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“That looked intense, is everything okay?” Her beautiful grey skin is flushed with health and those dark circles under her eyes are gone. It’s great to see her this happy and healthy again, which just makes what I’m about to admit all the harder.
“I need to tell you something,” I say seriously.
She plops down onto the arm of the couch and clutches my arm. “Goddess, you’re pregnant aren’t you? Three guys railing you all the time will do that, you numpty! Birth control, woman. How many ti—” I cover her mouth with my hand, eyes practically fucking saucers.
“Damn, Lexi, no I am not pregnant. For your information, I haven’t slept with any of the guys yet,” I grumble, removing my hand from her mouth and crossing my arms like a petulant child. Gods, one, I’d never be so careless because I’m in no way ready for a child, and two, because I don’t want kids. That is why I am already very much on a foolproof birth control potion. I take it every six months. Shaking the thoughts on children away, I refocus on Lex. “What I need to tell you is about Ethan. He’s stalking me.”
Lexi’s features pinch as she absorbs the information, and her scales flare before returning to normal. “Say that again,” she murmurs, eyes narrowing on me.
Shit, she’s going to fucking kill me for keeping this from her. Cringing I oblige. “Ethan is stalking me.”
She cocks her head to the side, lips pressed into a line. “Since when? Because you haven’t said a damn word about this to me. So this better be a recent thing.” She gets to her feet, pacing back and forth as what I’ve said sinks in. She whirls on me, pale blue eyes glinting dangerously when I take too long to answer.
“Since the beginning of term.” I hang my head to avoid her eyes. I should have just told her. But I didn’t want to set her back, goddammit. She’s doing so well now.
She lets out a long sigh and I see her shoulders sag in my peripheral vision. “Why didn’t you tell me? I can understand at the start, but once I was doing better? I mean, Iamdoing better.”
I bite my lip, fumbling for an answer for a few seconds before letting out a tired breath. “I know.” Swallowing hard, I meet her eyes. “I just…didn’t want to lose you again.” It was weak of me. That image of her in my head when we found her and when she first started seeing me again will haunt me forever. I couldn’t let her go back to that, so I withheld the information about Ethan. I also wanted to protect her, but I’m sure she already knows that.
My eyes burn, threatening to tear up but I shove the urge away. I won’t use my tears against her, I’m in the wrong for keeping this from her, I’m not going to turn myself into the victim instead.
Lexi stands, paused in front of the TV, eyes fixed out the window. She clenches and unclenches her jaw and I stay where I am, happy to give her as long as she needs to figure out how she feels. She usually takes the big-sister-slash-mama-bird role in our friendship. Taking care of me, offering me wisdom, giving me shit so I don’t get a big head, and bailing me out when I need it. I do all the same for her, but she hardly ever needs it.
Finally she lets out a breath, the rigidness to her body melts away and she sets her shoulders back. Those pale blue eyes land on me, lips pursed. Lexi’s throat bobs as she seems to search for the right words. “I… I can see why you kept it from me. If our positions were reversed then I can’t say I wouldn’t have done the same thing… And I know that if he were displaying any type of behaviour that hinted towards hurting us or you, then you would’ve told me.” Her eyes flit around the room and she walks back to the couch and sets her hands down on the arm of it. “Which means that he’s either escalated, or threatened someone other than you.” I snort despite the serious issue and duck my chin, a tiny smile dancing on my lips. She knows me too well.
“Something like that,” I mutter and push to my feet. It’s time I show her everything, then she can fill me in on what we originally met up this afternoon to talk about.
Shoving my emotions to the back of my mind, I grab the stack of photos I’ve been compiling—the ones I’ve taken of Ethan’s presents. I hand them over to her, then after she’s flicked through them, her face paling but expression not shifting from neutral, I give her the ones of the doll and the photographs he’d left for me to find. While she looks through them I take a few steps back, and stay silent, giving her all the time she needs.
After she’s had some time to absorb everything, her pale eyes meet mine. “Have you told the guys yet?”
I cringe, and shake my head prompting her to toss a throw pillow at my head. “Why the hell not? Please, please, please don’t tell me that it’s because you want to keep them out of trouble, or safe, hun. Because, trust me those boys are halfway to head-over-heels for you, Nessa. They would not hesitate to help, and if you think that they aren’t opinionated enough to tell you no, on the off chance that they don’t want to help you, then you don’t know them very well. They’re fucking monsters, Nessa. Strong ones. Corin is literally a Lycan, you have nothing to worry about,” she says, completely serious before chucking another pillow at my head.
I let my head drop back. “I know. I’m a fucking dumbass alright.” I purse my lips and quirk a brow at her. “Well, I’m not so sure about the whole head-over-heels thing, but the rest of everything you said. You know I struggle with stuff like this.” I drop my eyes, but square my shoulders. “I’m going to tell them. I was already going to before I spoke with you, but you’ve made me feel better about my decision.”
“Good,” Lexi says, dipping her head in a nod while muttering under her breath about dumbasses and stupid monsters. I press my lips together to hold in a laugh at her, and toss a pillow back at her.
“Now on the subject of the guys, have they gotten their heads out of their asses yet and asked you to date them?” Lexi asks casually, and I almost swallow my own tongue.
“Say what now?”
“Oh, don’t play dumb with me. You might not have slept with any of them, but don’t think I don’t see what’s going on between all of you. Halfway to head-over-heels, remember?” she says tapping the side of her head.
I shake my head at her. “No they haven’t asked me out.”
“Well get ready for it, hun, because it’s coming. And if they don’t hurry up, then I’ll smack some sense into them.”
I shake my head and say weakly, “Hey, I could always ask them.”
“Oh Nessa, I love you, but I also know you. This is one area you’re unsure about, which is perfectly fine because you have three confident men who can bring it up for you. You don’t have to be the leader in every part of your life, you can let others help you out,” she says sternly and I nod, some of the tension in my shoulders easing.
When I let out a breath she stands up and does a little shimmy, grinning at me. Alright, let's do some research on the dark web.” I laugh at her enthusiasm and get to my feet as well. Damn, I should have enlisted her to help with Ethan earlier.
“So I think I’ve figured out what’s going on with your magic,” Lexi says, not looking away from her computer screen. “But first, I’d like to mention that I’ve alerted all my online contacts in the area and yours about Ethan.”
I freeze, body tensing. “What?”
She sends me a slightly impatient look over her shoulder at my hard tone. “Relax, Nessa. I alerted them to the fact that we wanted information about Ethan or anyone who had his description and/or hunting style. I’m not stupid, I know you didn’t share everything with me, but we’ve worked together enough to know that I have your back.”
