Page 32 of Sincerely, Pack Pucked
It was surprisingly well manicured for a guy’s foot, and judging by the hair I could see on his ankle, he was blond. That little snippet of information felt oddly intimate.
“Is this good enough for your prospective clients?”
This time, I looked at the room in depth, noting that it was clean and pretty basic. Beyond the dark gray duvet cover, there was a large TV in the corner of the room, easily larger than anything that could fit in a dorm. The space was big, so he must live off campus.
“That foot is way too nice!” I laughed loudly, shocking myself. “I promised the Internet freaks hobbit feet, and that does not qualify.”
“I’ll let myself go a little more—only for you, Maple girl.”
“This is insanity,” I said, smuggling deeper into the blankets. “Have you got your snacks yet?”
“Nope,” he said, popping the p. “I didn’t want to move. My bed is too comfy...”
I hummed in agreement. “I’m in my nest, and it’s also much too comfortable. Snacks are too far away. I got some new blankets recently, and they are so soft and cozy, I’m obsessed.”
I snapped a photo of one of the corners of my nest, showing off multiple colorful blankets and throws.
“Oh, that does look cozy. Also, I love the nest, it’s so colorful! There’s a huge nesting store not far from campus. I pass it prettyregularly, and it looks like a magical, mystical wonderland of soft and fluffy things. Have you been there?”
I knew just the place. “Oh, that place is gorgeous, but a touch out of my price range. Maybe when I am working, I’ll treat myself to some fancy, high-thread-count sheets for my nest.”
“You deserve all the nice things.”
“Occasionally, a girl has to treat herself.”
“Nah, I’m an all-in kinda guy. Moderation is for the weak!”
We stayed on the phone until exhaustion finally claimed me, falling into a deep sleep, my phone clutched in my hand, our chat still open.
Chapter 10
Saint
“Guess what I did last night.” Jasper smirked as he sauntered into the kitchen, where I was shoving some runny scrambled eggs into my mouth while leaning against the counter.
“Well, you’re swaggering around like you got laid, but I know for a fact that you didn’t leave the penthouse, and Spencer would rather jump off the top of this building than let a strange woman enter this place, so you’ve got me stumped.”
Jasper beamed as he pulled out a loaf of bread, slotting two slices into the toaster. “I got to hear the voice of a certain Maple girl!”
I stilled, watching my pack mate intently. “Excuse me?”
“We were both feeling lazy, so I decided to take a leap and voice message her, and she actually replied. God, Saint, she is mostcertainlya girl. Her voice is so sweet and soft and pretty. I could have spent all night listening to her.”
I had wanted to hear her voice for ages, so why did Jasper get to hear it before I did? Why had she chosen him to trust?
“What did you guys talk about?”
Jasper pursed his lips, tilting his head to the side as a slow grin spread across his face. “Selling pictures of hairy hobbit feet to weirdos on the Internet.”
I must have looked confused, because out of all the topics I imagined them discussing, that was truly baffling.
“Do you think she would be open to voice messaging all of us?” I asked intently, breezing past their interesting topic of conversation.
Jasper shrugged. “Maybe the main reason she started voice messaging last night was because she was really tired. And I said that I was tired, so talking was easier than typing. We hadn’t been talking long before she began to drop off to sleep. It was clear as day in her voice that she was exhausted.”
“She needs help, she can’t do everything on her own.” I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge as I spoke, turning to Jasper, who was leaning against the counter, with a thoughtful look on his face.
“Maybe we’ve been too hands off with her. Every time she shows the slightest resistance, we back off, but maybe it’s time to push a little. To let her know that we are here, we want to be around her, and we want to support her. I mentioned that big nesting store we pass every day on the way to the rink, and she said it was out of her price range.”
