Chapter 3
three
ETHAN
“She let you stay for a movie night?” Abby asked, her expression incredulous.
“Yup.” I popped a gummy worm in my mouth.
All of my friends’ mates—minus Zoe, since her thing with Connor was new—had shown up on my porch the next morning with my friends in tow. The guys were all in the kitchen, making food, while I sat on the couch with their women.
Honestly, I was surprised a fist fight hadn’t broken out over the way I had the ladies’ attention.
I hadn’t called any of them Cupcake, which probably helped my cause. It just didn’t feel right after hearing Maya use the nickname for me. It was our thing, now.
“You can’t eat those whole,” Jade said, making a face as if she was ill.
“Watch me.” I popped another one in.
“Maya is the only person I know who does that,” Abby said, pointing to the gummy worms.
“We both love sugar. It’s fate,” I said.
“But you left right after the movie, right?” Emmy checked. “Even though she was asleep?”
“Yeah.” I paused. “Well, I did the dishes first. They looked like they’d been there a while.”
And I’d wanted to buy myself some more time in her apartment. I felt so much better there. My wolf hadn’t threatened to take over when I finally left, either, which felt like a fucking miracle.
“Maya hates doing dishes,” Abby said. “Cleaning up after her is probably the way to her heart.”
“They didn’t agree on anyone reaching anyone’s heart,” Stella pointed out. “Just…” she looked at me.
“Friendship?” I suggested.
None of the women looked convinced.
“Have you heard from her this morning?” Emmy checked.
“Leave the bastard alone,” Finn grumbled from the kitchen.
We all knew he was only pretending to be annoyed. He’d been a fucking ray of sunshine since he got together with Emmy, who he also labeled a fucking ray of sunshine.
It was amazing how mate bonds changed people.
Including me.
Even though I technically didn’t have a mate bond, just being around Maya made a massive difference.
“Yeah, she texted me,” I said.
Jade held out her hand for my phone.
“Don’t push him,” Wyatt said, though he was on his way to his mate’s side to read the texts too. Pushy was her thing, and he approved completely.
I typed my password in and handed my phone over so they could read the messages. I’d already memorized them.
The women all gathered around to read with them.
Maya
You didn’t need to clean my kitchen, but thanks
Me
It was my pleasure, Muffin
Maya
I have a very large knife in my drawer and I’m not afraid to stab you with it if you continue calling me that, Cupcake
Me
I also have a very large knife, but it’s not in a drawer ;)
Maya
Oh my god
I’m blocking you again
What did I say about the winking?
Me
;) ;)
Maya
“She blocked you again, right?” Stella asked.
“Nope.” I popped my lips on the p, and threw another gummy worm back.
Wyatt reached into the bag and stole one before he kissed Jade on the cheek and went back to the kitchen.
She handed me my phone.
“There’s no way she’s going to resist your charm,” Abby declared.
“Not if she’s already calling you by a nickname. She doesn’t even like nicknames,” Emmy put in. She looked down at her phone as an alarm went off. The song it played was loud and upbeat. “Okay, it’s time to go get Zoe for wedding dress shopping.”
“Maya’s meeting us there, right?” Jade asked.
“Yeah,” Stella agreed.
“We’ll try to probe for info about how she’s feeling,” Abby promised me.
“No, we’re on her side here.” Stella shot Abby a warning look.
“Right.” Abby nodded. They all headed to the kitchen, and she mouthed over her shoulder to me, “I’ll probe for you.”
I gave her a thumbs-up.
Their mates sent them on their way with food, and the guys joined me on the couch a few minutes later.
One of them handed me a heaping plate of eggs, bacon, and hash browns, with a couple slices of toast on top.
“You can’t live on this shit,” Wyatt said, plucking the bag of gummy worms away from me.
“Maybe you can’t live long on it, but you can live.” I grabbed a piece of toast.
“The mirrored glasses worked?” Nico asked.
He’d given me the idea. Abby had apparently asked about it one night.
They were talking about how a couple could avoid a mate bond if she were to write a book about the real way werewolves worked.
Apparently, she thought she could sell it with other paranormal romances without anyone realizing it was true.
“Yup.”
“How was it?” Graham checked.
“Don’t act like you didn’t listen to every word I told the women. We like gossip as much as they do, we’re just better at hiding it.” I demolished a whole slice of toast.
Finn snorted.
Nico grinned. “I’m glad it went well.”
“It was fucking perfect,” I admitted with a sigh, grabbing another piece.
“She’ll fall for you eventually,” Graham said.
“If the rest of us scarred fuckers could win over our mates, you can too,” Finn agreed.
“Our situation is different.”
“Most of us thought that,” Wyatt pointed out.
“Well, ours really is. She rejected her mate because he abused her in every fucking way there is.” I shook my head, glad the other women had confirmed that fucker was dead. Otherwise, I’d be hunting him down at the moment. “I’m just glad she’s okay with being friends.”
The alternative was me probably dying, but my friends didn’t need to know that.
If being friends was all Maya ever wanted, I would be thrilled to be her friend.
Especially if she agreed to move in together so I could always feel the way I had in her apartment. My wolf was still being much more chill than he had been in years. I’d take whatever scraps the woman was comfortable with giving me if it meant I could finally stop feeling like a warzone.
“Thanks for the food. It’s good,” I said.
“We know. You’re inhaling it.” Graham gestured to the plate, which was already half empty.
“Forgot to eat dinner.”
“I thought she agreed to cook for you,” Finn said.
“Right. We got distracted.”
“With…” Nico lifted an eyebrow.
“Since when are you all so fucking nosy?” I grumbled.
“Since we’re happily mated to women who are also nosy,” Wyatt said.
“They really get you with the gossip,” Nico agreed.
Nods went around the group. The bastards weren’t even ashamed.
“Anyone seen a football game recently?” I tried again to change the subject.
All of their eyes narrowed.
Luckily, Connor waltzed in with a grin and distracted everyone.
We talked about anything other than me and Maya until we all headed out to meet the women in town. I wasn’t sure why I was invited—most of them were going out to eat, and Connor was going to a tux fitting or something—but I didn’t really want to be home alone.
My wolf was surfacing again, the threatening asshole.
Guess he wanted his mate.
That made two of us.
My phone buzzed during the drive.
Maya
I heard everyone except Zoe and Connor are going to a restaurant after this wedding stuff
Me
I heard that too
Want to join them?
Maya
Are you asking me out, Cupcake?
Me
On a friend date, yes
Pure friendship
Never romance
Maya
As long as it’s only friendship
Me
Of course it’s friendship, I loathe romance
Maya
Liar
I bet you love romcoms
Me
Everyone loves romcoms
Maya
Called it
Me
I noticed you didn’t deny that everyone loves them
Maya
I understand the appeal
If I didn’t detest romance, I might like them too
Me
Maybe I’ll convert you
Maya
To the cult of romance?
Me
Indeed
Maya
Good luck with that
Me
I’ll tell them we’re in
They’re probably going to take it more seriously than we do, so don’t feel weird about it if they say something
Maya sent me a gif of someone saluting, and I snorted.
The rest of the guys in the truck looked at me.
Maybe I really could charm her eventually.
I would survive if I couldn’t, but damn, I could see the appeal.