The Waitress and the Wolf (Book 1 of The Guardian series)

Chapter 26. On Her Terms

sorry I've been pretty inactive but I did just move to college lollll 

its pretty fun and I really do recommend leaving your hometown, not staying local.

Venus took a deep breath. She would need to in order to calm her racing heart. She stood at the door, preparing to knock. But how could she? She realized that there was only one direction she could go, and that was forward. And in order to go forward, she would need to forgive and forget. 

It would take time, for she wouldn't go pouring her heart out to the entire town. Although she hated to look vulnerable, she had to swallow her pride, and rethink her priorities.

She shook her head, feeling childish. She forced her hand to knock on the door, and waited outside for a couple seconds. She waited, and then turned on her heel when she heard nothing. A waste of time. Bitterness began to swim through her like a a school of fish making their way through a pond.  She eyed Reese's door once more.

As Venus reached the end of the porch, she heard the door open behind her.

"Venus!" Moira called out. And so she paused and turned around to see her old friend. She had her blonde hair in space buns, and for once she wasn't wearing that dark of makeup. She had liner rimming her eyes, but natural lips and no fake lashes. She wore a simple grey tee with some leggings underneath. She looked...like she was being herself, as she truly was.  The mask had come off. 

"You look different," Venus said flatly.

Moira gave herself a once over, and shrugged. "Fitting, right? Seems like everything is different now." She gave a small smile, and took it back, almost as if it would scare Venus away.

"Yeah, seems like it."

Moira crossed her arms, as did Venus. The two stared at one another. Tension cut like a knife. Moira's eyes stayed locked Venus, daring her to speak - to move. To do more than she had the past week.

"Why are you here, Venus?" Moira put a hand on her hip and waited. As Venus was about to answer, the words got caught up in her throat. It was like she remembered every second of her and Moira laughing. Both at the diner, at Venus's dilapidated apartment, or at bars. The rift in their friendship had hurt, little as they had tried to deny it.

And when realizing this, she came to the conclusion that Moira was her closest friend, despite how little they really knew about each other. 

"I guess to talk."

"About what? I tried to talk to you Venus. All you did was shut me out." Clearly Moira was still bitter about showing her vulnerability to her friend.

"Yeah because you pissed me off," She retorted. Moira was about to talk again, but said nothing. "Come in. Reece is busy and won't be home for a while." Venus nodded and followed Moira inside. 

She took in the homey feel and sat down on the couch as she had before. Moira did the same on the love seat, crossed her legs, and waited. No one spoke for what seemed like minutes. Finally, Venus had had enough.

"I'm really pissed at you for hiding things from me." She started.

"Yeah I got that, thanks. Anything else?" 

They narrowed their eyes at one another in stubbornness. 

"Before everything, were you really my friend? Were we even friends?"

Moira leaned back and sighed before uttering a "fuck" under her breath. "I think we were friends. I haven't had a whole bunch, but you and Will were the closest things I've had to friends. Well, more you than him, but still."