Page 110 of Howl You Doin?
I change back to a human and move to the tree where I left my clothes before my run. It felt strange at first, getting naked in the middle of the woods, but now it’s freeing.
The minute I’m all settled back into my favorite comfort T-shirt with Jamie Fraser’s face on it and brown leggings, tears burn the back of my throat and eyeballs until I can’t see properly.
He’s so damn stupid, and maybe so am I for loving him anyway, but I’m not going anywhere.
I am going to kick him so hard in the balls the next time I see him for making me cry, the asshole. I may even wolf out on purpose, line up his balls like a football player during kickoff, and punt them into next year.
Or maybe... I should just leave, like he wants me to. This could be too big of a thing for him to get over, and the worry of that is eating at me. Ugh! I don’t know what to do!
He wants space, I’ll give him space. Why don’t I just hop in a rocket ship and fly into the fucking cosmos? Might be more beneficial at this point.
My hair lifts on my nape as I slap the pine tree nearest me, wishing it was his face. I wince when it pulls up by the roots, lifting mounds of dirt with it.
“Whoops. Shit,” I mutter to myself as I push and set it back to rights.
“Thought I’d find you out here,” Connor’s voice calls out behind me. “Didn’t know I’d find you gardening, though. Planting trees?”
I stiffen, not ready to face him just yet. Why is it men always pick the most inopportune moment to try to talk to a girl after a fight?
“You’re lucky I don’t hit you with one. Just leave me alone,” I tell him as I give him my side, wanting to lick my wounds a bit longer.
“I can’t say I like that you’re a Van Helsing, but there’s lots of things I don’t like.”
Great. He’s come to poke at my wounds a bit longer. Maybe this is his way of getting back at me, and tears fill my eyes yet again at how mean he’s been. I’d rather O’Doyle Rules back than whatever jackass he’s turning into. I wrap my arms around myself.
I expect to see a gaze of contempt when I chance a peek at him, but instead, his blue eyes are soft and sincere. “I also don’t like how bloody cute you look, and how much I want to fucking hold you right now.”
A gasp leaves me. Somehow my heart betrays me just because of a few simple words, and it instantly has my hands curling into fists. How dare he come here and try to say something sweet!
“Fuck no. You can’t talk to me like that! You made me feel like a gold digger even though you know how much my bakery means to me,” I say, jabbing my pointer finger in the direction of the castle. “YouknowI’ve worked my ass off in this hotel, wearing stupid outfits at your whim and doing what you want. I deserve every fucking cent!”
“Whitley,” he says softly, and I can hear the wince in his voice.
“No. You didn’t want to listen to me earlier, and now I don’t have to listen to you.” I hate how my hands tremble with rage and how my eyes burn with prickling tears, or the way my heart is racing like crazy. “You said all those nasty, mean things to me and now you want to hold me?! Fuck you.”
He steps closer and I instinctually step back. He halts.
“Look at me.”
“Oh. Sonowyou want to look at me,” I can’t help snapping.
“Whitley,” he warns.
I turn to do as he asks, not bothering to hide the anger on my face, or how red and puffy I must look from crying. I hug myself tighter. Damn him for making me do this.
I take in his clothes that look like they’ve seen better days, torn and ripped. I’ve never witnessed him this disheveled—not even when he was completely blitzed from that potion.
My lips part in surprise and goosebumps raise across my skin in a wave. I hate how my heart stutters in my chest and fresh tears well up, but for a new reason. Just one look at his handsome, bearded face and I want to forgive him.
“I don’t like how you keep hiding shit from me,” he huffs out.
“I didn’t know how to tell you!” I snap, my emotions crashing into me like a runaway buggy in a parking lot. “I said I was sorry, and you didn’t want to listen. You said you don’t want to be with me anymore, Connor, right after I told you I loved you.”
He runs his fingers roughly through his tousled hair. “I know and I’m sorry, love. I was in shock; you didn’t give me time to process shit.”
“Like I’ve had time to process anything?! I was turned lycan just days ago, find out my family, who I didn’t even know, are some sort of psycho paranormal hunters, and I never treated you this way. I wouldn’t.” I throw my hands into the air. “You know what, Connor? I’m too upset to do this right now, so I’m just going to go.”
I need time to cool off. We can talk later, maybe even tomorrow, when things aren’t as fresh.
