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TWENTY-TWO
An assloadof baked goods later, we were actually headed to the storage place. Getting all my stuff out of that maze-like building and packed into the back of my truck took a while, but we managed, and then we were driving toward the diner.
I hated that I still knew the way there.
And I despised the way Zed quieted as we drove there.
“Now you’re the one being quiet,” I pointed out lightly, as he parked in the lot.
“I figured you wanted some time to think.” He stepped out of the truck, shutting the door behind him, and reached my side just in time to take my hand and helped me out.
I thought it was sweet, the way he always came around to help me.
“I’m nervous,” I admitted to him.
He squeezed my hand lightly in response. I half expected him to say that he was there for me, but I think he knew as well as I did that what I was about to do, I needed to do on my own.
I did appreciate the moral support he’d offer sitting inside the diner, though.
We stepped inside, and the first person I saw was Stewart. He was carrying two loaded plates, wearing a black half-apron, and looked exactly the same way I remembered (and had seen online when I stalked him).
I froze, and Zed stopped with me, sliding a bit closer. His arm slipped around my waist, his hand on my hip possessively.
Stewart noticed Zed before he noticed me; the werewolf was probably 6’4” or something, and ripped AF, so I wasn’t exactly shocked. Most of the women in the room had noticed him too, much to my annoyance.
Then Stewart’s gaze dipped to me, and his eyebrows lifted.
At least he recognized me.
He strode toward me, forgetting that he was carrying two plates apparently.
“It’s been ages, June,” he said, grinning. One of his plates was tucked between his inner arm and his abdomen smoothly, and an arm stretched out toward me.
I stepped closer to Zed, and the werewolf dryly remarked to my ex, “That plate of food is now going to taste like your armpit.”
Stewart frowned, and looked at his food.
Good old Zed.
I wished there was a way for me to communicate my heavy appreciation for his sarcasm but in the moment, there wasn’t.
So I just stepped even closer to Zed. “Hi, Stewart. Still working here, I guess?”
Yeah, damn straight I was going to lie about the internet stalking. As far as he knew, I hadn’t thought about him once since he broke my damn heart. And it was going to stay that way.
“Yep. Only one more semester after this one, and I’ll take over running the place.” His grin returned. “I didn’t know you were back in town.”
“Just picking up random shit from my storage unit. Zed and I moved in together, so I figured it was time.”
Stewart’s eyes flicked to the man holding me. “Hey, man. June and I used to date.” He held a hand out, like he wasn’t intimidated by the massive werewolf. But I still knew him well enough to see the way his lips tilted downward just slightly, and the caution in his eyes.
“Oh, you must be the asshole who cheated on her.” Zed didn’t take his hand.
Stewart’s face reddened a bit. “It was a long time ago.”
“Not that long ago.” I slipped my arm around Zed’s waist too, my fingers latching onto his belt loops for a bit of support, as stupid as it was. “Can we take a seat?”
His face reddened further. “Right, uh, of course. I need to get these plates out, anyway. Can we talk, later? I can go on break in fifteen minutes or so, and we could share fries and chat, like the old times. I owe you an apology, at least.”
