Page 12 of Confusing Hearts

“Fine. When I'm near her it's like the rest of the world just fades away. It's only her. I recognized her the first day of classes. I realized later, it had been even sooner, but it had freaked me out so bad that I had gotten drunk and didn't remember till we went back to the same sorority a week later and I smelled her. But then it was like I'd see her and just, you know, know. And then I'd see her again and nothing. Today I met her face-to-face for the first time. She's so easy to talk with and just be with. I find myself just blurting stuff out to her that I don't tell anyone. Then at lunch today after spending three classes in a row getting to know each other, she acted like she barely recognized me, and my wolf tried to growl at her, and it's got me so freaking messed up, I don't know what to do, dude.”

“I dunno man—that recognize her one moment, but not the other—it doesn't sound like a true mate. Your wolf would never try to growl at your mate. Honestly, it sounds like you really like this girl and it's probably just wishful thinking.”

I didn't think that was the case. Regardless of how it seemed, I just couldn't accept that, but I conceded just the same. “Yeah, I guess you're right.”

We moved on to other topics and chatted for a bit before he put me on hold.

“Ok,” he said when he returned to the call. “Just spoke with Maddie and I'm going to drive on up and hang out this weekend. Is that cool? I haven't been up to the ARC in too long anyway, and you just sound like you need some brother time. Your roommate is abroad for the semester, right?”

“Yeah, come on. It would be great to see you.”

As we hung up, with plans for the weekend, my heart felt a little lighter. No matter what crazy curveball life threw my way, I always knew my family had my back.

Jenna

Chapter 6

I caught myself looking for Chase all day Tuesday. We didn’t have any classes together and I had been in a sour mood all day. I was shocked to realize how much I missed him. How could I miss someone I barely knew?

Tessa walked into my room without bothering to knock and flopped down on my bed. I was grateful she had insisted we not share a room, and even more so that there was one available that I didn’t have to share with anyone else either. Since panthers liked their solidarity, the house was chosen because of its extra rooms and with a lower number of girls living there, almost all of us were granted some space.

“Hey Tess, what’s up?” I asked, trying to sound cheerful.

“Tell me about your dog friend. He’s pretty cute, but well, he’s a dog, Jenna. You know better.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Chase Westin. He stopped me yesterday and gave me his card in case I had any issues with our graphic design homework. Since when are we taking graphic design?”

“Sorry, a couple classes I was interested in came open and I grabbed them. It was a selfish whim, Tess. I wasn’t thinking.”

She shrugged. “It’s okay, the same thing happened to me and I already called Daddy and told him. He was fine with it.”

She held out the card, but snatched it away as I went to grab it.

“Tessa,” I scolded in frustration.

“First, tell me about Chase. He’s very cute, and flirty. Those dimples are to die for.” I bit back a hiss as she continued, watching me closely. I knew she was testing to see my reaction. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction. “He called me by my real name though, which seemed weird, like he really thought I was in his class. Threw me off guard.”

“He did?” I asked sadly, but she didn’t seem to notice. Did Chase think I was Tessa then? I wracked my brain to try and remember him ever using my name. I couldn’t. Had I told him I was a twin? I didn’t think it had come up and I was so used to people knowing, that it hadn’t really dawned on me.

Tessa seemed distracted by something on her phone, so I snatched his card away. Was Chase just being nice to me to get to Tessa? It had happened before, but it didn’t explain the feelings he invoked in me. I had been so certain he was my one true mate.

“Wait,” I said, remembering something Tessa had said. “Did you say Chase Westin was a dog? Like the D.O.G. fraternity or an actual canine?”

Tessa laughed. “Both, actually. You didn’t know?”

The look on my face must have given her the answer because she doubled over laughing.

“Sweetie, Chase Westin. Westin, as in the Westin Pack. He’s a wolf, a highly sought after man-whore of a wolf, if rumors are even partially true.”

“A wolf?” I wasn’t sure anything she could have said would have shocked me more. “But he hangs out with Matt Williams, so I just assumed he was a jag.”

“Nope.”

I groaned. “Anita told me she met a wolf and then she introduced us in calculus yesterday. I just didn’t put two and two together. A wolf?”

Tessa got up, still laughing. “At least I don’t have to worry about you getting any crazy ideas now.”

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