Page 54 of Waste
“Then I apologise again, but I don’t. I don’t know how to make you understand, but honestly, you’re nothing but a stranger. And not one I want to get to know. Circumstances may have thrown us together, but they’ve also decided to keep us apart. If there even was a friendship. I have far too much to worry about now, around whoever this person is trying to kill me,” Shelley stated.
She ignored Jake’s surprise at her attitude and firmness.
Drew regarded her sadly. “If you ever need anyone—”
“I’ll call my family, who I know would help me no matter what. They’d put me first before anyone and anything else,” Shelley said, unable to help the dig.
Drew’s eyes narrowed on her. “That was a strange thing to say.”
“Was it?” Shelley asked airily. “If your family wouldn’t do the same for you, you have my sympathy. Thank you for everything you’ve done, but my family has me now.”
With that, Shelley walked to the door and, without hesitation, stepped through it. It took a lot of self-control not to slap Drew around his lying, duplicitous face, but Shelley managed it.
“Look, give Shelley a few days. The doctors said she might recover in time and regain her memories, boy. I think Shelley’s overloaded at the moment, and she can’t handle anything else,” Jake murmured to Drew.
If Shelley had her own way, she’d never see the lying bastard again. She kept walking, not willing to hear what lies Drew would undoubtedly spill to her parents. In her opinion, Drew had caused enough damage. She’d been in the media twice and dragged through the mud because of Jo’s lies. Who had now been fired. She was done with Drew Martin and his shapeshifting Ghoul.
Drew/Ghoul
Days ticked by, and he’d not heard a word from Shelley. He was missing her desperately, and even though he’d contacted Charlie and her parents for updates, it wasn’t the same. Drew felt like he was coming out of his own skin. It didn’t help that Waste was being smug, and Drew didn’t grasp why.
He longed to see her, but Shelley refused to see him. Drew didn’t understand why she was against even meeting him to get reacquainted, but she was. He was beginning to realise just how stubborn Shelley was, and he was unimpressed when it was used against him.
He’d spent a lot more time at Bran Castle and had become even more of a recluse. Marie had tried visiting him, but Drewhad rebuffed her. However, Drew could honestly say he still didn’t feel the mating bond.
None of it made sense. There was no bond between them, and yet Drew needed to be around Shelley. Not even Pandora could or would explain it to him, and she’d been one of the few people Drew had sought out. Everyone seemed as perplexed with him.
More so than Lilith. She swore she’d been careful erasing Shelley’s memories and had no idea why Shelley didn’t remember Drew. They had considered that maybe it was because of all the trauma, and Shelley’s mind had been unable to cope. Lilith admitted that Shelley’s mind may have latched onto the spell to remove Drew. After all, Shelley had known Drew was Ghoul, and by removing Ghoul, Drew was forgotten because they were the same person. It made sense in a roundabout way, but it left Drew very unhappy.
He felt at odds with himself, something he’d not experienced for thousands of years. Drew was unsettled, irritable, and just downright miserable. Shelley had brought a light into his life that he’d unknowingly cherished, and it was now gone. He wanted it back, but the damn woman wouldn’t entertain him.
His siblings told him it was for the best, but Drew strongly disagreed. He’d been a better person for having her in his life. Annoyed with the world, Drew slowly dropped his phone calls from daily to every other day. It had been best for Shelley to forget, but Drew had underestimated the impact on him. And that made him incredibly mad at the world.
Chapter Thirteen.
Shelley
It had been four weeks since she’d last seen Drew. Since then, she had both her casts off and had found another job. Shelley hadn’t seen Ghoul either, and she guessed they believed their spell had worked. Meanwhile, Jo had completely melted down over the lawsuits she was facing and had a public breakdown. She was currently in a psychiatric ward, and Shelley wished her all the best.
She wasn’t sure if this was one of Jo’s plays or not, but Shelley had more important things to worry about. Hopefully, Jo had learned her lesson. However, Shelley currently had a problem she was unsure how to solve.
A guy eyed her up as she sipped her coffee that morning. He was smartly dressed and clearly had money, but she wasn’t fond of his smile or the way he stared at her.
She moved her gaze away and stared out of the window, wishing he’d catch on. Sadly, it didn’t work. Shelley heard footsteps, which stopped close by.
“Is this seat free?” a man asked, and Shelley glanced up to see it was the guy she’d been hoping would get the hint.
“Umm…” Shelley replied as she looked about her. There were other empty tables he could take a seat at. As she struggled tofind a polite way to suggest that he sit at one of them, he yanked a chair out and sat.
“Oh,” Shelley exclaimed, surprised.
“Sweetheart, I got the feeling you’d say no, and I really didn’t want to hear a rejection.” He smiled at her. “I’m David.” David cocked his head, waiting for her to give her name.
“Sorry, I don’t give my name out to strangers,” Shelley replied.
David smiled. “I can understand that. Too many weirdos around lately.”
“Oh, you do not know,” Shelley muttered, and David sent her an interested look.
