15. Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Fifteen
Raif
“ W here are we going? I’m not ready to go yet. Plus, I don’t think I should drive.”
“I’m taking you home. I already let the guys know. I’ll come back tomorrow, bring your car to your house, you have the day off, right?”
She nods yes, and he leads her over to his big truck. She looks at it like she’s never seen a truck before. He’s not ashamed of its condition. It’s a work truck, he’s had it a long time, and it’s treated him well. He opens the door for her and helps her get her buckle on when she fumbles.
“M’ not a baby,” she says. Clearly irritated that she can’t seem to get the belt into the buckle.
“I know, Ash, I’m just trying to help.” His voice is soft, and his hands are gentle as he moves the belt into place.
The drive back to her house is quiet, just some low country music on the stereo.
She falls asleep after a few minutes. He peeks glances at her out of the corner of his eye.
Her hair is down, which he hadn’t seen before.
It fans out around her where her hair lies on the seat back.
The street lights light up her face, and she looks serene in her sleep. He hates to wake her.
“Come on, Ash, let’s get you inside.”
She gets the truck door open before she’s almost falling out. Raif is right there, he catches her and puts his arm around her waist to help her walk. He makes it as clinical as possible, doesn’t hold her tight, doesn’t let his hand wander. Just one person helping out another.
He fishes her keys out of her purse and walks her into the house, setting her down on the couch before making his way to the kitchen to scrounge up some food for her.
He settles on chicken noodle soup. It’s good for settling stomachs from what he’s heard.
He can’t get drunk, shifters burn off the alcohol too quickly, so he doesn't know what it’s like to have a hangover.
He is still reeling from the bar. Seeing her hand on Sam’s leg, watching them dance, watching her bare her throat to Sam like that.
She’s his mate, and it makes his heart hurt to see her like that with someone else.
He didn’t know she and Sam were together, and wonders how long they have been.
It doesn’t surprise him though. She’s amazing.
Beautiful, smart, strong, funny. Any person would be lucky to be hers, he just hopes Sam treats her right.
“Here.”
His voice seems to shock her, and she jumps a little, sitting up straight.
Raif is there with a bowl outstretched and a glass of water.
She takes the bowl gingerly; it’s only chicken noodle soup from a can.
She looks a little pale, like she might be sick.
He hopes she can keep the soup and water down.
Raif sits next to her as she slowly eats the soup, handing her the glass of water every so often.
When she’s done, he takes the bowl away from her and puts it back in the kitchen.
“Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
His hand is outstretched, and she takes it.
He pulls her up, and she bounces a little against his chest. He puts a quick hand on her hip to steady her before taking his hand away.
She’s looking at him intently, like she can see his thoughts, so he grasps her elbow gently and leads her down the hall.
“I didn’t...I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?”
She sits on the edge of the bed, and he kneels to pull off her shoes.
“I was flirting with Sam, I shouldn’t have.”
He doesn’t know what to say to that. Doesn’t really know why she’s apologizing.
“I’m sure he didn’t mind. Seems like you guys were having fun.”
She looks miserable sitting on the bed, head in her hands, curled forward. He doesn’t know how to help her.
“Do you need a bucket? Or the bathroom? Are you going to be sick?”
She shakes her head, hands still covering her face.
“Ash? You okay?”
She sits for a moment before lowering her hands, her eyes are on him again. Flitting around his face as he stays kneeling on the ground.
“Sam and I aren’t together, we’re just friends.”
“Okay.”
“I shouldn’t have acted the way I did, the guys are going to talk.”
He’s surprised by her statement that they’re not together. Makes his bear perk up and take interest where it was wallowing before.
“If I hear anyone talking shit, I’ll have words with them myself.
” His tone is firm, and he means what he says.
No one will talk badly about his mate. She throws herself forward, practically falling off the bed.
Wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her head in his shoulder.
She’s half on the bed, half off, and he stands a little so they’re not so hunched over.
It’s the first time she’s hugged him. He wants to revel in it, stroke her hair, bury his nose in her neck.
But she’s drunk. She’s already admitted she’s upset from her decision-making tonight, and he doesn’t want this hug to be another decision she regrets tomorrow.
He pulls her arms from around her neck and lays her down on the bed. She’s almost asleep, and he tucks her under the covers fully clothed. It won’t be comfortable for her to sleep like that, but he doesn’t want to even think about helping her dress for bed.
The next morning, he’s back at her house at nine am. He had his brother Gunner give him a ride to the bar, and he drove her car back to her house for her. He’ll figure out a ride home later. Now, he has things to do.
He lets himself into her side yard and pulls out the mower, firing it up.
Her grass is long overdue for a cut, and he knows how busy she is.
Even with it being so early, he still works up a sweat quickly.
He strips off his shirt. There are no neighbors nearby, and Ash is still asleep, so he has no problem working in just his worn jeans.
He goes slow, mowing is relaxing. He doesn't have to think, can just go back and forth across the yard. It’s not till he turns it off that he sees Ash, out on her back porch, watching him.
Her eyes are squinted in the sun, but he can see her brows furrowed, and he wonders if he overstepped his bounds in coming over early to mow her yard.
“Brought your car back for you.”
“Really?” she says, surprised. “Thanks.”
“Of course.”
He takes his shirt off the railing and pulls it on, feeling his sweaty skin stick to the cotton. It’s not the most comfortable thing, but he doesn’t know if Ash would mind him being shirtless, so he figures it's better safe than sorry.
“So...you’re mowing my lawn.”
“Yeah. It looked a little overgrown. I know you're busy, and I wanted to help.”
She looks at him a little warily, sipping what he presumes is coffee from her mug.
“Come inside then, I’ll fix you some breakfast.”