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“He was young when he had them,” she said defensively before her smile widened and she got that look that you only get when you’re falling hard. “He’s really amazing.”
“Good for you, then.”
“So, you and my brother?” Ellie asked, folding her hands under her chin and leaning forward, blinking up at me expectantly.
They clearly switched topic rapid fire and it was a challenge to keep up. I kind of loved it. There was no time to overthink or slip into sadness, you were forced to live in the moment. That was what I was trying so hard to do.
“It definitely came as a surprise. I didn’t even expect to meet anybody when I came to town. Lake and I were supposed to have a little reunion and then…” I trailed off, not sure what to add that wasn’t a full lie.
“Then you snagged him! So glad you’re here,” Ellie said excitedly. “He always looked so distraught. It broke my heart.”
“We both were, but we’re trying,” I offered with a small, sad smile.
“Nope, none of that, no sadness here. Bad, Ellie. New topic. You can gossip about Micah later. Is Tori coming, or can we order?”
Ellie and I blinked at Serenity, the speed of her words was a new record for tonight.
“There she is now,” Kat answered before we could say anything. I turned as a petite, blonde woman swept into the restaurant. Her hair was cut short and her smile was excited and a little anxious.
She rushed toward our table and dropped into the chair next to me, flashing me a smile before looking at the others.
“I’m so sorry I’m late. I had a dating app meet up, and ladies… it ended up being my ex,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m pretty sure that alpha is stalking me. I need a margarita or ten.”
“Wait, what?” Kat said, holding up her hand. “Girl, do we need an intervention? I think we have enough mates between all of us that we can handle anybody that’s bothering you.”
“We’re not the mafia,” Serenity said, rolling her eyes.
“Doesn’t mean that our mates won’t protect you,” Ellie countered. I’d met her alpha at the diner and from the way he handled everyone, I had a feeling he’d have no problem setting someone straight.
“No,” Tori said, “he’s harmless and more than a little misguided. He doesn’t seem to understand that Idon’tdo commitment. Packs are overrated.” She looked away and I had a feeling there was more to that than she was giving us.
“I thought the same thing until I found mine,” Serenity said gently. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who caught her reaction.
“Now look at you with eight mates,” Ellie said.
I was just taking a drink and choked on it at the mention of how many mates she had. “Wait, what?” I said, blinking over at the woman. “How the hell do you keep up?”
“We spend half the year running a charter yacht. There is plenty of time to entertain every one of those men and still have plenty of time for relaxation in the sun.”
“That sounds amazing, actually,” I said. “Your life sounds so exciting compared to mine.”
“There’s something to be said for having roots. I miss being on land sometimes, but for now, this is not a bad life.”
I couldn’t imagine traveling the world like that. I’d barely been anywhere but Lockwood and home.
“So, tell us about you,” Kat said. Now all of their attention was on me.
Oh god, the dreaded question, one I didn’t really have a great answer for.
“I’m pretty boring. I was in college for game design. I just dropped out before I came back to meet Lake.”
“So, what was the plan after you met Lake?” Serenity asked.
It was an innocent question, but I couldn’t exactly answer it honestly. You don’t just tell friends that you just met that you had no plan other than… I stopped the thought before I could take hold.
I refused to entertain that mindset anymore. It took way too long, but now I realized just how far I’d let myself fall when I lost Everett.
“No idea,” I said with a shrug. “I just needed a big change. I literally unenrolled from school, ended my lease, packed up my car, and drove here.”
