AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“A woman could get spoiled with this,” Zi joked as she sat down at the table.
“A woman should always be spoiled. It is the way it should be,” Cory answered her.
“And this woman already is.” Meli giggled while Jo kissed her temple. A few minutes later, we all sat down to eat some omelets Cory and James made.
“Do you cook, Jo?” I asked.
“Yep, but I’m mostly the lunch person since I always overcook the eggs.” He grinned.
“So, you guys eat all of your meals apart from the pack members?” I asked.
“No. We eat most lunches and dinners with the pack, but when we have stuff to talk about, we’ll have lunch up here instead. It’s just quieter,” Cory explained.
“So, what’s the plan for everyone’s day?” Jo asked after we were done eating.
“I got nothing,” James said, eyeing Zi.
“I have no plans,” Zi answered.
“I’m going to see Areli for lunch, and then I’m free,” Cory said.
“How about a movie night, then? And I can cook us dinner so Evie doesn’t think I’m lacking in the cooking department for my mate.” Jo suggested, and my heart sank when everyone looked at me.
Cancel with Paolo, Evie, Tozi begged me. I bit my lip and looked in Zi’s direction for help.
‘Why don’t you reschedule with Paolo?’ she mind-linked.
Well, that was no help. I was hoping she would come up with a reason to switch the movie night to tomorrow. I hated doing this to them again, but I just wanted to get the business with Paolo over.
“I have plans for the evening, but I’m free until four?” I suggested, hopefully.
“What, you got a hot date or something?” James asked, and I glared at him.
“I’m going to dinner with Paolo,” I said quietly, not looking at anyone.
“Oh,” Jo said. “Well, maybe we can do it again next week. Make it a new thing?” he suggested.
“Yeah, I’m down for that,” I said, eager to ensure they knew I wasn’t trying to ditch them again.
“I should go get ready to leave,” Cory said, getting up and leaving the table.
“I thought he said he didn’t have to leave until noon?” James asked, confused. Jo cleared his throat and changed the subject, but I could only sit and pick at the leftover fruit in silence for so long before I felt uncomfortable.
“Dad wants to see me. I’ll catch up with you later,” I lied and left quickly.
I walked home and sat on my bed. Tozi was pacing back and forth. It didn’t matter how many times I told myself that I wasn’t worthy of a mate like Cory, I hadn’t failed to see the hurt look on his face before he left. While it gave me hope, it also made me feel incredibly guilty and confused. Was he hurt because he cared about me? Or was he hurt because he thought I was once again ditching them for Paolo?
I got a headache thinking about it, so I decided to just nap the afternoon away since no one said anything about getting together before my date.
I woke up to ten messages on my phone from Zi and Jo. They were both asking if I wanted to do something before my date, but it was already two in the afternoon, so I messaged them, apologizing and explaining that I’d taken a nap.
I got ready for my date half-heartedly, putting on a silk blouse and a pair of slacks and waited. I had to hand it to Paolo. He showed up at five on the dot, a bouquet of roses in hand. He looked very handsome in his red shirt and black pants. His chiseled jaw was freshly shaved, and his brown eyes were looking at me like any woman would wish a man like him would look at her. I plastered a fake smile on my face and thanked him for the roses, putting them in a vase before we left.
He took me to the same Italian Restaurant that Dad and the boys brought me to when I got the job and we ordered an appetizer and our drinks.
“How are you liking being back in Crescent Moon?” he asked.
“It’s home,” I finally smiled genuinely. “I love being close to my family again. My friends.”
