Page 41 of Shifters in the Night

Shit.

He heard Lia’s voice filtering around the door. “I know you’re in there. I just saw Eva and she pointed to the house and told me, ‘He just got home.’”

Jon gasped. Betrayal! He thought he and Eva were friends!

“Jon, I know you saw me with Alex just now and I think we should talk.”

He was frozen in place, with no pants. This was like that nightmare he used to have about math class when he was a kid. He heard her mutter, “This is ridiculous.” And in nightmare slow-motion, he saw the door open and she was standing there. Instead of looking shocked or offended, she only looked exasperated. “Do you strip down naked during times of stress or is this a behavior designed to avoid uncomfortable questions?”

He snatched a soft gray quilt from the old blue sofa, wrapping it around his waist. “I didn’t think to expect you. You looked pretty comfortable at your place.”

“Jon, I think we need to talk. We can’t keep dancing around each other like this.”

“Look, I’m not upset. Alex is a nice guy,” he said, shrugging, even while it burned his throat like poison to say the words. “And he seems to like you a lot.”

“It’s not like that,” she insisted.

“We never said we were exclusive. Will told me that’s an important part of dating now, setting the rules. Besides, I know Alex is more up to your … standard?”

“What are you talking about?” she exclaimed.

“Well.” He gestured towards his chest and face. “My scars.”

“You have scars?” she said, shaking her head.

All at once, Jon was overwhelmed by the force of several different emotions, relief that she had no idea what he was talking about – relief that maybe that part of his life was over, the part where he thought about the scars every day. And more than anything, love, love for Lia and the absolute certainty that he was right to love her.

“What are you talking about?” she demanded.

And suddenly, she seemed angry and the chief emotion he felt was fear.

“They’re not as pronounced as they used to be, but they’re still there,” he babbled. “And you’re so beautiful, it makes sense you’d want to be with someone who’s … similar.”

“Do you honestly think I care about that?” she cried.

“I’m just saying Alex was born in a suit! He knows all the same fancy stuff that you do. How am I supposed to compete with that?” Jon asked.

“First of all, it’s not a competition. If all I wanted was to be with some rich guy with designer suits, I would think Victor was a good option.” She stopped and held up one finger. “Sorry, hold on, I just made myself a little sick.”

He snorted and she leveled him with a stern look. He sincerely hoped Eva couldn’t hear this from outside, because she would mercilessly give him much-deserved shit over it for weeks.

“My appearance means nothing to me, except for trouble, sometimes,” she said, whacking his arm. “I know it sounds like whining, ‘oh, poor me, I was born beautiful.’ Which also sounds a little conceited, I’ll admit. But when you grow up like this – you never know whether someone values the things that are really valuable in you. I value those things in you.”

She dropped the pillow to poke him in the chest, a scant few inches from his deepest mark. “You’re a kind person, a thoughtful person. You do good things for people. That’s what draws me to you. I’m not saying your exterior hurts your case, but it’s not why I’ve approached you or kissed you or wandered drunkenly into your yard. I did all of those things because I’m drawn to you. And you seem to be drawn to me. Unfortunately, you just happen to be drawn to me when Alex is around.”

“Well, I won’t lie and say that I found you repulsive the first time I saw you,” he muttered, his lips curving up. He was sure she could see the relief pouring off of him by the gallon.

“Well, thank you,” she said, picking up the pillow to hit him one last time. “And by the way, if anybody has the right to be jealous, it’s me!”

“What?!?”

“You and Eva! Every time I see you with her, I can see how happy you are. And not just in an ‘Oh, the expression on his face is so blissful,’ sort of way. I can see your emotions! I can see the interest, the attraction that you feel when you’re with her!”

“Because you’re there, too! All that was directed at you!” he cried, making her sputter.

Her mouth dropped open and she cringed. “Dammit.”

“Eva and I are just friends!” he insisted. “She’s a hell of a mechanic and easy to talk to, but I couldn’t date her! It would be like dating myself, which would just be weird.”

---