Another growl, followed by a huff. Maybe she agrees with me, but I’ve only heard her say five words total, so I’m not sure.
I push off him, and this time he lets me step away. “I’ll see you tomorrow at school, I guess. Unless that’s not a thing anymore. I don’t really know how this works… I guess I’ll just see you around.” I rub my hand over my forehead, rambling without knowing why. We’ve never been awkward before, but that’s all this is at the moment.
I head into the common room to grab my bag, left where I dropped it earlier. My phone lies on the floor nearby, tossed carelessly. No one touched it. Another wave of sadness washes over me**discarded and overlooked, just like my phone. Man… I hate this whole situation.
I grab my things and rush to my room before another wave of tears can hit. I shower quickly, then pull on a sports bra and comfy sweats. Out of habit, I reach for Jeremiah’s t-shirt on my pillow. Halfway through putting it on, I pause, take a deep breath, and pull it off again. I close my eyes, steel myself, fold it carefully, and set it on top of my dresser across the room. I have to start doing this without him.
While I’m at it, I pack a change of clothes for school tomorrow and a set of workout gear for training. I plan to spend as little time here as possible until we figure this mess out.
Once I’m ready, I text Ben to come pick me up.
– Kennedy
Ben’s reply couldn’t be confined to a mere text; he had to call me. “Are you sure about this? Have you even talked to Jer? He’s going to be furious if you just leave without saying a word. Besides, I kind of like having you around.”
His voice grated on my nerves the longer he stalled, so I snapped back, “He doesn’t get a say in this, Ben. I can’t stay here right now, and I need somewhere to go. If you won’t help me, I’ll find someone else.”
There was a pause before he said, “I’m on my way. Just do me a favor and talk to him first. You matter to him.”
I rolled my eyes, already feeling my patience fraying. “Sure, whatever. I’ll see you in a few minutes.”
“No, I mean it**talk to him.”
“Or what, Ben?” My irritation flared again, mood swings joining the growing list of emotions I was wrestling with.
There was a gruff grunt on the other end. “I’ll make you.”
I didn’t even bother responding. I hung up, too frustrated to continue this pointless back-and-forth.
Dragging my two bags down the stairs, I dropped them near the front door and clenched my jaw. I needed to tell Aunt Beth what was going on, or she’d tear the entire packhouse apart looking for me. Strange, I hadn’t seen her when we arrived to meet Rayna earlier**she usually would have smoothed the introduction. Maybe that was why things felt so tense.
Following the sounds echoing from the common room, I didn’t even think to announce myself before stepping inside.
A moan, a grunt, then a sharp female scream shattered the quiet. “WHAT THE HELL?!”
“Oh, sh*t! Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” I shielded my eyes, embarrassed. “I was just looking for Aunt Beth before I left.” I hurried backward, eager to escape.
“Ken, wait! Come back!” I heard frantic rustling of clothing behind me and quickened my pace.
“Nope, not happening. Keep going, I’ll find her myself. Sorry for the interruption.” I pushed down the sting of tears and moved swiftly down the hallway toward the front door. It was clear now**it had taken less than an hour for Jer to be so distracted that I might as well be invisible. ‘Important’ was a word no one could honestly use to describe how he felt about me anymore.
“Ken, stop.” His voice was right behind me, firm and fast. I spun to find him blocking my path. I slammed my eyes shut, dreading what might happen next. I wasn’t about to have his mate attack me for accidentally seeing him naked.
“Where are you going? Why do you have a bag packed? And why are you looking for Mom?” Suddenly, he sounded worried. I mentally rolled my eyes.
“I was going to tell her I’m leaving. Are you dressed? I prefer my eyes where they belong**in my face. I don’t need them gouged out.” I squeezed my eyes tighter, ignoring the rest of his questions.
He chuckled softly. “Yeah, I’m dressed. Now look at me and tell me where you’re going. What’s really going on?”
“I told you**I haven’t been sleeping well. I’m going to stay at Ben’s so I’m not a problem.”
“What are you talking about? I left you my shirt; that usually helps when I’m gone. And since when have you ever been a problem?”
“Are you seriously that dense? The shirt doesn’t work anymore.” I lied, hoping he wouldn’t see through it. “It became a problem the moment you found your mate**who, by the way, you completely forgot to tell about me. She never expected me, judging by the cold welcome when you brought her home. She doesn’t want me here, and you’re not going to choose.”
“I’m right here, you know. Don’t talk about me like I’m not in the room.” Her voice was close behind me. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.