Page 75 of Hidden

Chapter Twenty-two

James

“You better talk about us when you're out on the town with her, you asshole.”

I shrug, not sure how generous I'm feeling today yet. I should have slept amazingly last night knowing I'm finally back on Calai’s good side after a full week of nauseated indecision, but that's not what happened. I've been sleeping on the couch all week because I couldn't bear to hold or be held by Kit or Colter after the way they let everything spiral out of control. I've needed my space while I tried to figure out what else I could do to let Calai know I'm her man. Which was difficult without an address. Not sure how the guy managed to keep that apartment from everyone, but when Parker finally went over to August’s apparently top-secret apartment and we nabbed the address, an obscene number of flowers was the first thing we ordered. Which should be arriving right about…

I smile and accept the frustrated sounds from Kit and Colter when it's my phone that goes off with Calai’s name flashing on the screen.

“Good morning beautiful. Did you sleep well? Or were you up all night dreaming about all the dirty things you want to do to my body at our breakfast date? Because I've got to tell you, I've been up forhours,and I could really use some cardio.”

“James! What did you do? Do you understand exactly how many flowers you ordered? Thank God that neither I nor August have any allergies, we'd likely be hospitalized by now! I literally have nowhere to walk! And that poor delivery driver! He was sweating so much after he brought them all up that we had to wade through the entire flower shop you purchased and get him some victuals!”

“That's strange, there should have been-”

“Hang on, someone's at the door. Maybe it's the delivery guy again realizing he made a mistake.”

I've got her on speaker so the other guys can hear what's happening, and we're all howling with laughter when Calai starts shrieking and cussing us out as thesecondflower shop we emptied out brings in the other half of the delivery. There's a lot of shuffling sounds and outraged shouts from Calai who just keeps repeating, “I don't know!” over and over. We made sure each and every bouquet had a note attached that says ‘sorry’, so that she can't go anywhere in the apartment without seeing the word. We didn’t consider the fact that August's apartment might have been on the smaller side since we don't know what it looks like, and that our gift might have just made it impossible for her to go anywhere in the apartment period.

Eventually the door closes, and she's back at the phone. “I…I don't know what to do right now.”

“Are they pretty?”

I hear tears in her voice, and there's a desperate need in me to pull her into my arms and hold her until she's on steady ground again. “They're the most beautiful things I've ever seen.”

“We should have had a mirror delivered as well then, because they must pale against your beauty,” Kit tells her. Great. Now she's crying louder.

“Why on earth did you buy so many though? This must have cost you a fortune! Why would you waste your money like that?”

“Calai, this is going to come off as arrogant, but it was seriously nothing. We wanted to domore, in fact, but thought that going overboard might make it mean less to you. And there's so many flowers so that you know how many times a minute we've regretted what we did to you. Every flower you see is an apology for failing you and a promise to do better.”

She sucks in a breath. “That's…that's a lot of regrets.”

“Well, we have a lot of big feelings for you,” Kit tells her.

“I am so overwhelmed right now. I actually can't do anything in here. You're sure you meant to buy quite this many?”

“Only if you like it. If you hate it, then there's definitely been a mistake and we'll have them removed immediately. Now say goodbye to your other alphas because I'm taking you off speaker so I can talk while I make my way over there to pick you up.”

I have my most self-satisfied grin on as both Kit and Colter grumble out a goodbye, taking a picture of them pouting in case my girl really needs some cheering up. Calai keeps me on speaker until I'm pulling up to August's complex, at which point we both hang up. I get out and lean against my car while I wait for them, trying to shake off my nerves.

The things my body remembers doing with this girl are rushing to the front of my mind, while the part of me that needs to be cautious after not seeing her for a week reminds me to not scare her off. It’s hard to play it cool though when I'm obsessed with her.

I can see her and August walking long before they see me, so I get a minute to watch them together. He says something that makes her shake her head and then he wraps an arm around her shoulders and kisses her temple. I have to admit they look good together. I'm so past the point of trying to keep anyone out of Calai’s life. The girl has had such an awful upbringing that she deserves as much love as anyone can throw at her. Which is why while I'm at breakfast with our girl, Kit and Colter are taking August to get our pack sign tattooed on him, and a team of betas are emptying out his apartment and relocating it to our house.

Since August is in this to be with Calai and not us, we thought he might want some space to himself. We've been busting our asses all week, throwing all our pent-up energies into building a tiny house for him out back.

It's far from perfect still, and we had to make do with items that the hardware store had in stock locally, but I think he'll like it. We're still planning on getting him to quit his job so he can just be Calai’s mate, maybe do some work with the family businesses, but mainly just be there for her. She needs that, someone stable and levelheaded, someone that’s not an alpha to soothe her.

Over the years we’ve kicked around the idea of adding a beta to the pack, but never quite got around to looking for one. To have one fall in our lap this way, with him being as attached to our omega as we are, seems like too much of a good thing. But that’s not going to stop us from initiating him.

When they walk through the door, I hobble to my feet trying to stay stable in my stupid walking cast. I’m so nervous to see her again after so many days that I nearly fall over.

“Where are your crutches? Isn’t it way too soon for you to try to be moving around without them?”

I shrug, not wanting to get into the whys of why I ditched them. Mainly, because they look stupid. I felt stupid using them. Also, it’s kind of hard to escort your mate about when you have to use your hands to hold on to those things.

I gauge the mood she’s in before wrapping my arms around her, holding her to me and inhaling her scent. It’s not hard to tell that her and August consummated the relationship, but somehow it makes her smell even better. Instead of the normal spiced Peach bourbon richness she usually carries, there’s a rich undertone of espresso, making her smell like the world’s richest, most delicious latte. One that I want to consume.

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