Page 5 of Rejected Pretend Mate

I shrugged. "Riley was coming back later. I would have told her. She would have told you."

Cayden's jaw clenched, and I could see he was fuming. He was even more protective of Riley since she got pregnant. Icould imagine the idea of Ivan going near Riley would send him spiraling.

I could tell Cayden wanted to speak with his sister alone, so I cleared my throat. "I'm going to go check the cameras and look around outside. I'll give you guys a second alone."

April looked at me. "Can you grab something out of my car? I bought a TV. Riley and I are supposed to do girls' night."

"You aren't doing girls night! Not here."

April glared at her brother. "You don't get to tell me what I can and can't do."

Cayden ran a hand over his face and glanced at me. I gave them a nod and headed for the elevator. I hadn't even stepped on before they started yelling.

"You should have called! You don't wait for my pregnant wife to come here to inform us that you are in danger! How irresponsible are you!?"

"Jesus Christ, Cayden! I told you I am fine."

I headed downstairs and scanned the lobby. I made sure that all the cameras were still on and hadn't been tampered with. Everything looked good, so I went outside and checked the parking lot.

I didn't think he would stick around, but you never knew. I didn't think he would follow April here.

After making sure things looked good, I headed upstairs with the TV. I found the hallway clear, and they were both inside April's apartment. I set the TV down, taking in the bare space. The living room just had a couch near the fireplace. The walk-in kitchen was like Cayden's apartment, but she had a barstool instead of three.

"Nice place," I said as I shut the door.

April looked at me from the couch with a blanket over her lap. I suddenly felt like I'd been punched.

I suddenly remembered the last time we were together. She had her hair braided down her back, looking at me with a seductive expression. We were hanging in my bedroom, which consisted of the entire attic, which meant I had a large living room space.

"I beat you," she purred. "What do I get?"

It was another secret date—one of many. We spent as much time together as we could.

I walked closer, reaching up and cupping her face. "If your brother knew that you were sitting in his spot and beating me in this game, he'd probably lose his shit."

Her eyes twinkled with excitement. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him. Besides, he isn't here."

Our entire relationship had started as a joke. Her brother pissed her off, so she asked me to lunch. She'd done it in front of him just to get him riled up. And it bloomed from there. We'd gone to the movies, where we made out in the back. We went on runs, racing to see who was faster. We played video games, and when my folks were gone, we cooked.

It was just fun at first, just enjoying each other's time. But it grew. And when Cayden left, it shifted. We suddenly leaned on each other because a part was missing from both of us. I had lost my best friend, and she had lost her brother.

She stood up, smiling proudly. "What do I get for winning?" She tilted her head, waiting to see what I would do.

I wanted April badly to the point where sometimes it was almost painful to be around her. I had fallen for her and wantedto spend as much time with her as I could. A little pain wasn't going to stop me.

But I knew where this would all lead. We could only keep this hidden for so long before the pack figured out what was going on. And once they did, they were going to sink their claws into it.

April was young and rebelling. We were both rebelling and enjoying each other's company, but April wouldn't want what came next. The pack was traditional, and April was not a traditional girl. She wasn't the type to get married and pop out babies like it was her life's mission. She talked about her dreams and wanting to travel with Riley and explore. That wasn't on the pack's agenda.

That was our last night together, and I sometimes regretted it. I never told her what happened and wondered what would have happened if I had chosen differently.

` "You're staring." April said, snapping me back to reality. "And it's rude."

"Sorry, it's just been a while since I've last seen you, is all. I don't mean to stare."

April looked away, and Cayden sighed. "She's moody, excuse her."

April glared at Cayden. "I'm moody because you're acting like I'm five. Nothing happened. I can protect myself."

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