Page 27 of That's the Way Rejection Goes

“God no! Holy shit!” I clutched my chest, my heart rate jumping through the roof. “That would have been a goddamn emergency trip to the hospital. I think would’ve spontaneously combusted on the spot.”

“Then what’s going on?”

“Well… I’ve been thinking about him a lot. Not because I want to,” I added. “But because he’s been cropping up at all the wrong times. Him and all those months I spent trying to get back on my feet before the hotel was a thing. Every time I want to be…” I took a deep breath. “Intimatewith someone, those old memories crop up and ruin it.”

“So, someone has come along that interests you?”

“I think so? Maybe? I… I don’t know,” I stammered. “Let’s call it a possibility.”

“What specifically is setting you off?”

“At first, I thought I was just being used, like I was a simple one-night stand. It reminded me of all those old guys and the way they used to paw at me. They’d tell me anything I wanted to hear to get me in bed and then disappear in the morning like I was nothing. So, I tried to resist getting involved with this new…person.”

I was purposefully avoiding the fact that there weretwomen after me. That was another conversation entirely. With Ace I wanted to keep things simple.

“Do you think he’s using you?”

“I did at first, but now I’m not sure. And it’s been so long since I’ve been with anyone… I guess I got cold feet.”

“That’s okay,” Ace replied. “If he’s a good guy, he’ll let you take things at your own pace. But you have to tell him too. It’s hard for people to know what you’re feeling if you don’t tell them.” He shook his head. “I had to learn that one the hard way.”

I couldn’t help a small grin. “I remember.”

“So, what does this have to do with your ex?”

My heart jumped again, images of him rushing through my brain. It took me a moment to push it back down, but Ace was more than happy to wait. When I finally had my thoughts back under control, I took a deep breath.

“Do you think it’s possible to have more than one mate in a lifetime?”

Ace didn’t flinch or even act surprised. “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’ve known plenty of wolves that have lost a mate or broken up when things didn’t go well. The mate bond is wonderful, but it doesn’t fix every problem. Some wolves forget a relationship needs work even if you’re meant for one another.” He took another sip of his coffee. “And many of those wolves have gone on to find a second mate. Sometimes it takes a while and sometimes it never happens. But it’s not impossible.”

“I thought my ex was my mate,” I said, my voice hollow and sad. “But when we had the chance to be together… well… he chose comfort. And the worst part is, I can’t blame him. But I really thought there would never be another wolf for me.” I took a long pause. “I… I think I was wrong.”

Ace finally turned, a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “You think you found your mate?”

I nodded. “Maybe… but I’m terrified.”

“Yeah. I get that. It’s scary as hell. I was terrified of Matt.”

“To be fair, Matt can be scary.”

Ace chuckled. “He sure is. And when I nearly screwed it all up to begin with, I was really scared then. Despite everything we went through, I’m glad we took the time to figure it out. And I’m glad I didn’t run away from it. I can’t imagine my life without him now.”

I sat there for a long moment, letting those words sink in. Even after everything Ace had gone through, the years of heartache and loneliness, he was still able to open up to Matt and let him in. And because he was willing to take that chance, he’d been rewarded with happiness that knew no bounds.

So maybe, if I just tried to let myself feel again and trusted my guy, I could have the same kind of happiness.

“Do you believe it’s possible to have more than one mate at once?”

Ace’s eyebrows shot up. “Maybe? If it’s possible to have more than one in a lifetime, maybe you can have two at the same time. Although I’ve only heard rumors of such a thing. I’ve never seen it with my own eyes.” He gave me a good once over. “Why do you ask?”

“Just curious.” I took a quick sip of my coffee and grabbed the donut bag, trying to break the tension and change the subject all at once. “You want one?”

Ace just sighed, repositioning his hat. He knewexactlywhat I was doing. “Sure.”

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