Page 126 of The Alpha's Pen Pal

So there I sat, on my birthday, alone in my apartment. Maya hadn’t been back, so I hadn’t been able to ask her about any of the werewolf stuff or talk through my feelings about it all. About how the idea of Wesley being able to change into an animal-like creature didn’t even scare me. How I knew my initial fears of him doing something that would injure me were misguided. Or how the idea no longer scared me but made me feel safe.

I didn’t want to think about that. Or what that said about me as a person.

I didn’t even want to think about the fact that it was Tuesday, and I’d been calling him for two days with no response. But there was nothing to distract me, nothing to help me distance myself from it all.

So I sat. And sat. And waited and waited and waited. Only for there to be no return call, no message, nothing.

At first, I’d worried something had happened. Maya said she needed to go home for a family emergency. Her home was in Wesley’s hometown—his pack, I guess, since they were wolves. Kind of.

What if something had happened to him? Or one of his friends? But there was no contact, not even a text to tell me he couldn’t see me yet or anything.

Then, my anger at being lied to turned into anger over being ignored. Being used. He’d given me the most wonderful night, showing me all the ways he could please a woman, please me. He’d held me close and made me feel special, treasured, safe, andloved, and then, when I asked for some space because I needed to think things through, he’d abandoned me.

Just like everyone else always did.

I rolled onto my side and curled my legs up so I lay in a tiny ball, closing my eyes against the bright light of the afternoon. I wanted to fall asleep and stay there, but Jack and Shirley expected me for dinner. Well, they actually expected Wesley and me, but clearly, that wasn’t going to happen.

I forced myself off of the mattress and trudged to my closet. I grabbed the first things I could find and changed out of Wesley’s Stanford T-shirt I’d been wearing since Friday. Then I grabbed my purse and the keys to Maya’s car so I could head over.

I figured she wouldn’t mind if I used it again since she wasn’t even there. I wanted to drive myself because I didn’t want to call Shirley and ask her for a ride and have to explain why Wesley wasn’t driving me. At least this way, I could just say something came up with his job or his family. They didn’t need to know all the details about our relationship. Or lack of. Or whatever was going on between us.

I stood on their porch with my arms crossed to block against the chill in the air since I’d forgotten a jacket, waiting for the door to open and wishing I was anywhere but there. I just wanted to go back to my apartment and hide under my heavy down comforter until rehearsals started again.

The lock clicked and the door opened, and I plastered a fake smile on my face like I had done so many times before in my life.

But that smile faltered when I saw who it was who opened the door.

“Kiddo?” Scott said, his green eyes widening by the second. “Havie, is that really you?”

I nodded, too afraid to open my mouth and say anything else, too afraid of losing control of my already tenuous hold on my emotions.

He reached out and pulled me into the house and into a bear hug, just like he used to when I was a kid. His hand came up and ruffled my hair, and he laughed. “What in the world are you doing here? How did this happen?!”

“It’s kind of a long story.” I chuckled.

“Well, start talking!” he said, leaning back to look at me again, holding me by my shoulders. “I can’t… I seriously can’t believe you’re here!” I spied Shirley and Jack standing behind him, smug smiles on their faces, Jack leaning against his cane with his arm around Shirley’s waist.

I started telling Scott about everything that had happened since I came to California. I told him about seeing Wesley and about Sebastian bringing me to Jack and Shirley. I told him about being in the ballet company, and he smiled just as proudly as Jack had done when he found out.

I told him everything. Well, almost everything. I didn’t mention my dates with Wesley or our trip to the beach or how I’d fallen head over heels for the man who used to be my pen pal.

While I spoke, we made our way to the dining room table, and Scott gasped. “Oh! It’s your birthday!” I nodded, and he laughed. “Well, happy birthday, kiddo!”

“No Tiff?” I asked Shirley as she walked into the kitchen to grab the steaks resting on the counter.

She set them in the center of the table and said, “No. The doctor put her on bed rest. Everything is fine with the baby,” she said before I could even ask. “She said she would call you tonight.” I smiled and nodded.

“Is Wesley on his way?” Shirley asked as Scott brought the salad and potatoes into the dining room.

Scott frowned. “Why would Wesley…” He glanced at me and then his parents. “Oh. OH!” His lip twitched, but I just ignored his teasing.

“Um, no. I don’t—I don’t think he’s coming,” I replied as I began to dish up my dinner.

“Did something come up at work?” Jack asked as he did the same.

“Yes,” I lied, looking down at my food.

I pushed my food around the plate with my fork as Scott asked Shirley something. I didn’t even hear what they talked about as I ate my dinner slowly, taking small bites.

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