Page 26 of A Wolf's Wound
“Hell yeah!We both can,” she says and then looks at me more closely.“Wait.Hannah.I know that look in your eyes.”
“What look?”I ask, blushing yet again.
“The look that saysI want to see this man naked.”She laughs.“You like him!”
“Do not!”
“Hannah, please.I saw that kiss today.I’m not blind or an idiot.There was so much heat I’m surprised the lobby wasn’t in flames,” she jokes with me, and I sigh.
“I know,” I admit.“You’re right, okay?”
“Knew it!”she squeals happily.“You guys look good together, for whatever it’s worth.”
“Thanks, I think.”I sigh.Again.Ugh.
“Wait, why are you so down?You’ve got scorching chemistry with a scorching guy.You should be dancing on the table in happiness!Or, you know, fucking his brains out,” she adds casually.
I didn’t know I could blush any deeper than I already have, but I can feel my face turning red.“We are so not going to dothat.”
“Sure, whatever.”April stands and begins emptying her suitcase.“Why not just admit you like him and see what happens?”
“Honestly?”
“No, lie to me again.”April rolls her eyes.
“Okay, fine.The truth is, I feel this, like,pulltoward him.Like it’s not even a conscious thought but something deep within me going: This isthe guy.”
“That’s called lust, honey.”
“No, it’s not just that.It’s more a sense that I couldn’t just ‘see what happens’ with Ryder.My feelings are too intense for that.It’s like a part of me has decided that he’s it, The One,” I say, imbuing those last two words with enough meaning that she can hear the capital T and O.
“Oh, wow,” April says, sinking back down to the bed.“That’s major, Hannah.”
“I know!Hence the freaking out.”
“I get it,” she says softly.“I’d probably freak out too if I thought I’d met the guy I was going to spend the rest of my life with.”
“I know.It’s a real mind-fuck.”I grin ruefully.“Plus, this is all crazy.Right?”I ask hopefully.“I hardly know the guy.We’ve talked, what, a handful of times?Kissed once?That’s nothing.It makes no sense that I’d feel so strongly about him.”
“I mean, that was a pretty hot kiss,” April interjects.
“Not helping!”
“Sorry, just being honest.”She pets Shadow’s head and stands again.“I’m starving.Want me to pick up some takeout?Dinner’s on me for being such a bee-yatch earlier.”
“You weren’t, and you don’t have to buy me dinner,” I protest, but she shakes her head.
“Just promise me I won’t have to wear an ugly bridesmaid’s dress when you and Ryder get hitched!”April calls as she leaves the apartment.
I grin and then sigh.I’m glad April isn’t mad at me anymore, and it felt good to talk to her about my confusion.But I wish I felt less confused, and not just as lost as before.
Why do I feel this way?Does my subconscious know something I don’t?I’ve taken enough science and healing classes to know the mind works in strange ways, but this feels epically weird.
This entire situation has been insanely odd, though, starting with how Ryder knew I was in trouble.Now that I know he realized I needed him in the middle of his date with April, I’m even more shaken up.Before I’d just assumed that maybe he happened to be walking by our building when the councilman came in and sensed something was wrong.But no, he wasblocksaway.
And speaking of the councilman, what was up with him?And where is he now?I’ve been so relieved he hasn’t come back that it hasn’t even occurred to me to wonder why he was here in the first place.I wonder if maybe I should try to find him—ideally in a public, well-lit place with April next to me—and ask what he meant.
Ryder might know what happened.I could start by asking him.At that thought, I can’t help but grin.An excuse to see Ryder again… This could get interesting.
