is going to be a tough conversation for us.
"What's going on between you and Liam?"
I'm not sure I really want to tell him. He might go and kill him, or he might….go and kill him. Yeah, that seems like the most likely scenario, but he deserves to know.
"I'm not entirely sure where to start."
"How about you start by telling me how you two know each other? He comes from our old pack, but there is more to it."
"Observant as ever." I smile at him, and he smiles back. He puts his ankle on his knee and leans back, waiting for my story.
"Do you remember the boy I spent a lot of time with when I was ten? We were inseparable for two years, always spending time together at school or after school."
"The nerdy kid? The one who used to read National Geographic magazines?"
"That's the one." I can't help but smile at the memory. "That was Liam." Thorn makes a grunting noise, encouraging me to continue. "We met when I had escaped from the house to go swimming in the river. Mom and Dad were telling me I was putting on too much weight and needed to go on a diet. I needed to get out of the house, so I walked down to the river to be alone. I knew the far end was where everyone else swam, so I went to my usual spot to be on my own. But before I could see the river, I heard a splash, and by the time I got there, I saw someone flailing around in the water. I've always been good at swimming, so I jumped in and pulled him out. Turns out it was Liam. After we both caught our breath, we connected. Our parents were douches; he was a bit nerdy, and so was I. It was just easy. But then everything changed. In September of Liam's first year of high school, he disappeared for a week. I didn't know where he went or if he was okay. I stressed about it and even asked around, but no one would tell me or talk to me. Finally, he returned to school, but he was different. Cold. He wouldn't talk to me and actively avoided me. I didn't know what was going on, and I cried because I couldn't figure out what I had done to make him act the way he did." A tear falls from my eye because even though this happened a long time ago, it still hurts to think of it.
"You didn't do anything." Thorn leans forward and grabs my hand. I squeeze it, reassuring myself that I have moved on.
"I know that now, but then it was a hard pill to swallow. Anyway, it got worse. He stopped ignoring me and actively participated in bullying me like everyone else. It wasn't so bad that first year, but when I got into high school the next year, everyone got worse. The guys would push me around and make fun of my weight. Liam just stood there watching it, and he would join in on ridiculing my appearance as well, though never really commenting on my weight. He used to hang out with Mic, and, well, as you know, he was one of the worst bullies in the entire school—not just to me, but to everyone he thought was weaker. I tried to avoid everyone after that, to become invisible. I was heartbroken that my only friend in the pack had turned bully like everyone else. He changed, started training harder, got stronger, and became a completely different person. The last year of high school, I really didn't see him much because he had graduated and was working. I didn't know what happened to him, and by the time you came to take me away, I hadn't been told he had left the pack and moved to Twilight Meadows."
Thorn immediately stands up, but I surprisingly catch him before he gets too far.
"No, Thorn."
"I think that jackass needs to be taught a lesson."
"As much as that may or may not be true, it's been years. I have forgiven him and moved on. You need to let it go, too."
"I don't need to let go of shit."
"Please, Thorn, let it go for me." His muscles are tense. I know he is trying to control himself, but I don't think going to beat the shit out of Liam is a good idea or going to be fruitful in any way. I wasn't lying; I had been working through forgiving people so I could move forward. What I don't tell him is that Liam is also my mate, which I don't think would make this easier. Finally, he lets out a breath and relaxes slightly.
"Fine, but I'm not happy."
"When are you happy?" I can't help but be a bit snarky. It was an intense conversation, and I just want to move forward and not think about it for a bit.
Eventually, Quinn, Maddie, and Eli make it downstairs, and the house is no longer quiet, but filled with laughter and smiles. Maddie and Eli make pancakes for us all, and we sit down to eat the sugary goodness. I'm reaching for another pancake when Eli shouts, "Don't eat that one!"
"What? Why?" I ask, fork mid-air.
"Maddie licked that one and put it back." On a fake gasp, I put my hand to my chest and look at Maddie.
"Did you almost give me your germs!"
She starts to laugh so hard she nearly falls out of her chair. I grab the pancake and toss it on her plate. "Disgusting, Maddie, just disgusting." She thinks it is funny enough that she licks it again, causing Thorn to gag from the display, which makes me laugh harder. Through the laughter, we barely hear the doorbell ring, but soon Eli stands up to go answer the door.
"I got it."
"Are we expecting anyone?" Quinn wipes off her hands, getting ready to greet whoever is behind the door.
"No, not that I am aware of." I can't see the door from where I am sitting, so I continue to eat my pancakes, and we continue chatting while we wait for Eli. Suddenly, the room goes quiet except for Maddie, who shouts, "Uncle Liam!"
I whip around to see Liam following Eli into the Dining room. My heart is pounding, and I break out into a cold sweat. What is he doing here? I may have been thinking about talking to him, but I wasn't really ready yet. The bond pulls at me harder, reminding me that I desperately want to be with him. The bully turned true mate. How ironic.
