Page 14 of Midnight Rain

When he climbed back into the SUV, he handed her over. Austin hugged her closely to him, resting his cheek on her fur as he closed his eyes. His mate took deep and steady breaths as Cormac drove down the road.

He didn’t say a word, allowing Austin his time with Lila.

The turn came into view. Cormac slowed and made a right, taking his mate to a place he liked to go when he needed time to himself. It was a secluded spot that didn’t see much traffic. Ever since Cormac had moved back into his parents’ house, he’d visited the spot often. To not only let his cheetah run but to clear his head.

Cormac stopped and parked but left the engine running since it was so hot outside. He rested a hand on Austin’s upper back, drawing soothing circles in hopes of helping his mate.

“I just need…” Austin hugged Lila closer.

“Tell me what I can do to help you.” Cormac hadn’t expected Austin to call Lila his emotional support animal. He just thought she was his pet. He wanted to know what Austin had been through to need emotional support in the first place.

“You’re doing it.” Austin finally opened his eyes. “You got me out of there, retrieved Lila for me, and gave me somewhere quiet so I could bring myself out of it.”

“Out of what?” Cormac asked, still rubbing his mate’s back.

“If I tell you a secret, do you promise not to tell anyone else?” Austin looked at Cormac like the promise meant everything to him.

“I swear on my life, Austin.”

His mate took a deep breath. “About three months ago, a got a new neighbor. He saw me coming and going from my apartment and struck up a conversation one day when I came home from work. We hung out in each other’s apartments a few times a week. It wasn’t anything serious. I wasn’t looking to get involved with him.”

Cormac listened intently, unsure how this would unfold, but it couldn’t be anything good if Austin had to flee to his aunt’s.

“I’m just a friendly guy. I swear I don’t normally kiss someone I just met. I’m not like that.”

“I never thought you were,” Cormac said. “And it was me who initiated it.”

Slowly, Austin released his hold on Lila, and she curled in his lap.

“One night he tried to kiss me, but I stopped him and told him I just wanted to be friends. He laughed it off and said it was no big deal. After that, I thought it was best if I let things cool down. Jaycee started calling me at all kinds of crazy hours because we’d exchanged numbers after about a week of hanging out.”

“I changed my number when his calls were bordering on harassment, and I started to have to sneak in and out of my apartment so he wouldn’t see me.”

Cormac suppressed a growl.

“I wouldn’t answer the door when anyone knocked for fear it was him. Then one day he showed up at my job, asking if we could talk. I only agreed because I didn’t want him to cause a scene and get me fired.”

Cormac wanted to find the guy and rip his fucking spine out.

“After two weeks of coming to my job constantly, my boss said it was best I didn’t come in until I had the situation under control.”

“He got you fired?”

Austin nodded. “Karen said it was only temporary, but the next day, all my belongings from work were delivered to my apartment. Jaycee still wasn’t giving up. I finally went to the cops and filed a report, but I knew that wasn’t going to stop Jaycee, so I moved.”

“He found you.”

“Yes.” Austin stroked Lila’s fur. “I was coming out of my unit one night, and the next thing I knew, I was shoved back inside.” Austin looked away, but Cormac could smell the tears. “He threw me around, screaming at me that I was messing up a good thing and that he would kill me if I kept running from him. I told him whatever he wanted to hear so he would leave.”

“Did he?” Cormac was definitely going to destroy the bastard when he got his hands on him. The fear in Austin’s voice, the way he sat there trembling, was enough to make Cormac’s cheetah want to burst free and find the son of a bitch.

“He left but not before I had to endure him hugging me, his hands rubbing on me, and him telling me I was just confused about my feelings for him. Right after he left, I locked my door and called my aunt. I didn’t want to tell her what was going on, because as sweet as she is, no one wants that kind of shit at their door.”

“And we met right after you got here.” Fuck. Now Cormac wished he could go back in time and be as kind as he could to Austin instead of being a grouchy dick to him in the café.

“Yeah.” Austin looked at him. “Can I have a hug? I’ve been having a very horrible time lately, and the chaos at your house…”

Cormac pulled Austin across the console, holding his mate and resting his cheek against his hair. They stayed that way for a while until Lila started to whimper.

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