aloof sometimes, like there are things bothering you, but you never tell me. I had no idea it was me." She put her hand on her chest. "I'm touched, I really am."
I saw that she was genuine and my self-loathing kicked up a notch. Emily was a good person. She was human. She was a bystander and she'd already taken a few hits from the life I lived. Vampires. Being kidnapped. Now a werewolf was her best friend.
"Oh. Don't feel bad. Really."
"But I do." Then she threw her arms around me and hugged me tight. "We will hang out. You. Me. Pippa. All three of us. I want the two of you to become friends. It'll be great."
This was the last thing I wanted, but she was right about one thing. I had been moping. I had no real life. I was pathetic so I plastered on a bright fake smile. "Okay! Let's do it. Us three. We should go drinking."
Emily's smile disappeared. "What? Drinking? Nooo."
"It won't be like the last time. I promise." There was no Kates this time. We'd be fine.
"I was hungover for three days and I don't even remember drinking." Emily shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Oh come on. It'll be fun."
Emily still didn't look convinced.
"You need a pick-me-up, right?" I clasped her shoulders and smiled again. I even showed my teeth. I blinded her. "Let me give that to you. You need something to help jump-start your life."
"Not really," Emily murmured. "I thought that was you?"
"You. Me. What's the difference? Let's go out, have an adventure, and laugh about it over coffee tomorrow."
"I don't want to be hungover," she mumbled.
I shoved her towards the closet. "Pick out a hot outfit. I'll go tell the dog and then we'll head out. It'll be fun. Trust me."
"Dog?"
But I was already out the door. By the time I knocked on Pippa's door, I had another fake smile on. "Hiya, neighbor!" I even waved cheerfully.
Pippa stepped back. "Hey."
"Emily and I are going out for a drink. Come with."
"I don't know." She glanced up and down the hallway. "I might stay in."
"You're coming with us. No debate. We'll have a grand time."
Pippa tried to grin, but it faltered. "Are you sure?" Then she drew me into the room and shut the door. "What about, you know, me being a werewolf and whatever you are. I still haven't figured it out. You're not a witch, are you?"
Images of Brown flashed through my brain. "No. I'm not a witch."
"Oh." She visibly relaxed.
"You don't like witches?"
"No. Not at all. They don't like us."
I couldn't imagine why. My smile went up a notch. "So are you coming?"
She bit her lip and twisted her hands together in front of her. "Can you tell me what you are? It's really been bothering me."
I fought against the urge to roll my eyes. "I'm empathic."
"What?" There was confusion first and then understanding dawned. "Oh, I get it. Vampires go crazy about empaths. No wonder you smell like them so much. Or, used to. You don't smell like vampires much lately. Are they leaving you alone?"
A part of me felt like she bought that half-truth too easily, but the other part condemned me to hell again. "Are you ever going to tell Emily about you?"
Then Pippa shrugged. "It's not my place to tell her what I am. Her mate will tell her. It's his place."
Mate. I didn't like the sound of that. "Who is this guy?"
Pippa smiled again and tugged at the ends of her two braids. "I have no idea, but she'll meet him. I feel it in my blood. So does she. She feels the promise of him through me. It calms her when she's near me."
I'd seen it in Emily. If Pippa went away, the old Emily would be back within a week. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. The new Emily seemed stronger, but if I had learned anything through my ordeal with the vampires it was that if something was being kept hidden, it wasn't a good thing.
I wasn't a good thing.
Ugh. The guilt flared inside of me again. Lies and secrecy. Both words weren't good and my life was all about them now.
"You know what? Nevermind. We can go for a milkshake instead."
Pippa
I saw that she was genuine and my self-loathing kicked up a notch. Emily was a good person. She was human. She was a bystander and she'd already taken a few hits from the life I lived. Vampires. Being kidnapped. Now a werewolf was her best friend.
"Oh. Don't feel bad. Really."
"But I do." Then she threw her arms around me and hugged me tight. "We will hang out. You. Me. Pippa. All three of us. I want the two of you to become friends. It'll be great."
This was the last thing I wanted, but she was right about one thing. I had been moping. I had no real life. I was pathetic so I plastered on a bright fake smile. "Okay! Let's do it. Us three. We should go drinking."
Emily's smile disappeared. "What? Drinking? Nooo."
"It won't be like the last time. I promise." There was no Kates this time. We'd be fine.
"I was hungover for three days and I don't even remember drinking." Emily shook her head. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Oh come on. It'll be fun."
Emily still didn't look convinced.
"You need a pick-me-up, right?" I clasped her shoulders and smiled again. I even showed my teeth. I blinded her. "Let me give that to you. You need something to help jump-start your life."
"Not really," Emily murmured. "I thought that was you?"
"You. Me. What's the difference? Let's go out, have an adventure, and laugh about it over coffee tomorrow."
"I don't want to be hungover," she mumbled.
I shoved her towards the closet. "Pick out a hot outfit. I'll go tell the dog and then we'll head out. It'll be fun. Trust me."
"Dog?"
But I was already out the door. By the time I knocked on Pippa's door, I had another fake smile on. "Hiya, neighbor!" I even waved cheerfully.
Pippa stepped back. "Hey."
"Emily and I are going out for a drink. Come with."
"I don't know." She glanced up and down the hallway. "I might stay in."
"You're coming with us. No debate. We'll have a grand time."
Pippa tried to grin, but it faltered. "Are you sure?" Then she drew me into the room and shut the door. "What about, you know, me being a werewolf and whatever you are. I still haven't figured it out. You're not a witch, are you?"
Images of Brown flashed through my brain. "No. I'm not a witch."
"Oh." She visibly relaxed.
"You don't like witches?"
"No. Not at all. They don't like us."
I couldn't imagine why. My smile went up a notch. "So are you coming?"
She bit her lip and twisted her hands together in front of her. "Can you tell me what you are? It's really been bothering me."
I fought against the urge to roll my eyes. "I'm empathic."
"What?" There was confusion first and then understanding dawned. "Oh, I get it. Vampires go crazy about empaths. No wonder you smell like them so much. Or, used to. You don't smell like vampires much lately. Are they leaving you alone?"
A part of me felt like she bought that half-truth too easily, but the other part condemned me to hell again. "Are you ever going to tell Emily about you?"
Then Pippa shrugged. "It's not my place to tell her what I am. Her mate will tell her. It's his place."
Mate. I didn't like the sound of that. "Who is this guy?"
Pippa smiled again and tugged at the ends of her two braids. "I have no idea, but she'll meet him. I feel it in my blood. So does she. She feels the promise of him through me. It calms her when she's near me."
I'd seen it in Emily. If Pippa went away, the old Emily would be back within a week. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. The new Emily seemed stronger, but if I had learned anything through my ordeal with the vampires it was that if something was being kept hidden, it wasn't a good thing.
I wasn't a good thing.
Ugh. The guilt flared inside of me again. Lies and secrecy. Both words weren't good and my life was all about them now.
"You know what? Nevermind. We can go for a milkshake instead."
Pippa
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