Page 61 of Same Thing
“What have you done every time I have gone through a break-up?” Alese asked.
Nory inhaled deeply and tried to remember her old life. “Brought you wine.”
“Brought me wine and let me spill my guts to you, and you know what? It always helped.” Alese kicked her shoes off and handed Nory a glass, then sank down on the loveseat and took a sip. “Spill your guts.”
Nory huffed a breath of pain and felt the tears welling up already. “It really feels like that,” she whispered raggedly.
“Start at the beginning,” Alese said gently. “Tell me everything.”
And she did.
Nory started with the first time she’d seen him and how it made her feel when Liam defended her against Jackson. She told her about the fall, and getting her heart all filled up withsomething deeper than she’d ever felt before. She told her about the coffee morning, and about the day she thought she’d been talking to Liam on the phone. She told her about Liam keeping her safe from Jackson’s reach and meeting his Pack. She told her about Delta and cooking for the Pack, and how she’d felt peace that night. She’d felt like she belonged. And then she told her about sleeping with Liam and how big it had felt. And then…and then…she told her the story of how it all fell apart, and then of what Liam and his people had done to ensure Jackson would never mess with her again.
“I texted Liam to check on how he’s doing, but he hasn’t responded. It’s done,” she choked out as tears streamed down her cheeks. “And now look at me, Alese? I’ve cried so much. I never cry. I feel so sosad. Liam will have to leave Coeur d’Alene because of me. The Elders gave his Pack one week to leave. There are four days left, and I can’t do anything. His people were living their lives, in their homes. They were fine, and then I came along and ruined their lives in a day.”
“That’s not your fault—”
“It is. I brought my human problems to people who were already just struggling to figure out new dynamics in their Pack, and I ruined everything.” She lifted the pantleg of her pajamas and showed Alese the bandages. “I’ll have scars forever reminding me of what happened.” She wiped the dampness off her cheeks in a rush and moved her hair to the side to show her the red nail marks from Aro that weren’t even at the scarring stage yet. “Everything went horrible so fast. I was so stupid. Packs and humans are kept apart for a reason, and I wasn’t thinking. I don’t know why I didn’t consider the consequences.”
“Because love doesn’t work like that, Nory,” Alese said. “You can’t help who you fall for, just like Liam couldn’t help falling for you.”
“He didn’t, clearly.”
“I think he did. If he didn’t care deeply, he wouldn’t have risked his Pack taking Jackson out to the woods and traumatizing him out of stalking you. Men don’t make effort for women they don’t love. It’s not the way it works. He told you his feelings with action. That is his love language.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter either way. He’s gone.”
Alese’s chest rose with a deep inhalation, and her eyes were so full of sympathy.
Nory took a sip of her wine and felt so low. She’d thought perhaps that saying all of this aloud was going to help, but it didn’t help at all. She still felt ripped in half.
Alese took a drink, just watching her with a thoughtful expression. “What’s the plan, Nory?”
“Pretend I’m okay until I die, I guess.”
Alese snorted. “Dear goodness, you are being dramatic.”
“Well, I just lost the love of my life, so I think dramatic is warranted.”
“The love of your life, huh?” Alese asked.
“He feels important,” Nory murmured.
“So, figure out a way to help him. Message him again and ask what you can do.”
“I’m human. What can I do as a human?”
Alese puffed air out of her cheeks and frowned. “I don’t know enough about werewolf culture to answer that. What do they need?”
“Homes for the entire Pack. The forgiveness of the Elders. For me to go back in time and never meet them. You know, stuff like that.”
Alese rolled her eyes. “Nory, it’s you. You are the problem solver. Whenever I have something that feels like an impossible situation, you always come up with a solution. They need homes. Where are the local Pack territories? Where can they go that is close?”
“Pretty sure they would’ve explored that already,” she muttered.
“So…think. What can you do, as a human, to help them.” Alese arched her eyebrows like she was waiting on Nory to realize something that was right there under her nose.
What…