Page 14 of Forced Plus-Size Mate

“What’s going on, Amanda?” Lucy asks.

“Nothing.”

“Don’t lie to me. You looked at Body like your worst nightmare had come charging out of the woods to tear you apart.”

You’re not wrong.

“I… I have a past with him,” I stammer.

“I guessed that much. Come on, Amanda, how bad could it be?”

Tears start to flow down my cheeks again, and Lucy reaches out to pat my shoulder. I cover my face with my hands, shaking my head.

“He dumped me, okay?” I blurt out. “At the end of high school. We were together—I thought we were together—and wewere going to start our lives as a couple when we graduated. But he dumped me, right in front of everyone.”

“Amanda,” Lucy whispers, “is this why you left?”

I nod helplessly.

“You took the coven out into the wilderness to get away from your ex?” Lucy gasps.

“Hey,” I straighten up, looking at Lucy as I wipe the tears off my cheeks. “I didn’t force anyone to do anything, okay? I told them I was going, and they chose to join me. Just like you chose to stay, remember?”

“Yeah, I remember,” she sighs. “I just… I didn’t think you’d do something like this. You’ve always been so strong.”

“Not when it comes to Body,” I say, chuckling in spite of myself.

“Well, let’s go inside. We’ll have word back from Bae soon enough.”

I follow Lucy into the house, then head into the spare room. I can’t go to bed, I’m too wired. I end up sitting in a corner with my arms wrapped around a pillow, trying to keep my mind blank. When the first light of dawn creeps into the room, Lucy knocks softly and comes in.

“Hey,” she says. “Bae called. He said we’re meeting at Shelley’s, and Jen and Carson can come to perform the ceremony.”

My heart twists in my chest, then seems to stop completely. Cold floods my bones, and I can’t breathe.

“Amanda.” Lucy hurries over to me and gives me a quick hug. “Are you going to do this? Decide, right now. Gina’s on herway with a couple of dresses for you, and the pack is gathering at Shelley’s. You have to choose now.”

I stand up slowly, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand. “I’m going for a shower. Let me know when Gina gets here.”

“Is that a yes?”

“Yes,” I say through gritted teeth.

The warm shower relaxes me and washes away my tears. By the time I get out, I almost feel good.

I know nothing will make him love me, but maybe after we’re married, we can talk. I want to understand why he let me down like that, after what we shared. He owes me that much.

A sudden bang on the door sends panic flooding through me again.

“Hi, Amanda, it’s Gina!” my friend’s voice calls. “Let me in.”

When I open the door, I’m smiling with genuine warmth. Gina throws herself into my arms and gives me a big squeeze. We were good friends in high school, and her mom often took care of me.

“It’s good to see you,” I tell her, really meaning it.

It won’t be so bad, taking on the whole pack as family. It’s not like I ever had one of my own, anyway.

My dad abandoned my mom not long after I was born. She took off before school ended, saying I was old enough to take care of myself. I had never really been close to her. In fact, I’d practically raised myself.

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