Ashley’s POV
“Good job, Ashley. You did great, and I’m proud of you,” he said, completely blindsiding me with his comment.
I couldn’t even take one step as he engulfed me in an embrace. Literally, I did not move. My brain would not seem to process what was going on-was this reality, was it seriously going on right this moment, Steven seriously hugging me, being proud of me, or another dream of perfection?
The thrill that coursed through my veins fled quickly as he seemed to snap back into reality. He released me almost too fast, as if he realized he had crossed some invisible boundary.
“Um. they. they liked your design,” he stammered, sounding awkward.
“Obviously,” I replied with a small nod, trying to mask the nervous flutter in my chest.
The silence between us stretched for a little more than it was supposed to, and for the most part, was awkward.
“I. I have some work to do,” Steven stammered, turning to leave. But acting on instinct alone, I snatched his arm for him to stop.
“You’re just going to go?” I asked, as if in disbelief.
“Am I supposed to just stand here with you, then?” he shot back, furrowing his brow.
“No, but come on,” I insisted, my grip firm but not hard. “You just pulled off a big deal and saved your company. We should celebrate!”
“Celebrate?” he scoffed, shaking his head. “I’m not interested,” he said, turning to leave again.
“Come on,” I tugged on his arm in exasperation. “Let’s go have some fun. We can go to the park or go eat somewhere, or even catch a movie. Just. let’s just do something, okay?”
“Ashley.”
“Okay, let’s go,” I interrupted him, tugging him along with me before he said anything else, and much to my relief, he did follow with a snuffling reluctance.
*****
Freya’s POV
I sat on the couch, fidgeting uncomfortably as I shot daggers at Freja.
“Oh, will you stop staring at me like that?” she said without even looking at me but stuck to whatever was going on on the TV screen with her movie.
“I have an opera program to watch, Freja, which, since you decided to play stay-at-home girl, I’ve been missing-and thanks to you!” I snapped.
“Forget your opera, Freya. This movie? It’s so much more fun to watch,” she said nonchalantly.
“A horror movie is fun to watch?” I raised an eyebrow to her. She nodded very enthusiastically to my dismay.
I blew a heavy sigh and slumped against the couch in annoyance. “Sometimes I wonder how we ever ended up as twins since we’re obviously so different.”
“Come on, I’m the best twin sister you could ask for,” she said, flashing me an innocent grin.
I scoffed in response.
“And what are you two arguing about now?” Liam’s voice interrupted as he descended the stairs, his expression one of mild amusement.
“Freja won’t let me watch my soap opera!” I yelled, exasperated.
“Because this movie is way better than your soap opera,” Freja shot back with a smirk.
“You mean your horror movie!” I corrected her, glaring.
“Okay, okay, guys,” Liam said, lifting his hands in surrender. “Freja, maybe you should let Freya watch her opera first, and then you can watch your movie later.”
“Liam!!” Freja whined, pouting. “How can you take her side so easily? I got here first, so I’m watching whatever I want!”
“Oh, you’re so rude, Freja! Liam only speaks the truth, and you know he always does,” I returned smugly.
“Or,” Liam interrupted, sighing, “maybe you should just watch your opera in another room, Freya. There are plenty of TVs in the house.”
“Liam?!” I exclaimed with a mouthful.
“Yes!” Freja exclaimed triumphantly in cheer. “Thank you for being such a good judge, Liam. You’re the best!
“How can you side with Freya, Liam?” I pressed, crossing my arms.
“Alright, I can never mediate between you two,” Liam said, tossing his head. “I’ll work out in the woods, have fun arguing.”
“Wait, Liam! Take me with you. I’d rather be in the gym for hours than waste my time on this stupid horror movie with my evil twin,” I said, turning a teasing glare to Freja. The girl puffed out her tongue, and I returned the same to her.
Liam exhaled noisily, really worn out by our silly behaviors. “You two behave at times as if you’re children,” he grumbled.
“You hear that, Freja? Liam said you’re acting like a kid, and isn’t he just right?!”
“What?! I never-” Liam began, but I clutched his arm before he could get the words out.
“Come on, let’s go,” I said.
“You two don’t ever have to come back!” Freja yelled as we walked away.
“So. today it’s tree punching again?” I asked Liam as I trailed after him into the woods. He didn’t say a word. His face was inscrutable.
“Liam! I’m talking to you!” I said, shoving him playfully. He stopped dead, whirling to me so quickly that before I could react, his lips crashed against mine.
He wrapped arms around my waist, his tugging closer, my resistance crumpling as I slowly melted into the kiss.
Then, just as suddenly, he pulled away, a look of regret washing over his face.
“I’m so sorry, Freya,” he muttered, stepping back.
“Not this time, Liam,” I said firmly, catching his hand. “I’m not letting you just walk away after kissing me again. Why do you always apologize and leave?”
“Freya.”
“I want an explanation, Liam. Not excuses,” I insisted, my voice shaking a little.
“I don’t like being alone with you,” he confessed, his eyes skirting away from mine.
“You don’t like being alone with me? What does that even mean?”
“It means. I can’t control myself when I’m around you!” he burst out. “When we’re with others, I can keep my guard up, but when we’re alone. I crave you. I crave to touch you, to kiss you. I crave all of you.”
My heart pounding in my chest, I managed to barely whisper, “I. I don’t know what to say.”
“Do not say anything, then,” he said, turning to go.
But again I reached for him, stepping closer until I could feel his warm breath upon my skin, pressing my lips against his.
“I crave you too, Liam,” I whispered, and this time, he didn’t pull away. He pulled me deeper into his embrace.
*****
Freja’s POV
The movie had just ended, and I let out a soft sigh, my eyes scanning the almost empty house. The silence around me was heavier than usual, wrapping itself around my thoughts like an unwanted guest.
Just then, Williams happened to pass by, and without much ado, I called out to him.
“Where’s Roy and everyone?” I asked, hopefully, getting an answer other than the one I’d suspected to hear.
“They’re training in the woods,” Williams said briefly, and I nodded, feeling somewhat disappointed even though I’d expected it.
Ever since the ominous news about the coming of the Demon Wolf spread, everyone had been pushing themselves harder, putting in hours upon hours to ready themselves for what was to come. The house, once full of liveliness, was now a ghost of its former self.
I exhaled deeply, the weight of my emotions pressing against my chest.
I miss him.
“Shut up, Freja. You miss no one,” I muttered under my breath, shaking my head as if that would erase the unwanted thought.
But no matter how much I tried to convince myself otherwise, it remained a fact. It would have been so much more fun if I had watched this horror movie with him. The screen in front of me, with nobody to share this excitement-or the fear-wasn’t the same as sitting all by myself.
“I do miss him,” I finally said, my voice barely audible.
The emptier the house became, the more smothering it got, and the more my brain honed in on whatever swam inside my mind. I needed to get out-get some fresh air, clear my head.
I rose and went to my room, searching through the closet for something to wear. But as I dressed, a new question lingered.
Where exactly was I to go?
“I’ll just go to the movie theater,” I said aloud, forcing a small smile. “That way, I can watch a horror movie, and I won’t have to sit through it alone.”
‘Are you really going there because you love horror movies, or is it because James goes there frequently?’ a nagging voice in my head questioned.
“What? Of course not,” I defended myself forthwith. “I’m going because I want to watch a movie, and I don’t want to do it alone. That’s all.”
I pushed the doubts aside, took my keys, left the mansion, and got into one of the cars. The drive to the theatre was quiet, save for the hum of the engine and the rare flicker of streetlights casting long shadows across the road.
When I finally arrived, I parked the car in the lot and instinctively looked toward a familiar spot. My mind was flooded with memories; my heart skipped a beat as that was the exact place I had stopped James before, where, in a fit of frustration, I broke his arm. That was the moment I discovered the shocking truth about him: he was a werewolf.
I took a few tentative steps toward the spot, a small smile pulling my lips up.
I really do miss him.
“Freja,” a voice called from behind, and I turned sharply, my eyes widening slightly as they landed on James standing beside his car.
“James,” I murmured, a surge of emotions welling but not knowing what to say.
“Are you still angry with me?” he finally asked, his voice uncertain. When I didn’t respond immediately, he sighed. “It’s fine then. I’ll just leave,” he added, opening his car door.
“I was angry at you,” I replied, my voice steadier now. “You refused to tell me anything about yourself. You refused to give me an explanation. Anyone would be angry about that.”
He stopped and faced me fully, his face serious.
“I’ve told you already, Freja,” he said. “If you want us to remain friends, you cannot and must not know anything about me or the family I come from. And. I want you to remain my friend, Freja. I. I have missed your company.”
I crossed my arms, raising an eyebrow. “Oh please!” I scoffed. “You didn’t miss anything about me. I’m sure you were too busy with your shady stuff to even remember if I exist or not.”
“If only that were true,” he said with a faint humorless smile.
“It is true. I won’t be confused or used again by you,” I shot back.
“You think I confused you?” he asked, almost hurt. “Freja, I have never lied to you. Each and every word I uttered has always been the truth. That is why I cannot answer all your questions-because if I did, I would have to lie to you, which I do not want to do.”
I stared back at him in silence, feeling torn between anger and something deeper that I couldn’t quite place.
“Why. why do you think I’m here in the first place?” he continued. “I was reminded of you, so I drove here. to the first place where I realized just how crazy yet amazing you are.”
I blinked, taken aback. “Why do you think I came here too?” I asked softly. “I was reminded of you too, James. I’ve missed your company.”
“So.?” he trailed off, hope flickering in his eyes.
“Friends again?” I asked with a small smile.
“Definitely,” he nodded, and sans thinking, I pulled him into a hug.
He stood ramrod stiff a moment, obviously uncertain of his response.
“Why is your body so stiff-as if you have never hugged a girl in your life?” I teased, light laughter escaping my lips. “Relax a bit, James; you are too tense.”
He chuckled as his posture eased, his arms finally wrapping around me a bit warmer. Whatever tension lay between us for so long seemed to dissipate, at least for now.