Chapter Nineteen Matt
Ace picked me up early the next morning so that we could get to the market on time. Both of us were beyond exhausted, having stayed up far too late prepping the night before. Ace tried to get me to take the day off, but I wouldn’t hear of it. Just because I had a rough morning didn’t mean I wanted him to lose money at the market the next day. He still had to make a living and I had a promise to keep. Besides, just being around him was enough to make me feel better anyway.
Of course, the things he’d said to me definitely helped, although I had to admit a little bit of fear. Having someone so dedicated to me was an odd feeling. I’d always wanted someone to care about, everyone dreams of that, but this was sudden and unexpected. Having the worst moment of your life happen two weeks before some of the best moments was jarring, to say the least. I wasn’t entirely sure how to react just yet. I liked Ace, true enough, but was I ready to hop into a serious relationship?
First off, I had nothing. I didn’t even have a phone I could make calls on. There was no money, no home, no transportation, and nothing to offer him. The only thing I had was myself, and honestly, that didn’t feel like much to me. Of course, that could just be the depression talking after the way the Alpha’s son had treated me. But then again, if I was worth something, why did everyone in my life find it so easy to give me up?
That was the truth I couldn’t shake from my mind. I’d spent twenty years with my family, living in the same house as them and eating at the same table every night. We weren’t close with the Alpha or any leadership in the pack. However, when one of them told a lie about me, not a single person stood up for me. They didn’t hesitate to kick me out of my home and turn off anything that could help me out in the big wide world, even though they knew I wasn’t prepared for any of it.
The only person who showed me pity was the Beta, and I didn’t even know his name.
So, with all that percolating in the back of my mind, I was having a hard time coming to terms with the things Ace felt about me. It was hard to see why he liked me or why he wanted to keep me around. Hell, I couldn’t even understand why Sam was giving me a room and food for free. Even Andy gave me free food down at the market. And there was just no reason for it.
I’d always been taught that kindness and charity came with a price. But each day that I stayed in Shifter Grove was a day that my doubts about that belief strengthened. So many people were good to me without asking for anything in return. Well, everyone except that crazy asshole in the truck, but that was hopefully a one-time thing. Besides, Ace was giving me a ride everywhere anyway, so I rarely even had a chance to get run over anymore.
“You in there?”
I blinked a few times, looking up at the face that dropped sideways into my line of sight. It was Andy and his perpetually perky smile.
“Yeah,” I grumbled, my hands stuffed into my hoodie pouch.
“God, you look awful.”
“Wow.”
“Did you sleep at all last night?” Andy straightened, looking over at Ace, who also had dark circles under his eyes. “What were you two doing?”
“We were up late harvesting last night,” Ace replied with a sigh as he pulled another crate from the back of the truck. “That storm really threw off our schedule.”
“Oh.” Andy paused, glancing between the two of us. “I just thought… you know, maybe you two…”
I looked up at Ace, my brows furrowed. “I’m gonna fucking kill Sam.”
“He didn’t mean to tell me,” Andy began.
“Bullshit, he didn’t.”
“No, really! We were just talking about the wolves he’s caring for at the hotel and the food needs he has. He mentioned you liked certain things but wasn’t sure he’d need them because you were spending so much time with Ace here.”
“And then he just casually let slip that we’re involved?”
“Well, he did mention something about having to deal with a couple noise complaints coming from your room…”
“Does everyone in fucking town know?!”
Andy gave me a small shrug. “I… uh… don’t know?”
“Andy…” Ace said in a warning tone.
“Alright. I mean, a few people have noticed. Some have even asked down at the cafe.”
“Oh my god…” I sighed. “This is a nightmare.”
“Here,” Andy said, grabbing a donut from his stand. “A peace offering.”
I snatched the donut from his hand, taking a big bite out of it. “I don’t want your goddamn offering,” I growled, my mouth full of pastry. “I want some peace!”
“Andy,” Ace said again, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I know you and Sam have good intentions, and you’re excited about the happiness we’ve found. But could we have some space?” He pulled Andy further aside, but I could still hear his deep voice clearly. “Matt’s been through a lot. He’s brand new here and needs some time to adjust. This sort of teasing is just going to push him away.”
He wasn’t wrong, but I felt a little embarrassed by him saying it. Heat flushed to my cheeks and I turned my head away.
“I… I’m sorry,” Andy replied, all jest gone from his voice. “I wasn’t trying to–”
“I know,” Ace said with a nod. “It’s okay. But just lighten up on him a little bit, huh?”
“Right.” Andy turned around, grabbed another donut, and put it in my hand. “Another peace offering,” he said. “A real one.”
I glanced down, realizing I was double-fisting donuts. “Thanks,” I huffed.
“Feel free to tell me to fuck off,” Andy said, his hand on the side of his mouth. “Honestly, I won’t be offended. I know I can overdo it sometimes.”
“Andy,” I said with a smile. “Fuck off.”
“Noted, chief.”
“Ugh.”
Even though Andy liked to mess with me, he did listen. Leaving me with my donuts and coffee, he chatted happily away with Ace as they put together the bakery’s booth. I put my food down after a moment and got back to work on Ace’s display. It was important to me that everything looked good for his customers. The vegetables would sell either way, especially if Ace took his shirt off again, but I wanted to help him. I felt like I owed it to him. And, honestly, it was an easy way to be useful to him. Although, if I had my way about it, I would make myself very useful to him later. I needed the release anyway after the past couple of days.
But I pushed the thought from my mind for now. Besides, customers were already starting to file into the farmer’s market, and the last thing I wanted to do was flash my boner at a bunch of old ladies. Although, that might get them going if Ace were the one to do it.
As the first early risers appeared at the front of the stall, Ace and Andy broke off their conversation and tended to their respective businesses. Ace flirted and smiled, selling things so fast that I almost never got a chance to sit down. At the same time, he directed those who were waiting or had already purchased to head over to Andy’s booth and get their morning coffee. I was bagging and taking money as fast as I could while the pair of them did all the salesman work. It was where I liked to be anyway. Selling stuff wasn’t really my style.
The first hour went by in a blur with the biggest rush of customers right at the beginning. By the end, I finally had a chance to drink my coffee, which thankfully was still warm. And, of course, I had two half-eaten donuts waiting for me as well. I perched on the tailgate of the pickup and began to munch as Ace took over bagging for a little bit.
And that’s when I noticed him. There was a man on the other side of the market staring at me. Well, at least it looked like he was. He was wearing aviator sunglasses, so honestly, he could’ve been looking at nearly anyone. But the more I noticed him, the more the hair on my arms began to stand up. There was something about him that just didn’t feel right. I couldn’t quite place what it was. Part of me wished I could pick up his scent, and then I’d at least get a feel for his intentions. But the market was so full of humans, shifters, and other creatures that I could barely tell who was who, even if they were standing right next to me.
Finally, I shook my head and pushed myself off the tailgate. It was just my anxiety acting up. After everything I’d been through in the past few days and my brush with the death truck the day before, I was probably looking for something subconsciously. My brain was trying to find the danger that it was still convinced I was in. And that wasn’t really helpful. But that’s just how brains are sometimes.
So, instead of sitting there and worrying about it until I made myself sick, I dove into restocking the booth and helping Ace with his customers. It was better to have something to do than sit and stew about illogical feelings. Anxiety was just a conspiracy theory machine after all, and I for one did not follow that kind of logic.
But that didn’t stop me from looking up now and then. The first few times, I noticed the man still standing there, seemingly staring in my direction. However, when a sudden rush of customers cut him off from my vision for a few minutes, I forgot about him. By the time the customers were gone, and I thought to look up again, he was gone.
All at once, I felt pretty stupid. I’d let my anxiety get the better of me and work me nearly into a frenzy. And, after all that expended energy, it turned out to be nothing. It was probably just some guy waiting for his wife to get done shopping or waiting for his friends to show up. Either way, whoever he was, he wasn’t looking for me. I needed to stop trying to look for bad things all the time just to prove some idiotic idea that I attracted negativity.
I looked up at Ace conversing with a few of his clients. His smile was so warm, his tanned skin shone in the sun, and those blue eyes of his sparkled with life. He noticed me staring and glanced in my direction, giving me a small wink and a tip of his hat.
Why was I standing here worrying about nonsensical things when I had something so wonderful standing right in front of me? I’d only known Ace for a few weeks and already he felt like a rock in my life. The way he smiled at me and always stood at my side proved that he liked me. Probably more than just liked me. I knew his claims about me being his mate were true because… well, I didn’t think he had it in him to lie about such things.
He and I were cut from the same cloth. We knew what it was like to be on our own. He might’ve had a lot more experience than I did, but we still understood one another. And while I wasn’t a huge fan of trauma-bonding, I couldn’t help admitting that it was a factor. But the more important part was the way he treated me, the way he looked at me, and the way he always made me feel safe and heard.
That was the kind of connection that you couldn’t fabricate.
And the longer I felt that connection, the more I wondered if he might also be my mate.