Page 76 of Awakened
“Oh, come on, guys. The kitchen? Really? I eat here!” I yelled as I gestured to the island.
Sarah wiggled her underwear back up her legs and gave me an apologetic smile.
“I’m so sorry, Les. I didn’t know you were home. I swear we always clean up after.”
Michael turned around to face me. “I’m so sor?—”
“Pull up your pants, bro.” I covered my eyes, trying to keep Michael’s dick a mystery. Sarah probably wouldn’t like me ogling her fiancé’s junk.
“Sorry. They’re up.”
I peeked through my fingers and had to fight back the urge to pinch Michael’s cheeks. He was so adorably embarrassed. He shuffled over to Sarah, gave her a kiss, and mumbled that he would see her later. A second later, the front door opened and closed quietly.
“So, any other surfaces I should avoid? Or should I just move out?”
“I’ll help you pack.”
I couldn’t hold in the laughter anymore. We both leaned against the desecrated kitchen island, trying to catch our breath.As we calmed down, Sarah filled two glasses with water and handed me one.
“I really am sorry you witnessed a bit of spontaneous kitchen banging. We didn’t expect you back until next week, and your car wasn’t out front.”
I tapped my glass and smiled at Sarah. “Yeah, I had to park a couple of blocks over.”
She nodded and downed her water. As she refilled her glass, she asked, “So you being back so soon is either a good thing or a bad thing. Do I bust out the champers or the Old Crow?”
“Old Crow.”
“Shit.” Sarah set aside her glass and pulled the half-empty handle out of the freezer and two whiskey tumblers from the cabinet. She poured two generous glasses and set one in front of me. Taking a sip and wincing, she gestured for me to continue.
I gulped down the whole glass of bottom-shelf bourbon and slammed the tumbler onto the counter. “He has a mate.”
Sarah choked on her drink. I patted her back as she sputtered and coughed. Grabbing a Clorox wipe, she cleaned where she dribbled whiskey, tilted her head, and then wiped the entire island down.
Round one of decontamination complete.
She took a deep breath and looked up at me with cough-induced tears in her eyes. “Shit, really?”
I nodded.
“Fuck.” She kept shaking her head like it was an Etch A Sketch, and these unpleasant facts were shitty pictures to be erased.
“Yep. Turns out, he’s known her for about six years.”
“All this time?”
“All this time.” I grabbed her drink and finished her whiskey.
“Shit. How did he keep away from her? That doesn’t make sense.”
“According to Grandma Rose, mates aren’t what we thought they were.”
She lifted her eyebrow. “Oh, yeah?”
I eyed the handle. “Long story short, she rejected her mate for Grandpa Jack.”
Sarah plopped down on one of the island stools.
“I just—I don’t—But how?”
