Page 22 of Love, A Curvy Girl's Guide

What have I done?

Haley stared at the ceiling, her breathing shallow and uneven. Her chest ached from holding back sobs, but the tears continued to flow, hot and relentless. The muffled voices below had quieted, but their words echoed in her mind, each one a blade cutting deeper into her guilt.

This is my fault.

Her stomach churned at the memory of Ian’s bite, the heat of his breath against her neck, and the wild look in his eyes. She pressed a hand to the tender spot on her skin, her heart hammering as the bond pulsed faintly, like a live wire just beneath the surface.

I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t ask for any of it.

But that didn’t change the fact that it was her presence, her connection to Ian, that had triggered this chaos. Now theJohnson brothers would be asked one by one to abandon their lives, their careers, everything they’d worked for—all because of her.

The door creaked open, and Haley tensed, quickly wiping at her cheeks as Bridget stepped inside.

“I brought you some tea, sugar,” Bridget said softly, carrying a steaming mug to the nightstand. She sat on the edge of the bed, her warm eyes scanning Haley’s face. “You’ve been crying.”

Haley swallowed hard, forcing a small, shaky laugh. “I guess I’m not as sneaky as I thought.”

Bridget smiled gently. “No one blames you for being upset. This is a lot for anyone to handle.”

Haley bit her lip, the tears threatening to spill over again. “They’re all fighting because of me. I heard them.”

Bridget’s smile faltered, replaced by a look of quiet understanding. She reached out, brushing a strand of hair from Haley’s face. “They’re not fightingbecauseof you, sweetheart. They’re fighting because change is hard. And this? This is a big change for all of us.”

“But if Ian hadn’t bitten me...” Haley’s voice broke, and she looked away, her cheeks flushing with shame.

Bridget cupped her face, gently guiding her gaze back. “Listen to me, Haley. None of this is your fault. Ian didn’t bite you out of malice. He’s just as lost in this as you are, maybe more. And my boys? They’ll grumble and fight, but they’ll come around. They always do.”

Haley wanted to believe her, but the knot of guilt in her chest refused to loosen. “I don’t even know what’s happening to me,” she whispered. “Or to him. I’m scared, Mrs. J.”

“I know, honey.” Bridget’s voice softened. “And it’s okay to be scared. But you’re not alone in this. None of us are.”

TWELVE

Fifteen minutes later, Haley had finished the tea and a snack and had begun to feel better. She was sitting up against the headboard with her feet tucked up beneath her, chatting with Bridget, when there was a light knock on the bedroom door.

Ian opened the door enough to stick his head in and ask, “Can I come in?”

“I was just leaving,” Bridget said, hopping up and gathering the tray with the dirty dishes. “How about you come inside and talk things out with Haley?”

To Haley’s surprise, Ian didn’t automatically push the door open and walk inside. He turned and looked at her questioningly as she nodded her assent. While she had been through a traumatic experience when he shifted, she was cognizant enough to recognize that he too must be shaken up. Shit, it had happened to him—not her.

Ian opened the door for his mom to pass, and Haley watched as he glanced down with affection at her. Bridget reached up and patted his cheek, whispering softly, “It will be okay. Just talk to her.”

Haley couldn’t help but notice that Ian was fresh from the shower. The T-shirt he was wearing was still damp in spots where he hadn’t fully dried off, and it was a size smaller than he usually wore. It had to have been one of his brothers’, but Haley wasn’t sure which one.

“So,” Ian started, reaching up to rub the back of his neck and inadvertently lifting the bottom of his shirt to expose his tight abs.

“So,” Haley repeated, feeling somewhat guilty that despite everything that had been happening to him, she still had the hots for him. Instead of the usual attraction she always seemed to be fighting, the pull was stronger. She wrapped her arms around her knees and looked at him. Somebody needed to break the silence.

“My dad spoke with the local pack,” Ian said, not quite meeting her eyes. “I guess they are located about an hour from here. Dad said the Alpha wanted to meet us to go over things and provide some training.”

Haley nodded. “Okay, when do you leave?”

Ian winced and walked over to where she was sitting on the bed. He smelled amazing, fresh like the soap from the shower, but there was something more there. Haley found herself leaning toward him, and she snapped back into place.

“That’s the thing, Hales. They expect both of us to come.” At her surprised expression, Ian added, “Just for a little while until we figure out how to deal with this mess.”

“What about our jobs?” Haley asked in a small voice. She hadn’t wanted to admit to Ian that she’d overheard his brothers complaining about the same thing earlier. Somehow, that seemed cruel, and Ian clearly looked shaken.

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