by Moxie North
Stepping out, she dried off and braided her hair in a loose braid that wouldn’t pull at her scalp. Wrapping up in the robe she kept on the back of the door, she opened the door and poked her head out. No sign of Angel. Rushing over to her dresser, she grabbed underwear and a bra, since she wasn’t wearing one when he crawled into bed with her. A pair of leggings and a clean shirt was as fancy as she was going to get. She changed in the bathroom and then gave herself one last look in the mirror. There was no helping her color or the purple hue under her eyes.
“Play nice, eat some pizza, say goodnight.” That sounded like a plan that had no hope of succeeding.
“He’s being sweet. Just smile and remind him that he doesn’t owe you anything, and he can move on.”
Becca knew she didn’t have a choice, he was out there, presumably ordering pizza. Patting down her wet hair, she squared her shoulders and went to find Angel.
Chapter 25
Angel felt pretty chuff about how the last few hours had gone. True, his mate had been asleep most of that time, but she hadn’t kicked him out. Now they were going to share a meal together. This was all positive in Angel’s eyes.
He’d found the menus and ordered a large pizza with Canadian bacon and pineapple. It was a bold choice considering some people thought fruit on a pizza was gross, but it sounded like the mildest option. He’d found a water pitcher in the fridge and poured her a glass adding ice cubes. He figured she’d have to be dehydrated. His bear had picked up on the scent of her vomiting though it had been long before he got there. She hadn’t had anything since he’d gotten her to sleep.
Her kitchen was all white cabinets with glass fronts, probably original to the house. The walls were painted a soft blue color. The small table off the kitchen was set with blue placemats and a small vase of daisies. Pictures of country scenes adorned one wall, and another had a wood rack full of antique keys in varying sizes and age. It was all very mature and settled. Careful thought had gone into making this a cozy spot to cook and relax during a meal.
Angel had a microwave and a mini fridge. He didn’t even own plates; he kept it to paper so he’d never have to wash dishes. Something he was realizing was not showing signs of maturity. He was amassing a mental checklist of tasks that were now priorities to prove himself to his mate.
His ears had been keeping track of Becca’s movements. Wanting to give her enough time to come to terms with him still being there. There was a good chance she was in her room concocting a plan to get rid of him. Angel needed to be on his toes to any objections she might have.
When he walked through the door earlier, his bear had such a sense of completeness, that there was no way he could walk away again. There would be physical pain to be apart from her. Logically, he knew that his clan mates all spent time away from their mates, but maybe it was because they were all bonded and secure in their relationships. That was where he hoped to be in the near future. The twisting in his stomach right at this moment was not comfortable. His bear was calmer in his mind, but the human side of him felt like he was standing on the edge of a cliff. One stiff breeze and they’d be scraping him up off the bottom of a ravine.
The scent of Becca was getting stronger, and he could hear her moving down the hallway toward him. Footsteps padded softly then they stopped. He held his breath waiting, and the steps continued closer. She came around the corner into the living room and paused. Angel took in her wet hair and casual clothes. She was stunning, even looking tired and a little worn from what she had gone through.
“Food’s ordered, shouldn’t be long,” he said, still keeping his voice low. He watched her face seeing she didn’t wince from the sound. That was a good sign.
“Thanks,” she said, wringing her hands.
“Want to go sit and wait for the pizza? We can talk, or if that would hurt your head, we can just be quiet.”
“I’m okay; it’s a normal headache now. Surprising how easy those seem after a migraine,” she said with a smile that tilted up the corner of her mouth.
“Well, I poured you a glass of water. Figured you might need it.”
“Great, let’s go sit on the couch. It’s more comfortable.” Becca was actually thinking that it would be a good way to sit far enough apart to avoid contact.
She turned and walked towards the room behind her, figuring he would follow her.
Taking a seat on the couch, her eyes followed Angel as he set the glass on the coffee table. It was heavy wood painted white then sanded to look old. She grabbed a coaster off the small table beside her and slid it under the glass. Looking up, she saw Angel watching her intently.
“Water rings,” she explained.
Angel nodded and then looked around at the options for him. There was the other end of the couch, an uncomfortable looking wing back chair full of tiny little pillows or a wicker chest that would in no way hold his weight.
Moving the glass over, he took a seat on the coffee table in front of Becca. He put his hands on her knees and gave them a squeeze.
He looked up to see her eyes were a little bigger than they were before. His seating choice must have surprised her.
“My other options wouldn’t have worked,” he said in explanation.
“No?”
“Nope, too far away from you. I need to be close to see how you’re feeling. Make sure you’re getting better.”
“Why do you care?” That came out a little snippier then she had intended. Her brain was still a little raw, and brevity was easier than being proper.
Angel glanced down at his feet to gather his calm. The words had slipped out of her mouth, and his bear started roaring in his head. He cared; he loved her more than anything. There wasn’t even a feeling of love he could compare it to. But that wasn’t something he could say to her. To describe the sensation of utter completeness to her would take hours. Every breath with her in his presence was like he was breathing for the first time. His heart stretching wider and wider to take in the minute details of her face, her speech, the way her eyes slid to the side when she was nervous. Those little things now meant more to him than even his bear. Lucky for him, his bear felt the same way. She was everything.
Knowing his bear had flashed into his eyes, he took a few calming breaths and then looked up at her. Her eyes were wary, a little afraid, and just a tad hostile.
“This is not normal, Angel.”
“No shit.”
That got him a lip twitch. She had almost smiled. He needed to build on that.
“Have you ever had a connection with someone the first time you met them that you couldn’t explain?”
“What–like love at first sight? I don’t believe in that.”
Angel wasn’t surprised. A practical woman like her wouldn’t fall for what humans thought was a fairytale.
“What about lust at first sight?”
Becca snorted. “Well, we both know that is possible.”
“Yeah, I think we can both agree on that. I think those moments are often just the beginning of something bigger. Our physical attraction is what opens the door for us to meet the other person. Truly find out who they are.”
“That’s a little hokey isn’t it?”
Becca was looking at this young man thinking he’d watched The Notebook one too many times. Her brain wouldn’t even allow her to think that his man was talking about feelings and emotions with her. Guys his age, she was pretty sure, were all about the pussy and partying. This was coming from her vast knowledge of reality dating shows and MTV. Which nowadays was the only interaction she had with the twenty-something crowd.
“Maybe it is a little hokey. Maybe I’m a hokey kind of guy. Doesn’t change the fact that I want to get to know you better. I feel a connection to you that I really hope you feel for me too.” Angel felt like every word was flaying a little of himself away, exposing his heart, and his bear to hurt. It was something he had to risk.
“You don’t know me at all, Angel. You might waste a lot of time getting t
o know me to find out that I’m not your type. I have no clue who you are besides your last name.”
Angel went to say something, and the doorbell rang. He looked frustrated as he got up to answer the door.
Becca saw the pizza guy look around Angel, peering in at her on the couch. She looked away and pretended to pick at the arm on the couch.
The door closed, and Becca watched him walk to the kitchen. A few cabinets opened and closed; she figured he was looking for plates and would eventually find them.
Chapter 26
He returned carrying the pizza box with a small paper bag on top and a roll of paper towels under his arm.
“You know I have napkins, right?”
Angel set his load down and started arranging the plates. “I don’t doubt it. They are probably fabric, and I’d be nervous using it to wipe tomato sauce off my face. This is easier.”
The small bag was opened first and out came fresh hot garlic sticks. He put two on her plate and opened the box. “Ham and pineapple okay?”
“Sure, I love that.” Becca was surprised it wasn’t a quadruple meat pizza with extra meat. Or something covered in onions and green peppers. She would eat that if she was at someone else’s house and didn’t want to be rude but would never order it for herself.
Angel put a couple of slices on her plate and served himself. He retook his seat on the table across from her.
“Am I supposed to eat all this?” she asked, looking at him, her eyebrow raised.
He looked at her plate, then at her, then back at the plate. “Aren’t you hungry?”
“Sure, I haven’t eaten in over twenty-four hours, so my stomach is a little shrunken. But the chance I can eat all this is pretty slim.”
Becca wasn’t sure if he was making an assumption that she ate a lot or what. Granted, she could totally demolish two slices and breadsticks on a normal day. Not that she would ever do that in front of a man. That was reserved for girl’s night or a post break-up binge. Becca had rules about those kinds of things.
“Sorry, didn’t think about that. Whatever you don’t eat, I will. I have a big appetite.”
“I bet you do,” she murmured, taking a bite of breadstick.
“Hey, I work it all off. See?” he said around a mouthful of food, pulling the front of his shirt up. Under that shirt was a smooth six-pack of abs that didn’t look like they had seen too many slices of pizza.
Becca stopped chewing to stare at the muscles. She remembered how they felt under her hands but had never gotten a good look at them. They were something she’d only ever seen in magazines and on the internet. He would have to work out all the time to get those. One of those meathead guys that only talked about protein and reps.
Swallowing her food, she managed to say, “Youthful metabolism.”
“Probably a little. The Rochon genes are very forgiving. Give me a chance, and you can see for yourself for years to come,” he said, his smile devilish.
Becca had no answer for such an outlandish statement, so she took another bite.
They ate for a few minutes exchanging glances. Becca looked away each time she caught his eye. She knew he didn’t look away; his eyes stayed on her like a weight.
Angel set his plate aside, and Becca saw it was already empty. She’d only finished half of her plate and was stuffed.
“So where do you want me to start?”
“With what?” Becca had forgotten what they had been talking about before the pizza. Her brain was running on empty. She hoped the food helped because her ability to focus was limited, not only by the medication hangover but also her inability to be around Angel without forgetting simple things. Breathing, following a conversation, not staring at his perfect muscles. Things she could normally control and have a grasp on. Angel had her spinning, and it wasn’t exactly a terrible ride. It was scary and exciting. The best kind.
“Me. You said you didn’t know anything about me. Here I am. What would you like to know?”
Becca didn’t say anything. She was supposed to be eating and convincing him to leave. Not having a long drawn out Oprah interview.
“That’s okay, really. I’m sure you have some place to be tonight. Fun night out with the guys or a party to go to.” Even to her own ears that sounded like something an old lady would say.
He looked at her and shook his head. “There isn’t anywhere else I want to be, Becks.”
Becca didn’t want to know anything about him. It would make him too real. Her assumptions about him were protecting her, keeping her from seeing him as a real person. That sounded pretty shitty, but it was for the good of both of them. He needed to move on and find someone his own age.
He must have sensed that she wasn’t going to give in, because he started talking.
“I’m the baby of the family. Older brother and sister. Eddie is a doctor here in town, and my sister is just the boss of everybody. Keeps her very busy. My parents both worked for the trucking company before retiring. I played football in high school. Go Grizzlies! My best friends and cousins, Rain and Fin, are away at college. Rain is in his senior year, and Fin has another year to go. I’ve known them since before I can remember; we grew up together. I decided not to go along to college with them because I thought it would be a waste of money.”
“A waste? Why?” Shoot, she had asked a question. Engaging him wasn’t part of the get him gone plan.
“Because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Everyone told me just to go and get a degree in anything. That’s four years of my life that wouldn’t add anything to my life goals. I love music. I like writing it, playing it, and listening to it. I’m self-taught and to tell you the truth, I’d be horribly behind in any classes I would need to take to complete my credits. I taught myself how to play and how to read music. Any kind of theory classes would be over my head. Music is about soul and heart. I didn’t want it turned into work.”
That made sense. Becca couldn’t think of anything she loved that if it was an obligation would be enjoyable anymore. She loved volunteering because it made her feel like she was making a difference. The people she got to be with and help and the animals that just needed to be shown a little love. That was the reason she did it, not because she had to. Because she wanted to.
“So you play? What do you play?” Damn, she did it again.
“A little of everything. I started by picking up a guitar. I had a knack for it, and it came easily. I tried piano after that and some drums. I’m even decent with a trumpet in a pinch. But I really love to write music. There was a song I have been working on, for quite a while. I think after meeting you, I know how to finish it. The melody reminds me of you. I was struggling with the words, but for some reason now I think it will write itself,” he said this with a quiet voice that had Becca sucking in a breath.
There was a handsome, yet young, man sitting in front of her, telling her he was going to write a song about her. This was too much and too weird.
“Sounds like you are very talented. So do you want to play or write for a living?”
“Honestly, I haven’t figured that out yet. I wouldn’t mind playing in a band. That would be pretty cool. My family likes my stuff, and I’ve played a few times at the bar when I was younger.”
“You don’t play there anymore?”
“Nah, my fellow bandmates moved on. Well, two moved on, one is serving time. Not a lot of opportunity out here to start a music career.”
“True, but you could move to Seattle or Los Angeles. Find a new band, do what you love. You’d be surprised how fast your life goes. Don’t miss out on the chance to find your destiny.”
Becca truly meant that. It wasn’t just a vague way to tell him that he needed to move on from not only her but their little town. A young man with a talent shouldn’t be stuck out in the trees.
“Oh Becks, you don’t know how right you are. I have no plans on missing out on my destiny. I’m one lucky asshole because I know what my destiny is. I was given all the signs that t
he universe has a plan for me. I intend to take that gift of knowledge and live life as one happy fucker for the rest of my life.”
“That’s good. When you become a big rock star, remember me, and send me a backstage pass,” she said with a little laugh.
“Or you could tour with me, and you wouldn’t need a pass.”
“Oh, I see that happening. I’ll abandon my job at the county, all my volunteer positions, and become your groupie.”
“You’d never be a groupie, Becks.” He was looking at her with a seriousness that made Becca want to put some space between them. Instead, she pulled her legs up on the couch and tucked them under her.
There was a length of uncomfortable silence, and Becca felt their conversation was getting a little too real.
“So—thanks for the pizza. I should probably get some more sleep. I don’t want my headache coming back.”
She waited to see if he’d take the hint.
He didn’t.
“Becks, tell me about you.”
“I’m not very interesting. I’d probably bore you and put you to sleep. Then I’d be worried you would drive home and get in an accident.”
“You could offer me a place to sleep. Make sure I don’t end up in my brother’s care. I don’t trust him to not pull the plug on me.”
“I don’t think that is a good idea. And I’m sure your brother took some kind of oath to do no harm.”
“Still, there is years worth of payback stored up in him for all the shit I got him into when I was a kid. We wouldn’t want to risk it.”
“Oh, Angel. How do I make you understand?” Becca didn’t want to hurt him. She liked him. Really liked him. So much that no matter how cute and how much potential great sex could be on the table, she had to let him go.
Angel moved from his seat on the table to the cushion next to her. He reached around her legs and pulled them into his lap. He did it so fast that Becca didn’t have time to protest.
