Chapter 16 - Jillian
I was sitting in the park just a few blocks away from downtown.
I had a book propped open that I was reading, trying to enjoy the nice weather.
After sleeping with Maddox and the party a few weeks ago, I decided I really wanted to make things work here.
I wanted to make this home. So, I was spending more time outside and was trying to get to know as many people as I could.
I took another sip of my coffee, feeling the sunshine bask down on me. It was silent and peaceful.
I looked back down at my book when I heard my name.
I looked over my shoulder and spotted Ava and Justiny walking towards me.
Two girls that I ended up meeting at my party, and really enjoyed talking to.
Ava worked at the dentist's office. She was sweet with a heavy set to her.
She had deep red hair that she colored. She was married.
Ava and her husband had been trying to have a child for three years with no luck.
They were on the list to join Katie's pregnancy program.
Justiny was a tall, thin woman who worked at a lawyer's office.
She was single, not really looking for anyone.
She'd stated she wanted to focus on herself rather than starting a family.
She was a little more of a spitfire, but still sweet.
"Hey, you guys. What are you doing out?"
"We both have the day off and are heading to have breakfast at the diner. Did you want to join us?"
I nodded, more than eager to spend time with them. I'd run into them a few times, but we'd never hung out or done anything past that.
I shoved my book into my purse and pulled myself off the bench. I walked over towards them, giving them both a smile.
"So, how is married life?" Ava asked, adjusting her purse.
"It's been really good. How have you guys been?"
Ava groaned. "I got my period, so I'm still not pregnant."
I gave her a sad look, having wished she would get lucky. I could see just how badly she wanted a baby.
Justiny gave her arm a squeeze. "It will happen. You guys are going to be parents."
"I feel like my time is ticking away."
"You're only twenty-four years old." I offered. "You have time."
She sighed. "I suppose. But I don't want the entire breakfast to be about me and my misery." She glanced at Justiny. "How has work been?"
Justiny groaned. "I don't wanna talk about it."
I frowned. "Bad week?"
"Bad month," Justiny grumbled. "The firm has been busy, and everyone seems to be in a bad mood."
We arrived at the small diner that always made me think of an eighties-themed movie. The inside was decorated with old furniture, and they even had a Jukebox in the corner that worked. The lights were dimmed, and the workers even wore outfits in light pinks and blues with matching hats.
"How many?" the hostess asked as we walked in.
"Three," Ava said.
We were brought back to a booth where we all squeezed in close. We each ordered a water and got comfortable.
"Speaking of children, when do you and Maddox plan on having one?" Ava asked, seeming interested.
I tensed up a little, not sure how to answer that. Everyone expected that we would jump right into it like everyone else seemed to, but neither of us was eager. If anything, we both seemed to know we weren't there yet.
"I'm still adjusting to this town," I offered. "And Maddox is busy with everything else. We haven't gotten to the topic just yet."
Justiny nodded. "That's understandable. It must be tough to have all of this change. I wouldn't blame you for not wanting kids right away."
"But babies are so cute," Ava said, squeezing Justiny's cheek. "They have the cute little faces and the big fat cheeks."
Justiny swiped at Ava's hands and rolled her eyes. "Yes, but that isn't the only important part of being a parent. There is the stress of raising a child, and the money that you have to put into it. You have to be ready and trust your partner."
"Do you not trust him?" Ava asked, looking at me, shocked.
"I trust Maddox," I said, because on a level, I did. He was there for me when I needed him, but throwing a child into the mix was different.
"I think you guys would make wonderful babies."
I couldn't help but smirk. "Have you thought about that?"
Ava nodded. "Oh god, yes! You and my kids can be best friends. They can grow up together and learn so much."
I couldn't help but feel happy. She wanted her kids to be kids with mine. We didn't even have children, and she wanted to stay connected to me on a deeper level.
"I'm touched," I said.
"Not me," Justiny said. "No kids for me."
Ava rolled her eyes. "You wait, Justiny. You're going to meet a man who is going to change your entire view on life."
"Or maybe I like my life," Justiny said with a shrug as she took a sip of her water.
We continued to chat, discussing anything that came to mind.
We ordered food and ate while going over different topics.
We talked about the pack and different things I should know.
We talked about the history and old Alphas that ran the pack.
We talked about the change, and the girls certainly had their opinions on it.
We chatted for hours, and I lost track of time. I found that I really liked them. We got along really well, and I felt like I could be me when I was with them. There weren't a lot of people I could feel this with.
Ava laughed, slapping my shoulder. "Oh my god, you're so funny." Just then, her phone started to vibrate, and she grabbed it. Her eyes widened. "Oh shit! Is it almost noon already?"
"It is!" Justiny grabbed her phone, checking the time. "Oh crap! I was supposed to be online for a meeting half an hour ago."
They both grabbed their purses and threw money onto the table. Ava paused as she got up. "What are you doing this weekend?"
I paused as I took a sip of my water, trying to think of my plans. I was pretty sure I didn't have any. "I think I'm free."
"Well, we are planning to go to an art show in Frank's pack. Would you like to join us?
I couldn't help the smile that broke free, and I nodded my head eagerly. "Yes, I'd love to join you guys."
"Sweet," Ava said, "We will see you then."
They both headed out, and I finished my meal before heading home. I had a pep in my step as I got home and found Maddox in the kitchen making himself a sandwich. He raised an eyebrow as he spotted me. "You look happy."
"That's because I am," I said as I plopped onto a chair. "Ava and Justiny invited me to go to an art show in Frank's pack this weekend."
He smiled. "Well, that was nice of them. I'm sure you'll be excited for that."
"I am," I said, feeling my smile grow.
He took a bite of his sandwich and offered me another smile. "You seem to be fitting in just fine."
I blushed, my mind traveling back. I couldn't help but notice how easy it was, how comfortable he seemed. Even after I just wanted to step away, he wouldn't let me. I wasn't entirely sure how Maddox felt about me, but he was constantly there for me.
"How has your day been?" I asked, tapping my fingers on the counter.
He shrugged. "Busy. I had a meeting this morning to go over the town's budget. Had a meeting with some store owners and was supposed to have another meeting, but I canceled it because I didn't feel like getting my ass chewed more today."
I frowned. I knew that the Alphas each had a lot of stress, and they were all busy with different tasks. But they also had other duties that the town expected, that the Council expected, and that we as their pack expected.
I rested my chin in my hand and stared at him. "Do you wish you weren't Alpha sometimes?"
He paused mid-bite and raised an eyebrow at me. "Do I look like I do?"
I shrugged. "It's a stressful job and I feel sometimes maybe too much."
He nodded. "It can be, but we were all raised from birth to stand up against a lot of stress."
"But does that allow you to enjoy your everyday life?"
Maddox gave me a smile. "Are you worried I'm not happy?"
"Maybe a little."
He leaned forward. "Is someone starting to care about me?"
I rolled my eyes. "Oh, shut up. It's an honest question. I imagine it's hard for you guys."
He walked over and leaned closer to me. He was in my space, and a shiver ran down my body. He smirked. "Having someone who cares makes all the difference in the world."
I soaked his words in as he took his sandwich and headed outside. I stared at him for a moment, unable to think that maybe I helped.
The weekend came quickly, and I was huddled into a car with the girls heading to Frank's pack. Ava was driving while I sat in the passenger seat. Justiny sat in the back, sprawled out, typing on her computer.
"Could you drive a little calmer?"
I chuckled as Ava glared at her in the rearview mirror. "I'm driving. I'm not purposely trying to hit bumps. And why are you working right now? We're going on a girls' day out."
"I just have to finish a few things."
Ave glanced at me. "Speaking of work, have you decided to go back to work yet?"
I shook my head. "I haven't. I've been doing a lot of landscaping at the house, that's been keeping me busy."
She made a face and nodded her head. "Well, if you ever decide to, it could certainly use an eye for someone who knows how to do that. With all the remodels, the town is lacking that character that says welcome."
I couldn't deny that it was true. The town was stunning, but the more you looked at it, the more you noticed it lacked a lot of natural beauty.
"Maddox offered me to work for the city and do landscaping for them."
She looked at me, shocked. "Why didn't you take him up on that?"
I shrugged. "Because I had just moved here."
"Well, you've been here a month now. You could."
I thought about it for a moment, knowing that once I was done with our yard, I was going to get bored. I would need something to do with my time.
"Maybe," I said simply.
"I think you would be great. You taught Joshua after all."
I blushed. "He told you that?"
She nodded. "Oh yeah, and he does great work, which means you must as well."
I couldn't deny that I did decent work. I put my heart into what I was doing, and it showed. Maybe I would need to ask Maddox to take him up on the job.
We continued to chat until we got into Frank's pack. Justiny put her computer away as we parked and headed inside to the art gallery. It was busy with a steady flow of traffic. Ava hooked my arm, pulling me and Justiny to the left. "Let's start back here."
There were watercolor paintings and acrylic artwork hung up. There was some string art and pottery the deeper we went. There were so many colors, and each piece told a story. We read the little details that went with them, talking about what we liked and what we didn't.
We approached a side where sculptures and metalwork were displayed. I paused as I took in the difference in the metal. It's pulled into different shapes, and suddenly, an idea formed.
"You ready?" Ava asked. Justiny and she were standing near the door.
"Yeah, I'll meet you guys outside. I just have to ask a quick question."
I left the girls to go outside and looked around for any extra details about the metalwork. I then spotted a stack of cards. The worker's name was written down, along with a website.
"Are you finding everything okay?"
I turned to see a staff worker offering me a smile. I waved the card. "This artist, do they take orders?"
She nodded. "They do."
I smiled. "Great, thank you." I stuffed the card into my purse, planning to show it to Maddox. The artwork would look great in the town, and with all the new businesses going up, they could order something that would fit with the theme of their shops.
I headed for the door and stepped outside. I scanned the space, looking for Ava and Justiny, but did not see them. I knew they couldn't have gone far. I was only inside for an extra minute or two.
I headed down the sidewalk and scanned the space for them. The downtown area was packed with people coming and going. Seems the art show wasn't the only thing that they had going on.
I paused as I spotted them across the street near the ice cream shop. I smiled and headed over, but paused when I noticed they were talking with two guys. The guys were smiling at them, but Ava and Justiny weren't. If anything, they looked frozen.
I walked closer when I heard it. "You guys are trash and should head back to your trashy town."
My entire body tensed up as Ava stepped closer towards Justiny. "Just let us go inside, guys. We aren't here to cause trouble."
Ava tried to push past them, but the guys grabbed her arm, and I was moving faster. "Hey! Let go of her."
The guys looked away from them towards me. I stood next to them, now anger fueling me. "Move out of their way. There is no need to be an ass."
The guys smirked at me like I was a little animal. "Well, if it isn't the little murderer herself? What are you doing back in town? Did Maddox get sick of you already? Wouldn't surprise us."
"Shut up," I growled, curling my hands into fists.
"Let's just go," Ava said, pulling at my arm.
But the guys moved, not letting us pass. Ava and Justiny moved closer to me. "You guys aren't going anywhere. We don't need a murderer on the loose."
"I'm not a murderer," I snapped.
"Beg to differ," the guy snapped, pulling his hand up and shoving me. I suddenly fumbled backwards and hit the ground, but suddenly I wasn't looking at the guys.
I was watching a knife swing, and someone screamed. I watched as a man attacked someone, but I couldn't see who it was. The person was yelling for them to stop, stating this wasn't like them.
I felt utterly cold, feeling that presence I knew all too well. I hated it. I wanted to scream as I looked around, trying to break myself free.
I was then snapping back into my body, and I took a long breath in. I felt my entire body shake as I rolled over, trying to pull myself up, but my legs shook like crazy.
I blinked, trying to keep my stomach calm and not throw up. I turned my head up, expecting to come face to face with them again, but that wasn't what I saw.
Maddox had the guy pinned to the ground with his arm raised. I could see blood pooling out of the guy's nose as he begged Maddox to stop.
Shit.