ღEASTONღ

  ❦ THREE MONTHS LATER ❦ 

My head fucking hurts. It's been hurting all morning. 

Maybe afternoon... Shit, what time was it anyway?

I groaned into my hands, rubbing them against my face to ease the throbbing in my temples but it just seemed to make it worse. Not even putting slight pressure was helping. 

Keeping my eyes shut tight, I let my ears hone in on the silence throughout the house. I had to concentrate more than usual to keep still. Normally the silence could help me relax. Help me ease this God damn drumming in my head. 

But the silence only seemed louder than I liked... if that made any fucking sense at all.

This was the focus of my time today. Trying to ebb the fucking headache that won't stop!

I let out a long tired sigh, leaned against my chair and tilted my head back. 

I think I'll just sit here. It's not like I had to worry about this headache getting any worse. I remembered that I had locked the front door specifically because I didn't want to deal with this pain and people all at once so that wasn't going to be an issue---

"Hello...? Easton? Easton, are you here?"

My eyes snapped open, staring at the bare ceiling.

Fuck! I locked the door! I know I did!

Narrowing my eyes as the intruder kept calling for me, a low growl vibrated out of my chest. Sitting up slowly to not aggravate my head, I leaned my arms on the table. My gaze fell on the half-empty beer bottle poised in front of me. 

Looking past it, I did a once-over of the six other bottles that I'd emptied earlier. I couldn't even remember the taste from how quickly I downed them. 

I stared back to the beer bottle that I was almost finished with. 

Frowning, I studied the small amount I had left. Wondering if I should just chug it down.

"Easton? Hello? Where are you?"

Shutting my eyes, furrowing my brows, and scrunching my nose, I growled again.

Obviously, if I don't fucking answer it's because I want everyone to think I'm not fucking here.

Isn't that how that works?

Unable to feel the energy to say anything, I slumped forward, resting the side of my face on the table. The surface of it was cold and chills ran down my spine from the surprise of it. I stared off, my ears picking up on the intruder's shoes approaching what I thought was a good hiding spot. 

Apparently, not. 

"There you are, Easton! I'd been looking all over for you. Why didn't you answer me?"

Drolly staring at the grandfather clock in the hall, I mumbled, "Go away." 

But that was too much to ask for...

I could feel them standing beside me, feeling their stare. Narrowing my eyes, I fought to not give in to looking at them.

"Have you just been sitting here, Easey Peasy?"

I scrunched my nose, growling at the stupid nickname.

"And what is all this...?" 

"Beer," I mumbled, rolling my eyes as I scoffed, "What the fuck does it look like?"

He was quiet for a moment before replying that it looked like I was drinking myself to death. 

"This can't be good for you, Easton... Not if you're drinking this much every day. Even if are you a Werewolf."

I crossed my eyes, forcing out a breath through lip bubbles. I even added a long, annoyed groan.

"Spare me the fucking lecture. Please," I widened my eyes when saying 'please' and added that my sister had already given me an earful of needing to stop drinking so much. 

"Well since she gave you one already, I guess I won't," he sighed, pulling a chair out and letting the legs scrape against the wooden flooring. I winced, gritting my teeth while shutting my eyes tightly.

Growling, I pressed my hand to my ear.

"Fuck, Roman! I just said that I wasn't feeling good and you come in here making more noise than necessary!" 

I shut my eyes, scrunching my nose as I groaned from the headache starting to increase. 

"First of all..."

My eyes snapped open, feeling my wolf side taking over when my lip curled. I narrowed my eyes, slowly lifting my head and turned to shoot a look at the fucking pest sitting so nonchalantly in his seat. He had one elbow resting on the back of the chair and his other on the table.

Roman raised his brows, pointing at me with the lazy hand on the table, "You didn't say you weren't feeling good. Had you... I would have approached you more delicately."

The growl rumbling from behind my lips affected him little. In fact, he ignored it. He just shrugged that he was sorry for the noise, but that it was technically the alcohol affecting my system and making every little sound so amplified.

"Shut uuuuup..." I groaned, shutting my eyes and dropped my head into my arms. 

The darkness helped a little. 

"You're really hungover... aren't you?" Roman asked, his brows furrowed when I peered an eye at him. He looked at the other bottles that I had drank then looked back at me. "Or... Easton... Are these from this morning!?"

I winced, growling at the moron to shut up and stop shouting! 

Clamping my hands over my ears, I rested my forehead on the cool surface of the table. I let out a long groan, muttering to myself that I felt like shit. 

"Hmph..." 

I didn't move from where I was, but my eyes looked upward before grumbling, "What. What do you have to say now?" 

"Nothing..." he shrugged a shoulder, looking at the empty beer bottles. "I just came over to check on you. To see how you were since your sister was worried. Said that you had a long night."

Rolling my eyes, I muttered under my breath for him to mind his own business. 

"I would..." his brows rose, eyes widening a bit. "But your sister thinks that you could use a male companion since she's female and you wouldn't really budge with being open to your feelings." 

"And what fucking makes you think ... I'll do that with you?" I scoffed, giving him an incredulous look. 

Roman raised a brow, his green eyes had a glint in them as they narrowed slightly. 

"I'd have to say you wouldn't if you already had someone around for your self-pity talk."

"Fuck you, Roman!" I snapped, knowing what he was hinting at. 

He leaned forward, eyes narrowing further.

"Tell me then... Tell me that fucking spineless, shit-for-brains, tiny-ass dickwad wasn't here last night! And every night for the past few months!"

I remained silent. My lip curling as my gaze hardened. He wasn't backing down even though I looked ready to punch the shit out him. Had it not been for this fucking headache!

Roman scoffed, shaking his head as he leaned back in his chair. He let out a long sigh, lowering a brow. He continued staring at the table, frowning at it.

"You're a mess, Easton."

He glanced at me. That serious look of his still there. I knew he wasn't teasing at the moment like earlier. 

I turned away, my fingers reaching for the bottle in front of me and slowly twisted it around to keep myself occupied.

And from Roman's judging stare.

I mumbled that I was fine. That I just drank a little too much today... and the night before. 

Then Roman laughed. 

My eyes widened a moment, turning to frown at him and see that his laugh was more in disbelief  because he thought what I said was ridiculous. Since he said exactly that. 

"You're fucking unbelievable, Easton. And you won't admit how far to a new low you've dropped to," he sighed with disappointment.

Roman looked up at me, frowning, "So what's gotten you so pissed-drunk every night that you wake up like this to do it all over again?"

It was better I stayed quiet. My headache hadn't even hinted at easing up and now was only escalating with straining between having to listen to fucking Roman, and me talking wasn't helping any either since my voice sounded so amplified.

So I didn't answer. I just continued twisting the bottle around and raised a brow as a silent way for him to know that I wasn't going to speak.

Slapping his hands on the table, Roman shouted, "Snap the fuck out of it, Easton! Stop being such a pussy dipshit and talk to me!" 

Growling, my gaze snapped to his. 

"Talk!? You want me to talk to you!? What the fuck for, Roman!? Huh!?"

I leaned forward, sneering, "How do I benefit exactly from me being so open with you? Hm? What exactly do I get out this little---" I lifted my hand, making a face as I wiggled my fingers a little, "---pseudo chummy pep-talk you're trying here?"

Sighing, Roman shook his head, "I just think you could use a different kind of outlet other than---," he waved lazily at the empty bottles, "---drinking yourself to death or--- or losing yourself in meaningless sex with Fuckwad Leo."

My eyes flicked to his and he must have seen my agitation. 

Roman swallowed, frowning down at the table for a second then looked at me.

"I'm... I'm just trying to be a friend to you, Easton. Like I should have when we were kids."

I startled him when I slammed my fists on the table as I stood up so fast that my chair was knocked backward. He stared up at me in a cautious way as I fought every fiber in my body to not stick his head in the oven. 

Gritting my teeth, I felt the wolf side of me taking over; my teeth elongating as I snapped back, "If you wanted to be my fucking friend so badly, Roman, you wouldn't have gone and fucked up what life I had left!" 

Roman blinked, his brows furrowing in confusion before it sunk in what I was referring to. 

He narrowed his eyes, turning his head slightly to stare me down as he rose slowly to his feet. His jaw tightened until he was at his full height. 

"I hope... you're not talking about what I think... you're talking about..." 

I growled back, baring my teeth. 

"You know God damn well what I'm talking about, you lousy piece of shit!"

Roman scoffed a laugh, shaking his head. He crossed his arms in front of him, raising his brows as he nodded, "Wow... I was wondering when that was going to come up."

My chest was breathing a lot heavier than I liked, always a telling of my temper climbing. 

He narrowed his eyes, shaking his head.

"I am not going to apologize, Easton! I have nothing to feel sorry about and I don't regret a fucking damn thing!" 

"Nothing!? Nothing, Thorton!?" I shouted, his face surprised at me calling him by his first name for the first time in years. 

I pointed at him, gritting my teeth, "You! You fucked everything up! You are just going to stand there and try to tell me that you don't know what you did!?"

"I didn't do anything, Easton!"

"Yeah, I know you didn't!" I snapped back in the middle of what he was saying.

Roman raised his brows, eyes wide as he stepped back and pressed his hands against his chest and scoffed. 

"Then I don't understand why you are so fucking pissed at me fo---"

"HE MET SOMEONE ELSE, ROMAN!"

The other Were fell silent. His green eyes wide, blinking a few times. His brows furrowed slightly as I huffed out a breath. I tried to swallow but it hurt too much. 

Stepping back, I shut my eyes and pressed my fingertips against them. I took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. I kept my fingers against my eyelids, finding it the only way to actually be able to finish what I wanted to say.

A little calmer though.

"He met someone else... And you let him."

Dropping my hands to my sides, I looked up at Roman who for once was quiet. His brow lowered slightly, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his sweater. 

Shrugging a bit, Roman muttered, "I don't know what you want me to tell you, Easton. I really don't. But like I said, I'm not gonna apologize for that. He's... Easton... Kale's my best friend..."

I squeezed my eyes shut hearing his name. It stung. It hurt so much that I let myself slump back into my chair after pulling it upright.

Roman remained standing, looking away as he let out a long slow breath. He waited a moment until I looked up at him.

"I have no control over what Kale does... or feels. I can't just... just tell him that he needs to hold out for you until you decide to pull your head out of your ass." 

The Were sat back in his chair, hands still in his pockets. We sat there a few minutes.

Shrugging, Roman went on to say, "I know it won't make you feel any better... but just so you know, he wasn't looking for someone else." 

His brows furrowed, letting his gaze fall to the table.

"It just happened."

I looked upward, swallowing the lump in my throat and fought to push back the tears threatening to block my vision. 

I could feel Roman staring at me. But I didn't know what to say anymore. What to do. 

Roman took the opportunity to fill the silence. 

He nodded in the direction of the empty bottles and asked if that was why there was a number of them. I frowned, looking down at the table but it only gave me away. Roman pursed his mouth to the side, glancing at me. 

"When's the last time you had that fuckwad here?"

Rolling my eyes at who he was referring to, I shook my head and stared at the wall as I muttered that I hadn't seen Leo for weeks. That I couldn't. It felt wrong and... and I was too angry at myself for even wanting to try and start that up again. 

Lowering a brow, Roman eyed me. He narrowed his eyes and stated, "But you slept with him. Right? Before you decided to stop?"

I grimaced, slanting my jaw to the side and kept my eyes shut when I nodded. 

"Jesus, Easton... C'mon!" 

Without looking at him I could tell he was disappointed in my decisions. That he had hoped I would have taken the high road instead of the shitty one that I always take to relieve my anger. I honestly wanted to take that high road. And yet I let myself down. 

I admit. I fucked around with Leo a few times after that day that I was reunited with my sister. And then when all that shit hit the fan. 

I don't understand how I could do it before. How I could just drink and fuck without giving a shit. Not a single fuck was given back then... not one. 

But those nights I spent with Leo... that week I had forced myself to be my old self again... made me feel sick. 

I couldn't... couldn't stomach it any longer. 

I think I hurled every time I remembered myself for that week taking on this dominate asshole role and how Leo couldn't get enough of it. I remember hugging my toilet after throwing up for the third time that morning. 

After flushing it all down, I pushed away from the toilet and laid back on the cold tile. I stared up at the ceiling and all I started thinking about was Red. 

Now that I wasn't on a fucking rampage I was so embarrassed by how I acted. I caused a major rift between my best friend and his family... my friends... but especially with Red. 

I fucking almost killed him! 

I didn't even realize what I did until my friends brought me home that day.

Valentine had to hold me down to shout at me that I needed to calm the fuck down because I didn't even know what I did. When I snapped out of my rampage, I frowned at him, asking what he was talking about. 

Vi rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she sat on my couch and scoffed, "You fucked up royally Genius."

"Fuck you, Violet!" I snapped but Jonah was the one who turned around and shot right back, "No! Fuck you, Easton!"

He pointed at me, his face reddening as he told me that his little brother would have ripped me apart for what I said about Thea.

He must have seen the confusion on my face because he huffed that I called Auric a 'traitor' and then backed that up by saying that his loyalty was with his wife... who I apparently labeled the worst person in the world. 

I frowned, looking down at the floor as I rested my elbows on my knees. 

"I said that...?"

"Yes," Valentine nodded, then sighed that that wasn't the worst of it.

"There's more?" I widened my eyes. 

Jonah rubbed the back of his neck, brows furrowing as he mumbled that Thea almost tore me to pieces because I lashed out on her cousin. My eyes widened, sitting up and looked at the trio before standing up.

"What---What do you mean!? What happened to Red?" 

Valentine stood up at the time I did and was in the middle of trying to calm me down but I shouted at him to let go of me! 

"Calm the fuck down, Easton! It's already done!"

I didn't even get a chance to escape my giant of a friend because he wrapped his arms around me and lifted me off my feet. I kept shouting at him to let go of me and that I needed to go back!

"You can't go back there, Easton!" 

"I have to!" 

"Easton! Stop it!"

"Valentine, let go of me! I'm fucking serious!" 

Without warning the giant ass of a friend slammed me face first onto my couch. He pressed his hand against the side of my head as I was muffling curse words and warnings that I was going to kill him.

"Yeah..." Valentine frowned, nodding, "Just like you almost did with Kale!" 

I froze. 

I could hear my heartbeat beating so loud and fast in my head and I whispered, "What?"

Valentine's hold softened, him sitting down heavily. He looked down at the floor while informing me that during my blind rage, I clawed Red in the neck. And it was pretty bad

My friend glanced my way.

"You're lucky you didn't kill him, Easton."

That was what initiated round two of my rage. I had blocked out everything and everyone for that entire week. But as I was getting closer to the end of it... I started to pull myself out of it. That's when I realized how bad I had gotten. 

At least that's what I was told by Roman when he had knocked on my door that morning I was staring up at my ceiling in the bathroom.

When I had originally ignored the knocking, he rang my doorbell incessantly that I had to collect myself long enough to go downstairs. 

Though I still had my hard feelings towards him, I didn't exactly push Roman away like I normally would have. And he took advantage of that by coming by every so often to "check up on me". 

Every time he came over, I wanted to ask him. I needed to ask him but I couldn't bring myself to do it. All I kept thinking was what audacity did I have to know about Red at all? After giving the ultimate sucker punch that ended the short-lived relationship we had.

If you're wondering how I found out about this... someone else... I had my sister to thank. She was the one who told me about a month after I made an ass of myself. She didn't tell me to piss me off... but because she said that I needed to know, that I needed to see what being closed off and irrational got me. 

And now I felt like I was losing my mind.

Roman and I sat together in what was oddly enough a comfortable silence. The only thing we heard was me flicking lightly at the twisted off cap from the beer. It just allowed me to see how everything spiraled out of control and I had no one to blame but myself.

"You know..."

I glanced up at the guy beside me staring at the table. His expression calm and soft. His finger tapped in a slow rhythm before looking up at me. 

"They were just friends."

My brows furrowed as he clarified with a small shrug, "At first, anyway." 

I looked away, unsure if I wanted to listen to this. Maybe I could stick his head in the oven after all...

"Auric and his wife went back home to visit the leader who runs the place they live in. I can't remember his name..." 

"Azkar," I mumbled, knowing who he meant since I'd seen him countless times when I'd go visit the Alliance with the others. 

Roman blinked, "Yeah, him... Uh..." he cleared his throat. "Anyway... They went to visit that Azkar guy and told them about the situation with Eli. So I guess the guy was more than willing to help them protect the kid. He sent Auric and Thea back here with a group of warriors to help with the non-stop protection."

I stayed quiet, just listening. I was dreading the moment he was building up to. Though I know, for my sake, he was trying to ease into it as slow as possible. Though it felt like torture.

"So..." he sighed, raising his brows. "The group they brought back was a lot bigger than expected. I was thinking maybe three or four people would be in the group. But there turned out to be thirteen. Thirteen, Easey-Peasy!"

"Don't fucking call me that..."

Roman shrugged, "Anyway... that's when I was explained to how the Alliance wasn't just Werewolves. There were tons of former Advanced Hunters who had made their home with our kind."

He grinned, nodding, "It's nice to know that there's still good in people... for both species."

When his gaze lifted to mine, I raised a brow in a silent way for him to move on.

"Right..." he grinned, sitting forward and clasped his fingers together. "There were only a few from the Alliance who were around our age and they happened to be the children to some of the older ones who accompanied them."

He paused, keeping his gaze on the table.

"And that's when he saw him..." I swallowed, frowning a bit as my fingers clamped tightly under the table. "The moment when Lincoln first saw Kale."

I looked up and Roman had pursed his lips, tracing an invisible circle with his finger on the table.

He nodded that at first he was the one catching how the visitor would sneak glances in their direction whenever Red and Roman were hanging out together. He mentioned how that first week that they were visiting (and I was being a complete and utter dumbass), the younger newcomers kept to themselves in their own clique but were still friendly whenever spoken to.

"This one time... when there was another meeting to discuss possible escape routes out of Blood Moon Falls, I went into the kitchen to refill my glass of soda. One of the newcomers was already in there. He was grabbing one of the plastic forks from the displayed cups to eat the pile of watermelon and banana in the bowl he was holding."

Roman glanced at me but I just nodded so he continued.

"Well... he and I made small talk while I was filling up on soda but before I left the kitchen, he stopped me to ask about my friend I was always hanging around with." 

That's when Roman told me that he'd never thought much about this other guy's intrigue with Red. Roman just assumed he wanted to expand the friendship circle he came with; which was partially true apparently. 

They all started hanging around one another more but Roman mentioned how Lincoln would always ask if he could tag along with Red whenever he was going somewhere. He told me how Red didn't think much about it and soon Red's and Roman's duo turned into a trio. 

Roman stopped again, mouth pursing to the side as he was thinking about something. He glanced at me, that serious look on his face again. 

"Lincoln and Kale are together now, Easton. You need to know that... and know what that means for you." 

I stared at the table, quietly asking how long ago did they become the real thing. I got an answer that Lincoln took Red out on their first official date on Monday.

Mentally, I had to count back to how many days ago that was. With my hangover though and my headache still lingering, that was hard to do. I swallowed, frowning as I asked when that was.

With that sympathetic look on his face, Roman muttered his reply, "Four days ago."

I know it might not sound like that big of a deal... but it was. 

It was because so much was spoken knowing that information. It just made everything real that this Lincoln guy was an actual person and that he was actually with Red. They just got together... and my brain was seeping into a panic about that. 

Lincoln was going to be allowed to stare at Red all he wanted. To kiss and touch Red. I swallowed just thinking about the intensity built between us when I had been able to do all that. When I had been able to make Red tremble with soft, slow kisses down the side of his neck. 

Everything Red and I had done together were going to happen with this new guy. This Lincoln guy was going to be me... but the only thing going for Lincoln was that he wasn't me. He wasn't a complete dumbass to build a wall around himself and keep out that clumsy... gorgeous... funny... and absolutely perfect redhead.

Glancing down at the table, I frowned seeing the drop of water splashing onto the table. I quickly wiped my face, clearing my throat and started to stand once I saw that Roman was watching me. 

I swallowed, jabbing my thumb over my shoulder and mumbled that I needed some air.

Roman raised a brow, asking if I was going to be okay going around by myself. I nodded, brows furrowed, as I assured him that I'd be fine. That if it made him happy I'd even clean up a bit. Shower included.

"Good," Roman grinned, "Because you look homeless."

I rolled my eyes, muttering that he was a moron as I moved away from the table and headed upstairs. As I walked up the stairs though, I suddenly found myself stopping in the middle. I looked over at Roman standing by the table with his hands in his sweater pockets.

"Roman...?"

"Hm?"

My brows furrowed a bit, looking at him as I asked him to be honest with me. He nodded in compliance.

"How is he? I mean... with this Lincoln..."

The Were didn't answer right away. He was just studying me like he was trying to assess my reaction to whatever he'll say.

Roman then tilted his head a bit, giving a small grim smile, "Honestly, Easton?"

I nodded then he replied, "He's happier."

Cemented temporarily where I was on the steps, I felt my grip on the railing tighten a bit. It's not that I didn't believe Roman that Red was happier... I just think I've always been someone who needs to see things for themselves. 

I had to see... to know... if Red really was a lot happier.

Without me.

❦ღ❦  

After my ten minute shower and pulling on a pair of boxers, I started looking around for a clean pair of jeans. From being a total hermit the past months, I had been neglecting laundry and just been wearing whatever was lying around for days on end. 

Sometimes I'd lay in my underwear and do nothing. 

So scavenging through my drawers was a bitch because I couldn't find a clean pair of jeans anywhere!

I grumbled as I draped my towel over my head to be able to use both hands to continue looking around my room. All I kept finding were socks and t-shirts. Out of frustration, I slammed my drawer shut then turned to look around my room. 

It wasn't until I looked in the direction of the hall outside my room that I saw a small white hamper with a bunch of clothes. Frowning, I walked out into the hall and stared down at the clothes all folded neatly with a note on top of it.

I lifted the note that happened to be another of the many Langley had been leaving around for me. 

I immediately recognized my twin's handwriting stating that when I read the note it would be because I decided that I would be a big boy now and take a shower all by myself. She added that she left the basket of clean clothes out in the hall by the banister because then that would mean I'd actually discovered that there was more space in the house than just the regular routine of going from my room to the fridge for beer and back again. 

I rolled my eyes a bit, shaking my head and muttered, "Very funny, Langley..."

I did appreciate the thoughtful gesture though. Even if I was pushing away my sister the past months---who I hadn't seen in years---Langley was probably able to tap into our strange twin connection to realize that I wasn't doing it on purpose. She must have been able to tell that I needed her... but just not the way that everyone else needed their sibling. 

Langley and I have always been close, but we were able to read one another no matter what emotion was shooting through our veins at that precise moment. 

Since she'd been staying with our parents who were now supposedly suffocating her (so she says but I know my sister secretly enjoys being around them again), Langley has become more in tuned with our twin connection. 

Which is why she wouldn't come over every single day to check up on me. Instead... She'd send Roman.

Looking down at the hamper, I decided that I'd thank my sister whenever she'd come over again. 

You know... when she wasn't with fucking Hollow and sucking face. I only know this because Langley would tell me---one of her teasing ploys to try to get a reaction out of me during my past-few-months-slump. 

Now that I've started trying to pull myself out of the slump, I found myself curling my lip and growling a bit to think that Hollow was touching my sister. 

Fucking Hollow.

I ended up carrying the hamper back into my room so that I can look through it for some dark jeans. Luckily Langley washed the only black pair I had which I was grateful for. I yanked them out, extending them in front of me and grinned before pulling them on.

"So where are you going to go!?" Roman suddenly shouted from wherever in the house he was.

Frowning in the direction of my doorway, I shouted back why he was still here.

"Well that's rude..." he called back.

I rolled my eyes as I was buttoning and then zipping up my jeans. I could hear him tell me that I needed to work on my people skills while I was busy putting on my socks and shoes. Roman kept going on that if we were going to be moving forward in our life then I needed to learn to stop being so hostile towards him. To everyone really, but more him.

I was pulling a blue v-neck over my head as I was making my way back downstairs and scoffed, "Setting yourself up a little too high on the priority list there, aren't you, Roman?"

When I looked at him, he was sitting on the couch with an opened bag of popcorn that I frowned at. He was stuffing his mouth as he reminded me that he was my only friend at the moment---aside from my sister---so it was a step in the right direction for me to be nice to him of all people.

"Out of the kindness of my heart, I make sure to come and visit you, Easey-Peasy."

Raising a brow, I sniffed, "Yeah... Because you don't know how to take 'no' for an answer."

His handful of popcorn stopped halfway towards his mouth while Roman's brows rose, looking upward. Then he grinned, nodding that was true.

Rolling my eyes again, I walked over to the other couch to where my favorite jean jacket was. 

"You know... If you keep rolling your eyes at me, Easey-Peasy, they are going to get stuck like that."

My hand stuffed into the spaces between the couch cushions, feeling around for my phone that I had remembered losing around here somewhere. I retorted, without looking at the other Werewolf, that if my eyes got stuck that way then I wouldn't need to worry about seeing his ugly mug.

"Hostile!" Roman gasped. To which I rolled my eyes to again.

Once I found my phone, I had to turn it on checked the battery percentage to see that there was about fifty-three percent left. 

Good enough.

Roman raised a brow when I glanced at him. He stuffed more popcorn into his mouth and I growled that those were unopened the last time I checked. 

"And they're delicious!" he confirmed with a grin and stuffing more popcorn into his mouth. "But that's not what's important here."

"Oh no?"

"No," he affirmed, standing up and asking me once more where I was going to go. 

When I shrugged a shoulder that I wasn't sure, I suggested that I'd probably stop by the candy shop or something. That I was in dire need of adding something that tasted sweet... and better than the beer diet I had been on.

Roman's brows furrowed as he asked what I planned on getting. 

"I don't know..." I scoffed, shrugging. "Red Vines, maybe?"

"Ooo," his brows rose like it was the most impressive thing I said. "Those are good."

"Yes..." I deadpanned. "I know. Now get out."

Roman's expression went flat then raised his brows and pointed at me. 

"We need to work on your manners."

Reeling in my lips, I reached over to snatch the popcorn bag out of his hands. 

"What we need to work on is getting you out of my house. I might not want to beat the shit out you every time I see you now, but I fucking will if you keep breaking into my house."

I ushered him towards the front door while he scoffed that he didn't break into my house. He said that he simply used the key copy that was made. After inquiring about who gave him the copy, Roman pursed his lips and mumbled that my sister might have been the culprit.

"Figures," I muttered, still pushing him towards the front door. I tossed the popcorn bag on the small table next to the entrance then followed him outside.

I winced, shutting my eyes.

"Aw, fuck! It's so bright!" 

"That's right, Easey-Peasy. Good for you! That's what happens when someone hides away in their hell-hole for the past three months. But you'll need some sun anyway since your skin is kinda pale. Like a vampire."

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head that he was a moron. 

"Why? Because of the teasing thing or the vampire comparison?"

"Both." 

After assuring me that he was aware that vampires were not a real thing even though the humans felt our kind were tossed in the 'fictitious' category too, Roman crossed his arms and asked again where I thought I was headed. And that if I was sure I didn't need the company.

I made sure to tell him that right now I was taking baby steps. That meant that I needed to clear my head on my own. That walking around aimlessly in town should do the trick before I come back home to see what was in the cupboards to eat. 

I mentioned how I suddenly felt a lot more of an appetite than lately.

"That's because you're coming back to life."

Narrowing my eyes, I scrunched my nose and grumbled, "What are you? A walking Fortune Cookie?"

Roman laughed, shrugging that he actually really liked Fortune cookies. 

"You would," I muttered, stuffing my hands into my jacket's pockets and then nodded that I'd see him around.

After trying once more, as I was walking away, that if I didn't want him to keep an eye on me, I lifted my hand above my head to flip him off. All I heard him do was laugh a little and call back to me that he'd see me sometime tomorrow. 

The walk to town was quiet other than a few cars driving past. I am not going to lie when I say that I was kind of worried that I'd run into the others in town. Mainly Red though. 

I'm not sure I'd know what to do... or say... if that happened. I don't think I'd be able to face him actually. Not with what the hell I did to him. 

My eyes shut tight, nose scrunching once I stopped for a moment. I could feel my heartbeat thumping against my ribcage and my nerves were on high alert. 

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea...

I looked over my shoulder in the direction I had come from. I'd managed to get a block into town already and I kind of really wanted those Red Vines. Frowning when I suddenly thought of something, I patted the pockets of my jeans and realized that I'd forgotten my God damn wallet!

A long groan escaped while looking in the direction of home. So maybe I won't get the Red Vines after all. Maybe I'll just be walking around aimlessly only. 

So there I went with my hands in my pockets and began walking around. I ended up doing some window shopping to pass time; even sat a bench in the park by the pond to watch the ducks swim around. A few were near the grassy edge, quacking at each other while fluttering their tail feathers. 

Once that became tiresome, I figured that I'd "cleared my head" long enough. I now just wanted to go back home and try slumping on the couch today instead of on the bathroom floor. 

It took me about ten to fifteen minutes to get out of the park. Probably because I walked pretty slow. A lot slower than I normally would have. 

I had kept watching my feet take each step forward, mindlessly aware now that the dirt paths from the park were now concrete which meant that I was back near the shops. 

The smell of food reached my nostrils; a small indication that the diner was just up the street. But because I didn't bring my wallet to buy anything, I decided that I'd go the opposite direction, to the left of the street, in order to avoid the diner so that I wouldn't torture myself.

Except that might not have been as painful to temporarily suffer through than when I made that left turn and heard, "Look, Bodhi! A new fishbowl!" and felt my heart stop. Along with my feet.

I swallowed, my body tensed up with realizing who was up ahead. But I didn't want to look up. I didn't want to look up because I knew what I was going to see and I didn't want to fucking see it. I didn't. 

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath then let it out slowly. It seemed to help since I was able to ease my heart rate a little. Sort of.

I ended up looking. And I hate myself for it.

I immediately recognized the fish swimming around in what looked to be a plastic container. And then there was its owner who had the undeniable red hair and knew who it was, even from this distance. He still had his lean figure with the familiar attire consisting of sneakers, jeans, and a long sleeve.

But what wasn't familiar was the tall figure beside the redhead. 

The guy, who I vaguely remembered was named after a President or some shit, was about the same height as Red but had a slightly bulkier frame. Slightly. There was a vast difference in hair color between the two. While Red had that fiery color that matched his personality, his... I winced just thinking of the word, but his... boyfriend... had brown hair that went well with the dark caramel skin complexion. 

I think I was expecting for seeing what the guy looked like to be painful but fuck that... It hurt like hell to see Red's boyfriend reach over to pull him closer and kiss him. 

There was this twinge in the middle of my chest that just... expanded through the rest of my body. My jaw clenched tightly, purposely doing so to keep myself from breaking down in the middle of the street. But I could feel my eyes stinging with threatening tears and I frowned down at the ground.

Swallowing, I mentally told myself to pull it together. That I needed to accept this. To accept that the person kissing Red wasn't me. 

And it wouldn't be anymore. 

I bit my lip, shaking my head and sighed that I needed to just get home. But in order to do that I was going to need to walk past the couple to turn the corner, I needed to head in the direction of my home. 

Crap.

Rolling my eyes, I muttered, "Get your shit together, Easton... Just keep walking... say 'hi' and move on. Simple as that."

Yeah, fucking right.

I took another deep breath, forcing myself to take a step forward that felt super heavy. My nerves were getting to me. They really were and I kind of wish that I didn't come into town after all. I think lying face down on my pillow for the rest of the day sounded pretty appealing right now.

When I was getting closer to where Red was smiling---the one that hurt to see--- at the giddy fish in the container, I surprised myself with how I decided to approach this situation. I didn't expect for me to mindlessly play it off like I randomly ran into them.

The first thing that came out of my mouth was, "Red?"

Because my dumbass couldn't come up with anything better. Fuck me.

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