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“Sure,” I said with a small smile.
“What did you feel when you saw Jake again after four years?” she asked quietly, not looking up at me.
I took a sharp breath. What did I feel? I felt a thousand butterflies. I wanted to be in his arms and never leave. I wanted to go back in time and do everything I could to stop my grandma from taking me away from him. And then I felt a wave of pain and guilt. I can’t deny I still had feelings for Jake. But Nick was already creeping into my heart at that point, and just thinking about hurting him, hurt me deeply.
Cassie looked up at me when I didn’t respond. She raised her eyebrows and waited for me to answer her question.
“I still loved him,” I said quietly. “I still wanted him. But I also felt guilty because I was starting to love Nick as well.”
“If Nick isn’t your mate, would you be with Jake now?” she asked me, tilting her head in curiosity.
I just stared at her. How the hell do I answer? I don’t know the answer to that.
“Maybe,” I mumbled quietly.
“I think you would,” she said as she smiled sadly. “Your feelings for Jake would come rushing back and all of the feelings you had for Nick, by that point, would disappear. There would be no mate bond to tie you to Nick any further. Jake was your first love. And those feelings don’t just go away. They are strong and they will always pull you back in.”
By the time she finished, she was sobbing again. I didn’t think she was talking about me and Jake at the end. I removed the hair from her face and pulled her into a hug.
“You are right,” I said quietly. “Nothing beats your first love.”
The mate bond did. But I was not going to tell her that. I loved Jake. I will always love Jake. But what I had with Nick was something out of this world. I couldn’t even begin to explain how I feel about Nick. He was mine and I was his. I will always be his.
The back door opened, and Jake walked out. I looked up at him. He was looking at Cassie with a pained expression on his face. He kneeled and started rubbing small circles on her back. She tensed in my arms. I guess she didn’t hear him come outside.
“It’s okay, Cass,” I whispered. “It’s Jake.”
She turned around to look at him, and he reached out for her. She threw herself into his arms and he pulled her onto his lap. He kissed the top of her head and wrapped her in a hug.
“It’s okay, Cassie,” he said quietly. “Let it all out. I am here.”
She buried her head in his chest and sobbed. He kept kissing the top of her head and whispering soothing words to her.
I watched them with a small smile. Jake was an amazing brother. He always was.
Jake turned to look at me. “Gabriel wants to talk to you.”
“Okay,” I said as I stood up. “Will you be okay here?”
“Sure,” he gave me a small smile. “Don’t worry.”
I bent down and kissed the top of Cassie’s head. “I will be inside if you need me, Cass.”
She nodded, and Jake caressed my cheek. I smiled at him and walked back inside the house.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO – Connections
Gabriel’s POV
I looked behind me when the doors opened. Aria walked inside with a small smile on her face.
Nick motioned for her to come to sit with him. She walked behind him, leaned over the couch, and kissed his cheek.
“Later,” she mumbled.
Nick furrowed his eyebrows. “What? Why?”
She didn’t answer. She walked around and sat next to me, leaning her head on my shoulder.
