Page 68 of Cruel Alpha Bully

“You wouldn’t be forcing me,” I say with a chuckle.

For a moment, we both go quiet as we work on our donuts and hot chocolate. I’m still trying to figure out how to say what I need to say.

“Let me know if you need anything,” Bae says again. “Do you have any doctor’s appointments soon?”

“No, not yet,” I answer. “Coming up soon, though.”

“Okay. Let me know.”

Silence falls again, and I look down at my donut, crumbling it with my fingertips.

“I miss you, Gina,” Bailey finally says. “I miss you like crazy. I love you so much—it’s hard for me to admit how much. I should have told you, every moment, every day. This is not just about the mate bond. It’s you I really want, and I’m miserable without you.”

I can tell by Bae’s face that this was not easy for him to admit. His words have stirred up my thoughts, and now they’re buzzing like a hornet’s nest.

“I believe you,” I say. “And I accept your apology, don’t worry about that. But one of the reasons why I needed space is because of how you reacted when you found out I was pregnant. It really felt like you wanted me to go away.”

Bae’s eyes widen, and he sits up a bit, shaking his head. “No, I thought you wanted to leave me.”

“Why would you think that?” I ask, my voice rising a little. I’m not angry with him, just upset. The very idea that I could play with him like that is more hurtful than I can bear. Especially after weeks of not knowing how he really felt.

“It’s just obvious,” Bae says. “You missed your life in Denver, and I was feeling really bad about holding you back. When I got some confirmation that it was true, I reacted badly. Like I said, I’m sorry about that.”

“What do you mean, confirmation?” I ask, a bit shocked.

“From Jill,” he answers. “When she was driving us to the hospital. She told me how you were just pining away to go home and that you felt trapped here. I had been worried about it so much, and then finding out about it from your best friend…”

“Jill,” I mutter, anger rising in my chest.

“Yes,” Bae agrees. “Then, we get to the hospital, and they tell me you’re pregnant. I was so scared for you, and for the baby. I just didn’t know what to do.”

“Bailey.” I reach out and take his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I don’t think this was your fault, or mine. There’s been a horrible communication gap here.”

“Oh?” Bae looks innocent and hopeful.

“I never wanted to move back to Denver. I am sorry I didn’t make that clearer. It’s very sweet that you were worried about me in that way, but all I want is to be with you.”

Bae squeezes my hand, smiling. “So why didn’t you run to me and tell me about the baby as soon as you found out?”

I can feel a frown tugging at my face. “The same reason you thought I wanted to leave. Jill.”

“Jill,” he repeats. “She seems to be at the heart of all of this. I thought she was my friend—and yours.”

“She hasn’t been my friend for a long time. I guess I didn’t really make that clear, either.”

“No, you didn’t.” Bae says, a determined look coming over his face. “I can’t believe she would go to this much trouble to break us up.”

“It’s all she’s been trying to do, for a very long time,” I say, sighing. “And we should go and confront her, right now.”

Chapter 24 - Bailey

To say I’m confused would be the understatement of the year. I know that Gina had some problems with Jill after what we talked about recently—like at Jenks’ party—but I never thought Jill was malicious enough to actively try and break us up.

I understand why Jill would do this, but surely she knows, she can’t ever be my mate. She understands the mate bond and how vital this is for the pack, especially now. It seems especially nasty to me to upset a pregnant woman.

As I drive towards Jill’s house, the late afternoon sun shimmers against the clouds up above and glints across the car windows. When I look over at Gina, it’s as if she glows. And it’s not just the pregnancy—it’s her natural beauty.

After just a few moments with her, I’m seeing poetry in the world again. Without her, I was dead inside.

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