Eventually, he’d smoked about half of his joint and felt the tension start to melt away. His heart was beating a normal rhythm, and he could breathe again. It wasn’t always that easy, but tonight it had been, and he was grateful for it.
If he got that medical marijuana license, maybe he could get edibles instead? Just to keep the smoke from lingering. The sweet scent stuck to everything from his hair to his clothing, and he disliked it a lot.
The stuff helped, but it also held its own memories that weren’t quite as pleasant as he would’ve liked.
He stubbed the rest of the joint and put it into the tin with the rest of the stuff. Then he went inside as quietly as possible and managed to get to sleep again.
* * * *
He felt disoriented as fuck where he woke up to a pounding sound.
There were angry words, and then someone wrenched open his bedroom door.
“What the fuck did you do?”
The angry yelling made no sense, and he rolled out of bed, trying to understand what was going on.
The lights came on, and he saw Justin standing in his doorway, steaming with rage.
“W-what?” Izzy was so, so lost. “I don’t understand.”
Justin crossed the distance and stood over him. “We got a visit from your fucking friends, Izzy!” He took in a deep breath, then something changed in his expression. “Are you high?”
“Justin, come out of there. Give him room and let him come out here so we can all talk,” someone, probably Del, said from the common area.
Justin twitched, as if he was holding himself together by a thread, then marched out.
“You have one minute!” he tossed over his shoulder.
Izzy was still wearing his hoodie and his tin was on the bedside table. He had been wearing his ratty sweats, and probably had red eyes.Fuck.He looked like a fucking stoner.
Taking in a deep breath, he got to his feet and walked out of his bedroom to figure out what the fuck was going on. His friends? Wasn’t that what Justin had said? What time was it?
“Can someone explain to me what’s going on?” he asked, looking from Justin to Del and then Sam.
The front door opened and Wyatt came in, closed the door behind himself, and leaned on it. He looked upset, and if Justin hadn’t said something about “friends” Izzy would’ve thought this was about him and Wyatt.
“What exactly do you think is going on?” Justin spat at him.
“I don’t know. You barged in here, accusing me of something, saying something about my friends?” Izzy spread his hands, starting to feel pissed off.
“We had a break in tonight,” Del said calmly from where he stood next to Sam, who seemed like he didn’t want to be there at all.
“Some guys who told the cops that ‘Izzy said there was no security here,’” Justin growled, somehow looming over Izzy even though neither of them had moved.
“Wait, what? Is everyone okay?” He did quick math on the people present. “Oh my God, is Lettie okay? The dogs?” He still didn’t understand what was going on, but the thought of something happening to Lettie or her pack was making him feel choked up.
“They’re all fine. The dogs acted as security like she’s trained them to do.” Del’s tone was calm still, and he was trying to read Izzy, that much was obvious.
Justin glared at Izzy. “Yes, because your friends didn’t know about the dogs, yet somehow they knew we don’t have a security system.”
“I don’t fucking know who you’re—” and then the penny dropped. “Fuck. Vinny and Morales?” he asked, rubbing his face with his hands. His body jerked into motion, pacing the short distance from his bedroom door to the kitchenette and back.
Justin snorted without humor. “Ding, ding, ding, got it right in one,” he mocked Izzy. “Unless you have more friends who break into people’s homes.”
“They’re not my fucking friends!” Izzy roared. “I didn’tdoanything wrong!”
“You put my family in danger! You fucking led some thugs into our home, Izzy!”
“I didn’t—”
“No! You stink of weed like you’ve smoked all fucking night. I’m done! I stuck my neck out for you, and you spat in my face!” Justin’s face twisted like he had a million more things to yell, but then he sagged as though all his anger had flooded out of him and he just looked tired. “You’re fired. Get your stuff together. I want you out of here by morning.”
Izzy’s blood ran cold, and he stared at Wyatt, waiting for him to say something, to sayanything, to tell Justin that Izzy wouldn’t have done this. But Wyatt just looked back at him through eyes brimming with tears, and Izzy felt his hopes shatter.
