17. Rule #17 Its Okay To Let People In

Rule #17: It's Okay To Let People In

Zoe

I t was late afternoon and I was holed up in my room, exhausted after the events of yesterday and my morning classes. I sat cross-legged on my bed, thinking about the night before. Daniel had left not long after our conversation in the backyard, and I could still feel his lips on mine. I touched my fingertips to my mouth, recalling how he had kissed me. It was a soft yet confident kiss. It ignited my core and all I had wanted in that moment was more. He had taken control and all I could do was submit to him. And dammit if it didn't feel good to not be in control for once. To let someone else take the reins for a minute. But giving someone that kind of control required trust. And I wasn't sure if I could trust him yet. I wanted to. I really, really wanted to. But I had given my trust way too easily in the past and look where that had gotten me. Covenless and losing my magic.

I could still smell him though. His scent of fresh rain and pine trees triggered something in me. Peace, maybe? Comfort? I didn't know. And the way he laughed made my heart trip in a way that I knew I had to be cautious around him. It would be so easy to get caught up in his flirting and his dimples and his kisses. But standing out there with him had felt… nice.

Not that I'd admit that out loud. Even admitting it to myself was hard. I didn't want that feeling. That feeling that he was someone I could open up to, that I could show all my broken pieces to and he'd handle them with care. Because that always, always backfired. It wasn't that I didn't trust him because I thought he was hiding something anymore. I just didn't trust people not to hurt me.

I thought that Agatha and Katie had been my soul sisters. That Marcus had been my greatest love. People I could be myself around. And I would have killed for them. I had protected them with everything I was. But when I needed them, I wasn't given the support. Instead my grief was twisted into me being unfit leadership. And then every little flaw of mine was thrown in my face. I was too dark, too much of a grump. I wasn't empathetic enough. All I cared about was our safety, but at what cost? But I had been broken and struggling, and when Marcus called a vote that I didn't see coming, well that had been the final nail in the proverbial coffin.

That was the day I promised myself that I'd never let anyone get close enough to hurt me like that again.

That person certainly wouldn't be Daniel.

I reached into my bedside drawer, pulling out a photo. I didn't know why I still kept it. It was a picture of me, Marcus, Agatha and Katie holding each other and smiling. When times were good. When they loved me and included me. My banishment didn't happen suddenly. It was a gradual, insidious thing. A carefully crafted plan by Marcus to discredit me. But I was so encompassed in my grief that I didn't see it happening. Marcus's gaslighting and manipulation had started a long time ago. He had sown the seeds of discord and they started excluding me. Doing things behind my back. By the time I realized that his whispers and lies had poisoned the well, it was too late.

I sighed when a knock sounded on my bedroom door and I slipped the photo back into my drawer.

"Zoe? Can I come in?"

At least Rory was asking this time.

"Yeah," I replied.

The door opened and she popped her head in. "House meeting. In the living room."

"Sure," I grumbled, climbing out of bed and following her downstairs. Lexi was already present, floating on top of the coffee table.

I took a seat on one of the leather recliners, so that no one would sit next to me.

"So," Rory said, bringing her hands together and starting the meeting, "as we're all fully aware by now, we have a ghost." She gestured to Lexi, who waved.

"How did you die?" I asked, cutting to the chase.

At this, Lexi looked uncomfortable and her brow furrowed.

Rory gasped. "You can't just ask people how they died, Zoe!" she admonished.

I slid my eyes to her, and I hoped she could read the look on my face that said I didn't give a fuck.

"But," she said, taking a seat on the couch, "it is something I've been wondering about too."

"The truth is, I don't know," Lexi answered. "The last thing I remember is being in the attic. Everything is fuzzy."

"And your grandmother, your parents, they didn't try to find out what happened?"

"My grandmother bound me to the house– "

"Why?" I interrupted, the question coming out harsher than I intended.

Lexi's eyes darted from side to side, wringing her hands. "I– I don't know."

"You're lying. Don't lie to me," I said. Just because I didn't have my magic, didn't mean I couldn't read the body language of a liar.

Lexi looked defeated. "She thought if she did, they'd have time to figure it out."

Rory's eyes bounced between us like she was watching the Williams sisters at the US Open.

But I stayed quiet. If you kept quiet long enough, people usually got uncomfortable enough to fill the silence.

"My parents were heartbroken. My father left, blaming my grandmother, the coven. He was human. My mother… she couldn't stomach what my grandmother had done. That she'd have to look at me like this, always in this uniform, never watching me grow up. She died a few years later. Heart attack, the doctor said. But I think it was a broken heart."

That last sentence was a whisper.

"Oh, Lexi!" Rory rushed over to hug her, but her arms went right through the teenage ghost.

Lexi smiled at her sadly. "It's the thought that counts, Rory."

"Well, we're very happy to have you here! Or, well, for you to have us here. This is your house, I suppose," she said, waving her hand around. She glared at me. "Right, Zoe?"

I softened at that and managed a smile. "Yes, of course."

"Good!" Rory clapped her hands together. "Girls night!"

"Nooo," I groaned.

"Yessss, Zoe Kingston!"

"Fine, but I get to pick what we watch."

"No orcas!" my roommates cried in unison.

I gave them a flat look that had them laughing.

An hour later, Rory had somehow convinced me to watch Legally Blonde, not the worst movie I'd admit, when my phone buzzed in my shorts pocket.

Unknown

Hi.

I frowned. Usually I ignored unknown numbers. More often than not I let them ring until they hung up. So I couldn't tell you what made me reply to this one.

Me

Who is this?

Unknown

It's Daniel.

I groaned, letting my head fall against the back of the chair.

"What is it?" Rory asked as Reece Witherspoon swished and flicked on screen.

"Daniel's texting me."

"Oh! The hot werewolf?" Lexi asked, barely containing her excitement.

"Relax, you're like sixteen," I said, holding up a hand.

"I've been sixteen for ten years. Technically I'm twenty-six."

"Huh," I replied. "You are not wrong. "

"Are you gonna ask him out?" Rory asked. Then followed with, "I don't think he likes me."

I wondered about that. Contrary to popular belief, werewolves and vampires got on rather well. He seemed to have a deep hatred for them though. Before I could answer my phone buzzed again.

"What did he say?"

"I don't care," I said, stuffing my phone back into my pocket.

Fifteen minutes later though, I called it a night, claiming I had an early morning class. It wasn't a lie, but my phone was burning in my pocket and I'd prefer not to have an over enthusiastic audience while seeing what he wanted. Something had shifted between us last night. His kiss had changed my brain chemistry and I knew I was fighting a losing battle.

I pulled my phone out as I climbed the stairs.

Unknown

You up for a visit?

Me

No.

How did you get my number?

I knew the answer before my phone vibrated again, but I needed confirmation before I murdered him. I sat on my bed and read the message.

Unknown

Lewis .

The fucking traitor.

My head shot up as a knock sounded on the French doors leading out to the little balcony off my room. Pulling back the white curtains revealed said handsome werewolf with mischievous, twinkling green eyes and a smile that made the butterflies in my tummy ungovernable. He held up a pint of pistachio ice cream and I cursed Lewis silently while I unlatched the doors.

Pistachio ice cream was my kryptonite.

"It's cheating to have insider information," I said by way of greeting.

"It's called being resourceful and you're welcome," Daniel said as he stepped inside.

"We have a front door, you know?"

A soft summer breeze wafted in with him, swirling the comforting scent of fresh rain and pine trees around me. Why the hell did he have to smell so damn good?

"I thought you might want to avoid your sorority sisters' scrutiny downstairs," he answered. I was surprised at his thoughtfulness. How he seemed to know me so well already.

"What's this for?" I asked as he handed me the ice cream.

"A thank you. For saving my life."

"I think saving a life deserves more than ice cream," I said, sitting back against the pillows on my bed with my legs crossed.

Daniel took a seat about halfway down, folding one leg beneath him as he opened his own pint of butter pecan.

"And I wanted an excuse to see you again."

"You saw me last night," I said, extracting the wooden spoon from the bottom of my tub.

"Exactly. It's been twenty-four hours since you've scowled at me."

I glared at him, but the grin that was spread across his face made me smile .

"Oh… That's beautiful," he said softly, as if he was watching the sun set.

My cheeks warmed and I cleared my throat, then busied myself with a spoon of ice cream. Maybe it would cool me down.

Crickets chirped outside and the night breeze fluttered in through the open balcony doors. This was peaceful.

I hadn't felt that in a long time. He wasn't even speaking, he was just… here. And I let my guard lower. My heart thudded wildly in my chest as I stretched my legs out in front of me and they came to rest over his strong thighs. A rush of relief flooded me when he gave me no shit about it, only readjusting to sit more comfortably while laying a warm hand on the bare skin of my calf. I was so tired of being alone. So tired of being an island. I was tired of myself, if I was being honest. I craved touch and intimacy, but I had been burned so many times.

What was one more?

"Favorite artist?" he asked suddenly.

I frowned at him, confused by his line of questioning. He nodded toward my desk that was littered with sketches. Thank fuck I put the ones I had drawn of him away in a folder. "You draw."

"Oh. Yeah, um, Van Gogh is my favorite."

"Let me guess? Starry Night ? No! Sunflowers !"

I gave him a small smile and his eyes lit up with pure joy. How could my smile make someone so happy?

"Who doesn't love Starry Night? But I actually prefer Starry Night Over the Rh?ne ."

"Ah, yes. Far moodier. I should have guessed that."

I huffed a laugh. "And also Wheat Fields with Cypresses . I love the blues in the sky. It's peaceful."

He drew small, absentminded circles with his thumb on the skin of my calf and I throbbed between my thighs. I couldn't move, even if I'd wanted to. But I didn't. I wanted to stay here with him in this perfect bubble. And that thought scared me.

"Peace," he mused. "We could all use some of that."

"Where in England are you from?" I asked, changing the subject.

"London," he replied.

"Ah, big city boy," I teased. "How do you like small town living?"

"I liked it just fine until that stupid werewolf pack came knocking," he grumbled.

"They'll kill you, if you don't join. You know that."

"It's like a fucking cult that I can't escape," he growled, his eyes flashing yellow. There was that dangerous side that excited me. I squirmed as desire flooded my body. The hand on my calf squeezed softly as if he knew what I was feeling. But I cleared my throat and took a big spoonful of the smooth ice cream that was starting to melt.

"We need a plan," I said.

"We?" he asked, with raised eyebrows.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, well, apparently you're determined to be my friend. And I feel like you're going to be annoying about it. I also don't like my friends being murdered."

"Ha! I knew you liked me!" Daniel crowed in victory.

I threw a pillow at his head that he batted away, while laughing. The sound made my chest flutter and I prayed he wouldn't hurt me too badly.