Lola woke up alone in the guest room with the drapes drawn in darkness.
Her head fell heavy down on the pillow and it was near impossible to get out of bed, even the idea was too much for her exhausted mind to handle.
She touched her waist where the wood had staked her that night in the barn- her fingers moved up over her shoulder where the metal bar had stabbed straight through her and she graced her fingers over every part that had been wounded but where nothing showed. All reminders of her wounds were gone except for the mental scars that would forever be burned onto her bones.
She knew she couldn't stay in bed forever but it was safe in here and she didn't have to face Jax or Lavina.
Her phone lit up next to her and she saw Melissa's name.
"Hello?"
"Hi! Are you just now getting up?" Melissa asked.
"I wasn't planning on getting up so technically, no,"
"Meet me in town in ten. We're having coffee and I'm going to tell you all about my lake date."
Lola flew up in bed and cast the cover of her body.
"Your date!" she squealed and flew up on her feet as she scrambled to put on clothes and make herself somewhat presentable before darting out of the room.
She ran down the stairs with keys in hand and headed for the car. The good thing about being in a hurry was that she didn't have time to look around or stop to talk to anyone. Relieved to have an excuse to leave, Lola got in the car and pressed the gas into the floor.
The clock was almost twelve so Melissa's surprise at Lola still being in bed was justified. She was waiting outside the Wild Cliff Cafe when Lola arrived with giddy dancing.
"I need to hear everything and you're not allowed to skip a single detail," Lola said as they walked inside.
The girls ordered their coffee and took a seat. Lola noticed the glow on Melissa's face, her hair was shinier than usual and she was hardly making eye contact.
"You slept with him," Lola exclaimed.
That comment earned her a hard glare and pointed lips, "shh, are you crazy- not so loud," Melissa hissed.
"I'm sorry," Lola lowered her head. A glum smile grew on her lips when she saw Melissa fighting to contain her happiness.
"Tell me about the date first," Lola said.
"We went to the restaurant and ordered food and some wine. We sat there and talked for like three hours and oh my god, Lola, he's the sweetest guy I've ever met!" She tossed her head back.
"The way he talks and walks and holds the door open- he holds the fricking door open," She said and leaned in.
Lola laughed and listened eagerly.
"What's he like?" She asked.
"A true gentleman. His parents live in North Carolina and they don't have the best relationship but he visits every now and then. He's closer with his mom than his dad, he's an only child and he works as a programmer,"
"Where?"
"At the hospital, he mostly checks and maintains their IT protection systems and helps out whenever any of the programs or firewalls act up but he's actually applying for a job with my parents," Melissa squealed.
"Seriously?" Lola laughed.
"Yeah, he has an interview on Monday, I pulled some strings," Melissa casually brushed her shoulder as if to congratulate herself on a job well done and she was almost certain that Ed would get the position as lead programmer in her parent's company.
"Do your parents know who he is?" Lola wiggled her eyebrows playfully and Melissa winced.
"Sort of, I told them he's a friend which isn't a lie," she said.
"How was it?" Lola asked.
Melissa looked confused at first but she quickly caught on.
"Oh it was really good," she said with a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Rate him,"
"He's number one on the list, a solid ten in effort and eleven in execution. Let me tell you, as soon as we started kissing, that shy nerdy guy was gone. He took me like his life depended on it," Melissa moaned. Lola laughed and choked on her coffee but she saw so clearly the joy on Melissa's face. She was happy and very content.
Melissa waved her hand dismissively.
"Enough about me, how are you doing?"
"Can't we just keep talking about you," Lola whined.
"Come on, what's going on?"
"We have a new house guest- or roommate or whatever you wanna call it."
Melissa raised a brow.
"Lavina moved back," Lola said earning a jaw-dropping expression from across the table.
"No way!" she gasped, "how did that happen?"
"Her mate- you know the soulmate for werewolves that I explained-"
Melissa nodded,
"-he died and apparently she only moved away to be with him. She has friends and family here in Wild Cliff so she moved back and now she's staying in the mansion until she gets her own place,"
Melissa fell back on the seat, flabbergasted.
"Do you think she will try something with Jax?"
Lola's brows furrowed quizzically and she nodded.
"Something is going on with Jax, he's behaving really weird and the other day I kissed him but it didn't feel like it was him that I was kissing," she said in a confused tone over her own words.
"I'm so sorry...have you talked to him about this?"
"No, I tried yesterday but it didn't go so well."
"Try again today, he has no right to push you away," Melissa said sternly.
They finished their coffee and headed out of the cafe.
"Do you have any plans today?" Lola asked.
"Yup, I'm coming home with you," Melissa winked flirtatiously and they got in the car.
on the way back to the mansion they started sensing that something was off. The gatekeeper had to walk out and manually open the gate for them after explaining that no visitors were allowed into the gated community that day.
The girls looked at each other as they drove up the road to the top of the hill. Many of the houses were empty and people were gathered on the street heading to the mansion it seemed. They were dressed beautifully and had their makeup done and their finest jewelry on.
"Is there a party we weren't invited to?" Melissa asked.
Lola was asking herself that same question, she couldn't remember anyone saying anything about a party or an event.
The mansion lit up when they reached the graveled path.
The ominous clouds were perfect for the fire theme they seemed to have going on. Torches lit up outside the doors and more of them were placed around the house.
Lola stopped the car and turned it off.
They sat for a while taking everything in and watching the many people who walked into the mansion.
It was extravagant and big, something she would expect at an event for the socialites but she had not been filled in on there being any party.
"Did you know-" Melissa started but stopped when Lola shook her head silently.
Why were they having a party and why hadn't anyone told her about it?
"Maybe it's nothing," Melissa said as they got out of the car. Lola pressed the key and locked the car, she looked around at everything they had managed to set up in the few hours she'd been gone.
A thick, matte red carpet went up to the doors and two guards stood stationed outside.
The guards stepped aside and let the girls pass before getting back in blocking the doors and checking their clipboards before letting anyone in.
Sparkling wine and champagne flutes were being pushed around on silver trays.
They had a live orchestra playing music and everyone in the gated community was here right now. Lola clutched her chest and spun on her feet.
"Oh no," Melissa whispered. Lola followed her gaze to the double doors where Mrs. Blackwood was laughing, her head fell back and her teeth sparkled in the light of the fire.
In front of her, subtly touching his arm with her bejeweled fingers were Lavina and Jax.
"He's happy," Lola said.
Jax was smiling from ear to ear even though his mother was right there. She had a way of sucking the joy out of everyone including Jax but there he was, happier than Lola had ever seen him.