Page 48 of Destined Mate

The very sentiment I tried to steer clear of.

Get yourself together, Callie.He’d made his choice, and I had to let him go.

I turned the lock, more for myself than him, and leaned my head against the door. The cool wood grounded me, and I wrapped my arms around myself. The tears I’d been holding back finally fell.

I took several deep breaths, but my head spun as if I couldn’t get enough oxygen. Soon, I’d lose complete control.

Using the wall to steady myself, I spun and snatched my phone from the end table. I stumbled into bed as I struggled through bleary eyes to pull up Theo’s name.

Me: Can you come get me in the morning? I’m ready to return.

My finger hovered over send, which made my blood boil. This was to protect me, yet I wanted to be a glutton for punishment. In the end, I would head back to Zeke’s pack with my tail between my legs…metaphorically speaking, since I damn well couldn’t shift.

I pressed send, and a sour taste filled every crevice of my mouth.This is for the best. I have to leave,I kept repeating as the tears fell faster.

My phone pinged.

Theo: Of course. I’ll be there at eight. I’m ready for you to be home.

Perfect. Bodey and the others would be gone before he arrived, which would make this whole thing easier.

Me: Sounds good. SYT.

A sob racked my body, and I dropped the phone next to me. I hugged myself, wishing it were someone else’s arms around me, which only ripped my heart further. Somehow…someway…I cried myself to sleep.

* * *

I staredat the white ceiling, counting down the seconds until everyone woke up. The red lights of the alarm clock beside me had been slowly counting down every minute since four this morning.

Unable to lie still any longer, I got up and packed my things, my eyes dry and hot. At least no more tears were coming. I was all cried out, despite the torture my heart was enduring.

After gathering my limited things, I changed into jeans and a fuchsia sweater and paced around the room, afraid to go outside on either deck.

Luckily, my ribs were significantly better, and I experienced only a twinge of pain whenever I moved suddenly. Tomorrow, I would’ve gone home, anyway.

At seven, the front door opened, and I heard Janet and Michael murmuring as they entered the house. For whatever reason, Janet still came here to cook breakfast for us, which hadn’t been the norm until I’d arrived.

I left the room quietly and headed downstairs to help. I needed to keep myself busy.

When I strolled into the kitchen, Michael was at the Keurig, brewing a cup of coffee, while Janet pulled out eggs, sausage, and biscuits from the refrigerator. She snatched some bowls from the cabinet and smiled. “I didn’t expect you to be up yet.”

“I was hoping to help.” The other advisers and their parents would be here within the next ten minutes, and they’d all eat breakfast before rushing to their meeting in the city.

“Fine.” She pointed at me. “But only because you’re pretty much healed. Why don’t you cook the sausage?”

Michael took a sip of his coffee. “I’ll set the table.”

She placed the sausage on a cutting board and moved so I could take her place. As I cut the meat into patties, she pulled out a frying pan for me. Moving to the spot beside me, she cracked eggs into a bowl. “We heard Bodey playing last night. It’s so nice to hear him play again.” She glanced at me.

I froze for a second before regaining my composure and placing the meat in the frying pan. I tried to steady my hands. “Yeah, he’s amazing.”

“Then why have you been crying?” Janet asked, catching me off guard. “It seemed like a good night.”

My face burned at the clear insinuation. No matter how many times I’d gone to the bathroom and put a warm washcloth over my eyes, they were still red and swollen. Of course she’d noticed.

Michael cleared his throat as he grabbed the plates and hurried into the dining room.

“It’s complicated.” I bit my bottom lip and turned the sausage over with a spatula.

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