Page 6 of Eddie

“They’d only been together three weeks.”

“That’s a choice.”

Matt snorted. “Just the most recent one in a long list of bad choices.”

Matt sounded tired, and Eddie regretted asking. Was it too late to come up with a different topic for their conversation?

“And she always expects me to fix things for her,” Matt continued before taking a bite of his sandwich. “Don’t get me wrong, I love her, but I wish it didn’t feel like I’m her father rather than her brother sometimes.”

“What about your actual father?” Jenna was an adult, so it wasn’t the man’s job either, but it definitely wasn’t Matt’s.

“He’s not very involved, and when he is, it’s in the wrong way. Trust me, it’s better that I take care of them.”

“But who takes care of you?” That probably revealed way too much, but Eddie wanted to know. He had the impression that Matt was carrying a lot on his shoulders with very little help, and for whatever reason, he wanted to help.

Matt smiled at him again. His phone had been vibrating on and off, but he didn’t seem to care. He’d barely glanced at it since they’d started talking.

“I take care of myself,” Matt said. “But unfortunately for both of us, Jenna isn’t going to stop until I answer, and when I do, she’ll no doubt demand I get back on the road. We’ll have to spend the night where she is so I can help her finish packing, but we should drive back through Green Hill tomorrow.”

“It’s a good thing I live in Green Hill, then.”

MATTHIAS DIDN’T WANT to leave. For once, he wanted to leave Jenna to figure out her own shit. She should be able to, right? She was an adult, so she didn’t really need her big brother to fix things for her.

Except she did, or rather, she thought she did. She would never try doing anything on her own, not when it would be easier for her to call Matthias and have him deal with the consequences of whatever mess she’d made.

Matthias wasn’t sure what she’d been thinking when she’d decided to move in with her boyfriend. Hell, he wasn’t even sure he could call that guy her boyfriend, considering how long they’d known each other. Three weeks was nothing, yet she hadn’t hesitated to pack up her stuff and leave with him.

And now she wanted to come home, and Matthias was responsible for that. Their mother had been clear. He needed to get Jenna and her things back home as soon as possible. He wasn’t supposed to waste time sitting in a coffee shop, talking to his mate.

But he couldn’t move. He didn’t want to move. He knew that once he did, he’d have to leave, and he wanted more time with Eddie. Considering that Eddie had told his boss that he would be late for work, Matthias was pretty sure that Eddie wanted to spend time with him, too. He didn’t know they were mates, but he had to be able to feel it. Matthias wanted to tell him, but he wasn’t sure now was the best moment—although when would be the best moment? When he was driving back through Green Hill with Jenna? She’d have something to say about it if they stopped here, but did Matthias care?

He wouldn’t tell his sister he’d met his mate. He wouldn’t tell her that he’d met anyone at all. He’d just say that he didn’t feel up to driving all the way home in one day. He could get a motel room somewhere to park Jenna in so she could think about her actions or whatever, and he could see Eddie.

That was, if Eddie wanted the same.

Matthias was pretty sure that he did. He was afraid to ask, but he should anyway. At the very least, it would tell him whether or not he should stop in town on his way back.

Jenna was still calling. She didn’t take no for an answer, and she would continue doing so until Matthias answered. She wouldn’t care if he was driving, sleeping, or doing something else. Just like the rest of the family, if she called, Matthias was supposed to answer. He was supposed to fix everything. He was the responsible one, the one everyone turned to when they needed anything.

He hated it.

“I guess you should go to your sister, then,” Eddie said. “But if you’re going to drive back through, maybe I could give you my number. If you want another coffee or something like that, we could see each other.”

Was he asking Matthias out on a date? It felt like it, but Matthias didn’t want to spook Eddie if this wasn’t a date. He didn’t want to do anything that would ruin his chances with his mate. He desperately wanted to tell Eddie about their bond, but now wasn’t the right moment.

But he wouldn’t get another opportunity with Eddie if he didn’t take Eddie’s number. Eddie was looking at him with so much hope that there was no way Matthias could’ve said no even if he wanted to, and he didn’t. He wanted Eddie’s number. He wanted to be able to talk to him. Hell, maybe knowing that Eddie was waiting for him at the end of this would help Matthias feel better about this whole mess. He needed something to sustain him while he dealt with Jenna. Knowing that Eddie would be waiting for him would definitely help.

“I’d love to have your number,” he told Eddie, who smiled. He looked like he’d expected Matthias to say no, which was ridiculous. Even if they weren’t mates, who would say no to a man like Eddie?

He was gorgeous, with lightly tanned skin, dark floppy hair, and dark eyes. His hands looked a little rough, probably because of his line of work, but that made him even more appealing in Matthias’s eyes. Matthias desperately wanted to feel those hands on him. Hell, he wanted to feel much more than just Eddie’s hands, but that wasn’t something he could ask for in the middle of a coffee shop. Besides, before anything like that could happen, they needed to talk. Matthias had to be honest with Eddie and tell him about their bond. He wanted Eddie to know everything before he made any kind of decision.

Matthias’s phone had been vibrating on and off. It had stopped a few minutes ago, but it started again, making him groan. He was almost done eating his sandwich, and even though he’d been hungry, it sat heavily in his stomach now. He was dreading dealing with his sister, especially with the way she was blowing up his phone.

He picked it up, ignored the call, and held it out so Eddie could save his number in it. Eddie managed to look both amused and a little worried as he entered the digits and handed the phone back to Matthias after calling himself from it. Matthias wanted to reassure him, but what was there to say? Eddie knew the situation. He knew about Jenna and her mess. He might even meet Jenna when they drove back through Green Hill.

God, Matthias hoped not. He wasn’t ready to share Eddie with anyone, let alone with his family. He was terrified they’d find a way to use Eddie the way they used him, and he couldn’t allow that to happen. It would be the fastest way to send Eddie running, mate bond or no mate bond. Matthias’s family didn’t know what boundaries were. They didn’t have any, and they ignored his.

Jenna was still calling. As much as Matthias wanted to stick around, he knew he couldn’t. “I should go.”