“These are my favorite,” he pointed to the teal and green tie-dye ones we’d customized together earlier in the summer.
“That’s a good choice.” I added them to the pile.
“And these! They’re your favorite.” He tossed my gray high-tops over.
He was so excited and took each selection seriously until he stopped at twelve. “Do you think that’s enough?”
“Yeah, but if I miss any of them, I’ll ask Mom to send them.”
“I’ll help! I’ll make sure she gets the right ones.”
I wanted to hug him, but I knew this would be one of the times he’d push me away. He was being a helper, not a baby. I had to remember that. “Thanks.”
He jumped up and looked around the room before running to my bed.
“You have to take this.” He held up my old, ragged Mr. Snuggles, the stuffed bunny I had since I was a baby.
That wasn’t necessarily something I wanted to bring with me to a boarding school, but the thought of leaving him behind twisted my gut.
“Would you mind keeping him company for me? It would make me feel better if I knew you were watching after him.”
His eyes widened. “Really?”
He knew just how special that bunny was to me. “Yeah, can you do that?”
He nodded vigorously. “I won’t let anything happen to him.”
I grinned. “Thanks, Aiden.”
Masie folded the last of my clothes and carefully arranged the piles in the second suitcase. The first was already full and waiting by the stairs.
“You’ll probably need a warmer coat this winter, but we can ship that to you along with anything else you end up needing.”
I looked around my sparse room, my eyes landed on the window, and reality sunk in. I was leaving. My secret spot would be abandoned, and I didn’t know when I’d return.
Who would I be when I did? I was walking out of my room for the last time as a normal teenage girl. After this, I’d have to accept that I was really a witch. And my dad had been a shifter. Whatever that meant. I could only handle so much, and if they didn’t think I was a shifter, then I didn’t have to worry about that right now.
Life as I knew it was over.
Hell, the life I thought I had maybe never was.
I blinked the thoughts away and put my hand on Aiden’s shoulder, leading him down the hall. With Masie following, I picked up my suitcase, and we went back down to where my parents waited in the living room.
“All packed?” Dad asked as he moved toward me.
I nodded, and he pulled me in for a tight hug.
“I’m so sorry we didn’t tell you sooner. I never want you to question how much we love you.” He kissed the top of my head, and I looked up at him.
“I love you too.” I wanted to be mad at him and Mom, but there wasn’t enough time. I could go through their lies later. Right now, I needed to soak up his strength.
“Let us know as soon as you land, and remember to call if you need anything.”
I agreed, and he kissed my forehead before stepping back so Mom could replace him.
“I’m so sorry,” she cried into my hair as I squeezed her back. “It was naïve of us to think this wouldn’t happen. We should have prepared you rather than trying to protect you.”
Preparing me would have been protecting me, but it was too late to change the past.