Page 10 of Bearly Mine
“Right. That’s why you’re sleeping at a friend’s place.” As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to take them back. But they had already hit their mark.
Lily’s mouth firmed, her eyes narrowing. “I’m going to sleep on the couch. Maddie’s off tomorrow and can pick me up then.”
“Lily, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.” I grabbed her hand as she moved to leave my bedroom. “I just want to help.”
“Despite what you must think, I am a capable woman, and I don’t need someone to save me.” She tugged her hand out of mine. “Do you have an extra blanket?”
“You don’t have to sleep on the couch. There’s a guest bedroom.” I’d built the cabin with thoughts of finding my mate and filling the extra rooms with children, but I didn’t tell her that. I doubted she’d be receptive at the moment. “The room next door.”
She gave me a tight nod before leaving, slamming the door behind her. I fell back against the bed, covering my face with my hands. How did things go so wrong?
Lily
I couldn’t believe how fast things changed. I went from riding high on the wake of amazing lovemaking with a gorgeous shifter claiming to be my mate to the depths of despair. Maybe I was too emotional, but the churning in my gut wouldn’t stop. I didn’t like to rely on others, but it seemed to be all I could do lately, between Maddie and Dean. No wonder he thought he needed to save me with a pity job.
I wiped away the tears that coated my cheeks, burrowing deeper into the covers on the guest bed. I felt so disconnected from myself. From who I really was. My entire life, I had taken care of myself. My parents divorced when I was seven, and neither really wanted me to be part of their new lives. So I fed myself and got myself to school. And when I was old enough to work under the table at a local restaurant washing dishes, I started saving money.
I picked the college that gave me the biggest scholarship and kept working to cover everything else. I took summer classes, wanting to graduate early, and I came out at the top of my class. But despite everything, I failed to get a teaching job. And now I was living on a friend’s couch, scrounging for the money to fix my car, while a man I just met created a job for me. Because I couldn’t get one on my own.
This wasn’t me. I didn’t want it to be me. If I had to find a job outside my field to support myself, then I would do it. There were crappy apartments I could afford on my own. I certainly didn’t want a mate who believed I needed saving.
I grabbed my phone, pulling up a job search site. I applied to anything I thought I had a chance at, plus some I doubted Iwould hear back from. Next, I searched for apartment listings. I didn’t need anyone to rescue me.
SEVEN
Dean
Sleep wouldn’t come, so I spent the night in bear form, running off my frustration with how the day had ended. When I shifted back and threw on my clothes, my head was calmer. Obviously Lily was the independent sort, and didn’t appreciate having things orchestrated for her. But I could work with that. It didn’t mean I couldn’t take care of her, just that I needed to check in with her along the way.
Whistling, I started making breakfast, and soon the scent of bacon, eggs, and coffee filled the air. I went upstairs and knocked on the door of the guest bedroom. For a minute, I thought she would ignore me, but then I heard a shuffling from inside the room.
The door cracked open, and Lily’s wary gaze met mine. Her hair was a tangled mess around her shoulders, and dark circles were under her eyes. Her clothes looked worse for wear, as she tried to smooth out the wrinkles. And she was still more beautiful to me than anyone I knew.
“I made breakfast.” I shoved my hands in my pockets to keep from reaching for her. “Do you want a shower first? I can give you some fresh clothes to wear.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“I’m sure it will feel better than wearing the same clothes from yesterday.” I gave her a small smile. “It’ll take your friend a couple of hours to get here. You might as well be comfortable while you wait.”
I ducked into my bedroom and grabbed a T-shirt and a pair of shorts with a drawstring. She would swim in them, but I liked the idea of her wearing my things. Smelling of me. I handed them to her. “There are towels in the bathroom. Come down when you’re finished and have a bite to eat.”
I turned and went back downstairs. With time to kill before she came down, I decided to make fresh orange juice to go with breakfast. And pancakes. Maybe even French toast. I didn’t know what she liked and had to admit I got carried away when the dining table overflowed with food choices.
I scratched the back of my neck as she descended the stairs, my shirt falling to her knees. Her hair hung in damp curls down her back, and her eyes were wide as she approached the table. Her gaze slid to me and her brow furrowed as she turned back to the food.
“I didn’t know what you liked.” I held out a chair for her and she slid onto the seat. “But don’t worry. Whatever you don’t eat won’t go to waste. I have the appetite of a bear.”
The corner of her mouth twitched, but she held back the smile. She took an assortment of what I had prepared and quietly began eating. I grabbed the coffeepot, filling up her mug when she nodded, before loading up a plate and sitting across from her. I wanted to sit beside her, but I thought some distance would make her more comfortable.
When she finished her plate, I cleared my throat and waited for her to look at me. “I want to apologize for yesterday. I shouldn’t have arranged a job for you without discussing withyou first. Shifters go all in when they find their mates, and I didn’t stop to consider how a human would react to that.”
“I can’t really blame you. All you’ve seen is me needing to be rescued.” Her shoulders rounded, and she took a deep breath before squaring them. “But that’s not who I am.”
“I don’t think you need to be rescued.”
Her eyes found mine, and I saw the doubt in them.
“Sure, you might have missed your interview, but I bet you would have gotten it rescheduled. And you would have kept calling around until you found someone willing to tow your car.” I leaned my elbows on the table. “But just because you can take care of yourself doesn’t mean you shouldn’t let others help. I’ll always want to care for you, my mate, but I can handle you telling me to back off if I overstep.”
