Page 62 of Talk About… Dramay

“What?” I asked, jaw dropping. “How?”

“You both talked about this shop as a mutual endeavor. He planned to help make it happen and I guess he stuck to his word despite being a dick,” Brandon summarized. “You’ve got enough in there and I assumed you were using it, until I accidentally opened one a few weeks ago. There’s more than I imagined in there.”

I was over the constant emotional rollercoaster that was my life. My chest was always aching and it felt like I was forever on the verge of tears.

Where was the anger I expected to cling to? It was safer.

But I was so tired of hurting and hiding.

“I’m going to go next door and get flowers for your mom. You guys take your moment and meet me in the car if you want a ride home,” he said gently.

When he was gone I finally turned to face the guys.

“Come here,” Hudson said, pulling me close and wrapping his arms around me. He was bulky enough to engulf me and I breathed in, wishing yet again I could scent him.

The culmination of the raw emotions, possibilities, and the fear of losing them made it so it was hard to breathe.

I had to fight the urge to shove him off of me, to tell him not to hold me like he cares when this was just a job.

Fuck, I couldn’t even say that out loud if I wanted to.

Before I could figure out how to respond, my phone was going off again. This time it was Cameron’s number.

For a brief moment I wondered if the bond was open again, but when I concentrated on it, there was nothing but emptiness like usual.

Cameron

Meet me on the docks tonight? It’s a good night for a bonfire. Maybe we can catch up and I can get to know your pack a bit?

I could say no. Go to the house and hide in my nonexistent nest.

But I didn’t want to.

Oriana

We’ll be there. Should we bring anything?

Cameron

Let me handle it. You still a whiskey girl?

The thought of a drink after last night made me want to say no, but the thought of all of us hanging out made me respond with a yes.

“We’ve got plans tonight with Cameron on the docks. A bonfire and drinks. He wants to get to know you guys and reconnect with me again.”

“Whatever you want,” Lane said. “We can amp up the flirtiness to get to him. That was always the plan, right?”

A lump formed in my throat and I tried to smile, to swallow it down, but instead I just shook my head and turned, leaving them all where they stood.

An argument broke out but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything more.

Lane

“What just happened?”I asked, watching her walk away. Ever since her dad picked us up it was like her emotions were all over the place. I wanted to reassure her but she was shutting us out.

“You’re breaking her heart. I fucking said to tell her she’s your mate, and here you are, leading her on and she’s bracing for the pain when you leave her at the end of this arrangement,” Roman growled with all the vengeance of a protective mate.

He stormed out after her, leaving us alone in the shop and a lead weight in my gut.