Chapter 16
Sixteen
RYLAN
I ’m just tucking my double bass into its typical storage spot at the back of the prep room when Liz appears practically out of nowhere. I have to adjust my arm so I don’t accidentally take her out with my elbow. Not that the almost collision isn’t noticed. A low, menacing growl works its way across the room from one of the side entrances.
“It’s fine, Zach,” Liz says, not turning toward the Alpha. “It wasn’t on purpose.”
Zach doesn’t much care, his eyes narrowing on me. I force a deep breath and scratch at my tattoo, giving myself a minute to collect myself before turning around and focusing on Liz. Jasper’s just putting away his cello, slinging it over his shoulder, his gaze on the floor.
“What’s up, Liz?” I ask, not bothering to hide the tired impatience.
“When do we get to meet her?” She’s bouncing on her toes, still full of energy despite it being nearly eleven at night. “Jasper didn’t have an answer, so we figured we’d check with you instead.”
Huntley raises an eyebrow as she draws close enough to hear Liz. Though, honestly, most of the room can hear her. It’s not like she’s subtle. Jasper still isn’t looking at me, his hands shoved into the pockets of his tux slacks. I haven’t had a chance to check in with him, but it’s clear enough the update on Dominic. He’s still not come home. My stomach twists. I grab his hand and lace our fingers together, running my thumb over his in silent comfort. His breath is shaky, but then he leans against me, resting his head on my shoulder.
“So? Are we getting to meet her? Or is she just going to stay this imaginary person? You haven’t told us anything, Jas,” Huntley says, crossing her arms.
His tensing is subtle enough that I doubt the others notice. I press a kiss to his temple and pull out my phone, tightening my grip on his hand. I send off a quick text to Violet.
Some of the coworkers would like to meet you. You up for that?
It takes a few minutes for her to respond.
Sorry, just got off shift.
No worries. Take your time.
The others start up a small conversation about where they’re hoping to go out tonight.
“You want to go?” I ask Jasper, keeping my voice quiet.
He takes a deep breath before shaking his head. “Not tonight.”
Sure. I work a double tomorrow but am off Monday. Is that ok?
That’s fine. We’re off Mondays.
“She can hang out Monday.”
Liz and Huntley cheer. Jasper tenses again but doesn’t say anything.
“Perfect,” Huntley says. “Let’s go to our normal bar. They’re pretty quiet on Mondays.”
Mason shakes his head. “They have a local band playing Monday. It’ll be crowded. How about the Rowdy Seahorse?”
“Not there,” I growl. I don’t offer an explanation of my refusal, but they take it in decent stride, quickly pivoting to other options. I leave them to it.
I’ll grab you at 8.
Alright. See you Monday.
Jasper blows out a breath and pushes off of me, but he doesn’t drop my hand. I grab his chin and turn him toward me, kissing him before he can pull too far away.
Someone makes a gagging sound. Jasper laughs and kisses me again.
“You guys going out tonight?” Mason asks as I pull away from Jasper.
“Not tonight. It’s been a long week,” my lover says, not hiding his exhaustion.
The others fade out soon after that, murmuring goodnights and offering quick hugs. It’s a bit anti-climactic since it’s our second-to-last weekend, but Jasper and I just aren’t feeling up to faking it for everyone else’s sake tonight. The walk to the car is quiet. Jasper tucks his cello into the back seat of the Alfa Romeo before sliding into the passenger seat.
As we head onto the highway, I say, “You’re with me tonight.”
He snaps his eyes to me. “What if he’s home?”
I shake my head. “I don’t give a fuck. He can have you in the morning. You’re with me tonight.”
VIOLET
There’s a hard knock at the door. Nerves flare in my belly, and I have to swallow twice to try to move the lump that’s seemingly taken up permanent residence in my throat. I brush down the Lana Del Rey shirt and adjust the way my fishnets sit on my thighs. I’ve traded out my preferred shorts for a simple black skirt, part of me hopeful that Rylan might want to do something other than kiss tonight. And skirts are better for that if we’re in tight quarters.
Also, my ass looks fucking amazing in this set-up, so that’s a bonus.
“Violet, he’s here,” Faedra says from the shared living room of our dorm.
I run my hands through my hair, shaking it out a bit, and close my bedroom door, trying to lean into the same etiquette training that got me through the matching gala without punching any of the reporters. Faedra’s leaning against the kitchenette counter, picking apart a salad she must have grabbed from one of the dining halls before they closed for the night. Her phone is perched just next to the bowl, the screen dark, and her fingers tap against her thigh in one of her subtle nervous habits.
Rylan leans against the closed front door, his hands in his pockets, his dark hair several inches shorter than when I’d seen him on Friday. He’s wearing the same Snow Patrol hoodie as he had been on the video call. His eyes skate over me, the slow perusal warming my chest, and I can feel the blush color my cheeks. As I approach, the citrus scent of him hits me, and my thighs clench. What’s it like being able to walk wherever you want and not worry if you’re scenting?
At least I get to enjoy the benefits of it.
He pushes off the door when I catch his gaze, holding one hand out to me. This time, when I take his hand, he doesn’t pull me closer to mark me with his scent. Was that a bad sign? Alphas always wanted to mark what they viewed as theirs.
“You’ll call me if that party downstairs gets out of hand, right?” I ask Faedra.
She raises an eyebrow and crosses her arms. “Absolutely not. I’m more than capable of doing my job. You’re supposed to be having fun tonight.”
Damn her for being so confident right now. She gives me one of her looks, the one that says she knows what I was trying to subtly imply, and that she isn’t going to give me the benefit of her friendship at the moment. So what if I wanted an escape hatch for tonight?
I let Rylan guide me out of the dorm. This time, he cuts toward one of the parking lots. It’s late enough that most people have moved off of the main pathways around campus, opting for going out or staying in for the night. The sun’s dipped below the horizon, the last rays starting to disappear, and the street lights are already on around the campus.
“If you want to leave, just let me know. Grab my arm and squeeze twice if you don’t want to make a big deal of it.” Rylan’s voice blends into the evening.
I glance over at him, trying to gauge how he’s feeling tonight compared to Friday. He seems more tired today, though I’m not honestly sure how I can even tell. Maybe there’s something subtle about his scent that I’m noticing without being able to actually notice it. Instincts are fucking weird sometimes.
“Didn’t expect safe words for a night out at a bar with your friends,” I say, opting for humor to see what he does.
He smirks, his hold tightening on mine for a moment. “First of all, they’re Jasper’s friends, not mine. They’re simply my coworkers.” I ignore the quick slice of pain over his easy, happy use of Jasper’s name. He purses his lips. “Don’t tell Huntley I said that.”
“I have no idea who that is,” I say.
He chuckles. “You will soon.” He pulls a key fob from his pocket as we near the curb. One of the cars flashes its lights, though it doesn’t make any noise. “Second, they’re a lot. All the time. And fuck knows one of them will manage to say something that will piss you off. Secretly, my money is on Liz since she’s been out of her mind since the paperwork was delivered after rehearsal Wednesday. But, really, it could be any of them. Just making sure you have a way to get out of it without making them realize they’ve overstepped.”
I nod. Should I be happy he’s thinking about this so much? That he’s worried about how I’m going to respond to trying to integrate with his circle of people?
Probably. But in reality, it’s just making the nerves grow worse in my belly.
I mess with my shirt, obsessing over how it’s laying against my stomach. Rylan catches my hand.
“Stop,” he says, more bite in his tone than before. “You’re fucking gorgeous.”
I pause, focusing on him instead of my fidgeting. “I know.”
He nods. “Good.” He blows out a breath. “Sorry, I just don’t want you panicking over anything that I can help you avoid.”
“I’ve worked really hard to love my body,” I say, forcing myself to stop messing with my shirt since it bothers him. “Especially since living in LA. I’m not sure there’s another city that detests fat bodies more than this one. You don’t have to worry about whether or not I’m obsessing about it. Messing with clothes is just one of my nervous habits.”
“I don’t want you to be nervous,” he says, his voice dropping into a low croon. Fuck, that has my body reacting in all kinds of ways. I force a swallow to try and stay focused. “Just remember we’ll leave at any point, all right?”
When I nod, he starts toward the car—something I can tell is expensive, though I don’t recognize the brand emblem. I’m just about calmed down when I realize who’s sitting behind the driver’s seat. Jasper’s gaze glances down me once, quick and impersonal, as Rylan guides me into the passenger seat.
He doesn’t offer a word as Rylan closes the back door and we start toward the bar.