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As if hearing my thoughts, Becca reached over and picked up a glass of water and two pills. “Here, Luc left you some Advil and a Tums for when you woke up.”
“Luc?” I sat up so fast my stomach did a little lurch. I fell back into Becca’s lap with my hand over my head.
“Yeah, he’s been so sweet. You should have seen him. He caught you before you hit the floor and brought you straight up here. I think this is his private office. Here, take this; you look like you need it.”
“I do, thanks.” I chugged back the Advil and gave her back the glass. “I’ve made such an idiot of myself in front of my new neighbor.”
Becca shook his head. “No, you didn’t. Luc’s actually really concerned. He’s come by no less than six times in the last thirty minutes to check on you.”
“Really?” I could feel another blush stain my cheeks at the thought of him being so attentive. Then a thought dawned on me. “Was he the one who was in the wolf mask escorting us in?”
“Yeah. He’s Brandon’s older brother.”
“Oh!”
“Yeah, I was surprised too. Brandon doesn’t like talking about his family, though I can tell he loves them.” Becca looked sad for a moment, then she gave me a sheepish smile as she wiped her eyes. “This room must be really dusty; I keep tearing up.”
I just smiled and said, “Well, I think I should go say thanks, and then I’d like to head home.”
“Okay. I’m sorry for pushing you, Jill. I’m just so happy you’re okay.”
I looked at Becca and saw tears forming again in the corner of her eyes. “Oh, Becca, don’t be sorry. You’re the one who got me out of my tight spot in the first place. You’re the best friend a girl could have.” I sat up to give her a tight hug. “Look, if you’ll go make the request to have them play our song, I’ll do a quick dance with you before we head out. We’ll call it my first dance in a new world.”
She laughed, and a smile crossed my lips in return. After ruining her night, it was the least I could do to let her have a little fun before I dragged us out.
“You’re up,” announced a familiar voice.
I turned to see Luc standing at the door with his mask off, a concerned look on his face. A part of me wanted him to come over and wrap me in his arms, but I pushed that thought quickly out of my mind. It was ludicrous. We didn’t even know each other.
I gave him a small smile. “Yeah, I am. Becca told me what you did for me. Thank you.”
“It was nothing. How are you feeling?” He walked over and leaned on the edge of his office desk.
“I’m doing much better. I was just telling Becca that if she could request our song, we’d dance a number before heading out.”
“You should stay,” he said in that deep voice that resonated inside me.
We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, and I couldn’t help thinking that I wanted to stay . . . with him.
Becca broke the moment by asking, “Would your band be able to play YMCA?”
The shock that came over Luc’s face almost made me convulse into laughter. It was an odd request, and I couldn’t remember the last time we’d went to a party where YMCA was played. But this was Becca’s and my song. It always made people laugh or scoff, and we loved it. We used to belt it out and dance all around her room when we were kids. Rich hated it and had refused to let me listen to it, which meant it was the one thing I knew that could make everything right again about tonight. Playing that song would erase all the memories that had tipped me over the edge.
Much to his credit, Luc nodded. “Yes, I think we can play that song.” He tried to hide it, but I saw a small smile inching up at the corner of his mouth. He left us to go and relay the message to the band while Becca and I reconfigured our costumes in anticipation for our song.
Luc
YMCA?That was the song she wanted to dance to? It was at odds with her reaction earlier. I’d heard her heart rate spike when she was standing in line to enter, and after watching her run off into the woods and vomit, then catching her faint in the club soon after had played havoc with my emotions. I felt like I had already competed in a marathon tonight, and the party had only just started. The question that kept replaying in my mind was what could have possibly made her react in those ways?
Damon said she had been looking at them before she ran off into the woods. Just the fact she moved away from the lit building made me queasy.
It had been torture trying to keep away from her all week. It was a small town, and I had wanted to extend an invitation to her to attend the party, but I couldn’t seem to get myself to ask. That would have meant having to stand close to her again, and as much as my wolf wanted me to, I couldn’t do it.
Thank goodness Brandon came to the rescue. Brandon could read me like no one else could. He was a year younger than me and had a thing for Becca. Why he didn’t do anything about it was anyone’s guess, but he kept close to her at all times, regardless. When he finally found out I wanted to ask Jill to the party, he said he’d ask Becca and Jill on my behalf. The relief that had washed over me was embarrassing. I didn’t even know Jill, yet the draw to be with her was so deep I’d been having trouble sleeping.
When Brandon reported back that the two girls were coming to our Halloween party, I’d tried to hide the burst of happiness the news brought, but he saw right through me. He warned me to keep my feelings on the down-low in case this was just a temporary infatuation, but he had no idea what I was experiencing. Brandon didn’t know the way my skin tingled when I heard Jill walking by my door every day, or how it was all I could do to not follow her everywhere she went to make sure she was safe. He also didn’t know I was on edge the whole time she was away and could only calm down when I heard her door click shut at the end of the day, knowing she was once again safe in the building with my pack guarding her.
Jill
