his hand against her cheek. "You're
very special, Cadence. If I rushed you, I'm sorry. I'd like to call
you tomorrow, if that's cool?"
She nodded, biting her bottom lip to stop
from crying suddenly, even as she was unsure where the well of
emotions was coming from. She went in the house, shutting and
locking the door and leaning against it. When she heard his truck
pull away, she let herself cry and then she screamed a nice, primal
scream at the unfairness of the situation. Chris was great,
everything a girl could want, except he wasn't Jason. Chris
wouldn't want her in the long run, because she wasn't sure that she
could give him more than half of her heart, and what man in his
right mind would settle for that?
The next day, she was putting her favorite
Winnie the Pooh watch on when there was a knock at the front door.
She wasn't expecting company; she was supposed to meet Renee and
the girls at Lonestar's. Michael was standing in the doorway when
she pulled the front door open. He looked tired and unhappy.
"What's up?" She said, leaving the door open and reaching for her
keys.
He followed her down the porch steps once she
locked up. "What was the deal last night?"
"About what are you referring to
specifically?" She leaned against the car door.
He narrowed his eyes. "Don't bullshit a
bullshitter, Cadence. All of it. You showed up with Chris like you
two are together now. Are you?"
"What do you care?"
"I care," he ground out, "because Chris is
next in line for alpha of their pack."
"And?" Annoyance dripped from the word.
"And, fuck it, Cadence." He growled. "You're
my friend. My best girl friend and I think you need to rethink your
choices."
Growling, she threw up her hands, "Choices,
choices. Everyone's talking about choices, but so far there's only
one choice that's had the balls to make himself known to me and I
couldn't be more surprised that it's Chris, but it's nice. Their
pack, Michael, their pack doesn't treat me like some runt trying to
get to the food dish. And I can't help it if the females in your
pack don't like me, but it doesn't mean I have to tolerate it. And
it won't matter eventually anyhow."
He grabbed her arm to stop her from getting
into the car. "What do you mean it won't matter eventually?"
"I mean, when Jason and Callie declare
themselves as mates or however the hell that happens."
He looked like she'd hit him with something
heavy. "You think Jason and Callie are together? Mates?"
"They are. I saw them in his office."
He gave her wide eyes and then burst out
laughing. "Holy shit. You really do think that, don't you? Callie's
been frantic trying to talk to you, but I had no idea that's what
you were pissed about. You ran out of the shop so fast I thought
that my brother was just being his usual dick-self and pissed you
off. But that's it, isn't it? You're jealous."
"Fuck you, I'm not jealous." She seethed.
"You should be green." He snickered and she
threw a punch at him, which he narrowly dodged. "See? You just
proved my point. Get your head out of your ass and go talk to
Jason. You need to talk to him, Cadence. It's important."
"Even if he's not with Callie, he's an
asshole." Her heart was shouting for joy at the news that she'd
misread the situation between him and Callie, but that didn't
change how much he'd hurt her before that. "I need to go." She
pushed him away from the door and sat down, shutting it and turning
on the car. He leaned in the open window, resting his chin on his
arms. "Cadence, please do me a favor. Talk to Callie. She is really
hurting because she thinks you hate her. There's nothing going on
between them, I swear. You're her best friend, her only ally in the
pack. She's like completely lost without you. And you really should
come into the shop, I think you've spent enough time around Jake's
pack, you need to hang with us."
Without another word, she pushed him away
from the window and took off for the restaurant. She cranked up the
stereo so she didn't have the
very special, Cadence. If I rushed you, I'm sorry. I'd like to call
you tomorrow, if that's cool?"
She nodded, biting her bottom lip to stop
from crying suddenly, even as she was unsure where the well of
emotions was coming from. She went in the house, shutting and
locking the door and leaning against it. When she heard his truck
pull away, she let herself cry and then she screamed a nice, primal
scream at the unfairness of the situation. Chris was great,
everything a girl could want, except he wasn't Jason. Chris
wouldn't want her in the long run, because she wasn't sure that she
could give him more than half of her heart, and what man in his
right mind would settle for that?
The next day, she was putting her favorite
Winnie the Pooh watch on when there was a knock at the front door.
She wasn't expecting company; she was supposed to meet Renee and
the girls at Lonestar's. Michael was standing in the doorway when
she pulled the front door open. He looked tired and unhappy.
"What's up?" She said, leaving the door open and reaching for her
keys.
He followed her down the porch steps once she
locked up. "What was the deal last night?"
"About what are you referring to
specifically?" She leaned against the car door.
He narrowed his eyes. "Don't bullshit a
bullshitter, Cadence. All of it. You showed up with Chris like you
two are together now. Are you?"
"What do you care?"
"I care," he ground out, "because Chris is
next in line for alpha of their pack."
"And?" Annoyance dripped from the word.
"And, fuck it, Cadence." He growled. "You're
my friend. My best girl friend and I think you need to rethink your
choices."
Growling, she threw up her hands, "Choices,
choices. Everyone's talking about choices, but so far there's only
one choice that's had the balls to make himself known to me and I
couldn't be more surprised that it's Chris, but it's nice. Their
pack, Michael, their pack doesn't treat me like some runt trying to
get to the food dish. And I can't help it if the females in your
pack don't like me, but it doesn't mean I have to tolerate it. And
it won't matter eventually anyhow."
He grabbed her arm to stop her from getting
into the car. "What do you mean it won't matter eventually?"
"I mean, when Jason and Callie declare
themselves as mates or however the hell that happens."
He looked like she'd hit him with something
heavy. "You think Jason and Callie are together? Mates?"
"They are. I saw them in his office."
He gave her wide eyes and then burst out
laughing. "Holy shit. You really do think that, don't you? Callie's
been frantic trying to talk to you, but I had no idea that's what
you were pissed about. You ran out of the shop so fast I thought
that my brother was just being his usual dick-self and pissed you
off. But that's it, isn't it? You're jealous."
"Fuck you, I'm not jealous." She seethed.
"You should be green." He snickered and she
threw a punch at him, which he narrowly dodged. "See? You just
proved my point. Get your head out of your ass and go talk to
Jason. You need to talk to him, Cadence. It's important."
"Even if he's not with Callie, he's an
asshole." Her heart was shouting for joy at the news that she'd
misread the situation between him and Callie, but that didn't
change how much he'd hurt her before that. "I need to go." She
pushed him away from the door and sat down, shutting it and turning
on the car. He leaned in the open window, resting his chin on his
arms. "Cadence, please do me a favor. Talk to Callie. She is really
hurting because she thinks you hate her. There's nothing going on
between them, I swear. You're her best friend, her only ally in the
pack. She's like completely lost without you. And you really should
come into the shop, I think you've spent enough time around Jake's
pack, you need to hang with us."
Without another word, she pushed him away
from the window and took off for the restaurant. She cranked up the
stereo so she didn't have the
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