Page 24 of Emerald Moon (Pitch Mountain Pack #2)

“Of course you can! You’re a full-grown adult. I mean, like, you know how to take care of yourself. I just feel bad for dragging you out here and then not being able to even hang out with you for a chunk of the day.”

“I promise, it’s more than fine. And maybe I’ll run into your great aunt who likes me and we’ll have a great time.”

“I can’t tell if you’re serious or not.”

“I’m always serious.”

“You don’t mind that I have to abandon you?”

“We’re here for your sister’s wedding and you’ll be getting ready for that. It’s hardly abandoning me. And if you feel so bad, you can hang out with me now since all the regular humans are going to bed.”

Cass looked so hopeful, but Jo was running on empty. “I’m going to turn in early. I’m tired. Sorry to bail on you.”

“Oh, that’s fine. I hope you get some good rest.” Cass visibly deflated and Jo couldn’t handle seeing her like that.

“I got a little more left in me, I’m sure. What do you want to do?”

She perked up again. Jo’s heart warmed at her sincere expression.

“We could just hang out in one of our rooms since you’re tired.”

“Works for me! Mine is closest and I haven’t had time to mess it up yet, so it should be good to go.

” Jo led the way, mustering enough energy to keep going.

Seeing Cass’ smile helped a little. Jo was going to leave her on her own for so long tomorrow.

This was the least they could do. Plus, it’d be fun to hang out with Cass without worrying about family being around.

The door clicked closed behind them and Jo leapt onto the bed, spread out like a starfish. Cass took a seat in the off-color, well-worn armchair in the corner by the window, crossing her ankles.

Jo yawned then popped their head up, leaning back on their elbows on the bed. “That chair looks like it’s a thousand years old and has seen a thousand butts.”

“Then it won’t mind one more.”

“It probably likes your butt.”

“Why?”

Jo shrugged and laid back down. “I don’t know.”

“Do I have a particularly good butt?”

Jo’s laughter burst out of them like a popped balloon. “Something like that.” They sat back up. “You want to watch TV?”

Cass nodded, readjusting in the old chair to face the screen. She pulled her long legs up into the armchair and curled up tight.

Jo flipped through the channels, making comments on what they saw, until they landed on a house buying show they often watched with Carina and some of the other pack members.

“This one’s good. Either you love the couple and you get invested in their choices, or you hate the couple and you actively root against them while yelling about what awful choices they’re making. ”

“I don’t foresee myself getting that invested.”

“Just you wait. It’ll get you one way or another.”

The couple turned out to be the kind that made passive aggressive comments about the other while they were sitting together in front of the camera.

People like that made Jo so uncomfortable.

They were definitely in the latter category.

Jo kept pointing out the couple’s terrible ideas about what they needed in a house and Cass seemed to silently take it all in.

When the final choice had been made — the wrong one — Jo wondered if they had talked too much and made it weird.

“They were not the best,” Cass said, the meanest she could probably ever be. “Why are they even married?”

“Right? It’s so weird. You’re supposed to love the person you marry, and you should probably like them, too! I know I wouldn't marry someone if I didn’t both like and love them!”

“Would you still get married even though you’re a werewolf now?”

The question took Jo by surprise. “Well yeah,” they answered honestly. “I still want that. Even if we both live for a really long time, that kind of just makes it even better, doesn’t it?”

Cass let her cheek rest on the back of the armchair, her gaze focused on Jo. “I think that, too. Some werewolves don’t want to get married because suddenly ‘until death do us part’ is a really long time away, but I think that’s a gift, not something to be wary of.”

“Guess we’re both just gooey romantics at heart.”

“I guess so.”

Another episode started and Cass’ attention turned back to the TV.

Jo kept making comments, like before, but they kept glancing at Cass and wondering about her past relationships.

She’d talked about them vaguely before, but they must have meant something if Cass still wanted to get married — unless Cass hadn’t been thinking about marriage back then.

But Cass seemed like someone who knew what she wanted and went for it.

The couple on the show ended up being more fun than the last episode. Jo commented that they actually seemed to like one another, and Cass agreed. On top of that, they chose the correct house, in Jo’s opinion, and Cass decided they seemed like good people and she was glad they had a new house.

Another episode started and Cass stood. “I should let you get to bed. You said you were tired.”

“Aw, but this has been fun, too.”

“Still, I probably kept you up later than you wanted, and you have a busy afternoon before an even busier evening.”

“You’re not wrong.” Jo slid off the bed and stood next to her. They threw their arms open wide for a hug and immediately thought about pulling their arms back in, but decided to just go with it. Jo waited for it to be awkward but, like everything with Cass, it was good.

Cass wrapped her arms around Jo’s shoulders and they squeezed around Cass’ middle because that’s all they could reach. Jo decidedly did not rest her head on Cass because their head was right at Cass’ chest height and that would definitely make things awkward.

When Jo pulled back, Cass gave them one final embrace before letting them go.

“Night, Cass.”

“Good night, Jo.” Cass ruffled their short hair and turned to leave, casting one smile back towards Jo before she walked out.

Jo collapsed on the bed as soon as the hotel door shut behind Cass. A shower was out of the question. It was going to take the last of what they had to change out of their clothes and brush their teeth. All Jo wanted to do was sleep.

They went through their routine like they were dragging their feet through thick mud.

Every part of them had a dull ache that sunk into their bones.

When they finally pulled back the sheet and crawled into bed, Jo heaved a sigh of relief.

There was no energy left to read. They’d just fall asleep as soon as they could.

They shut off the light, snuggled into the pillow, closed their eyes, and immediately pictured Cass in the tent, leaning closer. Jo’s eyes shot open and they groaned. All they wanted to do was rest, but, of course, their brain had other ideas. It never behaved.

Jo’s mind was filled with recollections of the way Cass’ arm had felt wrapped around their shoulder that night, of Cass calling them “babe,” and all the times throughout the day that Cass’ lips had quirked up in corners, in that subtle way she smiled.

This was bordering on a friend crush. Only, no matter how much Cass did that was kind or adorable, Jo didn’t go all awkward and fumbling around her.

Whatever it was, it was getting a little frustrating to figure out, so Jo shoved the confusing thoughts into the locked box inside their brain and thought about macaron recipes until they finally drifted off to sleep.