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And the second.
I grabbed the wrapper and shoved it back into the bag. “It’s nothing.”
“You know what? I’m tired of you two lying to me.”
I fumbled with the strap of the duffle. “Kiara, just let me explain—”
“No, I don’t want to hear it.” She took a shaky breath. “I guess he did get laid. But maybe it wasn’t good enough.”
That sharp comment made me want to snap at her. It made me want to burn bridges. It made my whole chest feel like she had launched a grenade right at it. I turned to her with a pained expression and did what Eric had done downstairs.
I shrugged. “Whatever, Kiara. It’s weird how weird you’re being about this right now. Seriously, get a life.”
And then I left.
And I tried to pretend it didn’t hurt to walk away.
***
As soon as I packed my bags into my car, I drove into town and pulled up at the nearest café. I didn’t want coffee or tea. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. I just wanted a moment to think about my next move and whether I should go back for Eric.
My friendship was already ruined. Why not scoop him up and take him with me back to Greenville? I held my phone loosely in my right hand while considering my options. The task was complete. I didn’t owe anyone anything. Especially not the alphas who weren’t my alphas.
Sure, I respected them. I admired them in certain ways for their brave and graceful leadership. But they weren’t my leaders. I didn’t belong to their pack, therefore I didn’t need to practice their customs. I only called Eric mine because he had scrambled my brain by plowing me something fierce.
I frowned at my phone screen. No text or call from Kiara yet. Perhaps that was okay for now in the logical part of my brain, but it hurt to see that she wasn’t coming after me to talk. She had just written me off that fast. That was fine by me. The only person I wanted to talk to at this point was Eric.
I sent him a text that read, “I just need some time to think. I’ll call you soon,” and left it at that. Short, simple, and unmistakably professional despite how much I wanted to fawn over him. But now wasn’t the right time for that. I could do that later. If there was a later.
With a sigh, I slid my phone between my thighs and popped the car into reverse. I checked my mirrors, pulled out of the space, and drove leisurely through town. Nowhere to go. Nothing to do. I could pull off into an empty lot and portal my way back home.
Or I could go somewhere that no one knew where to find me.
Athens had been a chore. A delight. A wonder. And a turn-on in so many ways.
It had also been stressful, strange, and tedious. I met Eric’s ex-girlfriend, narrowly escaped injury, and then had sex with my best friend’s dad in a meadow. That was a lot. No one could blame me for taking time to myself, right?
Right.
Space was good. Space would give me clarity. Especially with how that tall tale crumbled to the ground. I was technically kicking through the rubble now, or at least that was what Papa would probably say. You’re kicking up rocks, girl. Grab a broom. Ugh, where was my sense of direction? Discretion?
Consideration would have gone a long way. If I had just waited, then I wouldn’t have accidentally dropped a stupid condom wrapper in front of my best friend. She was probably pulling her hair out, trying to figure out why I hadn’t said anything—or why I hadn’t bothered honoring a promise I had made to her.
This was my fault. I deserved to feel bad about it.
I really didn’t want to ditch my car. Beaufort wasn’t a troublesome town, but it would probably be alarming for Eric to come across my abandoned vehicle. I didn’t want him to worry about me. Maybe not ever again. I was still trying to decide what to do.
A drive would give me time to think. I was about two-and-a-half hours from the Navarro safehouse in Sumter. That should be plenty of time to think about everything I had done wrong and what I could do to make it right.
But the longer I sat at the wheel, the worse the shame grew until I was practically hunched over the dash with my guilt eating me alive. By the time I made it to the safe house, I was worn out from obsessively reviewing the events of the weekend. I parked in front of the trailer, turned off the car, and sat there for a while, staring at my headlights that splashed the tin panels and rickety wooden porch.
I sat there until the lights turned off. Then, the whole car was plunged in darkness. Out this way, shadows were a blessing. This place was souped up with enough magical defenses to protect any country’s leader without hiring a security team. The wards alone could make Merlin piss himself with how powerful they were.
After a deep breath, I stepped out of the car and into the crisp night. A chorus of crickets and frogs sang in all directions, engulfing me in a childhood comfort I desperately needed. Ah, that was like the nights I spent on the back porch with my Papa. He would light a citronella candle to keep the mosquitos away, pack his pipe with fresh tobacco, and crack a couple of beers for us to sip.
Life was different now. Nothing really felt the same. That was why being with Eric was beautiful for me—because it felt like I was embracing life instead of running away from it. Since my father passed, I was just reading off a script and checking off lists. It was mechanical and absurd.
But not Eric. He was warm and sweet. He was kind and considerate. He was crushing, larger than life, and generous in his affection. He lit me from within, and he made me squirm. What more could a woman ask for in a partner?
