Page 190 of As The Shifter World Turns

We weren’t mated, and I wasn’t Toby’s father, but we were in a relationship and I wished he’d mentioned it before I stumbled upon his search.

“Hope you’re not going far.” I took a sip of tea, trying to calm my jangling nerves.

“There’s not much available around here but I don’t want to move too far away because of Toby’s school.”

“Right.” I took another sip of tea.

“Sorry you had to find out like this but now you know, I want to ask you something.”

He was going to ask me to mate with him. Me, the human. I chewed my nails and gripped the mug of tea with one hand.

“Will you move in with me? With us?”

Not mating. Just sharing an apartment. My head was flooded with questions. Martin wanted me with him but not as his mate. While I wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment, I was offended that he thought I’d leave my home just to share a place to live, but not a commitment.

And the idea of leaving Sunshine Manor permanently and 2B had my heart racing at twice its normal speed.

“Ummm.” I gulped the last mouthful of tea.

“You know I want you to be my mate, but I figured you weren’t ready for that, so that’s why I suggested we share a home together first.”

I knew with absolute certainty that I loved this man and wanted to be with him for the rest of my life. But to live somewhere other than the manor was a step I wasn’t ready to take. It made no sense but that was my reality and agreeing to live with Martin and Toby would be a disaster. One day, yes, but not yet.

Taking Martin’s hands, I looked at him. He guessed my answer before I said a word and the light in his eyes faded. “It’s too soon. I’m sorry. I love you, but no. We’ve been happy until now so surely we can continue living separately, at least for a while.”

He pulled away from me and stood up. “You say you love me, Neil but you don’t want to share a home with me and my son. How am I supposed to interpret that?”

As a rejection. That was how he’d interpret my answer.

PART 3

81

A BIT OF A MIXUP

Neil

“Guess what, Neil?”

I tensed, assuming Toby’s dad wasn’t far behind. Our relationship had been strained since I’d refused to move in with Martin and Toby. I loved them both. Adored father and son, but 2B was my home and safe space. And moving in together was a big step. I’d come so far, dealing with my issues but leaving Sunshine Manor wasn’t going to happen. Not now and maybe not ever.

Martin couldn't quite grasp how us living in an apartment close to the manor was all that different from actually being in the building itself. It was hard to put into words but this was my universe. It used to be my entire world and I rarely ventured behind these four walls. While being in a big open space would never be my favorite place, I could go to dinner, coach soccer, have coffee with friends, and do what most people considered ‘normal’ activities.

“Bet you can’t,” Toby insisted.

“Probably not.” I peered over his shoulder looking for his dad. Maybe Martin had finally given in and told Toby he could have a dog.

“We’re moving to Archer’s place.”

My stomach roiled and I winced. While I’d said no to living with Martin, I didn’t want father and son to leave the manor. Archer had mentioned that Ron, his dad, was spending more time at the assisted living facility and when he did return to the basement apartment for a weekend, he had trouble getting around. They’d agreed that in future when he did visit, he’d stay in a small guest room on the first floor of the main house.

And while Archer and Micah didn’t need the money thanks to the sale ofMicah and Daire’s company, there was no point in leaving the apartment empty. But they only wanted to rent to someone they knew. It made sense for Martin and his son to live there so they’d have more space and Toby would have his own bedroom.

“Not so fast, son.” Martin strolled through the doorway and placed a hand on Toby’s shoulder. “It’s not a done deal.”

I studied Martin’s face for signs of anger or that he was pulling away from me emotionally. But he bore the same smile he always did when he caught sight of me, so I replied with a grin of my own.

“Archer has offered us the basement apartment and we’re going over there now.”

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