Chapter 118 - Fallout - Part 1

The first day after the big argument was difficult. He had only made it through the night because Ryan hadn't left his side, virtually for a second, and they had kept texting until Evan's eyes closed with exhaustion. The morning, however, was even harder. Evan needed to go to school, but he didn't want to meet his parents. Plus, he worried that the moment he left his room, they would decide to go through his things to discover who his mate was.

So, paranoid, he packed everything that still had Ryan's scent on it into his school bag, along with his hoodie and the bracelet he had gotten from him. He wasn't leaving anything up to chance.

He then decided to take advantage of being a wolf, first focusing on his hearing to check if his parents were still home and then using his sense of smell to pinpoint their exact location.

They were in the kitchen, and even though Evan's stomach was urgently demanding food, he decided to grab something on his way to school instead.

The door to his room was still locked, and while he knew the lock wouldn't be a problem for a werewolf, he decided to gamble that his mom wouldn't just break it down. So he pulled out the key, put it in his wallet, and determined that his window wasn't high enough to be a problem if he jumped.

The moment he hit the ground, he knew the sound hadn't gone unnoticed, so he ran before his parents could realize what had happened. Maybe it was cowardly of him, but for now, he decided the best thing he could do was avoid them.

He still had time, having left home earlier than usual, so he quickly changed direction during his run. Instead of arriving at the bus stop more than half an hour early, he headed for the house where, unlike his own, he felt safe.

He didn't even have time to knock before the door opened, and his mate welcomed him with open arms, offering the comfort Evan so desperately needed.

"I was so worried," Ryan murmured into his shoulder. One hand tightened around his torso, gripping his hoodie at the back, while the other tangled into Evan's frizzy hair, which he had no way to brush.

"I'm okay," Evan assured him. "I'm okay. I'm okay," he kept repeating, as Ryan's fears were so strong he felt them as his own.

"You can stay here," Ryan told him in a shaky voice, and Evan quickly realized how much the situation had affected him. "You should stay here."

Evan gently pulled him away, though he still held his forearms tenderly in his hands, letting him know he was here with him and that he was okay—at least as much as the situation allowed.

"I brought some things I'd like to keep here. Will you watch them for me?" he asked softly, looking him straight in the eye.

Ryan immediately started nodding, and though he wasn't the one whose relationship with his parents was hanging by a thread, he was the one with tears in his eyes from the chaos. Evan didn't think he could love him any more, but he was wrong. His sweet, empathetic mate.

"I couldn't have survived without you," he admitted honestly. "You're my biggest support. My safe place. I love you." Even his voice was breaking now, tears creeping in.

"I hate that you had to go through that." Ryan's voice was barely a whisper, and before the tears in his eyes could spill down his cheeks, Evan decided to make him close his eyes in the best way he knew how.

This kiss wasn't just a token of affection. Evan made sure to pour everything he felt into it. Gratitude—for Ryan still being by his side and never walking out, even when things got hard. Pride—because, despite his mom's harsh comment yesterday that his mate was a bad influence, the truth was the exact opposite. Love—because, although his heart ached, Ryan's pure love tried to heal every wound on his soul.

For a small moment, everything bad from yesterday faded into the background, because what he felt with Ryan was so good that the bad didn't stand a chance.

"I love you. I love you. I love you," Evan repeated, still so close that their lips brushed with each syllable, letting Ryan feel the aftertaste of his sweet words.

"I love you. I love you. I love you," Ryan murmured back.

Forehead to forehead, hands gripping each other tightly as if they were drowning, they stayed like that a little longer—until Evan felt tears threatening again. He decided it was time to push his darkest feelings and fears to the back of his mind.

He pulled away and offered his mate a small smile. "Can I go inside and do something about this?" He pointed to his hair. "I also need to borrow your toothbrush."

"Of course." Ryan quickly rubbed his eyes, hiding the tears he couldn't hold back, and tried to return Evan's smile.

But as it turned out, Ryan wasn't the only one testing Evan's emotional stability this morning.

The moment he stepped inside and met Michael's gaze, his friend moved toward him with quick strides and, to Evan's surprise, pulled him into a tight embrace.

His shock lasted exactly two seconds before he hugged him back just as strongly.

"Where the fuck is your stuff?" Michael was the first to pull away, but apparently, it wasn't because he'd decided Evan had enough support. Quite the opposite.

He gripped Evan's shoulders, his eyes scanning his hands, searching for luggage that wasn't there.

"They didn't kick me out," Evan informed him.

"I don't care about that. That's not a good place for you to stay. I might even feel generous and let you have my bed so you and Ryan can connect them," Michael said firmly, making it clear just how serious he was.

Evan couldn't answer him, certain that the moment he opened his mouth, it wouldn't be words that came out, but the sounds of his pain. He'd come here to see Ryan, knowing it would help him feel better and remind him that he had someone who cared. But for some stupid reason, he hadn't expected Michael to have the same goal.

Michael's gaze softened, making it impossible to miss how his words had affected his friend. "The moment you start crying, I'm handing you over to Ryan, since I'm no good at this shit," he informed him. His words might have sounded harsh if he hadn't followed them up with, "We both know you're going to take Ryan's last name someday, which means you're part of the Saunders family. No one hurts my family and gets away with it."

Now Evan definitely couldn't keep his tears at bay, and he let out a full-blown sob. Luckily, Ryan was ready, pulling him into his arms from behind. Evan quickly turned in his embrace and pressed his face into his chest.

It hadn't been that long since he couldn't even imagine being friends with Michael, and now the black-haired boy full of cynicism had told him—without hesitation—that they were family. He was treating him better than his real family, and that hurt and touched Evan more than he could handle.

Little did Evan know that this would not be the most emotional moment of his day and that he would actually spend the next twelve hours in tears. Luckily, Michael had given him sunglasses before he left the house—just in case.

Although the cousins tried to convince him to stay home with them, Evan was determined to go to school, not giving his parents another win.

So when he reached the bus stop, Angie was already waiting there nervously and immediately ran up to him—with a hundred hugs and then another hundred questions.

Sitting on the bus, he had his first moment of peace and decided to take advantage of it by putting his headphones in his ears and leaning against the cool glass of the window, closing his eyes for at least a few minutes, not focusing on anyone or anything.

He needed to regain at least some of his strength to get through the day. He was unable to do that, however, as soon as he crossed the threshold of the school, Kieran, Josh, Lola, and Aiden were at his side, pulling him into a group hug instead of a greeting.

More support, more tears. Luckily, he had Michael's glasses and spent most of the day hiding his face in his folded hands on the desk. He didn't talk to anyone or try to focus on learning. He simply tried to empty his mind, sinking into a state of numbness—like a living coma.

He knew his friends would have questions, but they gave him space, letting him open up when he was ready. Until then, they were his constant support, making sure he was never alone for a second. Evan was so grateful for them.

Eventually, he couldn't hold it in any longer and asked them all to meet in their usual spot in the garden. He wasn't sure if talking would help, but he decided to give his friends a chance to try. He got a lot more than just words, though.

Ever since he and Kieran had broken up, they'd kept a slight distance—never casually hugging, never sitting too close. Evan hadn't even realized it until now.

There was something both familiar and strange about hiding in his arms.

"I'm so proud of you," his ex-boyfriend murmured, holding him tight. "I know you were scared of their reaction, but you did it. I'm so, so proud of you."

"Kieran's right." Josh stepped closer, and Kieran loosened his grip just enough so Evan could see him. "It doesn't matter how they reacted. We love you just the way you are."

Evan shifted from Kieran's embrace into Josh's, and the tears that had been threatening to spill finally trickled down his cheeks.

"Rory's coming over on Friday for the weekend. I'd love it if you stayed over too," Josh offered.

"Of course, if you need a break from home, my door is always open to you as well." Aiden stepped forward, and Josh gently passed Evan into his arms.

One by one, they each held him, offering not only the warmth of their embrace but also words of comfort and encouragement.

"I can't speak from experience, but being your friend... Do you know what the good side of all this is?" Lola asked. She was shorter than him, so he couldn't exactly hide in her arms the way he had with Kieran and Josh, but he didn't care.

"What?"

"You don't have to pretend anymore," she told him. "You've been hiding so many sides of yourself for so long, and now you don't have to. They can finally see what a great friend you are—and what great taste in fashion you have."

"Just don't traumatize them with four times in a row," Josh added, the only one bold enough to lighten the somber mood with a joke.

It worked.

Evan laughed and turned his head toward him, though he was still in the arms of his blue-haired friend. "You forget they're wolves too. They probably have an even bigger record than me." He wrinkled his nose in mock disgust at the thought.

It seemed all of his friends knew exactly what to say. And together, they had already started making a plan for the next few days. And since they couldn't support him directly from North Hallson, they found a way for Angie, Ryan, and Michael to do it.

The Saunders cousins were waiting for him at the bus stop, and as he did every day, Evan automatically ran into Ryan's arms.

His mate gripped him tightly and even spun him around, eliciting a laugh from him. However, Evan's smile quickly faded as the thought struck him—his parents could be hiding anywhere, watching, trying to figure out exactly who his mate was.

For a second, the fear completely darkened his mind, and instinctively, he pulled away from Ryan, taking a step back. However, he quickly realized what he had done, and panic reflected on his face. "I'm so sorry." He reached out, his hands catching Ryan's palms in his own.

While he was panicking, feeling regret for his action, understanding was displayed on Ryan's face. "I'm not mad, Lightwood. I understand," he said in a gentle tone so as not to startle him further.

"No, you should be mad. You're the one I care about the most. Telling my parents wasn't to start hiding you—quite the opposite. I'm sorry," Evan explained, determined not to hide anything from his mate. "I just... I still have her voice in my head, and it makes me keep looking over my shoulder."

Ryan's gaze softened even more. The ink-haired boy took advantage of the fact that they were holding hands and pulled Evan closer, engulfing him in a soothing embrace.

"I know, love. I know it's hard for you right now, and I'm not angry. Don't stress yourself out worrying about me. I'm okay, and I'll be even better when I know you're feeling better," he assured him.

"I don't deserve you," Evan mumbled into his shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure that's for me to decide," Ryan corrected him.

"I would have agreed six months ago when you said you didn't want a mate because it would limit you," Michael's words reached his ears, and though Evan expected the worst, he lifted his face from Ryan's shoulder and looked toward him.

Michael, however, continued in a way Evan hadn't expected. "But now you're making Ryan happy, and our whole family can see it. Even now, when you're hurting, you think of him first, then yourself. So stop with the bullshit that you don't deserve him."

"Michael's right." Angie stepped closer and put a hand on her best friend's shoulder. "Wow, I never thought I'd say something like that out loud." She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. "Anyway, all that insecurity in your head right now? That's your mom's voice whispering that you're doing something wrong. But you're not. You're just trying to be happy, and there's nothing wrong with that."

For perhaps the hundredth time today, Evan cried again. He thought he'd used up his entire supply of tears, but after hearing all those supportive words, he realized he'd been wrong.

Once again, he found himself in a group hug. This time, however, it didn't last long—he pulled away first, and with newfound strength, he rubbed his eyes with his sleeve to banish all traces of sadness.

"Let's go to my house."

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Evan and Michael's friendship is my favorite in this book. Also, Kieran and Evan? What do we think about their moment?