AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The inside had Linda’s touch. A fire was roaring in the fireplace and a few candles were lit, filling the air with the scent of vanilla and pine.
There were two rooms so I took the guest room and put my bags on the bed before kicking off my shoes.
I didn’t know what else to do with myself so I took my envelope and put it on the table before standing in front of the fire. My fingers were frozen so I reached forward and warmed them for a moment.
“Shaye.”
Lake’s voice was deep and rich, familiar. It filled me with warmth and the smile on my face was genuine when I turned to look at him.
Amidst losing my soulmate I’d forgotten how much this alpha also meant to me.
He had aged, we both had. The smile on his face was soft and gentle but had lost that playfulness I remembered.
“Lake,” I breathed out, already walking toward him. His expression was a mess of emotions as he pulled me into a hug.
Strange, he still didn’t smell like anything. I’d always found it odd he hadn’t come into his scent. Everett said he was just a late bloomer… but now? There was no way.
Why would he take blockers?
It was the only thing that made sense.
“I’ve missed you,” he said, his voice choking. Tears burned at my eyes again but I took a shaky breath and fought them back. “I didn’t think you’d come.”
“We made a pact, of course, I’m here,” I said in a lighter tone than I felt. This was harder than I thought. He was going to be heartbroken all over again. It was clear that he cared.
He always had.
He sent a few messages the first few weeks after I ghosted them. When I didn’t respond to the initial ones they dwindled down to Happy Birthday and holiday greetings.
Now I could see the damage I’d done.
Guilt threatened to swallow me and for once, I decided to talk about it instead of forcing it back down.
“I’m sorry for abandoning you, Lake,” I said as I pulled back. Even with tears turning them glassy, his eyes struck me. They were that turquoise that haunted my dreams and I had to look away quickly.
It was the only feature the twins shared and I could barely stand to see them now. I was still too raw.
“No apologies,” he said, and I knew it wouldn’t be the last time he said it. “There are other things to focus on now.”
We were quiet for a bit before he changed the subject to easier territory.
“You seemed to enjoy school. I stalked you on Insta,” he said with a chuckle as he led me to the fire. Things felt so awkward now and I hated it.
We were best friends once.
Before we lost a piece of ourselves.
“It’s nice enough,” I shrugged. “I graduate next year.” The lie felt bitter on my tongue and I had to work to keep my face a calm mask this time. Lying to him was so much harder than lying to the rest of the world.
Even my mom thought I was adjusting. Dad couldn’t care less. He had only seen me once since that day and other than a pat on my head he barely uttered a word.
“What did you decide to go with for your major? Last I heard it was undecided,” he said, hanging on to every word I spoke. It was strange to have someone trying to absorb everything I said. Even my friends were surface level now.
As I thought it over I studied him. His blond hair was styled differently now. It was longer on top and combed back, shaved shorter on the sides. He was wearing a black-leather jacket but his vintage tee underneath was all Lake.
On instinct I found myself breathing in, then remembering there was no scent to this man.
I felt guilty that my body was responding to his presence. Leaning in closer and fighting a blush at the way he looked at me wasn’t right.
