[ His lips feel very nice against her forehead, so very nice.... She struggles just a little to keep up with what he's saying, although when she realizes that he's basically calling himself a coward, she moves to sit up more, dragging herself upward so that she's not slumping against him.]

But you're not weak, Z. [ She wants him to feel better, she doesn't want him to feel like he's a coward or anything other than wonderful. Even drunk, she feels like garbage for making him feel that way.

And maybe she's just expecting life to be like the movies and books, that somehow he would say fuck that haters and be proud to be with her. But this is real life. It doesn't work that way. There are rules and things that are set. This is life where love doesn't solve everything, where people you care about ditch you or die.

Charlie knows better than anyone that you don't usually get what you want. Not exactly. ] I'm just... [ Fuck it, lay it all out there. And so, she rambles, a little nonsensically.] I'm gonna be in heat soon and like... 'm freaked out and How am I supposed to hide this-- [ she waves between them, her hand feeling entirely too heavy.] The other wolves will know. Jaden said he would help me but he has, like, the best girlfriend and he's just being nice and I'm just tired of meaningless hookups. And it's not like I can stay with you or you can stay with me... [ Sighing dramatically, she slumps back against him.]

I need water.