By the end, Melissa was sitting on the floor with her back leaning against the closet, and her eyes were the size of saucers.
Lola stood a few meters away. She was chewing on her fingertip and picking off flakes of dead skin in nervous anticipation of Melissa's reaction. Lola dropped her hands and fiddled with her robe. Her hair fell over her shoulder, and she started pulling at the strands.
"Please, please, please say something," Lola said, dropping her hands and begging for words from Melissa. Any words would suffice right now.
Melissa leaned forward and brought her legs to her chest. "Vampires are real," she said, her voice was hoarse.
"Yes," Lola said.
"Werewolves are real."
"Yes."
"This house is filled with werewolves, and their neighbors are... werewolves."
"Yes."
"The Blackwoods are werewolves."
Lola winced and nodded. "Yes."
"You have magical blood that heals them, and it heals the vampires."
"Yes."
Melissa looked up at Lola, finally making eye contact. "And you killed your family."
Lola sighed. "Yes," she said.
Melissa exhaled an exaggerated breath and wrapped her arms around her legs, hugging them closer to her chest.
"That's a lot," she whispered while staring mindlessly at the floor.
Her eyes were blank, but Lola knew that a million thoughts were spinning in her mind.
"I don't know what to do with this," she confessed and lowered her legs. She looked up at Lola, who scoffed and sat down on the floor beside her.
"I don't either," Lola admitted.
"So you're the reason that the vampires came here?" Melissa asked and turned her head.
"I am," Lola said and nodded. She shook her head and grabbed Melissa's hands in hers. "But listen, I understand if you want no part in this. Because anyone close to me will ultimately be dragged into this, and I would never put you in danger. All I'm asking is that when we're in school, maybe we can still talk, and you know... just be what we were," she said, hopeful.
Melissa pouted and dropped Lola's hands. She scooted closer and shook her head.
"I'm not leaving you alone in this-" Melissa winced and tilted her head. "-I mean, I kind of did already, but I'm not doing it again. You're my best friend, Lola. I should've never left you to begin with. I think I was just feeling left out, ignored or something I don't know, but I'm here now, and we're in this together."
Tears filled Lola's eyes. "Really?" she squealed.
Melissa nodded frantically and pulled her in for a hug. "Yes, silly." She cried against Lola's shoulder.
The door to the room opened up with no knock or warning. The girls turned to see who it was, and Ash looked between them. "Don't stop on my account." He grinned.
Lola tensed, and her eyes narrowed on him as he stood in the door frame.
He caught the change in her expression and stepped inside the room.
"Can I have a minute alone with Lola?"
"No," Lola said and pulled Melissa back down on the floor when she tried to stand.
"Seriously?" he groaned.
Lola raised her brows and shrugged her shoulders. She wouldn't exclude Melissa anymore, but more than that, she didn't want to talk to- or see Ash.
"You can leave now. Thank you for stopping by," Lola said and smiled.
Ash groaned and closed the door. He contained his anger with a lot of effort and fixed the gold chain around his neck. "Fine." To Lola's distaste, he was inside the room when he closed the door, and it didn't seem like he was about to leave.
Ash walked over to the bed. Despite everything Lola had told her, Melissa gawked as he sat down and faced them. Melissa's eyes were fixated on his every move-when he ran his fingers through his hair or rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt. He cupped his hands and looked down at the floor. His tongue graced over his lips, and after taking a breath, he looked at them through hooded eyes.
"I want to apologize," he said as though the words pained him.
The girls stared in utter shock after he spoke those words. Ash Blackwood, the single most infuriatingly cocky man in Wild Cliff, was apologizing.
Even on the news or in papers, when they talked about him, they would always mention his refusal to obey rules, take responsibility for disrespectful behavior, or his view on the people from up on his high horse. And somehow, people always forgave him because of his looks and connections.
"I'm sorry?" Lola said.
"I am," he said and locked down his gaze on her. "I shouldn't have blamed you for what happened to my sister. Even if you are the reason why they're here, it wasn't your fault that she got bit. It was theirs. I'm sorry, Lola, for how I reacted."
She inhaled as though she were about to say something, but she was at a loss for words.
After the shock had settled, at least a bit, she said in an exhale, "Thank you, I appreciate that." The words were guarded, but so was she. The situation was a bit too odd to believe.
"Now, there's just one more thing," he said. His earlier sincere gaze turned hard. Melissa was drooling, looking at him like she wanted to eat him up.
"Yes?" Lola said. She rolled her eyes and nudged her elbow into Melissa's arm to make her stop gawking.
Melissa closed her mouth and tried not to stare, but she was taking advantage of the moment and daydreaming about what they could be but never would. Her daydreams weren't of the innocent kind.
Even Lola could admit that Ash was ruggedly handsome with a dark aura and a gripping glare, but his personality turned her off from seeing him as anything more than Jax's annoying cousin. Ash's eyes narrowed to slits, and he raised his head. His whole demeanor changed into what he had always been.
"How did my sister survive that vampire bite?" he asked.