Chapter 158 Heartbreak
918words
I couldn't contain my excitement as I laid eyes on my sister, Leah, and my lifelong best friend, Bailey. They both looked stunning. Leah wore a long black dress with rhinestones encrusted along the bust line, and Bailey, being the fashionista she's always been, wore a fuchsia-colored jumpsuit with a plunging neckline and a wrap attached at the waist. It was as if no time had passed; the three of us picked up exactly where we left off. I missed this. Sophia was the closest thing to a best friend and sister I had now, but she could never replace the memories that Leah, Bailey, and I had endured.
"Is it true? Am I going to be an aunt? The rumors are driving me crazy," Leah squealed into my ear. I bit my bottom lip. "Lee, I'm not sure. The doctor did some tests but then never reported the findings. Jaxon is losing his damn mind waiting for some kind of answers." Leah giggled. "I bet the big, bad Alpha is! Mom and Dad are going to be elated! Oh, I can't wait. Promise you'll tell me first!"
I rolled my eyes, but Leah crossed her arms across her chest and wouldn't let up until I promised her she'd be the first to know the news—well, besides Jaxon obviously. Bailey cocked her head to the side as she eyed the necklace that Luna Fraya had gifted me. "That's different. Is it new?" she asked suspiciously. I wondered where her sudden interest came from. "Uh, kind of. Luna Fraya gave it to me before she passed. It's kind of the last thing I have to remember her by."
"I didn't realize how close the two of you were," Bailey exclaimed, and a silence settled between the three of us. Bailey pressed her lips together and gave me a slow nod but then quickly changed the subject. "Let's go dance! Come on!" Leah let out a laugh. "You don't have to ask me twice!" As the three of us made our way to the dance floor, shifters all moved aside to make room for us. I supposed that was one of the perks of being a Luna. "Man, I could get used to this life," Bailey said, and the three of us all began to laugh.
After a few turns around the dance floor, Bailey tugged on my arm. "I need to use the little girl's room! Let's go," she shouted over the music. I glanced over at Jaxon, who had been socializing with the other Alphas and Betas. It was always business as usual with him. Pack life always came first. "Oh, Leah, I forgot. Can you go tell your parents that I'll be staying over tonight? I completely forgot," Bailey pleaded with Leah. Leah gave me a strange look, then looked to Bailey. "Uh, sure," she responded with a sense of uncertainty in her voice.
"We'll wait," I said, and a smile stretched across Leah's face. "But Addie, I really need to go," Bailey whined. "Ah, it's okay. I'll just meet you guys later then," Leah stated, and I couldn't stop the guilt from flooding my chest. Some sister I was. Jaxon would never leave Sophia like this.
"Adeline, I'm going to pee myself! Let's go!" Bailey demanded, and I felt her hand wrapping around my arm and pulling me out of the ballroom. Shifters of all walks of life bowed their heads as we passed, and I couldn't help but feel annoyed when Bailey chuckled to herself. "What?" I said. "Oh, nothing," Bailey responded, tossing her hair over her shoulder before reaching for the door handle of the oversized double doors. "Seriously, what is it?" I exclaimed, knowing that something was nagging at Bailey.
"You're just the life of the party now, aren't you? I guess you've just changed," she finally admitted. It was as if a shard of glass sliced through my chest; I couldn't help the pain that now throbbed there. "But—how?" I asked in a stutter.
"I don't know. You're just different. I guess Luna life does that to people when you have someone waiting on you hand and foot," she explained as she pushed open the washroom door. I waited patiently by the door as she finished her business. I couldn't help but feel guilty. Maybe if I had paid more attention to my friends and family, they wouldn't see me as this stuck-up brat. Oh my Moon Goddess, that's probably what Leah thinks of me too. I began to feel impatience overtaking me. I just wanted to go find Leah right now and apologize for everything. I waited for Bailey to wash her hands; still, not another word was spoken between the two of us. It was as if I was staring at a complete stranger rather than my so-called best friend.
Bailey pushed the washroom door open, and I quickly followed behind as we approached the ballroom. Just as we were about to reach for the door handle, Bailey turned to me. "Hey, you know I've always wanted to see what the bedrooms of the Alpha, Luna, and Gamma looked like."
I knew better than to allow her to wander through the packhouse like this, but I figured maybe if I agreed, it would help mend the bond between us. Maybe it would show her we were just like the rest of the pack. I swallowed the lump sitting at the back of my throat and nodded, "Ah, yeah, sure."
