Chapter Eight #3
Kimberly smirked and thought she’d repay one confession for another.
“Last Friday, I had a guy over. We started getting … you know, and he did some things that brought what happened that night … not so far from my mind. It really freaked me out and I totally ruined the moment.” Kimberly closed her eyes and took a long, steadying breath.
“I don’t want anyone to trigger me again, and I don’t want anyone to try what Nathan tried on me again.
I feel like I dodged a bullet that night when I shouldn’t have even been in the crosshairs.
Hence why I cut my hair so that no one can grab it again, and my lame attempt to learn some self-defense.
” She gestured to her hair and the paused program on the television.
Kimberly hadn’t said those exact words aloud to anyone since they entered her brain over the weekend.
As usual, she wanted to keep all these tragic problems close to the vest. No need to get everyone worked up when she could just resolve her trauma herself.
When Kimberly opened her eyes, the tears that had been just on the edge of Kaelyn’s eyelids finally made tracks across her cheeks, smearing her mascara in two thin gray lines.
“Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. If I had—”
“I’m not living in the past anymore,” Kimberly interrupted. “What happened, happened. I can’t change it, but I can move on and do better.” She said it with as much resolute determination as she could muster at that moment, and Kaelyn seemed to believe her.
She smiled and gave a hearty nod of agreement to Kimberly. “That’s a great attitude to have. I’m sure everyone has told you this a hundred times, but you are really brave. Braver than me, for sure.”
“Some days, I don’t feel so brave.”
“Sure, you are,” Kaelyn cheered. “It hasn’t even been, what, two or three months and you’re already dating after that?” Kaelyn took on a cunning look, all sadness and pity seemingly forgotten. “Anyone I know?”
Now, she wanted gossip.
Kimberly figured she would throw her another bone. Maybe it was the tears. She hated seeing other people cry just as much as she hated to cry in front of others. “The new alpha in town.”
Kaelyn made a sound of pleasant surprise. “You aim high, girl! Give me all the details…” She cooled down for just a second. “That is, if you want. No pressure. I know we’re not friends, even though you know I’d like to be.”
Kimberly wasn’t quite ready to admit friendship, and she had a feeling that if she said too much, word would get around Tolstone that the shifter with no dominance and the new alpha might have been seeing one another.
If that bit of tea got to Shane, would he be okay with it, or was he ready to take a step back?
They could never mate, of course, because of their difference in rank and she wouldn’t want his pack to think that he was considering dropping his title as alpha in order to be with her.
There was too much politics wrapped up in any sort of relationship they might have.
They just wanted to spend time together.
That was all. Kissing in the process was certainly a bonus, but dating just wasn’t possible.
Kimberly decided to spill anyway and trust that Kaelyn wouldn’t squeal. She hadn’t told a soul about all her little run-ins with Shane, besides the little bit she told her mom. She was desperate to confide in someone other than her plants.
She leaned on the countertop, some of the spilled sugar coating her forearms. “Well, I have no qualms with saying he’s a great kisser.”
It was like a switch was flipped and Kaelyn beamed. “Oh, my God! Tell me more!” Making herself at home, she propped her elbow on the counter and settled her chin in her palm, all ears.
And Kimberly did. She told her about Shane, the disaster in her old pack between their fathers, and most of everything that had happened since they ran into each other again.
She was careful about the exact details, but the story she spun for Kaelyn was enough.
Nothing about how Kimberly couldn’t shift and that she just wanted to use all the dopamine hits from Shane’s company to revitalize her wolf.
“That is so romantic!” she crooned. “So, what’s the problem?”
Kimberly tilted her head. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, why isn’t he here, helping you through all this mess? He should be right beside you doing that kickboxing stuff. You said you haven’t talked to him since…” Her expression widened. “You haven’t told him about what happened.”
Kimberly grimly shook her head.
Kaelyn smacked her hand on the space of the counter between them. “You have to tell him! If you love him, you’ve got to be totally honest about all that baggage you’re trying to burn. It’s only fair to him.”
If Kimberly had taken a sip of water from her hot pink bottle, she would have snorted the liquid from her nose.
“Whoa! Who said anything about love? I mean, I was pretty sure I loved him when we were dating in high school, but we aren’t the same people now.
I might have loved seventeen-year-old Shane, but we might as well be starting from scratch.
He’s an alpha now. He went through all that crap with his old beta, and he’s in Tolstone for a reason.
He doesn’t need me falling in love with him and threatening any hopes of getting back on his feet. ”