Chapter One #2
When we turned seventeen, she disappeared.
I called and called. I gave up, hurt, but I assumed she had moved on.
I thought about her all the time and hoped she would reach out.
I graduated from high school and left my father's house as fast as possible. My life went on. Years later, she found me. I wondered about her disappearance, but I didn’t want to push for answers.
Her voice was filled with sadness, and she eventually opened up.
Her family is worse than mine, and she told me a man rescued her, and took her in.
She thinks of him as a brother, and I’m grateful to him.
We have been talking about meeting for years, but life has gotten in the way.
Honestly, after writing down our dreams and fears on paper, it’s nerve-racking to meet face-to-face.
She’s always busy, so I decided to make the effort and go to her.
Flying isn’t fun, so I thought a road trip would be a better option, which is why I’m driving roughly twenty hours to get to Oregon.
I had to bust my ass, work extra shifts, and cover for other employees to take three weeks off, and I plan to make the most of it.
The events of the morning, and Brian’s connection to my dad, have reminded me to trust myself.
I’m protective of Rylee and our connection, so Brian doesn’t know where she lives.
I should have found it odd that he didn’t ask.
“Call Rylee.” I keep my eyes on the road while I wait for her to answer. I promised to let her know the moment I left.
“Are you on the road?” she answers.
“Yes. I’m driving halfway today. I got a hotel room for the night, so I should be there early tomorrow night.”
“I wish you had flown,” she grumbles.
“Getting on a metal can terrifies me. Don’t worry.”
“Haven, you look like a princess. Of course, I’m going to worry,” she sighs.
“An edgy princess,” I correct, grinning.
“Fine, I’ll give you that, but still. You have to check in constantly. I have people here who can come rescue you.”
“I can’t wait to meet them. You’ve talked about them enough.” I’m grateful my friend has found a family that gives a shit.
“They are going to love you,” she says.
“At least someone will,” I say dryly.
“What happened?”
“Brian was fucking a woman.” She gasps. “I walked in on them.”
“Asshole.”
“Yeah. I broke his nose.” She laughs. “Blood was flowing.”
“You are my hero. Brian is a loser. It’s not like you loved him,” she says.
“I know. My pride was hurt, but that’s not the worst part. My father asked him to date me.”
“No shit.”
“No shit.”
“I don’t know what to say. Who does that?”
“Apparently, he’s moved to drastic measures.”
“I think you should seriously think about moving here. He’ll have to travel to fuck with you. But at least here, I’ll have your back.”
“And give up my glamorous life?” This isn’t the first time she’s asked, and honestly, I don’t know what's holding me back. I have friends, but we aren’t close.
“Come on,” she pleads. “It’s beautiful here. There are plenty of jobs. You can live with me until you get on your feet. Even when you do, I have a spare room. You can stay as long as you want.”
“Maybe,” I mumble.
“Seriously?” she squeals.
“I’ll think about it.”
“That’s all I ask.”
“I have tons of hours to contemplate my life.”
“There is something I should tell you,” she says, and pauses.
“It sounds serious.” I thought we had been honest with each other, or as honest as our trauma would allow. Everyone has secrets.
“I can tell you when you get here.”
“How about now? You can’t say that and shut it down. I’ll spend the drive wondering.”
“Do you trust me?” she asks.
“Yes. I wouldn’t be driving two days to see you if I didn’t.”
“Maybe you should pull over,” she says.
“This information is going to cause me to crash?” I laugh. “Rylee, spit it out.”
“It’s not a big deal. You wouldn’t end our friendship. Right?” she whispers.
“You should know me better than that,” I say, frowning. “I would never cut you out of my life.” I finally found a friend who accepts me and doesn’t judge me like my family.
“I’ve almost said the words for years. Now that you're considering moving here, I have to. I’m still the same person I’ve always been.
Nothing has changed. I love you. You're my best friend. I don’t want you to wreck and blame me.
I’m not a freak or losing my mind. I’m just different. ” She stops abruptly.
“Rylee, what the fuck are you talking about?”
“Never mind, I’ll wait.”
“No, say it.” She’s worrying me more by saying nothing that makes sense.
“Haven, it can wait.”
“Just tell me.”
“It’s something I should say in person, anyway.”
“I’m not coming if you don’t tell me.”
“I’m a shifter,” she blurts. “A fox shifter. I turn into an animal.”
I don’t compute. “Uh…”
“I was born a fox shifter. I turn into an animal. It doesn’t make me any different, just more. I’m stronger than a human, and can live a long time.”
“Huh.” I blink and look ahead for an exit.
“I can shift whenever I want. It’s not like some movies where they have to have a full moon.
I’m not evil. Not saying there aren’t evil shifters.
There are bad people of every species.” I carefully exit and slow down.
“I don’t like hiding it from you. We’ve always been open and honest, and I hate holding back.
If you move here, and I didn't tell you, I would have to be secretive. My fox likes to run in the woods, and you would have questions.” I ease into the gas station parking lot. “Haven, say something,” she pleads.
I put the car in park and take a deep breath.
“Girl, I'll hold your hand while we get some tests done. I'll move in with you and take care of you. You will never be alone. I've got your back,” I say firmly.
“I’m serious.”
“Rylee—”
“I wouldn’t lie to you. I appreciate your ride or die attitude, but it’s true.”
My heart thuds. “You’re not sick,” I mumble. How is this possible?
“No. Shifters are immune to human diseases,” she states, and I laugh abruptly.
“You are a shifter. I'm human.” I rub my forehead and close my eyes. “The story,” I mutter.
“What?”
“You wrote me a story. In a letter, when we were young.” I thought she was creative when she added a story of a small fox in one of our letters. I remember telling her she should be an author.
“Yeah,” she sighs.
“I still have that letter. So, it was a true story.” I drop my hand, open my eyes, and notice the outside world hasn’t changed. For a moment, I thought I was losing it, and there would be animals strolling around where the humans used to be.
“Yes. I understand if you want to go back home. I should have admitted everything before you planned to come. I’m not dangerous unless you're a bad person, or I’m in the ring. I would never hurt you.” Rylee fights, and I was looking forward to watching her kick some ass when I got there.
“Do you remember when my crush made fun of me when I was sixteen?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“I was heartbroken. You stayed on the phone with me all night, listening to me cry, and you promised to help me bury his body. When my father locked me in my room because I dyed my hair, you told me jokes, and we planned our future. Another time, my cheek was blue and swollen when he slapped me. I had to convince you not to drive to my house and kill him. Do you remember?” I whisper.
“Of course.”
“I believe you. I love you. You have been there for me when no one else cared. I don’t care if you turn into a snake, even though they give me the creeps. I would adjust and learn to love them.” She laughs. “What?”
“Well, about the snake shifter…” She hesitates.
“No. You know one? Hold on. I need to go in the store and buy a shit ton of snacks. You're going to stay on the phone and tell me everything while I drive.” I turn off the car and grab my purse.
“Okay. I love you, Haven,” she says softly.
“Hey, if we would hide a body for each other—” I get out of the car. “Why wouldn’t I go into the woods with you and watch you run around as a fox?” I grin as her laughter bursts through the phone.
I wanted an adventure. Going to see my fox shifter friend is definitely that.