Before I could act on these insane thoughts, he let his hand fall away. I suddenly felt cold and very silly. Why couldn’t my stupid body remember he was just a very affectionate Italian and his touches meant nothing?
“We should call your friends and see if they have any new information,” he said.
“Right,” I agreed, sliding away from him on the couch. I needed to get a hold of myself.
Chapter 20 - Andrew
It had only been two days of living with Bridget, and I was coming apart at the seams.
When Bridget had declined our offer of a date, I’d tried to resign myself to the fact that I’d probably never see her again. It hurt, but at least I hadn’t had the time to truly fall for her. It was a crush, an intense one, sure, but still just a crush.
Having her in the apartment was a different story.
I was hiding it well, though. I kept my distance from her as much as possible and tried not to overwhelm her, even though Iwantedto spend every moment taking care of her. My Alpha was pushing me to do insane things like feed her by hand, massage her feet, and buy her extravagant gifts.
Gabriel could feel it, of course. He tried to calm me down through our bond and reassure me I wasn’t scaring her. It helped, but I was living in a constant state of tension. Even the intensifying pain in my knee had faded into the background.
Hearing her talk about the abuse she endured growing up, even in such vague terms, had nearly killed me. An impotent rage burned me up from the inside until I had to leave the room before I threw myself at Bridget’s feet and begged her to let me get revenge.
It also didn’t help that her scent seemed to be getting stronger. Even though it was still much fainter than it should have been, I could detect the separate notes with ease. There was something floral I didn’t have the botanical knowledge to identify, but the sweetness was definitely honey.
That second night, I nudged Gabriel through the bond. We’d been ostensibly watching a movie, something in black and white, but I had no idea what it was about because Bridget was wearing an oversized shirt and a pair of shorts. Yes, she had wrapped herself up in a throw blanket, but I stillknew. The glimpse of long, slim legs I’d gotten as she sank onto the couch had made my head spin.
When Gabriel turned to me, I tilted my head towards our bedroom with a meaningful look. Not for the first time, I wished he could completely read my mind. He sat next to Bridget, close but not touching. I’d sensed some kind of awkwardness when I got back from my walk to clear my head, but we hadn’t talked yet. And I wanted a moment to speak with her myself.
Gabriel raised his eyebrows.
“Go,” I mouthed.
He rolled his eyes slightly but smiled.
“I am going to take a shower and go to bed,” he announced abruptly and awkwardly. I glared at him as he walked out of the room.
Bridget looked around, bewildered.
“Sorry. I wanted to talk to you and he’s being an asshole,” I said and paused the movie. I hesitated for a moment, then moved from the armchair to the couch. My knee protested at the movement, but I ignored it. Bridget wrapped the blanket a little more tightly around herself. “I wanted to apologize for earlier. I shouldn’t have stormed out like that.”
“It’s okay,” Bridget said. “Gabriel said you were angry about what I said. I get it. I’m angry, too, most of the time.”
“My dads are also controlling pricks. Not as bad as yours, from the sound of it, but still assholes. My mom and sisters… I’ve tried everything I could to get them away from their influence. But my dads have total control. I haven’t seen or spoken to them in a few years, not since Gabriel and I bonded. I think that was the final straw.” It had been a memorable Christmas, and the last time my dads allowed me to enter their pack home.
“Why? How could someone not like Gabriel?” Bridget asked. She sounded incensed on our behalf.
“Well, partly because he’s a man. My fathers always emphasized the strength of a ‘traditional pack structure.’”
Bridget rolled her eyes and nodded. I figured her dads had been the same: looking down on any packs where the Alphas were involved sexually with men. There was some excuse about needing to ‘preserve the hierarchy of the pack leader’ or ‘protect Alpha masculinity’, but it was just homophobia with more steps.
“But also because he’s a Beta,” I continued. “I was supposed to choose one of the Omegas they kept throwing at me. The only reason I got a pass from them for so long was my career. But I don’t want to talk about them… I wanted to say I know how brave you are for escaping. It’s difficult. I wish my sister Nina could meet you. She’s an Omega, just turned seventeen. If she could see you, I think she’d realize she doesn’t have to be what they want.”
“Seeme?” Bridget asked incredulously. “I’m a mess. I’m currently crashing in your guest room because my life has imploded.”
I shook my head. “You don’t see yourself clearly. As an objective observer, you’re definitely not a mess.”
Bridget looked away for a moment. She was playing with the fringe on the throw blanket. “‘Objective?’” she asked, and I detected a hint of something playful in her tone.
“Yeah, okay. Maybe not. But you are incredible.”
She shifted on the couch. Was her scent stronger? “You guys aren’t supposed to be this nice to me. It’s making me feel even guiltier for inserting myself into your lives.”
