The wolf turns back, his head cocked, half smile playing around his mouth.
“Cory.”
50
JULIET
After visiting Roderick before work,I don’t think I’ll be able to make it through my shift without picking apart every piece of our conversation. That’s definitely how I spend the first few hours. But then Thad comes in, asking for my help researching thyroid cancer.
Apparently, his human father just got diagnosed.
We spend an hour seeking out academic articles and medical publications that could help clarify what the guy is going through and can expect.
Thad is amazing with computers, so I doubt he actually needed my research help. My guess is, he just wanted someone to talk to. A human, who might better understand the fear of such a deadly illness.
Cancer is not normally a werewolf problem.
“Will you go visit him?”I ask.
“I want to. But they live in Bear Valley. I’m not welcome there anymore.”
With Thad’s mother still being a pack member, I’m assuming his switch to Pine Falls didn’t go over well. Even if the Utah pack never appreciated him when they had him. Thad going there without permission could get violent.
“Would they come see you here?”
“I don’t want to ask my dad to travel.”
We share a commiserating frown before I go to collect another article we printed.
After months of signing with Thad, I’m finding myself approaching something like fluency in American Sign Language. He barely uses his voice when it’s just us, and I’m comfortable now with the different grammatical structure of the language, my mind more easily translating his gestures into full, nuanced sentences.
On my way back to the computer we are working on, I glance at the clock and realize my shift ended five minutes ago. I have plans to meet up with Tanya tonight. At the Thanksgiving gathering, she mentioned she was struggling with writing essays for her English class. Books are my jam, so I offered to tutor her over a plate of nachos from the food truck parked just off Main Street.
But I don’t like the idea of abandoning Thad to deal with this alone or making him feel like he has to hurry. Only, when I reach his side, he seems to be packing up.
“Are you leaving?” I ask.
He sighs. “If I read any more, my brain will explode. I think I need time.”
I nod, helping him gather all the papers we printed and made notes on.
“I’m sorry. Please come back if you need to search more. Or need to talk.”
Thad offers a heartbreaking smile, and no matter how much I’m falling in love with Roderick, I think Thad is the handsomest man I’ve ever seen.
A sentiment I’ll keep to myself.
I grab my coat and purse, and we walk out together. He pulls out of the library’s parking lot on his bike, and I start up my reliable station wagon. As I head toward Main Street, I brush my thumbs over the worn steering wheel. The smart thing to do would be to sell the car. Just in case any connection could be made.
But I feel sentimental toward the vehicle that broke me out of Bear Valley. I push the idea away for another time as I parallel park a block down from the parking lot of an abandoned Laundromat that Sylvia’s Tacos has commandeered.
Despite it being a mobile operation, there are multiple tables set up with strategically placed heaters, warding away the early December chill. The smell of strong spices greets me as I approach and catch sight of Tanya waving at me from the table she’s claimed.
“I already ordered the nachos supreme and a pair of virgin margaritas,” the teenager says by way of greeting. “I need to pretend like I’m drinking alcohol after the therapy session I had today.” There’s a sprawl of books in front of her with hand-scribbled notes in the margins.
That last statement catches my attention, and I sit down hard across from Tanya. “You go to therapy?”
She snorts. “Yeah. You might have heard, my home life isn’t the most stable in the world.” That’s putting it mildly, with her mom getting kicked out of town by her brother. “Plus, Courtney said if I went, I could borrow her spare truck when I get my license back.Shedoesn’t think I hit the cop car on purpose.”
