(3) Painstaker

Six: Cure

"Crystal looks pale. I wonder if she's sick?" Flower leaned closer against her twin's shoulders to get a better look at me through the front mirror to the car. When I saw Sam's eyes on me, I shivered. That guy creeped me out.

It took a lot of energy to hold back what I wanted to say to that girl. "How's Lucy?" I said instead, sparing a quick glance at Kat, who's attention was down at her phone.

By the mention of her daughter, Kat's entire person lit up like a Christmas tree. She was a wreck, sure, but her love for her daughter trumped everything else. Something twisted up in my gut. For a split second, only a split, my crazy mind thought it was jealousy.

Oh good Goddess, no. Nope. I don't want, don't need, and will never have children.

"She's doing well," Kat replied. The softness of her voice eased the tension in the vehicle. It was always like that with Kat; she was soft as a feather. She had the power to bring even the strongest of men to their knees and all she would have to do was bat her eyelashes. She'd never use that power, though. Not even on Donovan.

"Ella and Miles seem to be enjoying her." Kat paused a moment. "Do you think... have you noticed anything wrong with her?" Despite everything going on, she sounded worried.

I bit my lip. Hard. I was so bad at keeping secrets. Why the hell did Ella tell me such juicy gossip? If I let it slip, tweedle dee and tweedle dum back there would tell the world. "Um... No clue! Ah, hope you packed lots of sweaters. Summer's creepy aunt likes to make snow storms, I've heard. Her witchy lair is going to be covered in it."

She paused again. "I don't want it to seem like I can't handle anything," she murmured. "If something is going wrong with either of you, you can come to me. I can handle it, Crystal."

My shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, Kat. Just... talk to Ella about it. I'm sure she'll tell you. I'll feel like a jerk if I'm the one to spill the beans."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Are you happy, Crystal?"

My jaw clenched. Of course, it was quiet as the dead in the back seat. I wouldn't be surprised if I turned around to see them chomping on some popcorn as their greedy eyes watched everything. "Happy as a peach!" Eesh, that sounded too excitable. Still. That was the goddamn truth, dammit! Aside from a stupid voodoo curse caused by my supposed mate, I was drowning in happiness!

"It's okay to admit it. That you're sad." From my peripheral, I saw her staring down at her fingers.

Laughing awkwardly, I spared a quick glance at her. She was still looking down. "Honestly, Kat. I'm happy. Super duper happy. Life is great. Perfect. I couldn't ask for anything more."

"Okay... I just..."

"Worry? Tell me something I don't know."

"You have me," she reassured. "You'll always have me. We're best friends."

I didn't know it until she said it, but that was exactly what I needed to hear. Kat had a baby. Kat was missing her husband more than anything. Ella was married and pregnant. Both of my best friends had made a life after high school. Me? I was floating. Just floating. Knowing I always had them, despite this, meant something.

"Thanks, Kat. Same to you, okay? I've been told I have perfect shoulders to cry on." I perked them up. "Round, but not too round. See?"

Hours later, the car was emerged into a storm. It could not be safe driving in such a weather. Snow blew across the street, darkening it enough for my wolf vision to be concerned. I couldn't tell if the road ahead was covered in black ice, or if that was just my imagination. In a zone with the speed limit of 70 km/h, I was going 20.