Page 31 of Hidden Fates

That’s sad, isn’t it? Realizing you’ve just been floating by, surviving from one show to the next.

Learning about my Fated connection to Skye has changed everything. Hopefully for the better.

Self-loathing still clings to me. Those dark thoughts remind me I’m not good enough to be her mate. I’m going to try not to listen to them. To focus on doing what I can to support her and find a place in her pack.

Starting with helping Joey, Lee, and Matt find my replacement. We didn’t fit in the interviews last week like we hoped. Which is fine. It’s not like I have anything else to do now that I’ve left the band.

On the way back to my apartment, I dial my mom’s number. Better tell her about Skye before she finds out from someone else.

“Hello son,” she chirps, her tone bright and cheery with a smile. “How was your week?”

“Good, I guess.”

“You guess? What happened? Still not feeling like you fit in with those sweet boys in your band?” Sympathy coats her words. I know she isn’t judging me, but my skin crawls anyway. I hate feeling like an outsider.

“About that, I left the band.”

She gasps, and I can picture her hand flying to her mouth, the same way it always does when she gets unexpected news.

“It was a mutual decision. Something came up, and I just don’t feel the same about performing with them as I did before.”

Mom sighs softly. “Oh, honey, you guys were doing so well. What changed?”

“Skye.”

Silence sits heavily between us before she asks, “What about her?”

“I heard you two kept in touch.”

Is my tone accusing? Probably a bit. I can’t hide the fact that I’m jealous my mother got to stay in Skye’s life.

“We have,” she admits, her tone stern. “She’s my daughter, even if she doesn’t share my blood. What happened between you two was a shame, but did you expect me to leave her on her own? After what her parents put her through?”

No, I did not. I never wanted Skye to be alone. To have no one in her corner to support her. I just wish I’d known they were still talking. I could have learned about her life and met up with her sooner, and then…

Well, there’s no use chasing what-ifs. I can’t go back and change my decision to leave her. I have to learn to deal with that regret and move forward so I can be with her now.

“Thank you,” I grit out, turning into the parking lot of my building. Being back here makes me miss the Crowley house. I never got used to living in the city. The noise, the traffic, the people. Sometimes it’s too much. Too overwhelming.

“You don’t need to thank me for looking after Skye. I love her as much as I love you and your sister.” Mom’s voice softens, filling with the same adoration she uses when she reminds us how grateful she is to have us. “Now what does Skye have to do with you leaving the band?”

“We met at a show a few weeks ago. One on the charity tour. So, uh, it turns out she actually is my Fate-matched mate.”

“Caleb Xavier.” she screeches. Fuck, that hurt my ears. “You’ve known this for weeks and are just now telling me?.”

Leaning back, I stare up at the roof of my car. “I was freaking out. Still am. It’s been eight years since we split up. She has a pack now. Other mates. A career and a life she built without me. Hell, they don’t live on the East Coast; they’re just here to visit. It’s… a lot.”

“Life is a lot, honey. It throws wrenches at you when you’re hoping for dodgeballs.”

I snicker and roll my eyes. My mother is obsessed with pre-designation comedy movies and quotes them way too often.

“You get your stubbornness from your father. Fate knows that man will dig his feet in on the smallest of hills just because he can. So what if Skye has other mates? They share the same Fated connection with her as you do. Which means you were always meant to become part of their pack, whether it happened today, eight years ago, or eight years from now.”

Accepting that is harder than she makes it sound.

Yet, I find my thoughts drifting back to the gym earlier. Hanging out with Bellamy didn’t make me feel out of place. The way I felt with him—excluding whatever attraction I was picking up from Skye—was how I imagined it would be with my future pack. Easy. Fun. Competitive.

“Don’t let fear get in the way of something great. It’s not too late to let that sweet girl rock your world.”