Bound Trilogy: Budding: A Supernatural Story (WLW)

Chapter Six

Imogen walked into her new flat and kicked off her shoes with a long, exhausted groan.

What a night...

Luckily, the children were all okay and after setting a cast to Bett's leg, with some future physical therapy she would be okay as well. Barring a slight concussion.

Imogen fell onto her couch and grimaced at the plastic wrap still around it. Moving her things halfway across the world meant covering everything in it and apparently her uncle hadn't felt the need to unwrap it when helping the movers. With a smirk at how easy it was to tell it was her uncle who'd overseen the movers and not her aunt, she peered around the room and sighed at all of the boxes and furniture left unpacked. It would have to wait until tomorrow.

She was exhausted from the flight, the accident, the hospital... She needed sleep, yet just like everything in her life that seemed to crash in on her all at once, her doorbell rang. Imogen grabbed one of her pillows she'd dropped off the couch just beside herself and fell over onto her side, screaming into it. How in the hell everyone else in the world had gotten so out of sync with her boggled her mind. As did her knack for always reaping all the benefits.

The knock turned into a hit and she sat up. She peeked over the back of her couch as a somewhat familiar voice called from outside the door. With a sigh of irritable recognition, she tossed her pillow to the floor and walked to the door. She opened it and came face-to-face with her ex, Landry "Lanny" Laurens. With one final sigh, Imogen turned back around, fully aware of the eyes boring into her backside as she walked back into her living room.

She began to clear the plastic wrap from her couch and ignored the aggravating woman standing behind herself. "Well, at least you look like you're in one piece. When I got to the hospital, you were already gone."

"Lan, I was on a plane for hours, then I was trapped on the side of the road with two wolf shifters, one of which was a rabid beast. And then, just in case you were worried I was already finished, more came. I was stuck in hospital for an entire night and..." What am I doing...? Imogen turned around and shook her head as she placed her hands on her hips. "No, you know what? I just got home and all I want to do is--"

"Relax. I know." Lanny ushered her to sit on her now plastic free, plump couch and she had no stamina left to fight.

Imogen sat down and let Lanny place her lounging pillow behind her head, then was vaguely aware of her sitting down beside her as her eyes began to involuntarily close. Suddenly very awake and aware, she snapped them open when she felt Lanny take her feet into her lap. She saw her undoing her laces on her shoes and pulled her feet away feeling her skin unpleasantly burnt.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

Imogen sat up again and hoisted her pillow from behind her head, hugging it tightly. The darkness was creeping back. She pulled her feet up and tucked her knees along her chest, looking anywhere other than at the woman who shared her bed for over three years. She slightly began to wonder if her question was for herself or for Lanny.

"I'm still your emergency contact. Well, my New York number is and it just so happens, I was visiting Cliff for business. They called the office and I rushed over. How badly are you hurt?" She reached over and ran her hand along Imogen's back, but she automatically recoiled.

"I think you should leave."

Lanny stood and rang her hands in the air with a guffaw. She glanced around the room at all of the boxes and rubbed the back of her head. "How long are you going to be angry with me? I went to counseling. I completely changed my daily habits to work and home activities and literally nothing else. I haven't touched a drink in weeks. And I goddamn came running the second I heard you were hurt. Both times." Lanny gulped like she was in actual pain and flitted her eyes over her face. "Does none of that matter? Can't you see that I'm trying here?"

"Can't you see that I don't want any part of that?" Imogen grumbled under her breath at her quick words and patted Lanny's arm upon seeing her grief stricken expression. No, they hadn't parted on good terms, but Imogen wasn't ignorantly ridiculous or blindly childish. Now wasn't the time to set herself back just because life wasn't quite shaping up to how she imagined. "I'm glad you've changed, Lan. It's great. Truly. Cliff has called over and over on your behalf and I know you've put in a great effort, but it's...it's pointless for us to keep talking about this. You and I are never getting back together, Lan. I just can't do it again."

"How can you be like this? Just throw away everything we built over a past I regret, but can't change? I'm working so hard to show you that--"

"I didn't throw us away. You did." So, apparently it was fine for Lanny to be opinionated, but not Imogen, huh? Also, was guilt tripping on the table as well? Imogen stood and fisted her hands in the crooks of her elbows. Alright... Forget the adult talk. "And worst of all, I had to see it. I mean, bloody hell, Lanny! It was in my damn bed. I had... I had to buy a new one."

Lanny's eyes filled with tears and she stepped closer to her, but Imogen backed away until her back hit the wall. Lanny cupped her face and put her forehead against hers. She trembled and Imogen had to fight to not give into her. It would have been so easy to give into the delicate way Lanny touched her or that look of utter awe she had each time she glanced at Imogen, but she wouldn't. She couldn't.

They may not have been married, may not have even moved forward in the future they had discussed wherein they were a family with children, but the fact remained that they had spoken about spending the rest of their lives together. They'd spoken of things they both wanted and Imogen made the mistake of believing it was what Lanny wanted too, but it had been a lie. A lie for which she couldn't let herself fall ever again.

"Stop." Imogen felt tears on her cheeks and the brush of Lanny's lips on her own.

She pushed her back and Lanny wrapped her arms around herself, staring at the floor. When she lifted her head toward her, Imogen would have thought she was in physical pain had it not been for how quickly she spun around and literally ran to the front door. She opened it and stood at the threshold.

"I'm glad...you're safe." She looked back over her shoulder visibly straining through her tears to smile, but didn't meet Imogen's gaze. "Call me if you ever need anything. Anything at all, Immy. I still care and will always help. I... I..."

Lanny left with her last unfinished thought still hanging in the air, but Imogen knew what those words would have been had they come out. As she thought of them, she brushed her fingers along her lips still tasting Lanny on them.

"I'm sorry, Lan..." Imogen ran her fingers through her hair and briskly walked to the front door, locking it as she reminded herself once more, "Never again."