Eliana POV
I sit on Alyssa's bed with her pillow pressed against my chest. Beth and her sit around me as I try to calm my heart.
It's ok. I'm still here. They haven't taken me yet. I'm ok. It's ok.
"What's wrong, Eliana?" Alyssa puts a hand on my arm. I sigh out shakily.
I don't respond.
What am I supposed to tell them?
I ran away to your pack, knowing my pack might follow me here and try to take me back, but I still came here anyway, putting your whole pack in danger?
Fuck that.
"We're your friends. We just want to know so we can do something to help you. You're literally trembling right now." Beth chimes in.
Is that how it works? Just because you're friends with someone you dismiss the wrong in their actions?
I don't think so.
I'll tell them and they'll pretend they're okay with what I did, just to spare my feelings. I don't want that either, I'd rather they hate me.
Another sour feeling churns in my stomach.
I stuff my face further into the pillow as Alyssa sighs.
"It's okay if you don't want to tell us."
They're going to see me as weak. I don't want them to start treating me differently because of my past.
"Yeah, cause if it's Noah, I'll just beat his-" I cut Beth off.
"I was my pack's slave for 18 years." I breathe out.
They stare at me, Alyssa tight-lipped and Beth, with wide eyes.
"You were a slave? But I thought that wasn't allowed anymore." Beth says, scooching in closer to me. I shrug.
"I still was made to clean, cook and whatever else they wanted me to do."
"That's why you ran away. I treated you when you first got here and you had cuts and bruises all up and down you. Did they...?" Alyssa asks, letting her hand fall from my shoulder.
"No, that was from my fall." I say, letting my arms, tightly wrapped around the pillow, loosen.
"From what?" Beth asks. I glance over to her.
"A cliff, I'm pretty sure. That night was really hazy, it still is." I let out a deep breath. They both sit in silence across from me.
Maybe I shouldn't have told them. It might be way too much for the both of them.
"That's my bitch!" Beth smacks my arm as she gets up off the bed and hops around on the dark brown carpet.
Huh?
"You were like 'fuck no, I'm not staying here. Yes, I'd rather jump off a cliff!' I didn't expect it from you. Not going to lie." She scrambles back on the bed as I laugh.
I'm glad she took that well.
"I agree. It's great you got out of there. Oh my Goddess." Alyssa speaks up, scoffing.
They both took it better than I thought they would.
I smile. I can trust more people, not everyone is out to tear me down. They're my friends.
"No, Alyssa, she jumped the fuck up out of there. I don't think I couldn't even done that and its on my bucket list." She shakes her head, her smirk beaming on her face. she turns to me, sitting criss-cross applesauce on the bed besides me.
"You guys are clowns. Especially you, Beth." We laugh as she shrugs.
"So you met Noah before then right?" Alyssa perks up and moves in closer.
"Yeah, tell us what happened. Just so I know who the fuck to beat up." Beth chimes in. I've never related more.
If I saw Liam, I'd probably punch him in the face. I want to.
"My old pack is saying that they are going to take me away from here. They threw a brick into my window. That's what happened." I say, putting the pillow behind me.
Why can't I punch him?
"That makes a lot of sense." Alyssa nods.
"This is a good thing. They show up and we can give them a world of 18 years of pain, as revenge." I smirk as she rises her clenched fist.
Beth is such a weirdo. I love it.
I nod.
The door creaks open as Noah leans against the frame.
"I need Eliana." He says, his mouth pulled into a line as the girls sigh and nod.
"You better take care of her for us." Alyssa states as I shuffle off of the bed and onto my feet. I roll my eyes.
"I'll see you guys later." I reach Noah as he grabs onto my hand and nods towards Alyssa and Beth. Beth gives Noah a thumbs down as we shut the door behind us.
"You seem like you're in a better mood." Noah comments, swinging my hand in his as we travel down the hall.
"They have a way of making my old pack seem like little kids that we can scare off." I chuckle as Noah smiles down at me. The first smile since he arrived at Alyssa's room.
"That's good." He says. His up-turned lips fall back into a frown.
"What's wrong?" I ask, stopping before the ascent upstairs. Noah turns towards me and sighs.
"I can't hide anything for you, can I?" He lifts his chin as I tilt my head at him.
Were you trying to?
"I'll tell you when we get to bed." He tightens his hold on my hand and we continue upstairs.
It's obvious what's wrong, I just don't want him to keep it all inside and stress by himself.
We're supposed to be in this together and after tonight I'm more connected to him than ever. I love him.
The moment the word left me, I knew there would never be a phase able to capture the way I feel about him.
'I love you' is too short, too easy, and not enough to sum up feelings of love. I'm not going to write a letter but that probably wouldn't be enough either.
I don't know when I got this mushy and gross inside but I don't even want to stop. I've never been happier despite everything.
I want to fight for what I've come to know as home. I'll get stronger, like Beth said, and kick Liam's ass.
I won't be able to move on until I confront the devil in my past.
____________________________________
19.9k ~ 6/25/20
Sorry late update.
XO.