Page 95 of Secret Shifters Next Door

As I spoke Tate’s face first went blank, then a frown creased his brow. He knew I was telling the truth. That filled me with a terrible fear. I’d seen what the curse did to him. I wasn’t sure I could handle it as well as he had.

Miles rubbed at his temple. “Okay, let’s say this is happening. Who’s the woman? Who is your bear pushing you toward?”

I took two steps over and slumped into one of the office chairs. I had to tell them. They were my friends. They’d understand. The problem was, I’d done a shitty thing to April in the past. I’d never told anyone about it, and the thought of voicing all of it made me want to throw up.

“This all started back in high school. I met a girl, April Knight. I loved her, like, more than life. My bear was also fond of her back then. She’s the only woman it ever had any trueconnection to. But she was human, and that was a problem. As you all know.”

They all nodded. It was almost unheard of for humans to know our secret. Tate had only told Harley because of the curse. Keeping humans in the dark was the only way for our kind to stay safe. Humanity would have a full-on freak-out if they knew magical shapeshifters lived next door to them.

“Anyway,” I continued, “part of me knew I had to break things off, knew it wouldn’t, couldn’t, last. I… well, I sort of led her on. We used to hang out and make all these plans. Go to the same college together, get married. Toward the end of my senior year, I realized I had to end things. I told her I’d gotten a scholarship to Colorado State for baseball. She was going to enroll the year after since she was only a junior.” I looked at my friends and shame filled me, but I forced myself to go on. “I never told her that I actually accepted the scholarship to North Carolina State.”

“Bro, not cool,” Blayne said, shaking his head.

“Fuck, man, I know, okay? I’m a piece of shit, but let me finish. The last month or so I started cutting things off. I wouldn’t respond to her texts or emails; when she called, I was distant and got off the phone as soon as I could. I didn’t hang out with her. Finally, word got around to her that I was moving across the country, and she cornered me in the school parking lot a day or two before graduation. Asked me what was going on, and I told her I didn’t want to be with her. That we were done. I’d never seen someone look so devastated. All I wanted was to comfort her, but I willed myself to turn, walk to my truck and drive away. That was the last time I saw her, until today.”

I leaned back in the chair and laughed. This entire thing was ironic. I’d pushed April away to keep her safe. Now, because of the curse, I was being pushed toward her. I needed to revealeverything anyway now. Hurting her seemed like the dumbest decision of my life.

“What are you going to do now?” Tate asked.

Shrugging, I shook my head. “I have no clue. She may still despise the shit out of me. I might not even get the chance to talk to her.”

We talked a bit more, but most of it was them trying to make me feel better. Tate told me that things would all work out. I wasn’t so sure about that. When he and Harley got pushed together, there hadn’t been all this old baggage and heartbreak. Was I going to die screaming like Emily said we would? I’d never been so depressed in my life.

When I turned into my driveway, movement caught my eye next door. A big box truck was parked outside. The last renters, a nice young couple I’d liked, had left for Wisconsin a month before. Looked like I was getting new neighbors. A short stocky man in a suit was barking orders to the crew as I got out.

As I pulled my baseball gear out of the trunk, the guy’s voice became clearer, and he was being a royal dick the movers. I closed the trunk and leaned against it to watch him.

He had a Bluetooth earpiece in his ear, like he was still living in the year 2004. He held an iPad in the hand that wasn’t gesturing to the team of movers. A glance at the furniture the guys were bringing in made me a little uneasy. Very feminine and modern décor. Nothing looked like it could belong to a guy. A single woman, maybe? That didn’t bode well. Not well at all. My instincts were on high alert, impossible thoughts bouncing through my head. When my phone rang, I almost jumped.

I dug the cell out of my pocket without taking my eyes off the scene next door. “Hello?”

“Steff? It’s Tate. Wanted to give you a heads-up, we just got a contract for a security system install. It’s weird, though. It’s the top-of-the-line system you and Blayne designed. It’s scheduledto be installed at the house next door to you. The only people we’ve ever installed that for are celebrities and stuff. Who the hell are your new neighbors?”

The anxiety in my chest worsened. “Tate, what’s the name on the order?”

“Says here, Lionel Mosby, but that’s probably an alias. You know most of the people we work with use fake names for stuff like this. Keeps stalkers and paparazzi off their trail.”

I leaned against my truck and tilted my eyes to the sky. “Well, old buddy, I think I know exactly who’s moving in.” I sighed and muttered to myself, “Just my freaking luck.”

THREE

APRIL

Larry called me on Friday to let me know the security system had been installed and all the furniture had been moved in. I nearly squealed at having a place all to myself again.

“Gotta tell you, Fiona—shit, sorry, April—I gotta say, that place is kind of a dump. You deserve better than that. You sure I can’t find you a bigger house or something? At least a place with a pool or hot tub?”

“Larry, seriously, I love it. It’s perfect. Please don’t worry about me.”

He sighed. “All right, I’ll back off. Listen, the new ad you shot for Audi starts tomorrow. I wasn’t able to get them to hold it any longer. Your face is gonna end up in more magazines for a little while, but everything else has been taken care of. As far as anyone is concerned, Fiona Steele’s career is on official hiatus.”

“Thanks, Larry. I’ll call if I need anything.”

“You’d better, sweetie. Take care.”

The guy really was a dick most of the time, but he did have a heart in there. It was encased in a thick layer of show-business mentality, but he’d always tried to help me. Even when I was at my lowest, he’d attempted to get me help, but I’d ignoredhim. And I wished he was a little less aggressive with his way of dealing with people.

Moving into my own place excited me. Staying with Kellan and Aiden was great, and I’d grown closer to them and Kris in the last couple weeks than I would have ever thought possible. Staying with them would be nice, but I didn’t want to wear out my welcome.

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