AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She glanced at Nassau where he stood, arms crossed in silence, as usual. This time, he had a smirk on his face, but he didn’t meet her eye.
Keoni rolled his eyes and gestured at her clothes. “And whose clothes do you think you’re wearing? I’ve never seen Nas wear a Janet Jackson t-shirt, and I’m certain it wouldn’t fit him anyway.”
She looked down at the clearly worn, slightly too-big clothes on her. Obviously, they belonged to a woman. Fuckity fuck balls. Today was not her day.
She laid her head back on the steering wheel and slowlybanged her head on it. “Someone kindly give me directions home, and I will promptly go jump off a cliff.”
“Despite you trying to kill me, I will lead you to NahleCheile. From there, you can follow the road you came down from Aisling. Tell Nassau bye, unless you have something else you want to tell him.”
His voice was sassy and mocking. He knew what he was doing now, and he knew what he was doing last night, sending her home with Nassau. That’s really why she tased him. Because he couldn’t keep from meddling.
While Keoni turned his truck around, Nassau stood there silently, but she didn’t have the heart to look back at him. Instead, she stared off into the distance, her heart sinking, and her wolf whimpering in her mind.
“This is the most awkward moment I’ve ever had in my life. But thanks for…ya know, that one thing, actually several things…really, everything. You’re a good guy. Much nicer of a guy than anyone like me could ever deserve. Sorry, I acted like a jackass at the gazebo, and then again…later. I can’t remember a time I’ve ever been that drunk. I didn’t mean, um. I didn’t…I acted a fool, and I’m sorry. I really am sorry fo so many things. And…I don’t even know what to say to your mom.”
He grabbed her door, like he was going to open it, and she held her breath. If he touched her, she didn’t think she could walk away from him in the daylight. So far, she had kept from looking him in the face, so when he paused, she was thankful.
“Stay safe, wild thing.”
Without another word, she pulled away, following Keoni as he rolled down the road. She forced her mind to blank out, ignoringevery instinct and especially ignoring the howling of her wolf. She needed to get away. Far away and fast.
Keoni pulled to a stop in front of the convention center and put his truck in park, then hopped out to step in front of her as she drove. More than anything, she wanted to run him over, or at the very least, move around him, but she rolled to a stop next to him.
“Yes, Father?”
“You realize you’re acting more crazy than normal? You can’t play with them. Either of them. Right now, I can’t tell which one is your mate. Doesn’t matter, but it’s not right.”
“You think I don’t know that? I’m driving my own self crazy, but I can’t seem to get it together. My wolf and my body want one thing, and my brain wants another. I just need to get away from him.”
“Who, Bailey? Who? Which one of my best friends are you going to break?” The anger in his voice cut through her thoughts, and she knew she deserved it. She deserved all his anger and more.
Tears pricked at her eyes, and she tried to say his name, but she couldn’t. “Isaiah would have been so much easier. I can handle Isaiah. He doesn’t even want a mate.” She took a trembling breath, trying to get it together. She owed him that. “But nothing’s ever easy. Nassau deserves more than me…”
Her chest heaved, and the sobs took over. She never cried, but everything was too much, too fast. So, when her door was yanked open, and Keoni pulled her into his arms, she tried to stifle her tears with no success. She didn’t deserve to be comforted by him. By the time she was being passed into Ava’s arms, she had soaked his shirt, but she still couldn’t breathe, couldn’t believe she had walked away from her mate.
In seconds, Ava blinked them into her bedroom, and they both crawled into her bed together. Here, she sobbeduncontrollably, no one to judge her, no one who expected her to be strong.Ava was the only one who knew how this felt, and she didn’t say a word, only held her till she was spent and exhausted.
“You want some spaghetti?”
She was too numb to laugh at their inside joke, but she squeezed Ava’s hand.
“How did you do this for months? How did you make it through?”
“With you, Bailey. And Derek, but really just you. You got me through, and that’s what I’m here for.”
She turned to face her best friend, both sharing the same pillow. “You leave on your honeymoon trip tomorrow.”
“I’ll cancel.”
“Like hell you will. You deserve that. I won’t let you.”
“That can be rescheduled. There’s a crazy Alpha running around the country trying to kidnap you, and now you’re neck deep in mate problems. I’m not leaving you.”
“I’m dead serious. If you stay behind, I will feel so much worse. I’m going to have my sad, sappy day today, and then I’m going to get out of bed and get back to work.”
Ava sighed. “I don’t like this. At all. I need to find your stalker, at least.”
“What if I promise to stay behind the wards? I won’t go to Tuisa or Rathlin.”
