Page 57 of Destined Mate

Even though no one else in my family was treated with as much malice as I was, they were still stained because I lived in their household.

“Which I’m thankful for.” Dad patted my shoulder awkwardly. “We gotta get back to work, but if you need anything, just yell. And if you’re feeling better, we’d appreciate it if you could get caught up on the laundry and cleaning the kitchen.”

I glanced into the kitchen and bit the inside of my cheek harder. No one had picked up my slack while I’d been gone. I forced out, “Sure.”

“Thanks, honey,” Mom said, and they headed into their room.

The copper taste of blood filled my mouth. Shit, I’d bitten too hard again. I rubbed my tongue gently across the thrashed skin just as Theo came back in.

He headed to my room without asking. He had a habit of making himself at home. Following him, I watched as he dropped my stuff in the middle of the cluttered room that Stevie had hijacked in my absence.

Gods, I loved that girl, but she was messier than everyone else in this house combined.

“I’m so glad you’re back.” Theo sighed and took my hands, pulling me into the room.

What I wouldn’t give to feel the same, and how I wished I liked it when he touched me. Despite my pleas to myself, neither sentiment was getting better.

“To celebrate, how about we go out to dinner tonight?” He beamed. “Just you and me.”

In other words, a date. We’d never eaten dinner out together before.

“Theo, I’m sorry, but I’m tired. Can we do it another night?”

Kissing me on the cheek, he leaned back. “Let me get out of here so you can get some rest, and I’ll come to check on you later.”

He wasn’t going away. Though we were friends, we didn’t hang out often, but he was obviously determined to change that. “Okay. Sounds good.” I couldn’t hurt or upset him. He would be the alpha by this weekend.

“I’ll be watching the time until then,” he murmured, his eyes flicking to my lips.

Not happening.

Instead, I hugged him and spun out of his hold, plopping onto my bed. “I may take a nap before doing anything.”

“Sounds like the perfect idea.” He winked and strolled out.

I held my breath, despite my lungs screaming, until I heard the front door open and shut and the sound of his truck pulling out of the driveway.

Once I was alone, I tried to rest, but every time I closed my eyes, Bodey’s face appeared. All I saw was the hurt expression in his gorgeous eyes when I walked out the door.

I lay back in my bed, trying to get comfortable, and stared at the ceiling, taking in each kernel of the popcorn texture. This bed didn’t feel comfortable…and it no longer felt like home.

The bitter truth hung heavy inside me, weighing me down. Until my stay at Bodey’s, I hadn’t realized this place had never felt like home.

My eyes burned as more tears filled them. I’d cried more during the last twelve hours than in the last twenty-two years combined. Not only did I want to be with Bodey, to touch and kiss him, but I missed the others as well. Jack’s inappropriate jokes and obnoxious laugh, Lucas’s amused chastising, Miles’s quiet attentiveness, and Samuel’s reliable friendship made me feel not quite as alone.

My phone dinged, and I glanced at the screen.

Bodey: Are you okay? Do you need me to come get you? I hate how we ended things.

I wanted to ignore him, but I feared he’d show up here and ruin whatever reprieve I had.

Me: I’ll be okay. You have meetings. And Bodey, there’s no ending something that never had a chance. Be safe, but I need distance from you to heal. Thank you for everything.

Not wanting to see if and how he responded, I climbed out of bed and left my cell phone behind as I went into the kitchen, needing to busy myself. Needing a way to keep from constantly thinking about him.

* * *

Bodey never responded.I wasn’t sure if I was hurt or relieved. Maybe a combination of the two. This was what I’d wanted, or that was what I kept telling myself.

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