Page 33 of Wolf Cursed
I stopped, unsure about telling them the rest.
But Isaac looked like he wasn’t going to give it up. And they weren’t nosy like the rest of the town seemed to be. This felt like they actually gave a shit.
“My dad made some bad choices,” I said carefully. “And one of those choices took it out on me.”
Isaac’s expression tightened, and he looked genuinely angry.
Idrissa’s hands fisted on top of the table. “I hope they got what was coming to them for knocking you around like that.”
I shrugged, unwilling to give more than that.
“I’m sorry about your dad,” she said, and I was grateful she wasn’t going to press it about the bruises. “It’s hard losing people we love.”
My eyes tingled with moisture as I remembered the funeral I’d been forced to attend via internet rather than in person.
“I didn’t realize you knew,” I said. “You know, about him…”
I couldn’t bring myself to say the word “dying,” so I just let it hang there. Idrissa held my gaze, and I swallowed hard at the emotion that rose in my throat. One thing, though. Idrissa was direct. I appreciated that. No one else here had been.
She had the grace to look sympathetic as she said, “Everyone here knows pretty much everything about everyone else.”
“Everything?”
My expression must have conveyed my distaste because she added, “Unfortunately, there are no secrets in small towns. Look, if you don’t want people in this town to know something, don’t tell anyone.”
“Except us,” Isaac put in. He leaned closer. “We can keep a secret.”
His grin was infectious, and despite my grief and uncertainty, I found myself believing him.
“The truth is my dad drank too much,” I said. “It consumed his whole life, and watching him kind of turned me off the whole alcohol thing. It’s also what led to the other stuff like the gambling and, you know, the assholes who did this.” I pointed to my face.
“Shit,” Isaac said. “And where did we bring you to? A bar. We suck, Ash. We suck fat donkey—”
“Okay, whoa,” Idrissa said and made a disgusted face. “Don’t finish that sentence.”
“You don’t suck,” I assured him.
“Your secrets are safe with us,” Isaac vowed. He held up two fingers like a peace sign. “Scout’s honor.”
“Isaac, that’s not— You know what, never mind.” Idrissa pinched the bridge of her nose before looking back at me with an exasperated expression.
I found myself smiling. “I’m not sure why you guys decided to be nice to me, but thanks. I needed it more than you know.”
“Whoa, Dris, that’s the first time you’ve ever been called nice.” Isaac jerked his thumb at me. “We clearly have her fooled.”
I laughed, but Idrissa only looked more serious. She leaned forward across the table and lowered her voice.
“Ash, you should know…people in the Falls are assholes,” she said. Empathy mixed with concern as she watched me soak in her words. “They don’t like outsiders, and they aren’t nice about conveying that.”
“Believe me, I’ve experienced that,” I said.
“I know you think so,” she said, which sent a ripple of unease down my spine. “But it only gets worse from here.”
I opened my mouth to ask how she could possibly know that, but Isaac cut me off.
“Speaking of which, who do you think paid for these?” Isaac asked, nodding at our drinks.
His was already halfway empty, so I slid my full one toward him.
