Chapter 34
ESPER
Standing in my dorm for the last time feels surreal. I haven’t stayed here very long, but this felt like the first place that was mine.
I’m back in clothes that are mine, that fit.
My leggings cling to my legs as the sweat I worked up starts to dry.
I need another shower. I try to smile as I turn to face Jewels and Lacy.
The sweetest girls in the world who decided to help me pack my things and move into the Midnight Wolves Plaza when they saw me and Asher getting into the new truck.
I hug myself as I stare out the back window. The dark night sky greets me as the curtain I kept there is in a box somewhere.
As of now, all my stuff (fairylights included) are in the truck. I asked Asher if he’d give me a moment to say goodbye and though he may not have understood, he waited for me in the truck.
The girls must have known. Maybe they’ve experienced this feeling too. People move all the time, are kicked out for any reason and they move on.
But this place, this room, was special to me.
It was the first time I was on my own. Completely. No roommate, no parents. Just me.
And I’m leaving it on bad terms.
It sort of sucks.
“It’ll be okay, cutie pie,” Jewels says as she looks around the barren room.
“You are definitely the cutie pie. I’m more the… I don’t know,” I say with a light laugh. Jewels wraps her arm around me, leaning her head on my shoulder and Lacy stands on the other side.
“Your place at Midnight is gonna blow this one out the water.”
“Lacy! It’s not about which is better.”
“It’s time I guess. I just wish I knew why they were so quick to throw me out. I hadn’t even got any warnings or anything.”
A knock brings my attention back to the room. I half expect to see Asher, checking in on me, but I see Penny instead.
“Hey,” I say.
Her eyebrows pinch together. She waves her hands around a bit and I tilt my head in confusion. “You’re leaving and weren't gonna tell me?”
“I texted you.”
“Too busy with your mates to give me a call?”
“You hate phone calls…”
“Whatever.”
“Penny—”
“What? You have backbone now? Did your mates fuck one into you?”
“Stop!” I yell. Embarrassed she’s talking to me this way, that I let it go on so long.
The comments that were once shocking coming from her are getting a bit old.
I find myself getting angrier than I have before with her.
My cheeks flush with color as I look at my first friend here.
Her ginger hair is pulled up tight in a ponytail, and she’s dressed in her usual pink tracksuit.
Yet I can't recognize the person standing in front of me.
Has she always been this damn mean?
“Don't be mad at me, you’re the one who forgot me!”
“I didn’t forget you. You stopped including me. Stopped answering my texts, leaving me out. That was you, Penny.”
The last thing I want is another fight, another tense sendoff. But this has to stop. Now.
“Oh, how convenient. You have a Pack and now you don’t need me anymore, is that it?”
“You know that's not true,” I mutter. More tired than I was when this short conversation started. I’m just… done.
She was my first friend, my closest, but now as she stands in my doorway it's like looking at a stranger. How long has it been since this flip has switched between us? When I look at her all I see is… anger. From her, from me. This isn’t ignorable anymore.
“It's fine. Now I don't even need to feel bad anymore for what I did.”
I jolt backward. “What did you do?”
“You were distracted from your studies. I did what any good friend would do.”
“And what was that?” My voice sounds flat, the answer settling in my gut like a nasty virus before she opens her mouth. I watch this person I called my best friend, and her eyes are filled with so much… anger.
I can’t even find it in me to care.
“It was you.” The accusation falls in the space, making the silence deafening.
Lacy and Jewels stand at my back, one of them running their hands up and down over my sweatshirt, but they don’t jump in.
They let me handle my business. “You sent the Resident Director a photo of my Pack in my dorm after hours.”
“Omegas always think they are the exceptions to the rules. That they get special treatment and can do whatever the hell they want with no consequences."
“You sure showed me, huh, Penny,” I say.
Her face falls. “I did.”
“Penny, I'd be homeless—”
“But you’re not—”
“No thanks to you!” I scoff. I can’t believe it… I can’t believe this is real. She was my friend. My best friend. My only— and she turned around and…
I shove my way past Penny, a terse “Don’t call me” thrown over my shoulder.
I don’t need her anymore.
Just around the corner, my eyes clash with warm brown ones. Asher stands a few feet down the hall, hoodie over his head. He opens his arms a bit and that's all it takes for me to go rushing into his arms. My tears wet the front of his hoodie, and I cry silently.
God, this hurts.
“Did you hear?” I whisper and he nods, his head on top of mine.
“And stay away from her, you jealous bitch.” Jewels' voice is loud and distinct as she storms out of the door. Lacy’s sneakers follow after her.
“And who the hell are you? Threatening me? Don’t make me call security!”
“Do what you need to, Cupcake, I don’t even go to this school,” Jewels calls back out and I can’t help but chuckle, even with sobs locked in my throat and tears streaming down my face.
“Come on, honey, we got better things to do,” she says as she pushes both doors wide open, striding outside.
“What a sick ending,” I mumble as Asher takes my hand, Lacy taking the other as we follow Jewels’ storming figure to the car.
“So I know you’ll have to unpack, but why rush it, you know? Come to my place.”
Jewels stands among the boxes and bags that now decorate Neven’s studio apartment. I take her offer like the lifeline it is.
“I could think of nothing better,” I sigh.
“Besides our nest, right? Come cuddle with me, Princess,” Reed tries to convince me, pulling on my arm. He latches onto me, kissing the top of my head.
“As much as that also sounds good—and trust me it does,” I say, leaning into Red a bit, grabbing a whiff of his sweet pancake scent before unraveling myself from him, “I need a girls’ night.”
“Yay!” Jewels cheers and is dragging me down the hall. I wonder how many members live above the bar and how many apartments they fit. It has my mind reeling on how I could fit my Pack into one space. Five folks in a studio is… tight.
We get to Jewels’ apartment. It’s a two-bedroom and the decor is as vibrant as her hair. Pastels paint the room and I try to imagine her grunge biker mates in here. Her living room has a huge projector set up with a couch so low to the floor it might as well be a bed.
“It’s a bit messy. But it’s all actually clean. Promise!” She plops down on the couch, and Lacy is quick to follow. I slowly enter the pile of rainbows on a cloud and breathe as the day replays in my mind.
Soren fighting, packing my dorm, now here, having a girls’ night.
“Here.” Lacy pulls out a baggie with the Wolves Dispensary logo on it. “I had them make gummy worms this time. Coated in the sour stuff.”
“That sounds amazing, " I say, grabbing one and taking a bite. I always limit myself to two typically, depending on how much is in each one.
Lacy snags a few worms in her fingers. “They are super low doses. I think we can have like ten each.” Jewels scrolls through movies.
“I think I have some face masks somewhere.” I want to contribute, then remember that they are lost somewhere in my bags in Neven’s room.
“Don’t worry. You’ll get us next time,” Lacy says and Jewels dashes off toward where I assume her bathroom is.
“Do we want pizza? I can at least do that,” I ask and they nod. I smile, finally feeling useful, getting up and searching for a nearby place on my phone. “Pepperoni okay?”
“Perfect!” Lacy says and I make the call. The movie is picked out, the face masks on our face, and the doorbell rings for the pizza.
I open the door, wallet in hand when I see someone I should not see but am so happy to. No, Esper. It’s girls’ night.
“What are you doing here Asher?”
“Dropping off my lovely omega’s pizza.”
“I was supposed to pay for that.”
“I got it, Moonlight.”
“Thank you,” I say and stand on my tiptoes to give him a quick peck, grabbing the pizza and attempting to shut the door, but he puts his foot in the way before I can.
“Since I got the pizza, can I hang out with you guys? Pleeeease?”
I shake my head, laughing. So that's why he paid for the pizza. Bribery at its finest.
“Girls’ night. Girls only.”
“What if I did a face mask too? My pores are so bad.”
His skin is flawless. Unfairly. And for that alone, he can’t join.
“Thank you for the pizza,” I say again.
“Jewels! Let me join please!” he shouts and I laugh, my face bright red as I shut the door.
“Bye, Asher!” I call and I can hear him laugh on the other side of the door.
“Dream of me, Moonlight.”
“How fucking cute,” Lacy says, her eyes are all wide and dreamy.
“Yeah, he’s pretty darn cute,” I say, bringing the pizza over. “Now this movie isn’t gonna watch itself, is it?”
It definitely did though. Even though we fell asleep barely an hour into it, though, it was still an amazing time.