Chapter 19

Cyn’s POV


I woke up to someone shaking my shoulder.
“Hey, your phone has been ringing nonstop.” Josh told me. I looked up at him sleepily while I tried to process what he just said. I reached for my phone in my pocket and pulled it out, seeing that Helena has called me 7 different times. I didn’t realize I fell asleep and looking at the time, school let out a while back.
“I’ve gotta go, I’ll be back in awhile.” I told Josh.
“Hey wait, while you were asleep I had a key made.” He handed me the key and then gave me a hug. “Things will be alright soon, you’ll see.” He whispered in my ear before kissing the side of my head. I smiled at him and made my way out of his house. I texted Helena to tell her to meet me at Moe’s Diner, a local hotspot for teenagers one town over. I then tied my clothes around my ankle and shifted. I took off running until I reached the closest spot to Moe’s, I shifted back and then dressed. I brushed a few leaves off and made my way into the diner.
“Hey Cyn!” I heard as soon as I walked in from Bertha, the owner.
“Hi Bertha, I hope you’re well!” I greeted her back. The short woman smiled at me before retreating to the back of the diner.
I sat myself in my usual booth in the back corner and waited for Helena. One of my classmates, a bubbly girl named Meredith came to take my order. “Two waters, cheeseburgers with everything and fries, please.” I smiled at her. She scribbled on her notepad and gave me a smile, “you got it!” Meredith took off to put in the order and returned shortly with our waters. I heard the bell ding above the door announcing someone’s arrival. I looked up to see Helena stroll in. She immediately turned my direction and waved before making her way to me.
“Hey! Why didn’t you answer me earlier?” She asked as soon as she sat down.
“Sorry, I fell asleep.” I sheepishly admitted.
“So explain everything that happened.” She commanded. I relayed the whole day’s events to her, earning a few gasps while I did my best to keep from crying. As soon as I was done the food arrived but all of a sudden I wasn’t feeling very hungry.
“I’m going to kill the bastard,” Helena growled while biting into her burger. If I wasn’t so down, I would’ve probably laughed.
“That’s kind of what got us into this predicament in the first place,” I reminded her. Helena shook her head, “no way, what got us into this is his inability to keep it in his pants. I just can’t believe we never noticed this behavior beforehand. Has your mom given you any information from when you filed your police report?”
“No, I haven’t heard anything. Why is it so difficult for women to get results on a sexual assault case yet he got Tucker in jail almost immediately for assault?” I grumbled.
“I heard that Alex bribed someone at the jail.” She whispered.
“Who?!” I whisper yelled.
“I don’t know, but do you think we should try to figure it out?” She asked.
“I’m not sure, maybe we should let it be for now, I don’t want anything to do with Alex anymore. I’d rather put it all behind me.” I admitted. Helena closed her eyes and took a deep breath, “I don’t know Cyn, but we need to do something, we can’t let him get away with this.”
“I’m worried at this point that they aren’t taking me seriously.”
She patted my hands and gripped them in hers, “I’m here for you, whatever you need girl.” My best friend looked at me with a kind smile and my heart warmed a little. I can always rely on her to have my back.
“Aren’t you worried about staying with Josh? When Tucker hears, he’s not going to be happy.” She pointed out.
“I don’t think I have reason to worry, he hasn’t tried to be inappropriate with me and he’s even sleeping on the floor of his room and giving me his bed. I know Tucker won’t be happy, but I can’t go back to the pack house and it would break my heart to stay at his grandmother’s house and not be with him.”
“Why can’t you pull a Romeo and Juliet? Be together in secret.” She suggested.
“Did you forget how that story ended?” I gave her a pointed look. She looked up as if trying to remember before she looked me straight in the eyes, “true.”
We soon finished up our food, I wiped my mouth and we went to the front to pay.
Afterwards we walked out of the diner hand in hand, and strolled into the woods. Exploring the woods always brought me peace. I closed my eyes and inhaled the familiar scent of earth and greenery.
“You’re such a forest ho.” Helena teased while elbowing me.
“Har har,” I retorted.
“Did you drive?” I asked her as we kept moving forward.
“No, I shifted. I was thinking that maybe it’d be a good idea for you to take me to Josh’s house, that way I know the way in case of emergency. I’d like to check the living conditions of my bestie.”
I went to work typing on my phone to text Josh to see if Helena could by with me. He answered right away saying it was fine. We continued walking in our human form and I was thankful for the comfortable silence between me and Helena right now. I wondered how Tucker was doing, when is he getting released? All these questions swirled in my head, making me want to crawl into bed and hide away from everyone.
“Don’t get lost in thought, I need you to guide us,” Helena pulled me back to reality with her words. I looked around and saw we were almost there.
“We’re close,” I told her.
After another ten minutes, we walked up to Josh’s house. I pulled out the key he had made for me and put it into the lock. I turned the knob and peeked through, not wanting to enter into an unknown situation with his family. The doorway was clear and I didn’t hear anything so I grabbed Helena’s arm and pulled her in, stalking straight for Josh’s room.
I opened the door and my mouth dropped. He clearly had just gotten out of the shower, his hair was wet with small droplets running down his sculpted chest. I wanted to run my fingers through his hair and down his chest, all the way down his abs. His shorts were hanging precariously low and I could see a hint of his hair coming from the top of his shorts. I swallowed and looked away, certain that my face was red.
“You’re back.” He said. You’re back? That’s all he has to say for himself looking like that. I suddenly felt a pang of guilt, Tucker and I have barely been broken up and here I was drooling over the next hot guy.
I cleared my throat, “yes,” I said hoarsely.
I could see Helena shaking next to me, probably trying to keep from laughing. I gave her a look and pulled her further into the room.
“Please put a shirt on, nobody wants to see that.” I told him with a straight face. He chuckled and winked at me, “I’m sure that’s what you were thinking when you were drooling a minute ago.”
Arrogant bastard. I growled and huffed before throwing myself on the bed. Helena followed after me and plopped next to me on the comfy covers.
“Nice digs,” she told Josh.
“Thanks, it’s pretty cool,” he said. I stared out the window and into the wilderness. A part of me itched to shift into a wolf and run rampant, living off the earth and worry free.
Helena elbowed me, apparently I missed out on their conversation.
“Sorry, what?” I asked them.
“I was telling Josh here that I’ll have to come over often for sleepovers, we can hang out on his bed while he’s confined to the floor.” I laughed at her, of course she’s already making plans.
The three of us hung out in his room until way past dark.
“Let me drive you home.” Josh offered to Helena.
“Thank you, I guess you aren’t that bad,” Helena told him. He gave a crooked grin and grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him. I felt like someone shot me in the heart. Why am I feeling this way? Because Josh is flirting with Helena? I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I think I just need to get some more sleep.
“You coming along?” Josh asked me.
“Nah, you two go ahead,” I told him, not eager to see more flirting between the two. I stood to give Helena a bone crushing hug and then threw myself back onto the bed.
“Be back soon,” he said.
I laid there long after the door opened and closed, basking in the moonlight that was filtering through the windows. I closed my eyes when I felt a vibration from my phone. I pulled it out and gasped at the text.

Tucker: I’m out, call me

I couldn’t bring myself to call him or text him back. I stared at those four words for far too long. Josh had already returned and worked to make himself a floor cot.
“You okay?” He asked me.
I nodded, I didn’t trust my voice to not crack.
“Goodnight Cyn.” He called out before switching off the light. I stayed laying there in my clothes and on top of the covers, frozen.