Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
Weight presses against my chest, threatening to pull me back into the depths of sleep. A leg falls over my hip, and my eyes fly open. Light blonde hair bunches against my neck, a face I recognize pressed against my collarbone.
It’s Skye.
Snoring softly on top of me.
We must have fallen asleep on the couch last night, and no one woke us so that she could move into her bed. Or she refused to leave me.
I immediately deny the thought. She might have wanted me to stay, but there’s no way she would choose to sleep on the couch with me over spending the night in her bed or nest. I’m just imagining a longing that isn’t there.
My thoughts drift to last night. The way tears shone in her eyes when I was going to leave. Her soft plea for me to stay. A night spent cuddling on this surprisingly comfortable couch with a movie playing in the background.
Hearing her admit she’s kept in touch with my family has shaken me. I hadn’t expected her to still care for them when I wasn’t in her life.
Though I suppose that was silly of me. They’re her family, too. In all the ways that count.
Long before we presented, my family adopted her as one of their own. Her parents were strict, religious assholes who judged everyone. Skye worst of all.
She hated being at home, so I invited her over a lot. Gave her a chance to have a normal childhood filled with fun and adventure. My parents assumed she was mine, and they were devastated when I left her to pursue a career in metal.
Shit, they’re going to flip when they find out they were right.
The scent of coffee has me shifting so I can slip from beneath her. Quentin sits at their dining table when I walk in. A laptop and a cup of steaming hot coffee before him. His head bobs. “There are mugs in the cabinet above the pot.”
Mumbling a quick ‘thank you,’ I pour myself a cup and lean against their counter to sip it.
“Tell me, Caleb, what are your plans now?”
Tilting my head, I explain, “I usually go to the gym on Sundays.”
He stares long enough to heat my face.
Oh, he meant in general.
“R-right, sorry. Um, I don’t know? Before last night, I thought she had moved on, and I was facing a future of rejection, but now…” I trail off, shoulder lifting in a shrug.
He hums and closes his laptop. Having his full attention on me makes me uneasy.
I’m not used to being assessed like this.
“What is Orbital Somatic’s schedule for the next several weeks?
We have one charity show left, so we’ll be available to travel to support you if your band has other shows coming up. ”
Scratching at the stubble growing along my jaw, I avoid his eyes. “I left the band.”
A sharp intake of breath drags my attention to the doorway to the family room, where Skye stands. Her lips parted and eyes wide as she stares at me. “You what?”
I swallow thickly, hating how out of my depth I feel. “My heart isn’t with them anymore, and it would be unfair to force myself to stick it out.”
“But you guys were doing so well. You were on the rise to fame. Exactly what you dreamed of.”
Sitting my coffee cup on the counter, I cross the room in three large strides and cup her face, thumb brushing along her cheek. “Fame was never what I was chasing. I was running. Afraid that you’d meet your Fate-matched mates and toss me aside.”
“That would have never happened.” The skin between her brows pinches, and I soothe it with my finger.
“Yeah, I’m a dumbass. One who doesn’t deserve you, but wants to own you, regardless.” She sucks in a breath, perfume flooding the air in dizzying waves. I lean in and brush my lips against the corner of hers before I force myself to step back. “Only if you and your pack want me here.”
She frowns, fingers reaching toward me. I catch them and press a kiss to their tips before returning to the counter to rinse my cup. “Talk to your mates, bunny.”
I hate the sadness in her eyes as I gather my jacket and leave, but it’s only temporary. She needs time to sort things out with her bonded mates, and I refuse to force myself into their pack.
Feeling like an outsider already sucks with Matt, Joey, and Lee. I wouldn’t be able to handle it with Skye and her mates.
Sweat soaks my back as I cool off between sets. Working out is a hobby I picked up a few years after leaving Skye. The aches in my body help to chase the demons away.
Most of the time.
Noise from the lobby draws my attention, and I’m surprised to find Bellamy chatting with the owner at the desk. He must feel eyes on him because he turns. His wide, blinding smile makes my heart race, and I rub my chest.
“Hey. Didn’t know you go to this gym.”
Wiping my face with my shirt, I explain I’ve been a member here since the end of the summer. “It’s been nice. Everyone’s pretty chill. And I didn’t have to sell my soul for a membership that guarantees respect for my privacy.”
His tongue darts across his bottom lip, eyes glued to my abs. Heat flares across his face before he shakes his head and focuses on pulling his long, yellow-blonde hair into a bun.
My cock twitches beneath his perusal and I shift on my feet to hide how weird I feel getting hard in front of him.
“Sounds like I picked the best place. You still running a circuit, or are you getting ready to head out?” Bellamy asks, moving to the mats to stretch.
He’s dressed similarly to me. Gym shoes, cut-off shirt, and shorts.
The only difference is his shorts are fucking short.
Like if he moves wrong, his balls might slip out and give the room a show.
Why is that hot?
Wait, where the hell is my head right now?
“I was going to go run on the track out back or join a pickup game to cool off,” I explain, carefully keeping my eyes anywhere but on him.
Excitement shines in his baby blue eyes, and happiness swells in his earthy, woodsy scent, which is lovelier than I want to admit. “Basketball? We can go one-on-one. I’ll try to take it easy on you. For the first round.”
Scoffing, I grab my water bottle and step around him, heading toward the outdoor area. “Good luck. I’ve been playing since middle school.”
Bellamy’s laughter lightens the weight on my shoulders. He’s so easy to be around. I noticed it that night at the club, and again at Skye’s party last night. Being friends with him will be easy, a thought that gives me hope about fitting into their pack.
The chill in the air does nothing to quell the heat in my body as Bellamy and I play. Heavy breathing and the scuff of our shoes fill the air. When his arm brushes mine or he gets in my face to defend, I feel my pulse hammer in response.
That has to be coming from Skye. Right?
He smacks the ball out of my hand, taking advantage of my moment of distraction. “Who needs luck when they have skill.”
His taunt has me clenching my jaw, and my cock semi-hard in my shorts. We’ve been playing for half an hour, neither of us ready to give up.
“It is luck,” I comment as he takes a shot but hits the rim instead of making the basket.
He gives me a lopsided grin, grabbing the ball and dribbling toward me. His phone ringing from the sidelines brings our game to a halt.
I guess our time here is up.
“Gotta head home. Catch you next time, dude. I’ll bring Onyx and Sterling so we can play 2v2. You’re on my team.”
Shaking my head, I wave him off and head toward the track to cool down. Today was fun. More fun than I’ve had off the stage in… years.
That’s sad, isn’t it? Realizing you’ve just been floating by, surviving from one show to the next.
Learning about my Fated connection to Skye has changed everything. Hopefully for the better.
Self-loathing still clings to me. Those dark thoughts remind me I’m not good enough to be her mate. I’m going to try not to listen to them. To focus on doing what I can to support her and find a place in her pack.
Starting with helping Joey, Lee, and Matt find my replacement. We didn’t fit in the interviews last week like we hoped. Which is fine. It’s not like I have anything else to do now that I’ve left the band.
On the way back to my apartment, I dial my mom’s number. Better tell her about Skye before she finds out from someone else.
“Hello son,” she chirps, her tone bright and cheery with a smile. “How was your week?”
“Good, I guess.”
“You guess? What happened? Still not feeling like you fit in with those sweet boys in your band?” Sympathy coats her words. I know she isn’t judging me, but my skin crawls anyway. I hate feeling like an outsider.
“About that, I left the band.”
She gasps, and I can picture her hand flying to her mouth, the same way it always does when she gets unexpected news.
“It was a mutual decision. Something came up, and I just don’t feel the same about performing with them as I did before.”
Mom sighs softly. “Oh, honey, you guys were doing so well. What changed?”
“Skye.”
Silence sits heavily between us before she asks, “What about her?”
“I heard you two kept in touch.”
Is my tone accusing? Probably a bit. I can’t hide the fact that I’m jealous my mother got to stay in Skye’s life.
“We have,” she admits, her tone stern. “She’s my daughter, even if she doesn’t share my blood. What happened between you two was a shame, but did you expect me to leave her on her own? After what her parents put her through?”
No, I did not. I never wanted Skye to be alone. To have no one in her corner to support her. I just wish I’d known they were still talking. I could have learned about her life and met up with her sooner, and then…
Well, there’s no use chasing what-ifs. I can’t go back and change my decision to leave her. I have to learn to deal with that regret and move forward so I can be with her now.
“Thank you,” I grit out, turning into the parking lot of my building. Being back here makes me miss the Crowley house. I never got used to living in the city. The noise, the traffic, the people. Sometimes it’s too much. Too overwhelming.