Page 69 of Awakened
“Les, please look at me.” With a deep sigh, he circled until we were eye to eye. “Please talk to me. What’s wrong?”
This motherfucker.
“Are you serious, Seth? What’s wrong? Oh, I don’t know.” I sarcastically tapped my chin. “Could it be that you found your mate and didn’t tell me?” I dropped my hand. “Is that why you’ve been ignoring my calls and emails?”
“Not at first, but now, yes. Our history makes Becca uncomfortable.”
Everything clicked into place.
No longer looking at Seth, I walked into the forest. “Becca? Brian’s Becca? Who has known her mate for years? You’ve known for years?” I spun around and glared at Seth. “When were you going to tell me? After you told me you loved me? After you fucked me? After we were engaged? Your precious Becca returned the ring to let Brian know they were through. Would I have at least gotten a phone call?”
“I-I’m sorry. I should have told you. You’re right. But youcan’t be mad that I decided to give it a try after you asked for space.”
I scoffed, wiping under my eyes. “Oh, fuck you.” I waved him off.
He grabbed my hand out of the air. “And why are you so mad?” His eyes didn’t leave Grandma Rose’s ring. “You’ve clearly moved on. Congrats. Who’s the lucky guy? Zach?”
I glared. “What are you talking about?”
“Your engagement ring, Les!” He waved my hand in my face, then dropped it.
“You fucking dickbag. This is your Grandma Rose’s ring. She gave it to me before I left to come here. Now I’m realizing how wrong she was. I don’t deserve it.” I tore it off my finger and hurled it at his chest. “Give it to Becky.”
He caught the ring and turned it in his fingers, his expression softening. Slowly shaking his head, he held it out.
“If she gave it to you, then it’s yours. She doesn’t make mistakes.”
Tears filled my eyes, and I mumbled, “She did this time.” I cleared my throat and looked at Seth. “How long?”
His eyebrows furrowed, and he shook his head. “How long what?”
“How long have you known Becca?”
His shoulders sagged. “About six years. I met her when I studied abroad in Italy.”
“That fucking long? We were friends, and you didn’t tell me. Did anyone know?”
He looked at the ground, and I knew the answer, but I wanted him to say it.
“Tell me.”
“Just Aiden.”
The taste of bile sat on the back of my tongue. “I’m going to be sick.” I sat down and leaned against a tree. “He sent me here, knowing what I would find. How could he do this?”
Seth triedto sit next to me.
“No, you stay over there.”
He stopped about three feet away and held his hands out. “Please, Les, tell me what I can do.”
We sat in silence for what must have been thirty minutes while I collected my thoughts. I went there knowing he could have found someone, but I had no idea he had found them six years ago. I promised myself that if he were with someone, I wouldn’t interfere.
So much for that fucking plan.
I’d behaved like a fucking lunatic. Sighing, I pressed my palms to my eyes. I needed to pull my shit together if I was going to be any good to anyone, including myself. Standing up, I prepared to ask the very questions that would devastate and free me from this whole mess.
“Seth. Are you happy? Do you—” I swallowed, my mouth suddenly very dry. “Do you love Becca?”
