Page 22 of Stargazer

Now that they were both in the same place, I would talk to them and make things right on both sides. Weigh it all up and then make a clear-cut decision.

But what did I want?

Did I want to start things back up with River? Give him a second chance and this new, honest, relationship a real go? Didn’t I owe him that much?

Or did I want what Griffin was finally offering me? A chance at a real relationship with a guy that had rocked my world and helped shape this new and improved me?

A few weeks ago, shit, even a week ago, that was all I wanted.

But right now? Right now I had no idea what to do with any of this.

Old Venus would want to run away. And while I was sure as hell not doing that, I did need time to sort through everything. I needed to give them both a chance to show me that they were not just saying pretty words that I wanted to hear.

Griffin had always said he couldn’t do this. Couldn’t be a boyfriend. If that had changed, he needed to prove it.

I knew there were moments when it felt like more. Even when Kit was gushing about us that last night at the club before shit hit the fan, he never denied what she had implied about our … relationship—or whatever it was. He never denied that there was something more that developed between us—not since that time on the couch when he said he didn’t believe in promises. Not that he’d denied what existed between us then either, he’d just said he wanted to exist as we were. Come to think about it, not even when I left had he stated otherwise; had he denied this thing between us. This thing that was so clearly more.

But Sienna’s words rang through me:

'He’s clearly very capable of throwing a girl away.'

'He gets bored.'

'Don't be surprised when he's eventually done with you.'

So that’s what I took him walking away as. I assumed he was done. And even though he was back now, those words rang through me. They probably always would.

And Riv … Riv was so used to shielding and protecting me from everything to my own detriment—and his. He needed to show me that he could trust me, open up to me and also now find a way to let me be a Knight. I mean, could that even work? A Knight and a wolf?

My parents had done it, but they’d escaped their respective people to do so.

So much to think about.

We walked back to the pack house in silence, similarly to the way we had walked to this spot. Griffin knew I was overthinking things in my head. We hadn’t known each other for that long, yet I felt like he knew me pretty damn well. And he let me do so—the overthinking—while he remained a few steps behind me, no doubt watching my back as I once again picked my way through the trees and uneven forest floor.

When we returned, I found Skylar sitting on the step of the porch, waiting for us. She immediately stood as we neared, Griffin stopping closer to his car to give us a moment.

“Are you all good?” Sky asked, striding to me and grabbing my hands.

I gave her a tired look. “Yep, I’m good. It’s just been a morning. We’re going to head back to my house and figure out what his being back means in terms of the Knights and how this is all going to work.”

Sky nodded in understanding. “I’ve just mind-linked Riv to come and say bye,” she said. Her blue eyes held mine with a hint of concern. But then she smiled at me and her gaze flickered to the hunter that was leaning against his black Jeep, no doubt staring her down with an unfriendly gaze. Or alternatively checking her out. With my back to him, I couldn’t tell. And right now I didn’t fully care.

“So that’s Griffin, huh?”

I dared a quick look back at him. He was looking down, seemingly bored. But as if he sensed my stare, his eyes snapped to mine and he watched me unflinchingly with that usual intensity of his. He smirked at my attention.

I turned back to Sky and nodded. “That’s Griffin.”

“Mmm. I see the appeal,” she chuckled lightly and I felt the warmth return to my face. Just two girls talking about an extremely attractive guy. It gave me hope that somehow we could make this weird combination of people work.

Giving her a pleading look, I sighed, “I have no idea what I’m going to do.”

She squeezed my hand, a reassuring gesture, but when she opened her mouth to respond, she was cut off by the door flinging open behind her. She took a step back and let River rush towards me.

I heard the car door open and close and without even turning around I already knew that Griffin had gotten in his car at the first sign of River’s presence. I supposed it was better than the alternative: him trying to attack again.

Riv grabbed my shoulders, looking me up and down as if he was trying to see if I was harmed at all. As if Griffin would ever harm me.

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