Chapter 25 #2
“Why aren’t you acting like a neanderthal?”
I sigh. “Dunno. Maybe because I’m tired. I was havin’ the best nap I’ve ever had when I heard you were here causin’ a scene.”
She gasps indignantly. “I wasn’t causing a scene! I was having a dance party! It’s just that nobody wanted to dance with me. Because they’re scared of you. Boys, at least. All the girls wanted to dance, though.” Her shoulders slump. “Who was the rat? Who snitched on me?”
I’m staring at her navel, about to quip about the skin she’s showing but decide against it. That’d certainly set her off.
She lets out a dramatic sigh. “Probably Joel. Or Linc. I wasn’t trying to get you and Linc in a fight, Jase.
It’s just… I’ve had no dances except that one with you and we’re not gonna talk about that.
Wait. Nope. This is not a poor me party.
” She squares her shoulders. “Never been dated or kissed. What a sad song that’d be… ”
“Never been dated, never been kissed?” I repeat.
I resist the urge to pump my fist and holler happily.
Because this means I’ll be the first to date her, the first to kiss her.
I’ve already got that first dance, though I want a do-over because I only vaguely remember it and it was very platonic.
Since I can’t touch her tonight, that dance will have to happen in a few days.
“Shut up. I never said I was talking about me.”
“Sure you weren’t,” I quip. “Wanna go home and I’ll make us some food?” I ask.
“Not hungry,” she says and presses her palm against my chest again. “Zap.”
I’m frozen, absorbing the feel of her hot hand on my chest. I stare at it. She’s staring at it.
She breaks the spell with a giggle, leaning in to tell me, “I had bathtub cookies.”
I laugh. “That’s not dinner, baby.”
Her glassy-eyed look fades and sharp eyes are now on my face. “I do what I want,” she insists and spins away moving back to the table. “I’m the boss of me. Not some big, sexy dimpled alpha with his big …” She gestures toward me, eyes on my crotch, then mutters, “Attitude.”
She’s not talking about my attitude.
Fuck, she’s being cute. And I’m disappointed her warm hand is no longer on me.
“And… since the dance party is over, I guess I wanna go. Can we have another dance party some other time, girls?”
“Sure we can,” Vivica says. “Anytime you want.”
“Because we do what we want!” Bailey exclaims and rushes her way, wrapping her arms around her. Vivica whispers something in her ear.
Bailey hugs her tighter, and her breath hitches.
I straighten up and shoot Vivica a questioning look.
Vivica smiles while Veronica hugs Bailey. Vivica is smiling at me. Veronica lets go of Bailey and shoots me a wink and a thumbs up.
I rear back. What’s that about?
Erica gives Bailey a long hug.
Bailey strokes Erica’s long, red curls. “You guys are the bestest almost-cousins ever.” Bailey wipes her eyes with her fingers. “No cry faces!”
Erica replies, “We’re not crying, girlfriend.”
Bailey’s wiping more tears from her eyes. “Nope. No cry face here!”
Erica smiles. “We’ll see you the day after tomorrow, yeah? Your parents’ sunroom at five thirty.”
Bailey suddenly looks alarmed. “What if.. what if…”
“Shh. We’ll figure it out. Okay?”
Bailey nods, chin trembling, looking close to coming undone.
I stare at the scene, powerless to do anything about it but watch, which is a feeling I fucking hate.
Bailey lifts her bag from the table and loops it over her head so she’s wearing it diagonally while she tries to get into her heeled shoes, but she staggers a little trying to find balance.
I growl. Why the fuck did she wear shoes with heels this high?
Her eyes hit me as I jolt, fighting the urge to catch her if she falls, frustrated I can’t just scoop her up and carry her.
Our eyes connect and I smell arousal. My growl did that. I should use that to my advantage.
As if reading my mind, she quickly turns away, calling, “Roxy!” She abandons her shoes and rushes to the bar to hug Roxy.
I squat and pick her shoes up, because there’s no way she’s wearing these right now. She’ll bust an ankle or fall flat on her ass.
Erica says, “Gold star.”
“Huh?” I look at her.
“You didn’t barge in here, shoot first, and ask questions later. It’ll count, believe me.”
“Count?”
“When she weighs it all out.”
I scoff. “If I didn’t know better, I might think you’re on my side.”
“I am,” she says.
“You’re on Bailey’s side,” I correct.
She shakes her head. “I’m on both your sides. All five of us are on your side. Including Dani. They’re just two different sides of the same coin at the moment. Same end goal.”
I’m in no mood for riddles, but based on the expectant look on her face, I ask, “And what goal is that?”
“Happiness.” She shrugs. “Livin’ the dream.”
A stench hits my nose. Male sweat. Fuck. They’ve started shit outside. It’s probably either arm wrestling, push-up competitions, or actual wrestling.
I eyeball my mate, needing to get her the fuck out of here.
Erica bumps my side with her shoulder. “I’m giving you a compliment, Jase. And I guess you can take it as a hint, too. You handled this well. Pay attention and it’ll all become crystal clear.”
“What’ll be clear?”
“What you need to do.”
“Or, you could just make this shit stop, Erica. You know we’re fated to be together. So, why are you and your sisters interfering with the way it should go like this? I thought you helped Fate rather than worked against it?”
She smiles and says, “Aw phooey. I guess this isn’t your eureka moment after all.”
The door opens and Riley comes in.
“Snookums!” she exclaims.
He flashes her a dark look. “What’re you doin’ at Roxy’s on a Saturday night without me, little witch?”
He’s smelling what I’m smelling and mated or not, doesn’t want his woman near a bunch of amped males without him. This means I’ve got this to look forward to always, not just because I haven’t claimed Bailey yet.
Fanfuckingtastic.
“I’m ready to go home. Vivi and Ronnie are gonna stay over.”
“Why don’t they go to the apartment? It’s a ten-minute drive.”
“They’ve been…” she mimes a drinking gesture with her eyes crossed. “They’ve had a lot more than I have.”
He surveys the space. “Dani can’t come back for them?”
“She’s jetlagged. Probably asleep.”
“I’ll drive ‘em,” he offers.
“Or they can stay over.”
“We’ll drop them off, Rik,” he asserts, grabbing her hips and pulling her close, asking, “Okay?” against her mate mark.
“Okey dokey,” she whispers, melting into him.
He’s shooting me a look. “All good?”
I scoff.
He slaps my back. “It will be.”
I say, “I see you haven’t been able to talk some sense into your mate and your in-laws. Do that when you drive ‘em to The Hollow, will ya?”
Riley is about to speak when Bailey walks past me, calling out, “Night all! Until the next dance party.” She blows a kiss and opens the door, heading through it.
“Later,” I mutter to Rye who replies with,
“Good luck.”
I follow her.
***
We’re on the bridge that crosses the river when the rain starts. And it starts at full blast, like it has a point to prove.
“Shit,” she mutters, staring at her bare feet. “I forgot my shoes.”
“I’ve got ‘em,” I say.
“Put them down so I can get them on?” she requests.
I set them on the ground, sure this is a bad idea. She’s staggering. How the fuck is she going to walk in these things?
She tries to get into them but she staggers and nearly trips.
And I’m pissed off because I can’t catch her. I can’t handle even the most basic task to look after my mate. If she lands on the ground and busts her ankle, I can’t lift a muscle to help.
It’s not supposed to be like this! Irritated, I snap, “Why the fuck would you wear those shoes walking here?”
“Because I wear what I want, that’s why,” she fires back with a sour look on her face as she gets them on, that newfound stubbornness she never had before Italy shining through.
And if she was staggering before, now it’s worse.
I pull in a big breath and try to summon some patience.
“You’re gonna bust an ankle, babe.”
“Ugh. I know,” she mumbles and takes them off. “I’ll just wash my feet when I get…ouch!” She hops a couple times on one foot before she looks at me with her nose scrunched. “I stepped on a rock.”
I stop and squat. “Hop on my back. Hopefully you don’t electrocute me.”
The rain has picked up pace.
She unties her sweater from her waist and puts it on, not that it’ll do much.
“Bay?”
She’s staring at me with wide eyes.
“A…piggyback?” she asks.
“Hurry up, baby, we’re gettin’ drenched.” I pick up her shoes.
She jumps up on my back.
“Hang on tight. Loop your legs through my arms. If I do it, you’ll zap me.”
She’s on, arms looped around my neck tight.
I break into a jog. It’s really pouring, pounding down hard. My house is soon in sight.
I jog up to the porch.
“Wait, what? No, Jase. Not here. I wanna go home.”
“We’re soakin’ wet, Bay. I’m not runnin’ another coupla blocks in this rain when the house is right here.”
She mutters something under her breath as I climb the front steps and open the door.
The house is dark, so I slap the plate of multiple light switches, which lights up the whole main floor, squatting so she can get down.
When I straighten up, the look on her face stops me cold.
My first instinct is that I need new furniture.
It doesn’t look quite as much like a frat house as it did a few weeks ago, but it’s definitely time for new stuff.
I’d figured my new mate, whoever she was, could pick stuff out after I identified her.
But I quickly realize the reason for the expression on Bailey’s face. She’s looking into the living/dining room, at the back wall over the patio doors that lead to the yard where there’s a huge white banner with glittery red printing.
Welcome Home, Jase and Bailey
My beat-up dining table, which is covered by a tablecloth I’ve never seen before, has a basket full of stuff along with a few wrapped gifts. There’s red glitter all over the table.
Bailey is staring at it with wetness filling her eyes.