I squeeze his arm before tugging him forward, folding him into a tight hug. His hands clench against my back, holding on just as tightly. I can feel him shaking and I hold him through it until his body starts to settle.
“You’re such a dick,” I breathe out, burying my nose in his hair. “I can’t stop thinking about you. You’re different too,” I tell him seriously. “I have time. Let me prove to you that I’m worth trusting.”
“I don’t know how much time it’ll take,” he admits softly.
“That’s okay. You’re worth it.”
Shiloh makes a little noise, something like a snort of disbelief. It makes me smile just a tiny bit. “Whatever,” he eventually says, shoving me away. He turns away to wipe at his face.
“Come here. Give me a kiss before I leave.”
“In your dreams,” he says, looking over his shoulder and grinning before walking into the back door, leaving me alone in the alleyway.
I stare up at the sky, allowing myself to smile. I have no idea what any of this means, only that Shiloh is giving me a chance. I’mnotgonna fuck this up.
Chapter Nine
Shiloh
I’m not sure whenAspen and I became friends. Sure, we’ve worked together in the past. He’s always friendly, but he’s friendly with everyone. After he realized I was SookieBlahBlahBlah, something seemed to change between us.
This is all Kei’s fault. Ilikedputting up walls around myself but now I have a friend? Now I have… well, whatever Kei is tome. Boyfriend? Partner? Dating buddy? I don’t fucking know but we’re more than just friends.
It’s scary. At the same time, it’s kinda nice. I’ve missed having friends. I’ve missed having people around who cared about me.
Stevey did a good job of isolating me. At the end of our relationship, I was reliant on him and him alone. All of my friends stopped trying to reach out. I even stopped talking to my dads.
“Here’s your refills,” my beta dad says, putting two drinks onto a tray for me. “Scotty is making lunch for you guys as well.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“We wanted to. Plus, we love Aspen. Before he leaves, make sure he stops down here and says hi.”
“I’ll let him know.”
Both my beta dad and my alpha dad kiss the side of my head before I grab my tray and head into the kitchen. I’m so glad to be close to them again. I’m so glad they never gave up on me.
“I’ve got your baskets right here,” my omega dad says, sliding them onto my tray. He’s made me my favorite, a spinach omelet with a bagel while he’s prepared a grilled chicken salad for Aspen, his usual order.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you’re having fun with your friend. Feels like you’re on a play date or something,” he adds with an amused snort. I flip him off as I make my way out the back door.
Aspen is exactly how I left him, his nose stuck in his book as he meticulously writes out flashcards for himself. He’s a really good student which doesn’t surprise me. Aspen is the type of person who puts his all into everything. He doesn’t half-ass things and when he puts his mind to something, he’s going to get it done, one way or another.
“Hey,” I say softly, setting the tray on the table. “Time for a break.”
Aspen lets out an annoyed whine. “One second. I’ve just got one more flashcard.”
“Fine. One more. Then it’s break time. My dads made us some food.”
At that, Aspen finally looks up, his giant gray eyes somehow widening further as he looks at the tray on the table. His stomach rumbles, making both of us chuckle.
“I didn’t even notice I was starving!” Aspen murmurs as he finishes up his final flashcard. “Geez, you must be tired of me in your space by now.”
“I’m not,” I tell him quickly and meaning it. “I would have kicked you out if I was annoyed. You know I don’t mind being mean.”
Aspen picks up the salad and takes a giant bite, leaning back in his chair. He looks at me with a raised brow. “You know,” he says slowly between bites. “You always say you’re mean but you’re always really nice to me.”
