73.No One

Eric

I was playing pool with Noel, Lilith and Juliet had been hanging out for an hour before they announced they were going to go get some stuff done, no doubt waxing and nails. I didn’t care. I liked that she did that kind of thing for herself. But as Noel and I played pool his phone started ringing. He made a face and said, “It is Juliet.” He answered and I waited for him to tell me what was going on. I could hear Juliet crying on the other side of his phone. My hand tightened around the pool stick. I was immediately set on edge thinking something had happened.

Finally, Noel hung up and looked at “Juliet and Lilith had a fight, she is sobbing and asking for me to come pick her up and take her home.” I nodded, “You should probably go take her home then, I will text Lilith and see if she wants me to come and I can go with her to bring her back here.” Noel nodded. I wondered what had happened? I wish I was just close enough to mind link her she was a little too far out of reach. Thirty-five Miles was the limit of the distance we could communicate over mind link, and Lilith and Juliet were approximately 50 miles away.

Noel and I got in the car and began driving. “What do you think happened?” Noel asked me and I just shrugged. Noel spoke again “They always seemed so close at school. It was like, even though Lillith included me, that I was a third wheel. It didn’t come across as they were a couple but more like nothing could tear those two apart.” I didn’t get it. Lilith was always texting Juliet. What would have happened for her to act like this. I wondered who had started the argument. It didn’t take a genius to know who finished it. Lilith would never let anyone win in a fight, no matter if it was physical or verbal. So, far I had been the only one that had taken her and won.

It was who she was, not that it was a bad thing, in fact it was something I admired, but why would she fight with Juliet. My guess is she was not the one who started this particular conversation. I knew she would not get into a physical confrontation with a human, she may subdue them but not hurt them, and especially not Juliet. I was not worried about that. I was more concerned if my mate was doing okay. She had a lot happen over the past few months. She had left Rob, who had been a father figure, left home, had to see an abusive ex, and fight her wolf.

It was a lot for anyone. Now her best friend and her were on the outs. As I drove I thought about it. We finally got close enough for to mind link my mate “Hey what happened? Juliet called Noel crying and wanting to go home.” I asked. Lilith responded “She was being a fucking cunt. She can cry all she wants what I said was the truth and she didn’t like it.” My brows squeezed together as I was trying to get a feel behind her words. “Want to tell me more?” I asked over the link. “Not really, but I will say there is now no one left in that city for me anymore.” Shit, this had to be a big fight. She was done with Juliet, and I knew it. I felt horrible what had happened? I knew she wouldn’t tell me, that much I knew. I looked at my brother. He looked just as stressed as I was, though I was sure it was for a different reason. I just hated that Lilith had lost a friend who had been important to her and had not hurt her at all to this point. She even told me that. She trusted her and now she didn’t. It then occurred to me Lilith never really had anyone in her corner, not in her whole life. Her mother hated her, father abandoned her, stepdad wanted to fuck her, her foster homes were just place holders, Bowie had hurt her, Rob was grooming her, and now her friend for whatever reason had broken her trust.

I couldn’t even imagine how she felt. I always had my brother, even my father who hid out if I wanted him would come around. I never reached out, he preferred to be alone, but if I called, I knew he would come. And as much as Ellen and I had our differences she was always there to. Then there was the pack. They disagreed with me sometimes, but they would always stand by me. I always had people to depend on. What had my mate had? No one. The two people prior to me and the pack, were now gone from her life. Rob for being the monster he was. And now Juliet, for whatever was the reason for the fight.

“Noel and I are coming. He will take Juliet home and I can be with you until your ready head home.” I mind linked her. “I don’t need a babysitter Eric, I am fine.” Yeah, she was not fine. That was obvious. “I get it now; she is not a shifter she will never get it.” I scrunched my brows again wondering what she was talking about. Noel and I pulled up and I saw Juliet sitting there crying. She had a coffee sitting on the table and was just crying. Noel got out to the car and sat beside her. It was so weird to see my brother look at her the way he did. I thought from the beginning this was not going to end well, and from what happened I know I was sure of it. I mind linked Lilith, “Where are you?” She responded. “Look to the left” I did, and I saw her from a distance sitting inside a Starbucks and she was watching Noel, myself, and Juliet.