Spurned Queen

Chapter 19: Girls' Day Out

Lexi

I stared out the window, my jaws working tirelessly to demolish bag after bag of chips. For the past three days I had done nothing but lounge around Tyler's home, eating and sleeping, sometimes cooking, cleaning, running, anything. Right now I was trying to convince myself that I was reading, but I was truly just daydreaming about Aevran.

I wished I had seen him when I was at his Palace. However, I knew that avoiding him was in my best interest.

The door burst open. I looked up lazily, slightly surprised to see the whole "gang" of girls, my three closest friends since I was a teenager.

Cindy, Trisha, and Dylan scowled down at me, arms crossed and feet tapping. We stared for a few moments before I managed,

"Can I help you?"

Dylan broke first with a snort. "Yeah right, you look like you're going through a marijuana withdrawal."

The corner of my lip twitched as I replied, "Sorry to disappoint, but no, I've never inhaled a puff of anything, and I'm not about to try."

"You know what you should try, though?" Cindy askked as Trish and Dylan sauntered into my closet.

I raised a brow.

"Ummmm, sleeping?"

"You've already done that."

"Sleep some more?"

"How about stepping out?"

"Been there."

"You haven't. All I've noticed is those lonely runs you take where your wolf just lies down and stares at the clouds or stars."

"It's still counted as a run."

"Have you hunted anything?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"I found this bag of chips in the topmost kitchen cupboard. Took me ages to discover your secret stash."

"You are not eating my emergency chips!"

"Am too."

"Enough!" she yelled, and I jumped at the Alpha tone. "We are going to go out, have one hell of a good time, and see if we can get that horrible stench of despondence and self pity off you."

"Yeah, you reek," said Dylan, walking out of my closet with a backpack.

"I'm not in the mood," I said. "Sorry."

Cindy smiled. "Oh, but you will come, hon. You'll come if I have to drag you by the tongue myself. Look at yourself! You're being held together by tape and prayers alone."

I scowled. "Fine," I ground out. "And if you three don't give me a day I'll remember then be sure I'll take your little ear bones and hang them up in a wind chime."

***

"Now you're almost back to your old obnoxious self again, Lexi," Trish declared proudly. "All that's left is for you to spill what's going on and let us in. Tell us everything."

I glanced around the hot tub of the three women around me, suddenly nervous. They all made open, honest eye contact and waited patiently to see if I would give in to their request. I bit my lip and considered. They had promised a great day and they delivered marvelously, constantly forcing me to focus on myself and my favourite things (food and fun) so that I had no time leftover to think. We had run and played and fought and climbed and swung and danced and sang and made countless messes, bickering all the way. They were my bff's. The only ones, apart from family, who knew my secret. They were the ones who had always been there to talk to, who put up with my unannounced disappearances and received me back without asking where I'd been. And, these three were the ones who could drag me out of a bad mood with such careful carelessness as they applied today.