How much shit can a person go through before they're truly dead on the inside?"
Life is a challenging journey. It can be even more difficult when three girls find out that they possess extraordinary powers. One would assume that their abilities woul...
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Let's just say we weren't careful.
After we made plans to look into Alya and all that other bullshit that I wasn't paying much attention to, we all went back to Aelin's house and partied our asses off. Hunter and I supplied the alcohol, Aelin and Rynne got the food, Leyla and Diana handled the music. And now? We're all drunk, just like we used to get, it's like we're back at a fucking high school party.
The living room is a mess of half-empty bottles and snack bags. The air hums with the base of whatever throwback playlist Diana put on. Hunter and Leyla are attempting some ridiculous dance-off in the middle of the room, while Aelin and Rynne are in a deep conversation on the couch, heads close together, laughing and bubbling between them. Emma sits on the floor, back against the wall, a half-smile as she watches everyone.
I weave my way through the chaos, nearly tripping over an empty pizza box. "Who the hell left this here?" I shout, holding it up like it's lost treasure.
Emma looks up, her smile widening. "That would be Hunter. He's a menace when he's drunk."
"Hey, I resent that!" Hunter calls from the makeshift dance floor, stumbling slightly as he attempts to spin.
"Resent all you want, it's true," Emma shoots back, her confidence surprising me. She's loosened up a lot since we started drinking. It's good to see her smile after everything she's been through. I can't even imagine what Alya did to her, let alone having Ember in her head. I'd go crazy if Ashira and I didn't merge.
I plop down next to her, handing her another beer. "Here, drink up. We're celebrating your return."
She takes it with a grateful nod. "Thanks, Ash. I needed this."
We clink bottles and take a long drink, the alcohol burning pleasantly down my throat. "So, are they always like this?" Emma asks, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
I smile, following her gaze to everyone enjoying themselves. "No," I answer truthfully. "We all kind of drifted apart after a few years. We each had our own shit going on. We tried to make time for each other, but it didn't happen as often as we wanted. This is the first time we've let loose and had fun, let alone partying."
Emma nods, her eyes lingering on Aelin, who's laughing at something Rynne said. "Really? It seems like you're all so close."
"We are," I say, watching Hunter and Leyla as they collapse on the couch, laughing and gasping for breath. "But life gets in the way sometimes. It's not always easy to keep in touch, especially when everyone's dealing with shit. I was the first to kind of drift away from everyone." I admit, glancing at the ground, memories of the past few years flash through my mind.
"Why?" Emma asks, I let out a scoff, taking another long drink of the beer.
"I. . . I lost someone who meant a lot to me," I begin, my voice trembling slightly. "So not only did I lose one of my best friends, I also lost someone else, who I loved deeply." The words feel heavy as they leave my mouth, the rawness of my confession catching in my throat. "I tried to stay in contact just to find you, but I was broken. And I went back to drugs after I had fought so hard to stop."
