Lizzy stood abruptly, her fists clenching at her sides. “Apparently this was a bad idea. Get the hell out.”
Lisa’s eyes narrowed, and it looked like she was going to argue.
Charly stood up, then, and Lisa’s chin lifted. I recognized that chin-lift well, having grown up wealthy. It was the lift of someone who knew they weren’t going to win, and was trying to accept it without sacrificing their pride in any way.
“Another group of bitches—just what this flea-ridden town needs,” Lisa sneered, before striding toward the door. Those heels looked so damn uncomfortable I almost felt bad for her.
“Damn straight we’re bitches,” Charly yelled after her. “Just like your furry, whorish ass!”
Lizzy and I gawked at Charly as Lisa stopped where she was, and stiffened.
“Fuck,” Charly muttered under her breath. “Probably shouldn’t have said that.”
“Probably not,” I muttered back.
A crack echoed through the room, and Lisa spun toward us as her back contorted.
Double fuck.
It wasn’t like I could shift and help out in a fight—I’d be ripped to shreds by the others before I even finished fighting. And despite what she said, Char wasn’t a wolf.
“Take it outside, ladies,” a middle-aged woman barked from behind the counter.
Shit.
“What do we do?” I whispered to them.
“Run?” Char offered.
“Run,” Lizzy confirmed.
More cracks echoed, and we booked it for the door. With comfortable shoes on and reasonable clothing for a coffee shop, none of us had a problem making it out to our cars. We were all grinning when we ducked behind Char’s truck, breathing a bit quick after our escape.
Really, it wasn’t much of an escape, but the adrenaline in my veins had me feeling epic for it anyway.
“That was kind of fun,” Lizzy remarked.
“Until Char decided she was a cop from one of those shows she loves,” I teased.
“Hey, she deserved it,” Char protested.
Lizzy and I grinned, and I agreed, “Definitely.”
With a sigh, Lizzy tugged her phone out of her leggings’ pocket and checked the time. “I should probably get back to Evan and Elliot. Are both of you going to be okay?” She looked between me and Charly.
We rolled our eyes together.
“Alright, I’m going.” She gave us both quick hugs before heading over to her car. The old thing was going to die at some point in the near future, I was sure, but she was still holding on to it for sentimental value I supposed.
I wasn’t the type to get sentimental about vehicles, so I didn’t really understand. Give me the death of my favorite fictional side character and I could bawl in the bathtub with a tub of rocky road ice cream, but give me a car’s death and I would just shrug.
“You’re out of school for the summer right now, right?” I checked with Char. She was a guidance counselor at the high school in town, and absolutely loved her job.
“Unfortunately.” She made a face. “I’m helping out with a couple things in the office to keep from losing my mind, but I’ll cry happy tears when I’ve got a full-time job again. I get lonely when school’s out.”
I nodded, understanding her completely. “Do you want to hang out? We could watch something at your place, or get ice cream for late breakfast, or… anything. I’m up for whatever.”
“You’re avoiding the new mate, aren’t you?” Char asked, her expression knowing.