❝And for her, he burned.❞ When his mate leaves him behind at the palace, Lester finds himself working to the brink of deterioration. Everything reminds him of Dahlia, the shewolf he's in love with. Overwhelmed, Lester moves out to a small town where...
❝In the end, he would always choose her. Every single time.❞
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Lester's last week in Nyore was one of the hardest yet. He and Charlie were no longer on speaking terms, it seemed. He'd tried to contact her numerous times only to get shut down. Now, he had given up for the short-term with hope that she would come around eventually, even if eventually was after his departure.
Ayden helped him pack all of his belongings. Lester hadn't brought too much, but he felt sorry for was what he was unable to take with him. Reluctantly throughout the week, he'd returned his library books and borrowed hardware. He'd resold his fixed bike and contacted his landlord himself to express his thanks. The walls of the cabin were stripped of everything that he'd put up to make it feel like home: posters, framed pictures, home décor.
The only home that Lester had truly felt was his own – gone.
The feeling was incredibly bittersweet, but he'd known all along that he would return to the palace eventually. Everything had been only temporary. Lester had never forgotten, even in the best moments.
There were two cars sitting in the driveway stuffed to the brim, his and Ayden's. His friend would be out any minute with the last of his belongings. He would have to wait.
Lester filled up his water bottle in the kitchen for the ride back. He left it on the kitchen counter as he looked around one last time, marching upstairs to memorize how everything looked to imprint into his memory. The house felt emptier than ever as he made preparations to depart.
He would miss Nyore. Lester promised himself that sometime in the future he would come back. Maybe next time, he could bring Dahlia to come see where he had spent his time. The thought made him smile briefly.
Things would soon return to their rightful places. Himself included. The smile faded from his face.
Lester checked the time on his phone and frowned. He double checked that he had his wallet and his keys.
There was still no sign of the one person he wanted to see before he left. No sign, and his heart ached in his chest. Would she be stubborn until the end?
With a resigned sigh, Lester made his way out of the cabin for the final time, locking the door behind him. He left the house keys in a secret compartment in the flowerpot on the porch, opening it with the keys and putting it in to hear the lock click. He straightened, looking up. As expected, Ayden was waiting by his car decked out in flannel and a baseball cap. He nodded to Lester. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah," Lester said, managing a smile. Around them, wind whistled through the trees and the sun cut through the branches. It was a good note to end on, a warm day. He made his way down the steps.
"I'm gonna pull out ahead of you, take your time," Ayden called. His driveway was harder to maneuver out of than Lester's, so he would need that head start. Lester nodded for him to go ahead.
He checked the time. Still no sign of her. His heart sank. Lester had left her a voicemail with his time of departure, and it was past that now. That could only mean one thing.
Charlie wasn't coming.
Lester got into his car, shutting the door behind him and starting the engine. The temperature thermometer beeped to tell him that it was above freezing. He reached for his seatbelt, snapping it in and glancing over to make sure Ayden had gotten out before beginning to pull out.
Lester was almost out of his driveway when he heard the sound of another car pulling up the small road, irritation flickering across his features. Ayden was definitely waiting for him at the end of the road. He would have to wait for this car, now.
The car stopped right in front of him, blocking his car from pulling out. It was only then that Lester caught sight of Preslay Johnson in the driver's seat, grinning like a madman. The door to shotgun opened, and Charlie stepped out, running towards his car.
Lester's body reacted before he knew what was happening, dragging the parking brake back and rushing to unbuckle his seatbelt and get out of the car. He had only just gotten out when Charlie launched herself at him, her arms looping around his neck as he staggered under the new weight. "I thought we were gonna miss you," she said, out of breath as she hugged him tightly. "I was so scared."
Lester let go of her hesitantly, eyes searching her face. "Are we alright now?"
"You better call me at least every other day with every detail about your life or I'm coming to Raura or wherever your stupid palace is and hitting you with a tractor, you hear me?" Charlie exclaimed, slapping him on the back.
"Yes, ma'am," Lester wheezed. His back stung, but he hardly cared as he gave her one more hug. "You're going to have to come visit sometime."
"Duh," she said, brightly, kissing him on the cheek amiably. Charlie grinned widely, her previous feelings for him completely forgotten. She pulled away first. "You take care on your trip, get there safe, okay?"
"Take care," he echoed the sentiment. He waved to Preslay, and they pulled ahead. Lester looked back at Charlie one last time as he released the parking brake, sending his best friend a final wave as he finally pulled out of the driveway.
As expected, Ayden was pulled over along the side of the end of the road. When Lester saw him, he honked twice, jubilation running through his veins.
As they took off together, he didn't look back. Lester felt lighter than ever. The road ahead was long, but it would all be worth it in the end.
⋄
the end.
of part one, haha. like i was gonna leave you on that. share your thoughts & theories for future chapters in the comments! i'll be back with part two soon, so sit tight in the meantime <33
