Page 9 of The Jorogumo

"I know I am."

I rolled my eyes at him, and he smacked my hand. "Don't you roll your eyes at me."

"How did you—"

"I have my ways." He winked at me, and I shook my head. I knew he wasn't completely blind—very few people were—butI also knew his sight wasn't good enough for him to catch me. He just had really, really good instincts.

My phone buzzed a few minutes after Diego had left, and I almost dropped it in my rush to unlock it.

Haruto: Hey, Liam. You didn't do anything. I'm just dealing with some...stuff. I'll tell you when I see you next week.

Next week could not come fast enough.

Four

Haruto

After I'd discovered Liamwas my mate, I hadn't reacted in the best possible way.

I'd managed to keep my cool until I got back to the Sanctuary. Since then, I'd been holed up in my house, only going out for meals and to do my required chores. My fellow supes were used to me being quiet, so no one bothered me, though I did have to make a quick exit the few times Dustin spotted me. Unlike the others, I knew he would demand to know what was wrong, and I wasn't ready to talk about this.

I wasn't just struggling with the fact that Liam was my mate. It was also the way I'd reacted to his desire.

I'd known for a long time that I wasn't interested in sex, that I felt uncomfortable at just the idea of being looked at as a sexual being.

Yet my reaction to Liam went against everything I'd ever believed about myself. Him being my mate couldn't possibly change me, could it? Why was he an exception to the rule?

Recalling the moment I'd realized he was my mate sent my powers surging through me, demanding to feed on the deliciously potent energy Liam's attraction to me had created.

It had to be the mate bond. It had given me a way to feed. That was, if I could get Liam to understand and respect my boundaries. And if I could manage to ask him out. I'd have to tell him all about supes as well.

The thought of doing all of that and being successful seemed daunting, and it was what had kept me from replying to Liam's texts. I'd needed time to get my thoughts in order, and then I'd simply chickened out.

But when I got his text asking if he'd done something wrong, I realized it hadn't been fair to ignore him. Even if he wasn't my mate, he was a damned good friend, and he didn't deserve to be treated like that.

I'd texted him saying I'd visit in a week, but after two days, I realized I couldn't stay away any longer, not now that I understood exactly why I'd been so drawn to him since our very first encounter.

Touya accompanied me once again, though he was heading right back home this time. I promised to text him when I was ready to head back, and he left as I made my way into the store.

Liam glanced up as I came in, and his eyes widened before a wide smile took over his face. Seeing how happy he was to see me, the last of my unease dissipated, and I smiled back.

"Hey, Liam."

"Haruto! I'm so glad to see you!"

"I'm sorry if I worried you," I said as he walked around the counter and stopped in front of me.

He shook his head, then pursed his lips as he watched me. After a moment, he asked, "Can I hug you?"

I blinked, surprised at the request, and nodded quickly. Grinning, he leaned down and wrapped his arms around my middle, giving me a tight squeeze before pulling back.

"I'm glad you're okay."

I smiled up at him, wondering how I was ever going to bring up what I wanted to ask him.

"What is it? You look like you want to say something."

The worried look on Liam's face pushed me forward, and I bit down on my lower lip as I gazed up at him. "Uh, I wanted to ask if maybe you'd want to grab a cup of coffee with me sometime?"

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