“Why don’t you go out with us?” Roxy stared at her, breaking Willow out of her thoughts.
“What?”
“Where were you? Will, you need to get some sleep, you can’t keep this up.” Roxy’s face was full of concern.
“I’m fine. You go on out, I’m not sure I feel like going out tonight.” Sighing, Willow pressed forward. “Don’t let me stop you from having fun. I can take of myself. And there haven’t been any more…dreams, like the one you woke me from. I’ll be fine,” she insisted.
“Maybe I should take you to the doctor? Maybe that guy did something to you that you don’t know about. He could have slipped some kind of wacky drug in your food. Maybe it’s something that you haven’t been tested for yet, and you’re having some kind of adverse reaction to it. Willow, you haven’t been the same since you met him. You’re scaring me.”
“Roxy…”
“Don’t Roxy me,” her sister yelled, losing her temper. “I’ve tried to support you. I’ve tried to get you to go out. I’ve tried everything I can think of since you came home. Nothing is working. Whatever happened, either talk about it or let it go. Move on with your life. It isn’t as if you fell in love with him or anything.” Roxy’s mouth gaped open. “You didn’t fall in love with him did you?”
“Of course not. That wouldn’t be smart.”
“No it wouldn’t. Did you?”
Willow knew her sister wouldn’t let the subject drop until she answered. “No, Roxy, I didn’t. I barely know him.”
“Willow…”
“Stop. I did not fall in love with him,” she denied.
“It would explain your funk…”
“God, what will it take for you to stop?” she asked desperately, not willing to explore that particular line of questioning.
“Go out with us tonight. Get dressed and come have fun. Come see that the world hasn’t stopped turning. Put a smile on your face.” Roxy crossed her arms in front of her chest.
“Fine. I give. You win.” Willow turned and sulked as she headed for her room. As she walked, she mumbled loud enough for her sister to hear her. “And they say the baby of the family is the spoiled brat… Clearly the people that started that rumor never met you.”
Roxy’s laughter followed her past the closed door. For a brief moment, Willow allowed herself to smile. It was good to hear her sister’s laughter again, and if this was what it took for her to finally convince Roxy that she was fine, she’d do it.
Even if it was an outright lie and she was still far from being all right.
* * *
Willow was finally beginning to relax. She hadn’t been pleased when Roxy and Mary made her switch seats so she couldn’t stare at the entrance, watching every man who entered The Grunge to make sure it wasn’t Seth. At first she’d wanted to refuse, but they persisted until she moved. She’d been terrified he would walk in at any moment, but after an hour with no sign of him, she had finally lowered her guard.
Willow sipped on her soda as the other two girls flirted with men across the bar, smiling and winking at them over their drinks.
“Who’s it going to be tonight?” Mary asked.
“Not me. I have to go in to work early tomorrow.” Roxy sighed.
“Willow? Think you’re up to it?”
“What? Oh, no. I am not playing that game again. Ever.” She’d explained she would only play the once. But even if she hadn’t already told them, she’d have refused. She would not risk potentially meeting another freak or weirdo again.
“Then it looks like it’s you, Mary.” Roxy smiled. “If you’re determined to play tonight that is.”
Smiling as she listened to the women arguing, Willow had to admit her sister had been right. Being out with the two of them had actually made her feel better.
The Night Crawlers were on the stage again, and their music added to her comfort. It wasn’t their usual night to play. Maybe they’d simply decided to play on impulse, but the crowd wasn’t as big as the last time she’d seen them at the bar. But that wouldn’t last much longer. The bar was quickly filling as word spread the band was having an impromptu concert.
No one was sure of where they came from, and Willow didn’t care. She enjoyed their sound. The raspy voice of the lead singer helped to distract her from thoughts of Seth as it wrapped around her senses, lulling her, drawing her into the music and out of her depression.