Page 6 of Rejected Pretend Mate

"And I think you're forgetting about what happened with Riley," he snapped at her.

April's mouth snapped shut. We all knew what happened to Riley and how she could have died in the fire. Cayden's overprotective was warranted.

"Ivan isn't that stupid. He's just dumb. Give him a little more time, and this will blow over."

"He sure sounds like an idiot," Cayden growled. "And I'm not comfortable with you being alone. Do you need to move back in with us?"

"I would rather marry some hobo than move back in with you guys."

"What if I married her?" I asked, the words popping out before I could even think about what I'd just said.

Cayden stared at me, and I threw my hands up. "Fake. It would be a fake marriage. I mean, I'm better than a hobo."

"Why would we do that?" April asked, her arms crossed. "What would you get out of it?"

"Because you would legally be this pack's problem then," I quickly added. "And extra protection. You wouldn't be alone at night, and while this all gets sorted out, you are safe. Ivan might be sticking around because he thinks you might be able to be swayed, but if you're taken, word will travel, and he might stop." I knew it sounded crazy, but it wasn't stupid. It was actually pretty smart.

Chapter 3 - April

I can't help but stare at Weslie. He had changed so much since our relationship when we were younger. His hair was longer, and he had a bit of a beard growing in. His hair was still ginger, and his brown eyes still held that softness to them. I used to stare into those eyes, feeling so safe.

Weslie stood in jeans and a short-sleeved firefighter shirt. His muscles bulged, and I could see a full arm tattoo on his left side. It was of a wolf howling at the moon. I was a little surprised by it, not thinking that he was the type to get a tattoo, but then again, I didn't think he was the type to just leave me without warning.

I hated how much I missed him suddenly. I hated how my heart skipped a beat and felt gooey inside. I was suddenly sixteen again, sneaking around to be with him.

I knew better than to think about those days. Because as nice as they were, he still left. He just disappeared one night and never returned. No call. No message. And I had to act like it didn't bother me because what we had wasn't real. If it had been, he would have told me he was leaving.

I just remember laying in bed staring at my ceiling, going over everything, questioning everything we had done together. I remembered all the times I cried on his shoulder, telling him how much I missed Cayden and how I was so lonely and afraid. I told him secrets, and without warning, he just disappeared, and I never heard from him again.

I wasn't going to lie and say I wasn't shocked to see him here. Why did Cayden never mention that he was working with Weslie at the fire station?

I quickly shook my head. I needed to focus. I couldn't be thinking about the past like this.

"That's not happening," I said, crossing my arms. "Not only that, but no one would believe it. I'm new to the town. I've only been here a month."

"You don't know that," Cayden said. "I've seen people get married a lot sooner than a month."

I looked at my brother, a little surprised at how quickly he agreed to the idea. Was he seriously thinking this was a good idea? "You want me to marry your best friend?"

"It's fake," Cayden said, crossing his arms. "Once this all blows over, you guys can go your separate ways."

I wanted to ask if he knew about Weslie and me in the past. How would he feel if he knew that Weslie and I had dated before and that I had fallen in love with him? Would he be willing to fake-marry me off?

I looked at Weslie, and seeing the straight face told me he hadn't. He didn't tell him about what we did, and he might never.

I didn't know what hurt worse. The fact that he left or the fact that he left and Cayden found him but never told me. He never mentioned that he was living in the same pack as Weslie and that they were perfectly happy avoiding the pack and doing whatever they wanted.

I was left alone, picking up the pieces of my broken heart. I cried myself to sleep because I had imagined a whole future with Weslie. I had envisioned a beautiful wedding, a few children, and a beautiful job. I had thought that Weslie wanted the same things I did, but I'd been wrong.

I rebelled even harder after Weslie left. I pierced my ears and got a few tattoos. I started smoking, quit smoking, and started up again and quit once more. I argued with my folks, but suddenly, everything was piling up so high, and I couldn't take it.

Then I met Ivan, and the pain was gone. Ivan….who was giving me whatever I wanted. If I wanted cigarettes, he bought them. If I wanted booze, he got it. If I wanted sex….well…he was more than happy. He looked so perfect to everyone, but I knew what lay underneath his smiles and his gentle eyes. But he was an escape, a freedom from everything else.

"I'm done with this conversation," I said, pulling myself up. I walked towards the kitchen. "I'm not doing a fake marriage because it's not needed. Ivan isn't a problem. He isn't like Riley's ex."

"You don't know that," Cayden growled, following after me. "And you can't just avoid the issue. He will likely come back, and you don't know how far he will go."

"You mean like you avoided the pack issues and just left?" I snapped at him. I thought I'd moved past that anger, but maybe I hadn't. Perhaps I was still mad he left me behind. Maybe I still hadn't forgiven him. Or perhaps I just wanted to throw it in his face and get him to stop.

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