Page 108 of Secret Shifters Next Door

“I’ll think about it,” I lied.

Ryland waved down our server and asked to have the rest of our food and dessert boxed up so we could leave. I forced myself to keep my eyes off Steff as Ryland paid the bill and walked me out. Once we were in the parking lot, I took a deep breath and some of the tension in me released.

At my car, Ryland said, “I’m really sorry tonight didn’t go as planned. I suggested this place. If I’d taken you to a random burger joint, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“You couldn’t have known. The odds were a thousand to one that Steff would show up here with a date on the same night at the same time we did. Don’t be upset, please.”

He nodded and smiled sadly. He leaned forward to give me a kiss; like a gentleman, he placed it on my cheek and not my lips. It should have been a sweet, welcome gesture. Instead, my entire body revolted against the sensation of his lips on my skin. Disgust and revulsion swept through me, and it took a massive force of will for me not to gag and pull away. I clenched my teeth and locked the smile on my face, showing none of my discomfort to Ryland.

When he pulled away, I felt physically ill. What the hell had that been? His cologne smelled amazing, his breath was fine, sowhat could cause that? The food? Had I gotten food poisoning? If that was the case, why did the urge to vomit dissipate as soon as he pulled away?

I climbed into my car, still grinning my fake smile. “Good night. See you soon.”

He waved to me as I drove away. The further I got from Ryland, the better I felt, which was weird. What the hell had gotten into me? It had to have been something I ate. Had to be. I headed straight home, suddenly tired beyond belief.

My pajamas had been on for less than ten minutes when the doorbell rang. I’d been sitting in bed reading a book, and the idea of getting up and going to the door gave me the same dread as if someone had said I needed to run a marathon. After the bell rang a second time, I groaned and reluctantly got out of bed. I had a sneaking suspicion as to who was ringing my bell, and that didn’t help my mood.

Sure enough, when I checked the camera feed, Steff stood there, arms crossed, looking anxious. For the love of God. I tilted my head back and looked at the ceiling. Why couldn’t life be simple? I was weighing the thought of ignoring him when he rang the doorbell for the third time.

“Jesus,” I hissed, unlocking the door.

Before I could get a word in, Steff started in on me. “We really need to talk.”

“Like I said at the restaurant, we have nothing to talk about. Why are you here? I was getting ready for bed.”

“You don’t understand, but you’re playing a dangerous game,” he said, ignoring me.

“What the hell are you talking about? What? Ignoring you? Is the big bad baseball player gonna get pissed? Please don’t give me the wholeyou wouldn’t like me when I’m angryspiel.”

He winced and shook his head. “It’s not that, no. It’s the guy you were with. He’s dangerous, April. You should stay away from him. You have no idea what he’s capable of.”

“What could he possibly be capable of other than knowing the square root of sixty-four? He’s a fucking math teacher, Steff, not Jack the Ripper. He doesn’t look like he’d hurt a fly.” I crossed my arms and tilted my head. “Or is this some jealousy thing? You don’t want me, but no one else is allowed to be with me? Because that is some really fucked-up shit.”

He put his palms to his eyes and hissed out a frustrated breath before looking at me again. “This isn’t working. I’m not explaining things right. If you want to date, that’s fine. I totally understand. We haven’t been together for fifteen years, and you are free to do as you like. Just not with that guy, I’m begging you.”

I was secretly upset that it wasn’t jealousy. It would have been nice to know he felt at least a little of what I had when he was with that other girl. From the look on his face, he really didn’t care that I’d been on a date. My anger reared its ugly head again.

“Begging? Begging me? You know, Steff, I seem to remember that begging was a really big part of our relationship before. I remember a heartbroken seventeen-year-old girlbeggingthe boy she loved to tell her why he didn’t love her back anymore.” Steff’s face went pale, and his eyes widened. “She begged and begged, sobbing her goddamn guts out. And what did that boy do? What did he do, Steff?”

“I… this isn’t?—”

“Isn’t what? Whatever it is, I can handle it!” My voice was rising in anger with each word I spoke.

Steff’s body seemed to almost be shrinking and withering in the storm of my words. I took a little pleasure from that. Atleast there was some kind of emotion. If I could get nothing else, maybe I could get fear.

Steff mumbled, “Trust me, April. If you don’t trust another word out of my mouth, trust me about this guy.”

My eyes flared, and I poked him in the chest. “I could never trust you again. Ever.”

He took a stumbling step backward and grasped his chest. Not where I’d poked him, but right above his heart. He looked like he was in pain, agonizing pain. My anger swept away in an instant, replaced with concern.

“Hey, are you okay?”

“Ugh.” He grimaced. “Uh… I’m fine.”

I pulled my head back in surprise. His voice sounded weird. Super deep, almost like a growl. The look of pain was still there, but he was trying to recover. Instead of standing upright, he started to tremble all over, like some combination of shivering and a mild seizure. I stepped forward and gently touched his arm. No matter how angry he’d made me, I wasn’t a heartless bitch. When someone was in trouble and needed help, I would do whatever I could for them.

“Steff, are you sure? You look like you need a hospital. Why don’t you sit down? I’ll call 911.”

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