Page 35 of Defeated

I look at my failed symbol of a fresh start and make myself look away. “No, I don’t think I’ll take the bear. Just leave it.”

It can serve as someone else’s fresh start.

Leaving Chris in the apartment, I head into the bathroom to gather the few toiletries I have.

When I return, Chris is holding my go-bag and refuses to let me carry it.

Back in Colton’s apartment, I’m upstairs in the room I slept in, emptying my bag onto the bed to make sure everything I have is still in it.

When I come face to face with a small blue bear with big, button eyes, I realize what Chris did.

I pick it up, turn to look at the door I closed minutes before, even wander over to the trash to get rid of it, because this is a symbol of my failure.

But I stand there, holding onto the bear and I think of the fun at the fair, of that hopeful moment when I won and the stall owner handed it over.

It doesn’t go in the trash where dead hopes belong. It goes back into my bag.

And I couldn’t even tell you why.

12

CHRIS

Icouldn’t miss the way Zoe had been looking at the stuffed toy I’d picked up from her bed. A strange combination of pain, happiness, and hopelessness.

She’d wanted to take it, but she’d still told me to leave it behind.

I couldn’t when it meant something to her. It was important, so I’d waited for her to go to the bathroom, and I’d tucked it into her bag. If it turned out I’d made a mistake, then I’d apologize and offer to toss it out. But something had told me that she would regret leaving that bear behind, and something inside me hadn’t wanted her to.

She’s upstairs now, checking the shifters hadn’t taken anything out of her bag, so she’ll have found the toy.

I listen to her footsteps, waiting for her to come down and ask me about why I would pack the toy. And I think about what my response would be.

I didn’t want her to be sad?

I felt the toy was important and didn’t want her to leave it behind?

Or… something else. The same something that drove me to kiss her in the street.

My cell phone vibrates in my back pocket, and I fish it out, scan the caller, and breathe out a sigh of relief.

It’s not Mack. Thankfully. I’d have had to find some way to explain why I’m alone here, because he would remember the threat that made Colton leave town, and he wouldn’t want any of his packmates to be facing it down alone.

“Warren?” I say, answering the call.

“Penny texted Tina, saying you met someone.”

Upstairs, the sound of footsteps pauses. Warren wasn’t trying to keep his voice down, and even if he had been, shifter hearing means Zoe would have heard, no matter how quietly he whispers.

Briefly, I close my eyes and curse Penny, and then I sigh.

“I’m guessing she got the wrong end of the stick,” Warren says, sounding like he’s smiling.

“Something like that,” I admit. “Please tell me she didn’t text everyone.”

“Okay, I won’t,” he says cheerfully.

I close my eyes again. “Penny.”

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