AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"It wasn't that bad."
"It smelled like old socks, nutsac sweat, and misery." Cole snorted, eating like the pig he was.
I was no better, barely stopping long enough to chew, and by the time I was done, I knew something I didn't want to admit to myself. In the short time Ren was here today, she'd done something not even my ex-mate could do. Ren had made the house I'd built with my own hands into a home.
It was nothing huge, but it was enough that I could see it, feel it. Little touches here and there that made the cleaning even more obvious. On the mantle where dust had once collected, she'd placed picture frames I'd filled years ago. There were flowers in a vase in the entryway, and the throw rug I was going to toss just last month because it stank and was stained, was clean and stain-free and draped across the sofa.
I didn't even want to know what she'd done with the rest of the house at that point because it would only have made me want to like her more.
"Caleb."
"I know, alright. She's far surpassed anything my ex-mate was willing to do for me." I muttered, sliding my empty plate onto the coffee table before I leaned back with a beer. "Then again, according to everyone but my psycho wolf, she wasn't mine."
"She wasn't," Cole said softly, grimacing sadly when I swallowed and looked away, the old pain still there. "I know it hurts, but it's true. Your fating…it wasn't right, and I'm glad about it. Joyce was an asshole."
"Don't want to talk about it, Cole. What are you doing here anyway? Walker send you to check up on me? Ren went home, so you don't have to worry. I didn't kill her and hide her body in the basement." I huffed.
"Dude, as if you'd succeed. I hate to break it to you, but Ren is more than capable of looking after herself. Trust me, I was more worried about you surviving her. She's sweet and all, but she has a temper. How was she today?" Cole asked, chuckling when I grunted.
"Wouldn't shut the hell up. I eventually left just to get some peace." I muttered, finding my mouth wanting to twitch into a smile.
Suppressing it with a scowl and a ragged growl of annoyance, I tried not to notice everything different around here. It wasn't easy, but I did it, and by the time I'd heard Cole regale me with the same stories Ren had already chirped about, I was convinced I was in deep shit. I'd discovered something awful around about the time I'd run out of here like the coward I was, and it was even worse now.
Part of me wanted Ren Sheppard, was attracted to not just her banging hot body but that odd, totally insane energy of hers. Hating it, I grunted at Cole as he talked, and I spent my evening drinking beer. Midnight rolled around by the time I was ready to kill my brother for some peace, and it was only when I got upstairs to get him blankets that I realized what was bugging me.
I didn’t want her to like her, but I did. Cursing because that was some seriously stupid thinking, I snapped at Cole to shut up and pulled open the hallway closet door in search of sheets and extra pillows since I knew the guestrooms couldn't be done. I would have heard her moving around up here today as I'd listened to her talk to herself and answer as if she was having a real conversation, and dammit, that made me want to smile even more.
Controlling the urge, I yanked at the door again and let out a barked curse when a mountain of shit tumbled down on me.
"Fuck!" I snapped, narrowly missing a french kiss from a bowling ball.
"Jesus. Was that a bowling ball?" Cole snapped, leaping to the side to avoid the thing. "Why the hell do you have a bowling ball?"
I flushed now, unwilling to admit I had always wanted to try the game way back when, before Joyce pulled her nose up and told me how low-class it was. Snapping the thought off, before it could go further, I looked down and took in the carnage around me.
"That little…"
I whispered the words, trailing off when I realized what she'd done. Ren Sheppard…cheated, and Goddammit, the thought had me wanting to smile so badly I had to slap a hand over my mouth to rub the urge away as I narrowed my eyes on…junk.
"Dude." Cole laughed, his amusement echoing what I was holding inside before he stalked past me and went to my bedroom.
As expected, it was pristine, perfect, and gloriously…comforting, just like the rest of the house. Save for this one closet, I thought, turning back to stare at the chaos while something in me settled. I resented it, hated like hell that it did, but fuck me if I didn't want to laugh and hug that little chatterbox for this. It proved she was flawed, imperfect, and nothing like Joyce was.
Where my ex-mate was snooty and stuck up but refused to do anything, Ren Sheppard was hard-working, too kind, caring, and…real.
"Bro." Cole laughed again, turning to stare at me through eyes that sparkled with a joy I longed to feel again.
I felt a spark now, a teeny tiny spark of it, before squashing the feeling and reminding myself I didn't like Ren. She was too cheerful and happy and hopeful, and I refused to get sucked in by that innocent something she wore like a cloak. I couldn't like her, wouldn't want her, and didn't want to think about her at all.
I'd resigned myself to having her around, thanks to my conscience and need to repay Walker, but that didn't mean I had to like it, and Goddammit, I wouldn't.
"Shut up." I snarled, turning to wade back through the mess and grab a sheet, a blanket, and a pillow from the closet.
Ignoring the mess on the floor, because I'd be damned if I cleaned it up tonight, I shoved past Cole and stomped down the stairs to make up the sofa for my lazy-ass brother.
"Dude. It's cute. Admit it." Cole laughed, following me down and clearing the coffee table.
"Whatever." I huffed, a reluctant thread of amusement still trying to fight its way free as my brother jabbered on about her.
