“Sure, I can. I’ll get some pieces in here tomorrow. I’ll get to go shopping. It will be great.”
“Well, we wanted to do something for a housewarming gift for you, so we stocked your fridge. It’s only enough for a few days, but it will get you started. Zeb told us what a werewolf can go through in terms of groceries in a week.”
Andrea opened the fridge with a flourish and showed me shelves filled with produce and meat.
“Thank you so much,” I said, throwing my arms around her neck.
“Meadow left you some plants as a welcome.”
“Oh, that’s so sweet,” I said grimacing. “ But I will kill them.”
“We can take them to Iris,” Andrea told me.
I pressed my lips together as I nodded. “Please don’t tell Meadow.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to come stay at our place for a night? It would be a lot more comfortable for you,” Dick said.
“It’s important for me to stay here tonight, on my own. I made a pretty big step today and I don’t want to take another step back by relying on someone else.”
“I get it.” Dick kissed my forehead. “I don’t like it, but I get it.”
“Goodnight,” I told them, hugging Andrea tight. “Thank you for everything.”
“Sleep well,” Dick told me, and they closed the door behind them.
Surveying my new digs, I pulled my phone out of my backpack. Alex picked up on the first ring. “Is everything all right?”
“Everything is fine,” I assured him. “I have news.”
“Lately, ‘news’ has all sorts of horrifying potential,” he said.
“I have a new apartment,” I told him. “I didn’t want to say anything until it was all settled, but I literally just moved in a few minutes ago.”
“What!” I heard noises like he’d dropped his phone. “When did this happen? Do you need help? Can I come by and see it?”
“Just a few minutes ago, no, and no,” I said. “I’d like to have some time to fix it up first.”
“What about your family?” he asked.
“Um, not happy, but I’m not fully disowned. Uncle Lonnie said I can come back any time. But I won’t. I’m already in love with it.”
“I’m very happy for you,” he said. “Very proud. I know this wasn’t easy.”
“You’re right and thank you.” I paused. “I don’t want to tell you I love you for the time first over the phone. That seems weird.”
He cleared his throat. “You’re right. I should definitely wait to tell you I love you too when we see each other next.”
I smiled. “I’m glad we have that settled. Goodnight, Alex.”
“Goodnight, Tylene.”
I hung up the phone, turning in a circle, squealing. Even though it was only nine, I was exhausted. I’d been through a lot of emotions in the past few hours. I shifted into my wolf form, which was far more comfortable with sleeping on the floor. I balanced my muzzle on my backpack. Fortunately, my warm nature kept me from needing a blanket.
Every movement echoed in the empty space. I had no furniture. I didn’t even have a glass to drink water from. But it was mine. All mine. I could do what I wanted, when I wanted. I felt lighter than I had in years.
11
“The thing about past relationships and the baggage you carry from them, is that they can spring up when you least expect it and bite you on the ass. If you figure out how to minimize the damage, you have mastered life. Or at least, you have figured out how to dodge.”
—A Gentleman in Any Era: An Ancient Vampire’s Guide to Modern Relationships
* * *
Never in my life had I gone on a shopping spree. To me, money was something that you saved because you never knew when you might get more. You didn’t just go around spending it at random.
Moving into an empty apartment, I found I needed, well, everything. Curtains, sheets, towels, dishes, lamps, silverware, pots, and pans. I was literally starting with nothing. I ran through Sheets and Things like a madwoman on a game show, tossing everything that caught my eye into my cart. And a lot of things caught my eye. Apparently, I liked green, which was something I didn’t know about myself, in terms of interior design. It’s hard to know what your preferences are when you’re not allowed to choose.
Unfortunately, all of that stuff came in an unreasonable amount of packaging, meaning I was making a lot of trips back and forth to