Page 27 of Destined Bear
Cookies on the cooling rack, I joined my mate on the couch. He held up my blanket, knowing exactly how I liked to sit—all snuggled, my feet on his lap, covered in a blanket.
I waited for him to begin.
“Alpha came in today, and I quit my jobs.”
“What?” I hadn’t meant to blurt it out like that, but out of all the things I guessed it might be, not a one of them was that.
“Don’t worry, he didn’t listen to me.”
“I feel like there’s a lot of that conversation I’m not quite understanding.” Like all of it.
“I did talk to him about how I’ve been feeling—like I haven’t been doing any of my jobs right. I haven’t been a good mate, I haven’t been a good chef, I haven’t been a good Beta.”
“You are good at all of those. I hope he told you that you were full of shit.” He was the best mate I could ever ask for and nothing said he was anything less than the right person to be one of Aydan’s Betas. And not being a good chef… I wasn’t even justifying that with a stitch of brain time.
“Yeah, he told me his version of that. But I was thinking… I was thinking of maybe switching my hours around a little bit so I could be home with you more.”
“Is that what you want?” It sounded heavenly to me, but I wasn’t going to push it on him. This needed to be 100% his decision.
“Yeah, because at the end of the day, Finn, I choose you. Always.”
He talked to me about his ideas for hours and days of the week he’d be at the diner and some ideas about hiring, and then it was my turn to talk about what was on my heart.
“I need to feel like I’m not being babysat,” I told him.
“You’re not being...”
I shook my head, cutting him off. “That’s all I wanted to say. I know you mean the best for me, and I know your bear rides you hard—and so does mine. But when I do things that go against what you think I should, it’s not me trying to be a dick. It’s because I’m feeling suffocated.”
He intertwined his fingers with mine. “Is that your way of saying you don’t want me home more?”
“No, absolutely not. I do want you home more. But maybe… could we cut out the babysitters?”
“They aren’t—”
I gave him a daring glare.
“Yes, that means we don’t need them anymore. As long as you promise me that if you ever feel like you do, you let me know.”
“I can do that.” I snuggled into his side. “What are you thinking? Do you want some cookies, or do you want to come with me to help deliver them?”
“Could I do both?”
“Yeah, I think I could handle us doing both.”
I kissed his cheek and then tried to get my legs off his lap and onto the ground so I could get up again. I failed miserably. “Help?”
My mate helped me all the way up and pulled me in for a kiss. “I love you, Finn.”
“And I love you, Patrick. So much.”
Chapter 18
Patrick
“Finn’s not here yet, boss.” I looked up from where I was prepping for the lunch rush to see Archer peering out into the dining area. “I don’t see him outside either.”
I glanced at the clock. My mate was ten minutes past the time he’d normally be here. It was so great having him back in the diner. It was a semblance of normal paired with me being able to scent him whenever I wanted to.