He's here. He's come to finish it!
"Elara!"
Her head snapped up at Sally's voice. The room spun as strong, cold fingers gripped her shoulders, shaking her back into focus.
"What—" Elara croaked, blinking through her daze. "You were… at the door?"
"Yes, what's wrong with you? You weren't answering the door! Then the balcony—" Sally lifted the broken lock guiltily. "I'm sorry, I panicked. I thought—" She stopped, eyes sweeping over Elara's pale face, her shaking frame. "Elle… are you okay? Did you… Did you do something to yourself?"
"What? No!"
But Sally's frown deepened. "You scared the life out of me. You weren't answering your phone all night, then Lily told me you were here. I was pounding and pounding on the door, and when you didn't answer—I thought—" Her voice softened, cracking. "Don't you ever do that to me again. Not after what that bastard, Luke, did to you."
Elara's lips parted, but the truth stuck like a blade in her throat.
Sally hugged her suddenly, fierce and desperate. "You don't have to pretend you're fine. Not with me. If it's too much, just say it. I'll stay. I'll watch you, Elle. I won't let you hurt alone."
Elara's arms hovered awkwardly in the air before she let them drop, her heart pounding in her ears. 'Should I tell her...?'
'CLANK! CLANK!'
Sally gave her an awkward smile, dangling the broken lock of the balcony door sheepishly. "I'll fix it. Promise!"
Elara looked out of her balcony. It was a two-storey building. "It's… fine, but how did you...?"
That was probably because Sally's mother was half-lycan. Lycans were stronger, more physically sensitive, and followed a hierarchy. Half-lycans were strong too, but couldn't shift, so in this strict hierarchy, they didn't quite fit. This made Sally always feel left out with lycans her age.
Sally grinned in relief and tugged her up to her feet. "Good. Now stop scaring the life out of me, girl. You didn't answer your phone, you didn't answer the door, you had me thinking you'd been murdered in here!"
"Sorry... but I really need to go."
"Where...?" Sally pulled back, scanning her face like every twitch of expression held answers when Elara's stomach growled.
Elara turned her eyes away. The last thing she'd eaten was the muffin they snuck.
"Sorry... Yeah, we can go together. I'll drop you in my Jeep, but first we will get some food in you," she gently pushed her. "Come on."
Elara swallowed hard but nodded.
"Sorry."
"Sorry?" Sally smiled with a roll of eyes to lighten the mood. "You better be. You're lucky I like you enough to climb balconies before breakfast."
That almost made Elara smile
The smell of old grease clung to the air in the kitchen. Dirty dishes piled high in the sink like a small mountain. Elara's gaze lingered there, stomach twisting.
Her father and his friends had been here.
She stilled, reaching slowly for her phone on the counter. No notifications from him...
"What did I expect, really?" she murmured.
"Hmm?" Sally mumbled through a mouthful of dry cereal, crumbs sticking to her cheek.
Elara shook her head with a smile, pouring milk into both bowls. "No, nothing."
"You sure? You look like you saw a ghost. You're eating like you're racing one too."
Elara opened her mouth to argue, but Sally was already watching her with that look—half exasperation, half fondness—one she'd never worn before.
"You know," Sally said, leaning back against the counter as she scooped another spoonful of cereal, "this kinda reminds me of high school."
Elara blinked. "High school?"
"Yeah," Sally said with a small laugh. "Us cooking our own lunch and dinner like this. Or… well, whatever counted as food for us back then."
Elara mustered a small smile. "Instant noodles are valid meals if you put healthy ingredients in them."
"Says the one who can eat noodles for three meals a day." Sally pointed her spoon at her. "And remember when we tried to get into baking, stealing ingredients from our houses only to end up with something you would find in war rations."
"I bake well," Elara corrected automatically. "You suck though."
"I suck?" Sally burst out laughing. " That's absurd, I make the best sourdough ever! You are the one whose chocolate cake tastes like processed sand."
"That's only because I was trying a diet chocolate cake!"
"...Diet chocolate cake?"
Both of them burst out laughing.
The memory bloomed warm in her chest—In this tiny kitchen, the three of them huddled around the stove like conspirators, like cooking was some concoction. Her father would always return, and even if she left something for him, she would find it untouched the next day.
Though it did hurt, it didn't diminish how precious those days were.
Sally's expression softened as she watched her. "We basically lived here back then. Your dad was never around, so we kinda made this place our base. Cooked here, ate here, did homework here… burned stuff here."
"You burned stuff," Elara retorted even as her voice broke.
"Wow! Look at you throwing blame around just because you are a little better than me now," Sally gasped. "And the stove was old!"
"Of course, it was the stove." She rolled her eyes.
Sally shot her a dramatic glare, then leaned forward on her elbows. "Point is… we always managed, didn't we? No matter how messy things got, we always got through each evening."
Elara lowered her gaze, her spoon tracing slow circles in her cereal. The weight in her chest didn't ease even a little, but it made her warm inside.
"Yeah," she whispered. "We did."
"And we still will." Sally bumped her with her shoulder. "You're not doing any of this alone. I swear, if I were in the room, I would tear him a new one. God damn Selena for not allowing me past the sunset."
"Then she was wise not to."
Sally rolled her eyes before whispering, "... And I would tear Marcus I new one too."
Elara laughed. Sally always had a volatile temper, and Luna Selene always scurried away from the kind. She used the excuse that they only needed human servers on the table to forbid her from entering.
For a moment, the kitchen didn't smell like old grease or feel haunted by the mess her father left behind. It felt… like theirs. Like it used to.
"Thanks," she murmured.
Sally grinned. "Good. Now finish your cereal before it turns into glue."
Elara rolled her eyes. "Bossy."
"Someone has to be, for us to be alright again." Sally teased, nudging the bowl closer.
She swallowed hard, looking down at her bowl.
Could she ever be okay after last night? The sight of Luke's bulging eyes, the snap of his neck—the memory made bile crawl up her throat.
She couldn't stay here. Not anymore. The hysteria had drained her, leaving only a single, urgent thought: to leave. If she could just hitch a ride with Sally, she could get to her dorm fast.
"I'm okay," she murmured, forcing her tone flat. "I just need... space."
Sally leaned forward, grabbing her hand. "You're pale as chalk, and you're fidgeting! Talk to me about it, will you?"
Elara blinked. "What?"
Her heart hammered a hundred miles a minute. She needed to tell someone, but if she told Sally, would she be safe?
"The way that bastard touched you, in front of everyone." Sally's jaw clenched. "That bastard. I knew it would hit you hard. You've been quiet, avoiding everyone, like a whole different person. And now this?" She gestured to Elara's trembling hands. "You scared me half to death when you were gone, and I couldn't find you. I thought you'd… I don't know." Her voice cracked slightly. "I thought you'd hurt yourself!"
"Sally." Elara's throat tightened. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself. She didn't want to make her friends a target, too. "I would never hurt myself. Never. I want you to remember that."
In case something happened to her, she at least wanted her friends to know it; she would never hurt herself.
"Elle..." Sally's gaze was relentless, worried. "You can tell me if you're not okay. You don't have to hide it. My Dad talked to his lawyer, don't think for a moment we will let that sleazy bastard get away with it. "
Lawyer...? And how are they going to persecute a corpse?
"I'm fine now," she said, looking away.
But Sally didn't look convinced. Her father was an Executive Director in Duskbane Group, so she didn't doubt for a moment that he could help her, but even he couldn't sue a corpse. She sat back but kept her eyes locked on her, like a hawk waiting for a slight sign of weakness.
"That's it! I'm staying with you!"
Elara couldn't meet her eyes. Because if she did, she'd crumble.
She cleared her throat. "Sally, your Jeep is outside, right? Can I get a ride—"
'KNOCK! KNOCK!'
"Sally, you in there?"
"Yes! Why?"
"Luna Selene sent you for an errand? She has been calling for you!" They heard a neighbourhood kid's voice from outside before hearing his footsteps walking away.
"Luna Selene...?"
Sally suddenly jolted upright, almost knocking the chair over.
Elara's pulse leapt. "What now?"
"Oh, my God!" Sally shot up, panic flashing across her face.
Elara stiffened. "What?"
"I totally forgot!" Sally slapped her forehead. "Luna Selene called you!"