I wake to the sound of the alarm. I cuddle closer to the body next to me. I lay my head on its chest as I place my hand just above where its heart beats.
Its arms holds me tighter.
"I think that's our cue to get up," it whispers.
Raising my hand I blindly search for its mouth, after poking it all over I find it. Pinching it shut I cuddle even closer.
He silently laughs as his body shakes with the laughter.
I lift my head to glare at him.
"Five more minutes," I tell him. He pulls my hand away as he smiles. He has the shades Ash had given me. Which makes me laugh as they're too feminine for him. But he still made them work.
"Okay, lets get you up and ready for school."
I groan. I had a headache. It was from all the crying I did. Which makes me remember about Angie. It breaks my heart knowing she's hurting.
"Are you okay? You look like you're about to cry but also break something."
I laugh. I look at him to kiss him on the lips before I get up. What surprised me wasn't the fact that I was acting like we're a couple but that my ankle wasn't protesting. I sit on the bed. Taking the boot off I can move my foot all over. It was sore but it felt all right.
"Is it healed?" Ander asks me. I shrug. I really didn't know.
"It feels better, I'll just wear the boot to be on the safe side."
"We can go see Austin to see if it's entirely healed."
"Austin?" I ask.
"Yeah, the pack doctor."
Ah, Dr. Colbert.
"As much I wouldn't mind seeing the handsome doctor, I'm not going back to the hospital."
"Handsome?" He raises an eyebrow. I laugh.
"He is handsome," I shrug. Ander groans.
"I need to take a shower. Will you be here when I get back?"
"Unfortunately, I need to head back. My Pops is probably worried about me."
"You live with your father?" I ask. I remember the images from when we first met.
His father was truly evil.
"No, my grandfather, I call him Poppa. Pops now because it bothers him."
He was trying to sound jokingly but I can hear the hint of resentment there from bringing up his father. I had it too.
I lean in to kiss him. He returns the kiss as he slowly comes to be on top of me. He had pushed me down to the bed. I dug my hands on his hair as I push him closer. He starts to kiss down my neck causing sparks to trail with every kiss.
One minute I'm in bliss as he gives me butterfly kisses to then kissing me passionately to him pulling away. I look at him dazed with a hint of confusion when he pulls away, he apologizes.
"What's wrong?" I ask him.
"Nothing, we really need to get going. I'll meet you by the line? I can drive you to school."
I smile. I go to kiss him but he pulls away. He kisses me on the cheek before he goes out the window.
You already have him running away, Mark tells me.
What? Shut up.
Mark laughs. This is so much better than any movie. I have to say, you have an exciting life.
I block him off as I go shower.
I lost track of things so I been peeking on the clothes Ash has picked out for me. I don't go by day but by outfits. I usually skip the dresses. I am not that comfortable in wearing them. Which Ash knew and has been trying to get me to wear them so I can be more confident but I just don't like feeling so exposed.
All of them, every single one of them had dresses. I agree to wear one for one day and now she thinks I'm ready.
Mark tell Ash to come, please.
She's on her way.
Thanks.
No problem, this should be good as well. Make sure to let me hear everything so think about everything she says. I don't want to miss anything.
Shut. Up.
Mark laughs.
Ash dashes inside, she joins me in the closet.
"Hello, gorgeous," she kisses my cheek.
"Ash, they're all dresses. You know how I feel about them."
"I know, and you know how I feel about that."
"But it isn't about you. It's about me, and yes I know how self-centered that sounds. I'm not ready for that. Maybe once in a while I can transition to liking them but not now."
"Okay, let me get you something else."
"Thank you," I sigh in relief.
I could find myself something to wear but then she'll get upset. Like the first day, she still hasn't let me live that down. She made me promise to let her choose for me. Which is why she's now ransacking the place.
"Here you go," she hands me neatly folded clothes. She goes back into the closet to pick the things she dropped. Well the things she threw all over.
I laugh as I see it's short shorts. Wow, leave it to Ash to find something else that makes me uncomfortable. Not wanting to waste anymore time I change into them. She gave me a black laced long sleeve shirt. The main part looked like it had a dark corset underneath it as the lace covered it.
She came back out to hand me thigh high black boots. I look at her in incredulity as I point to my boot. The one I can't replace. Not, yet.
"Fashion is about sacrifices. Take it off," she tells me.
I open and shut my mouth. She really was leaving me speechless. "Ash, I can't. I'm healing."
Ash sighs. She goes back into the closet. She comes back with knee high socks and combat boots. I smile as I take one boot and the socks.
I grab my beige jacket and bag before I head out.
Ash clears her throat. I turn to look at her. She extends her arms out. I laugh as I head to hug her.
"Thank you, you're the best. Love you," I tell her. I kiss her cheek as she smiles, "I know," she says. She leaves before I can make it back to the door.
Heading downstairs I find Mark making coffee. "Should you be left alone here?" I tease.
"I burn a kitchen down, once, and now I'm untrustworthy." He shakes his head in disbelief.
I snort as he helps me make breakfast. We manage to make lunch for myself and the Burke's. I was able to make a lot to share with the pack. Mark assured me that chicken pitas are the best option. I didn't argue.
John and Angie joined us as we were finishing eating. Angie looked tired and completely drained. She had bags under her eyes indicating she barely slept. Her eyes were also red showing she had recently cried. John looked just as bad. He kept looking at Angie as if expecting her to fall or break so he can catch her.
"Morning," Mark and I say in unison.
Angie looks up to see us. She looked surprised. Maybe she thought we had left. It was getting late.
"Morning, kids," John says. His voice sounded hallow.
I went to hug them, only John returned my embrace. I kiss them goodbye as I drag Mark outside. He was telling them about the lunch we made them, when he was getting into detail that's when I decided to drag him away.
"I feel so horrible, so useless. I can't think of anything that I can do to help them, to help her," I admit to Mark. We were already driving away. Well Mark was driving. I was having a pity party.
"There's nothing you can do. Like you told John, you can only be there for her. For whatever she might need."
It still didn't change the fact that I felt like I wasn't doing anything to help her.
"Well look at that, lover boy is a man of his word."
I look up to see Ander waiting at the side of the road. My heart flutter.
"Trouble in paradise?" I tease. "You were willing to date him not long ago."
"That still stands. You're the problem," Mark jokes. I snort a laugh as I roll my eyes at him.
"He's cheating on me with you and yet he thinks you're cheating on him with me." Mark shakes his head.
He pulls over right by Ander. He leans over to kiss my cheek before he steps out.
"She tried to jump me but I reminded her she had a boyfriend. You're welcome," Mark tells a stunned Ander.
"Laters, babe. Love you."
"Bye, love you too," I yell after him.
Ander gets in. He still looks a little confused.
"He's messing with you," I tell him.
I put Ash's shades on. "I know. He's just so strange."
I laugh. "Yeah, he's the best."
Ander looks at me, smiling he reaches for my hand. He kisses the back of it before driving away.
He parks next to the Jeep. Which is not my spot but I don't mind.
"Come on, the gang is here."
He opens my door as he helps me out. I told him I didn't need help but he insisted. He carried me on his back.
"Hey guys," he greets them. I give them all a small wave. They still looked tired but more rested than before.
"Hey," Robb greets.
"Where were you two yesterday?" I ask Jay and Diana.
Ander tenses. Oops. Maybe I shouldn't have asked that. I tell Ander to set me down, he reluctantly does.
"You missed Mark showing off his cars. I bet we can all scam him out of one," I joke.
Ander laughs. "He really does love them, doesn't he?"
"More than he loves me for sure. He even loves food more than me."
Some things are more important than others. Mark tells me.
I snort which cause then to look at me weird. "Mark just told me something funny."
Funny? I'm not joking, babes. He says.
Jerk.
He laughs.
"What did he say?" Theo asks me.
"Basically confirming what I said about him loving food and his cars more than me. That jerk."
Ander snorts. He gets me. Good.
"We're suppose to go today. Is that still happening?" Diana asks. She looks worried.
"If you want to. Bass is always up to training with a wolf." I say. Thinking of Bass makes me sad as I still don't know if he's forgiven me.
Want me to hit him? Mark offers.
Leave Bass alone.
Mark laughs in hysteria. He kept saying I was a meme or something. I couldn't understand him.
"If you're not ready for that then you don't have to do it," Ander assures Diana. "You can keep resting. We will need all the rest we can get."
"I want to train," Jay says eagerly.
"No, you'll stay with Diana." Robb says.
Jay looks upset. He wanted to protest but he didn't. That did not sit well with me.
"I'll stay with Diana. Since I can't train either. Jay can join since he'll make it even now."
Robb is shaking his head. He was about to say something.
"Jay, are you sure you want to do it? It's intense and you will get hurt." Ander tells him.
Jay puts a brave front as he says he's ready for anything. Which he clearly isn't. He isn't ready for an Ash and Bass.
"Okay, you will join us tonight." Ander tells him.
Robb looked like he was going to protest but doesn't. Diana comes to stand by me.
"Want to come over to my house?" She asks me. I smile as I nod. She smiles as if she's relieved that I accepted or maybe because she didn't have to train.