Veil of Secrets

Chapter Thirty - Movie Night

The weekend had arrived, and while I should have been grateful for the break, I couldn't shake the boredom creeping in. I needed company, something to fill the hours and keep my mind from wandering to places it didn't belong. So, I did the most logical thing-I invited my friends over. Emma and Ethan were the first to arrive, as usual, since they lived right next door. I barely hung up the phone before they knocked on my door. A text to Jaxon and Sebastian later, and the rest of the group started showing up within the hour.

Emma, being Emma, also invited Ryan, which wasn't much of a surprise. I gave her a knowing smile when he walked in, and she rolled her eyes, but I could tell she was happy he was there.

Despite the buzzing energy in the room, a feeling of guilt started creeping in. Lucas wasn't here. And that was because of me. He'd done nothing wrong-just told me the truth-and here I was avoiding him like I was punishing him for it. I didn't like how it made me feel. It was selfish, and I knew it.

Excusing myself from the group, I went upstairs to my room, grabbed my phone, and hovered over Lucas's name for a second before hitting the call button. He picked up on the second ring, sounding a little surprised.

"Hey," he said, his voice softer than usual.

"Hey," I replied, trying to sound casual. "I've got the others over... and I was wondering if you'd like to join us?"

There was a brief pause on his end, and I could almost hear the hesitation. "The others?" he asked.

"Yeah," I admitted. "Can you come?"

He hesitated again, but then I heard him sigh. "Alright. I'll be there in fifteen."

"Fifteen? You live thirty minutes away."

"Werewolf abilities, remember?" he said with a small chuckle, and I couldn't help but smile.

By the time Lucas arrived, we had settled into a movie on the couch, the lights dimmed, the room buzzing with conversation and laughter. I got up to answer the door, and when I opened it, Lucas stood there looking a little uncertain. But when I stepped forward and hugged him, he was so startled he froze. After a second, though, he hugged me back, tightly.

I pulled away just enough to whisper, "Jaxon and Sebastian are here."

His smile faltered at that, but I quickly added, "I didn't think you'd come if I told you before."

He sighed, his shoulders relaxing a little. "Yeah, probably not."

I smiled and led him inside. We walked back to the living room, where everyone was still glued to the movie, and Lucas took in the scene. I gestured to the only open spot left on the couch, which was next to Emma. He sat down, still tense but at least willing to join us.

I took my place back beside Sebastian, who, without hesitation, wrapped his arm around my shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world. Lucas's gaze immediately shifted, hardening as he zeroed in on Sebastian's arm. The tension in the room spiked. I could feel it, and I knew everyone else could too.

I slipped out from under Sebastian's arm, hoping to ease the situation. But then, Sebastian grabbed my hand, and before I could react, Lucas let out a low, unmistakable growl.

The sound made everyone freeze. My eyes snapped to Lucas, who was glaring at Sebastian like he was ready to lunge at him. I quickly pulled my hand out of Sebastian's, and the hurt in his eyes made my stomach twist. He backed off, giving me some space, but I could feel the disappointment radiating off of him.

As the movie continued, the tension lingered. Every few minutes, I could feel Lucas's eyes burning into Sebastian. The growl had come out of nowhere, and it was clear that Lucas was on edge, maybe more than I realized.

I didn't know what to do. Part of me wanted to say something, to break the tension, but I couldn't bring myself to make things worse. And maybe that was the problem. There was so much unspoken between all of us, and sooner or later, it was going to explode.

For now, I just tried to focus on the movie, pretending like everything was normal, even though nothing about this night felt right.