Page 20 of Emerald Moon (Pitch Mountain Pack #2)

fifteen

“Shouldn’t you have packed last night?” Wil pointed out when she saw Jo scrambling to find enough matching pairs of socks.

“It’s only three days, including today. I don’t need to pack that soon for something so short.” They held up a pair of purple socks they’d dug up from a clean pile on the floor in victory. “And I’m almost done.”

What they didn’t say was that the early afternoon had been a fight to get out of bed.

Wil understood without them having to say a word about it.

Everything was like moving through thick mud.

It was times like these that Jo wished caffeine worked on werewolves without them having to drink a whole truck load of coffee.

Jo had already been down the street to visit the vampires to get an iced coffee, and they were making their way through an entire pot of cold brew they’d made in anticipation of the depression slog.

“Don’t forget the dress.” Wil motioned towards Jo’s closet where the top part of a hanger could be seen over the edge of the door.

“Wish I could,” Jo grumbled, climbing over their clothes piles to get to the closet door. They struggled to get it down, but managed to slide it off the corner of the hanger until it fell into their arms.

“It’ll be nice to see your sister,” Wil said.

“I know.”

“I’m sure she’ll be happy to see you.”

Jo stared at the dress, their anxiety creeping back in. “I hope so.”

“Jo, it’s going to be alright.”

They made a noncommittal grunt in response.

“Maybe not before. Maybe not during. But when you get back here, we’ll all be looking forward to seeing you again.”

Jo tossed the dress onto their open suitcase on the bed.

“And I’m going to make the most of it while I’m there, truly.

I’m excited to see June — it’s been ages since we’ve talked properly.

I’d be lying if I said that didn’t make me nervous, too.

We used to be so close. What if we’re not anymore?

I’ve held out hope that it’s just because she’s so busy, but what if she really doesn’t want to talk to me anymore?

And then there’s dealing with my mom, which is already making my stomach sick.

Or maybe that’s all the sugary coffee.” They let out a weak laugh.

“Cass is going to be there,” Wil reminded them.

Jo nodded. “And her being there is going to help a lot. I know. If only so I don’t get so spineless around my family. Being near them makes me crazy nervous. What if people are awful? I’m not close with my extended family. I don’t know what to expect with them.”

“You can always wolf out and run away.”

Jo glanced over to find Wil grinning. “I know you’re joking, but I’m going to keep that in my back pocket as an option. No one will mess with a werewolf.”

“You could make a big scene and then just run out.”

“What would I do?”

“I don’t know. Kiss Cass in front of everyone and then roundhouse kick the cake or something.”

“My legs would never reach that high.”

“They can if you jump.” Wil stifled a laugh.

“How high do you think I can jump?”

“Have Cass pick you up so you can roundhouse kick the cake.”

“Still wouldn't. That’s an awful waste of good cake. Plus I don’t want to ruin the wedding! I just want to make it through.”

Wil’s features softened. “Maybe aim a little higher. Maybe say you’ll find some things to enjoy this weekend.”

“If I aim low, then I can’t be disappointed.”

“If you aim low, you might miss out on something.”

Jo sighed and thought it over. “I’ll keep an open mind. I’m such a mix of everything right now. On the one hand I’m like ‘everything is awful and I wish I could just stay home.’ And on the other hand I’m like ‘watch me go be a cool, new badass in front of my family.’”

“There!” Wil leapt out of her chair. “That’s what I want to see more of!”

Jo waved a dismissive hand. “Too bad, that’s all I got.”

“No it’s not. You have more badass in you.”

“I’ve never heard you say that word.” Jo narrowed their eyes, thinking back to the time when they first met Wil. “I don’t even think I’ve heard you swear before.”

“There’s a time and place for everything. And hyping you up is important enough to cuss.”

Jo laughed, a smile settling into place after. “I’m honored.”

“And you’re running out of time. Cass is going to be here any minute.”

Jo rushed around the room putting the last of everything into their small suitcase and making sure again and again that they had their meds in their backpack. Cass texted that she was outside and Jo circled the room to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything important.

“Remember to be a badass!” Wil yelled as they left.

“I will!”

Rushing down the stairs, Jo had just enough time to start to twist their stomach in knots again with overthinking, but the moment they saw Cass outside, they couldn’t help but laugh. “That shirt is amazing.”

Instead of many tiny birds like most of Cass’ shirts, this one had a huge falcon, wings outstretched and wrapping around to the back of the shirt. “I wanted to make a good first impression.”

Jo could picture Cass standing in front of her closet of bird shirts and carefully picking out which one would be best for the occasion. “That is exactly the kind of energy I want heading into this weekend.”

Jo settled into the passenger seat, feeling better. “So how’d we meet?”

They had texted back and forth during the week, but none of it was about the upcoming wedding, except for when Cass asked what colors Jo would be wearing so they wouldn't clash. The two of them needed to get their story straight before meeting family.

“I saw you at my pack house. And then again when we went camping.”

“No, I know, but in our fake story. How did we meet?”

“Why does it need to change?”

“You’re right. Rooting it in reality will make it easier for us to remember. So we met at your pack house and again when we went camping. How did we start dating?” Jo wondered. “I bet you’d have to ask me out because I’d never work up the nerve.”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah, I’d talk myself out of it.”

“So you’d never make a first move?”

“Maybe not never. I can be impulsive.” Jo clapped their hands. “So we met like we really did meet,” they summarized. “You asked me out. Maybe we started dating just after the camping trip?”

“Yes, and I waited in the bakery until the end of your shift, then I gave you flowers and asked you if you wanted to go on a date with me. You said yes and I asked if now was a good time. You laughed, but I was serious. You insisted on going back home to change, and after that we went to my favorite restaurant because it’s a place I’d want to share with you.

After dinner, it was a little cooler outside, so we went for a walk in the park at the center of town until the sun got too low in the sky. ”

Jo sat there, stunned and staring at their hands while they got swept up into Cass’ imaginary first date. “And then what happened?”

“That’s it. That was the end of our date.”

“Oh.” Jo wasn’t sure why they felt disappointed that it was over. “That’s good. I’ll have to remember all that in case someone asks.”

Jo felt like the natural next question was when was their first kiss, but they couldn’t force out the words. They kept returning to that tent in the middle of the woods, to that moment when Cass was close enough to touch.

Why were they so stuck on the first date that Cass had imagined for them? Why were they now, of all times, thinking about that almost kiss in the tent again?

Did they have feelings for Cass? Jo ran an internal systems check like they did for their brain, but this time they tried to check their feelings.

It was a lot more difficult. There were no checked-off boxes on the list of symptoms. If Jo based it all on shows they watched or stories they read, then there was no sudden realization of feelings.

There wasn’t a crush making Jo anxious and nervous. This wasn’t a rushing river of emotion.

What Jo felt was more like the creek they had in their backyard growing up. It was always there. Sometimes, after a storm, it was more like a little river, but other times it was a slow trickle, easy to not think about, even if they always heard it.

Cass wasn’t always on Jo’s mind, but it felt like she’d managed, in a short period of time, to somehow always be there.

Sometimes Jo thought about her briefly because she saw a customer with short black hair or a bird on their shirt, and then the thought faded.

Other times Cass was all they could think about, like when they were waiting for her to text back or when they were listening to a song she’d added to their playlist.

“What do we usually do together? You know, in case anyone asks,” Jo asked once they found their voice again.

Jo waited a beat and when Cass didn’t answer, they said, “Maybe we go birding more. And we can bake together. And just hang out. I feel like that’s what most couples do — just hang out together. Not like I’d know. I haven’t dated anyone long enough for us to feel that comfortable, I guess.”

”I’d like that. All those things.”

”To say as answers?”

”Yes.” Cass tapped her fingers on the steering wheel. “Is that how you’d like it to be if you dated someone?”

”Just hanging out? Yeah, basically. I want to skip all the parts where I’m awkward and nervous and just be happy being around each other.

” Jo stared at the side of Cass’ face and took her in.

She was attractive, but not in a way that made Jo be awkward around her.

And, most importantly, there was no crush!

Not even a new friend crush! They didn’t have feelings for Cass.

”I think I’d like that, too.”

”Have you —“ Jo faltered, wondering if they were asking too much. “Have you had something like that before?”

“If you’re asking if I’ve ever been in a serious relationship, then yes.

Those are the only kind I have. I don’t date someone unless I’m serious about them.

But if you’re asking if I’ve felt like we could just be happy being around each other forever, then the answer is no.

Obviously, none of them are still around now. ”

”Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”

”It’s fine. I don’t mind talking about it. I’ve lived my life. I will continue to live it the best I can and try to have as few regrets as possible.”

Jo turned the words over words in their mind. They didn’t regret their past relationships, but they weren’t particularly happy about any of them after the fact either. Better to change the subject back to their plan. “So we have how we met, our first date, what we do together.”

”And relationship history,” Cass added.

”Right. Good to know. I guess we should know more basic facts about each other. Like, when is your birthday?” Jo laughed. “I can’t believe I haven’t asked that yet.”

“September 27. You?”

“November 17. What’s your favorite color?”

“Sky blue.”

“Emerald green. What’s your favorite food?” Jo turned in their seat to face Cass, happy to see that upturn in the corner of her lips.

“A really good reuben sandwich.”

“Oh, nice one. Mine’s chicken and dumplings. Do you love olives or hate them?”

“Love them.”

“Me, too! There’s no in-between. You either love them or hate them. Thoughts on biscuits versus scones?”

Cass puffed out a laugh. “No thoughts.”

“Really? I have too many thoughts, mostly that biscuits are superior in every way and I can prove it.”

“You can, can you?”

“Like I said, I have too many thoughts on the topic. Do you like cornbread with bits of corn in it or no bits of corn?”

“These are very specific questions. And so many are food related.”

“I’m asking as things pop into my mind! Also I’m a little hungry and had too much coffee while I was packing.

” Jo reached for the bag of hot chips they brought for the journey.

“We have to know each other,” they stressed the last few words.

They really did have to know one another to pass off this whole girlfriend thing.

“I like cornbread in any form.”

“Good answer. Carrot cake. Raisins or no raisins?”

“No raisins.”

“Oh, first swing and a miss.” Jo laughed. “You’re wrong on that one.”

“Am I now?”

“Yep, super wrong. The raisins add so much!”

“So much weird texture.”

“So much flavor.”

“Cooked raisins are weird. It’s like they’re trying to be grapes again, but they just come out mushy.”

“Okay, I could maybe see where you’re coming from, but you’re still wrong. Moving on. What’s your favorite thing to drink?”

Jo learned that Cass preferred tea over coffee, liked spring the most, and a bunch of other things that kept them talking as the familiar scenery passed by.

It was a route Jo had taken a few times since moving to Hickorywood, but even though there was a dress they didn’t want to wear in the backseat and their judgmental extended family was waiting at the destination, their stomach wasn’t tying itself into knots with every passing mile like it usually did.