Page 47 of Frayed Owner

I reached over and tucked some hair that had fallen out of her braid behind her ear. “You are extraordinary and unique, Bevin Millen. I never want you to be ordinary. That’s for the rest of us. You are who you should be, and I’m sorry I ever made you doubt that I didn’t support that. That I ever wanted you to be normal or ordinary. I don’t.”

“You sound like there was more you wanted to say,” she hedged.

“All I want you to be is happy, but that sounded like a line,” I admitted.

“No, it sounds nice. I want to be happy more often too,” she admitted sadly. “It’s hard. Really hard.”

And then she started mumbling to herself not to cry, that she could cry tomorrow.

Seriously, what had Bevin been struggling with that I didn’t know about?

12

Kelton hugged me and kissed my hair, whispering that everything was going to be okay. It made me realize that I was actually saying what I was thinking not just… Idiot.

I cleared my throat and pushed him away. “Sorry.”

“No, I am. We’re not there.”

“No, that—I’m not upset about that. It just makes it harder for me to not cry when someone is supportive.” I realized how weird that sounded, but I didn’t feel solid with him. “I’ll explain later.”

“Whatever you need,” he accepted but sounded hurt. “Do you believe me?”

“Yeah, of course.” Why wouldn’t I?

“No, I mean that I don’t want you to be ordinary,” he clarified.

That wasn’t as easy of an answer. I ate two more breakfast burritos and had one of my juices before slowly nodding. “Yeah, I could see that getting—wires getting crossed or whatever with all the crazy. I’m not sure how that changes anything.”

“It does for me,” he hedged, waiting until I looked at him.

But I didn’t want to. Looking at him was hard.

Because he was fucking hot. Apparently, I was a shallow, basic bitch and I caved for hot guys who were good at making out and were supportive. Even if I thought ending things might be the best thing for both of us… I was a shallow, basic bitch.

Gods help me.

I caved and looked at the super-hot and popular junior who was practically begging me to be with him. His dark blue eyes were full of worry but also hope and something else I didn’t understand. His shaggy chocolate brown hair hung in his eyes because of the way we were sitting and I just wanted to run my fingers through it, hold onto it while we…

Apparently, I was also horny.

Lovely.

“Okay, let’s go see Spike. That’s step two in clearing up some things and getting on the same page.”

I think I agreed so my mind would stay out of the gutter. I couldn’t be dirty when I was hearing the innocence of familiars or animals.

Well, mostly. Every so often Teddy was just like Winter and asked if we’d “mated” yet and I knew he didn’t mean as in being married.

No, he meant sex. The familiar wanted to know if we’d shagged.

Men.

Even animal men sometimes, seriously.

Spike was happy to see us, but I felt his worry.

“You told Bevin that I blamed her,” Kelton said to Spike, the familiar immediately going tense. “I’m not mad, buddy. I get it. You were just—it’s fine.” He ran his hand over the moose to make that clear. “But now it’s time to tell her the full story, okay?”

---