Page 31 of Alpha's Secret Baby
He scowled. Peculiarly, the expression had my lips twitching with fondness.
Confusion flitted over his face before he said, “No, I’m calling you a saint for the way you put up with me back then.”
I couldn’t let it go, and keeping my expression deadpan, I said, “You definitely called me a jackass.”
As his scowl deepened, so did the wave of nostalgia that hit me. He used to scowl at me as much as he used to loom over me. I felt a surge of fondness for him and his actions. Tenderness for him streamed through me, with all the power that I remembered the bond between us having. It was the strength of that feeling that had me hurrying past him, away from his frown that somehow emphasized his handsomeness, and away from the mouth-watering scent of breakfast that I craved even more now. A feeling deep within me, from the power vested in Nuu-Chah, swam through me. It whispered to me that if I ate from the tray, it would nurture the mating bond between mymateand me.
***
It had been a week since Dylan had moved in across the way. I wouldn’t say I was used to it or that I’d found a way of co-existing with my ex-mate living so close by, but my shock had waned. It was Friday night, and as the weekend drew in, I decided it was time to have a break from work and cooking. Wanting a change of scene, I decided to take Fern and myself out for some food. As I noticed the breakfast tray outside my door had been cleared away, a smile crossed my face, and I mused that there was a very willing chef nearby.
I shook away the unruly thought. I, obviously, hadn’t eaten any of Dylan’s breakfasts that he’d left. I was hardly going to drop by for dinner at his place just because I didn’t feel like cooking. Besides, it was important to stay firm for Fern’s sake. I’d already explained to her when she’d asked when we’d next see my friend that I didn’t know. I’d had to explain that his arriving just like that had been wrong. I’d told her we’d had a falling out and that we had a lot to talk about before we made up.
Fern and I took a cab to Wedding, where I’d booked a table at a restaurant Carl had once taken me to. I’d called Carl last week and explained that I had a few things on with family stuff and that I needed a bit of space alone with Fern. He’d sounded disappointed but said he’d understood. The truth was, with Dylan opposite, I needed to get my head screwed on right before Carl, and I could move forward.
As Fern and I stepped onto the sidewalk, I felt as if I had conjured Carl from my thoughts, spying him at the table in the window of the very restaurant we were going to. But… a dark-haired woman leaned over the small, circular table between them planting a kiss on his lips.
I grabbed Fern’s hand, marching her off in the other direction. Getting out my phone, I called Carl. I didn’t expect him to pick up, but he did.
“Hey Hun, is everything all right?”
I almost choked but mastered myself. “Sure, I just wanted to hear your voice. How are you doing?”
“Good, thanks. Just working. No rest for the wicked, right?”
Sickness roiled through me. Wicked indeed. Fury and hurt twisted through me, but once again, I managed to contain it and said, “I’ll leave you to it, and see you soon, night.”
“Night, Hun,” he said, hanging up.
I dialed Lara next and managed to placate Fern with the change of plan, and I pretended to her that I’d just remembered a client’s dress that was being picked up from the store late. Fern prattled on about AJ West for a while, her favorite star that I designed for, while we wandered the square, waiting for Lara to show up.
I’d used the same excuse with Lara as I had on Fern, and our nanny offered to stay the night. I gladly took Lara up on her offer and watched her head off with Fern in a cab. Then, vibrating with anger, I strode right back to the restaurant and right to Carl's table.
His charming smile slipped from his face as he looked up. Snatching the glass of red wine in front of him, I threw it in his face. “You lying snake!” I exclaimed. “It’s over. Don’t you ever come near me again.”
Marching out of the restaurant and into the night, I felt a sense of justice at having given the wicked philanderer his just deserts. But as I climbed into a cab and headed home, hollowness swept through me. I kept tasting bile in my throat as I thought of how close I’d almost come to moving forward with that good-for-nothing jerk.
When I got out of the taxi at home, I knew I should go upstairs and pretend that the “work” crisis had been averted. But it felt like too much effort. They were probably waiting for the pizza order I’d told them to get. I couldn’t stand the idea of trying to pretend that everything was okay when it felt as if my world was falling down. So, I lingered on the steps of my building, unsure about what to do or where to go.
“You know, it’s still quite cold at night in Berlin, even in summer.” Dylan’s voice sounded from behind me.
My lips twitched despite everything that had happened tonight. “So after only a week here, you’re an expert on Berlin’s climate?”
“What can I say? It’s been a very long week,” he answered.
I didn’t know if it was the number of shocks lately or if it was Dylan’s gentle, joking tone, but I wrapped my arms around myself and burst into tears.
In a moment, Dylan’s arms were wrapped around me. He held me until I stopped crying.
As I took a step back from him, my gaze crept up to my window. “Dylan, I can’t let Fern see me like this.”
“I saw Fern and your nanny get back,” Dylan said. “She’ll be fine with Lara for a while, right?”
I nodded, comforted by Dylan’s strong soothing voice and already missing the weight of his arms around me.
“That’s settled then, you’re coming to my house.”
And with that, I didn’t resist as he hugged me to his side, pulling me across the street.