“Unless every other city becomes like this one, where they don’t really care whether or not you’re actually ‘different’ or they’re just assuming you are.” There was no way her attackers that night could have known what she was, but she’d been in a supernatural-friendly club and maybe that had been enough for them. Big cities would give you more places to hide, but it would come with more people to try and knock you down as well. Nowhere was going to be as safe as it had been before Pruflas’ press conference, he had changed all of that for their kind – there was no way the humans around them could un-see what they had been shown. “Have you spoken to them about what it’s like there?” Was Australia just like Amsterdam at this point or where things a bit better there? “London isn’t terrible so far from what my parents have said. They aren’t having as many random attacks as some places, but then it might only be a matter of time.” So far the reports from the states seemed to be among the worst. Eden still wasn’t sure what she’d do if she had to flee Amsterdam, where she’d go – it probably wouldn’t be something she’d sort out until she absolutely had to. “Well, modest or not, thank you for tonight. Dinner will seem so normal compared to this,” she joked lightly. Casting aside the cut away remnants of her tights, she slid to the edge of the bed, shifting her now-bare legs around so they hung over the edge. Slipping her hand into his, she stood, the skin of her knees protesting against the sudden movement – getting home and slipping into a warm bath sounded like her best option after the night she’d had. All of those aches and pains she should have expected after being manhandled were starting to settle in. With Ian’s help, she made it back out to his bike and settled in, carefully tucking her skirt around herself as he climbed on in front of her. Eden leaned forward to grip his sides, giving him a quick set of directions to her flat so he’d have some idea where to go before they set off.
Cal’s addiction had been his burden to carry for years now – he’d gotten used to the feel of it. Being sober was what terrified him, it always seemed to good to be true, he didn’t have the slightest idea what to do with such a normal existence. Drugs had always been his coping mechanism, he’d never learned any sort of healthy way to deal with life spinning out of control or how to deal with things going to shit around him. Anyone else might have had a drunken night or two after what had happened between all of them, then picked themselves up and moved on – he didn’t know how to do that, no one had ever shown him there was something else to do with all of those feelings that threatened to choke him. It was hard to explain to someone who’d never seen you at your worst, who didn’t have that same familiarity with addiction that you did, just what parts of your new behavior were problems and what weren’t. Cal knew that it was a problem that he’d shot up, even if the trigger had been outside his control, but so far he hadn’t gotten back to putting the shit into his veins that would seriously send him over the edge. Morphine he could handle, morphine wouldn’t make him spin out of control as quickly. “I’m sure she’ll get back to you. The two of you were so fucking close….and if Shannon did go and dick her about, she’ll be more ready to talk about the whole fucking mess.” It might not have sounded like a nice thing to say, but it was true. Shannon had been the source of their conflict and now he’d done a fucked up 180, removed himself from the scenario – it might leave Eden more open to forgiveness. Callum had never lied to Juniper and he’d never been able to say ‘no’ to her either; so, while he might have known in some part of his brain, that agreeing to stay the night with her wasn’t the best idea for either of them, he couldn’t help but nod. “Yeah….yeah, ok, I’ll stay.” If this was going to be his last chance to curl up next to her before things got even worse, then he’d be an idiot to pass it up. Cal still loved her, still wished that things were good between them and this might be as close to that as he’d ever get again.