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“When Pac left, I had a sinking feeling he was going to try something out of desperation, because I now saw him for who he was. Your mom and I immediately went searching for all of you. We found Dredge and Luc with no problem, but you and Sandy were harder to find.”
Mom spoke up. “You were always so afraid of water that we didn’t think to look near the pond until we’d searched everywhere else.”
My gut twisted at the explanation. I shared, “Sandy had been bringing me to the pond for a few minutes each day to get me used to it.”
Sandy put an arm around me and rubbed my back. “We love you, Brandon. You did the best you could that day as a young pup. I was a fool for believing everything Pac said to me.”
I leaned in and gave her a hug back, silently acknowledging her words. I was unable to speak right now; the emotions were running high.
“We were able to catch Pac’s scent after finding you on the ground by the pond,” Dad said. “You did nothing wrong, son. You were brave and stood up for your sister.”
Sandy added, “If not for you, Pac would have taken me sooner, and Dad might not have been able to find me so quick.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. “Alright, stop! You guys are making me soft.” I lifted a hand and wiped at the tears streaming down my face.
“We’ll only stop so long as you understand that it wasn’t your fault that Pac took Sandy. You didn’t fail her, Brandon, and I’ll hear no more of it. Now, go get Becca,” Mom said. “You deserve to be happy, and so does she.”
“But what about leaving the pack? Becca has moved away from here.”
“Bring her home,” Luc said. “Jill is here. You’re here. You mean more to her than you believe. She won’t say no to coming home with you—provided you explain how much of an idiot you’ve been.”
I nodded. He was right. I would go see her this weekend.
Becca
Thomas pickedme up at six-thirty on the dot. He was dressed sharply in black slacks and a blue button-down shirt, and the waft of his scent was stronger today. He didn’t fill out the shirt like Brandon did, but it didn't matter, because my body and mind still responded to him.
“Becca, you look beautiful. Breathtaking, really.”
I blushed. They were the words I had dreamed Brandon saying to me over and over again. “Thank you. Ready to go?” I wanted to be back in my bed and snuggled up with my teddy before midnight, because although Thomas was a good distraction, my heart was still aching.
We got to Le Pont right when Millie got there, and it was so good to see her. We entered a posh restaurant. Everything shouted extravagance but in a sleek modern way. We were seated in a private room where two other girls had already arrived. When we entered and everyone saw each other, the squealing was something else, and I found myself standing close to Thomas to get away from it.
After greeting her friends, Millie turned to gesture at me and Thomas. “Everyone, this is Becca and Thomas. They’re my new friends from Crystal Lake. And these are my best friends from middle school—Tamara or Tammy, and Jocelyn or Jozy.”
Everyone shook hands, and then a thought came to me. “Does that mean Millie stands for something else?”
“You haven’t told her?” Tammy said.
“It hasn’t come up in conversation,” Millie said. “And yes, it’s short for Millicent. I got made fun of when I was younger because it sounded like Maleficent, so I’d rather just be called Millie.”
“Of course,” Thomas and I said together.
“Well, let’s sit. No need to be standing around like this.” Millie gestured to the table that was already laden with food.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Jozy said. “We got here early and decided to order everything so it was here by the time you got here.”
“No, this is fantastic,” I said. “I wouldn’t have known what to order, anyways. My friend, Jill, is usually the one who orders for us.”
Tammy passed us a dish of lamb and green pepper, which smelled divine. “This is one of the best Taiwanese restaurants here. Their specialty is a crab steamed over fried rice, which is coming. It just takes a bit more time.”
“I can’t imagine more food coming. This is a feast,” Thomas said.
“Stay with me. I’ll feed you well,” Millie said, and her friends laughed.
“She sure will. She’d order everything off the menu if we didn’t stop her. Another reason why we ordered before you got here.”
I smiled at the comradery the girls had. This was what I needed. With Jill settling down with her life partner and me not going in that direction, I needed a group of girls to hang out with.
