Blue Ridge Bear: Paranormal Romance (North Peak Shifters Book 2) by Haley Weir (1)

Blue Ridge Bear

Chapter 1

“Okay ladies, after you read your monologue, you’ll either be asked to stay for the dance portion or to leave. We thank you all for your time, and hope you continue to come out for auditions,” announces the director. Mikayla continues to stretch while reading her monologue over and over to make sure she has the words perfectly memorized. She isn’t nervous, exactly. If anything, Mikayla exudes confidence at every musical theater audition on Broadway, off-Broadway, and off-off Broadway.

“So, are you ready?” says Mikayla to Sasha. Sasha is seated with her head in her hands, with sweat noticeably staining her gray t-shirt. Mikayla and Sasha are friends through the theater scene, and often see each other at the same auditions.

Sasha lifts her head up.

“Well, I would be more ready if I could get any sleep last night. My neighbors decided to take up playing the bongos. Isn’t that great?” says Sasha, her words dripping with bitterness.

Mikayla can’t help but feel a little relief knowing her direct competition isn’t quite on her a-game. Not that Mikayla would wish a bad audition on anyone. Then again, maybe she would. It’s been almost a year since Mikayla was cast in any productions. Despite putting in long hours with her acting coach, singing coach, and taking a dance class three times a week, Mikayla wasn’t landing any roles. She is not easily broken, though. She’s been through enough devastating family ordeals that life has given her no choice but to toughen up. You are resilient, you are brilliant, Mikayla would say to herself, especially in times of distress or nerves. It’s her mantra that reminds her just how much she can handle.

“Mikayla Andrews,” called out the director. “You’re up,” says the director. “Please, through this door,” she says.

“Wish me luck!” Mikayla says to Sasha.

“Luck, not that you need it,” says Sasha. Mikayla couldn’t tell if Sasha’s well wishes were sincere, but it didn’t bother her. Mikayla takes a look in the full body mirror before walking in. Wavy, brown hair cascades over her shoulders, long enough that it flows half way down her back. Her thin frame is adorned in all black ensemble: a black v-neck, black jeans, and black platform boots with a heel. She always wears heels at an audition. They make her feel powerful, like she can stomp out any insecurity.

Mikayla follows the director, Ashley, into the audition space. In the room were other members of the production team. They are casting for an original musical that will be staged at a small theater off-off Broadway. The script was written by a group of NYU Theater students. It was such a hit that the show is being performed all over the country. Mikayla desperately wanted to nail her audition and be a part of the revolutionary, all-female musical.

“Hi, my name is Mikayla Andrews,” she introduces herself.

“Hi Mikayla, thanks for coming in. We’re very excited to be producing Modern Day Woman: The Musical. What will you be performing today?”

“I’m very excited to be auditioning. I think having an all-female production in 2018 is incredibly powerful, and I-”, Mikayla begins, before getting cut off by Ashley.

“Thanks, Mikayla. What will you be performing?”

“An original piece for an original musical,” Mikayla says.

“Okay, get started whenever you’re ready.”

Mikayla turns around, back to the crew, to take a deep breath and prepare. You are resilient, you are brilliant, she tells herself. She turns around and takes a step forward.

“I remember my first love. I remember how it felt, like the first spring day of the year. I remember being sun kissed, and my first kiss. I remember losing it all. Losing the precious feeling of sunshine on my skin at all times, losing a part of me.” She’s executing her original piece poignantly, hitting every mark. As she begins to step forward for the climax of the piece, her ankle rolls and she collapses to the floor with a shriek.

“Oh, god! Are you okay?” asks Ashley with urgency. Mikayla’s face flushes. She feels her blood boil, angry for making such a fool of herself in front of the directors and production crew.

“I’m fine, I just need to get up. Can I start over?” she asks, still on the ground.

“Of course, but that looked like it really hurt, are you sure you are up to continuing?” asks Ashley.

Mikayla clumsily pulls herself off the ground. She limps back to where she started, but the pain so excruciating she wants to scream. It’s just a twisted ankle, she tells herself.

“I remember my first love. I remember how it felt,” Mikayla begins, her voice quivering. The pain is too unbearable.

“I’m sorry, I can’t do this,” Mikayla says, hot tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She couldn’t tell if it was from the pain or her anger at herself for screwing up so badly. She limps as quickly as she can out of the audition room and waits until she’s outside on the street to let out a heart wrenching sob. So much for resilience, Mikayla thinks to herself as she hails a cab to the emergency room to go get an x-ray.

Chapter 2

“You know when they say ‘break a leg’, they don’t really mean it, right?” says Avery to Mikayla on the phone. Mikayla is in her apartment, with her broken ankle wrapped in a hot pink cast and propped up on her ottoman. If she has to wear a bulky cast for the next eight weeks, she’s going to do it in her own personal style- bold and fabulous.

“Yeah, I wonder if I got that part,” Mikayla jokes to Avery. They both laugh. While Mikayla is frustrated that she’ll be out of the job hunt for the next few months, she’s still able to laugh at her mishaps. She knows she’ll lose her spark if she ever stops being able to laugh at herself. The last thing she needs is to sink into a depressive state while at home bingeing Netflix and recovering. Mikayla reminds herself to always look on the bright side: at least until she can walk comfortably with a boot over her cast.

“It’s kind of incredible that you managed to break your ankle during your monologue and not even during the dance portion,” says Avery with a snicker.

“Alright, I get it,” says Mikayla sharply. She can laugh at herself all she wants, but Avery better not dig into her too hard.

“I’m happy you called me though. I really miss you.” Avery used to be Mikayla’s audition buddy before she found love with a sexy billionaire who lives in a penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side.

“Well, you’re the one who decided to find true love and leave me behind!” says Mikayla playfully. It’s true that Mikayla was a little bit jealous. She dates occasionally, but every guy seems to be a total dud. She’s reasoned that they’re intimidated by her confidence, but a small voice of insecurity in the back of her head still wonders if she’s intrinsically unloveable, doomed to be a lonely spinster.

“It’s crazy, isn’t it?’ Avery responds. “But, hey, listen. I’ve got a crazy idea. Blake and I are headed up to his cabin in Blue Ridge for the summer. I think you should come along.”

“Blue Ridge? Like upstate? I’ve heard it’s beautiful there, but I don’t think I’m exactly in the state to be out in the wilderness, hiking and fishing for food or whatever.”

“Girl, it’s more glamping than camping. You’ll be treated like royalty. You won’t have to lift a hand…or an ankle, “ says Avery. Mikayla can feel the idea growing on her. Getting away from the city may be exactly what she needs to recover. Without auditions to work towards, Mikayla is suffocated by the chaos of Manhattan. It would probably be in her best interest to get some clear mountain air pumping through her lungs while she’s on bedrest.

“You know what? That sounds amazing. I’m in. Plus, you know my sister is getting married upstate this summer, so that will make it easier for me to help with wedding preparation.”

“Perfect! Great! I promise, it’s gonna be an amazing time. I’ll text you all the details and everything! Talk soon!” They hang up.

Mikayla gazes out her window that overlooks the Lower East Side. “See ya!” she says to no one in particular before wobbling over to her closet to find her best mountain outfits.

Chapter 3

“Thanks!” says Mikayla as the driver of the car Avery sent to take her to Blue Ridge helps Mikayla unload her bags. She’s arrived in Blue Ridge, a quaint upstate New York town surrounded by mountains. Mikayla can’t remember the last time she saw mountains, gloriously and almost daunting in their stature. The sun shines on her face, and a cool mountain breeze creates goosebumps all along her arms. She’s at the door of the cabin, propping herself up with one crutch. Soon, she’ll be able to walk without a crutch and just a boot. But, as Mikayla was finding out, recovery is a slow process. She’s just thankful she can be somewhere so beautiful during the process.

The door is cracked open, so Mikayla pushes it open and announces her arrival, expecting Avery to be greeting her.

“I’m here, bitches!” she shouts. Her voice booms through the seemingly empty cabin that, in reality, is more like a mansion in the woods.

“Uh, hello?” a man’s voice calls back.

“Blake?” says Mikayla, starting to wonder where Avery is. She gets her phone and prepares to call her friend, when a strange man appears.

His green eyes immediately catch her off guard, and Mikayla is clearly not the only one surprised. He comes towards her, towering in stature wearing nothing but blue jeans and a white t-shirt that clings to his six-pack. He reaches out a muscular, tan arm to introduce himself, breaking her trance.

“You must be Mikayla. Nice to meet you, I’m Ethan, Blake’s brother and business partner. Avery and Blake just ran into town to run some errands but they’ll be back soon,” he says, flashing a perfectly white and shiny set of teeth. Mikayla can barely make eye contact with the tall man who she assumes must be a model. For someone surrounded by models and actors in the city, she is shocked to find herself so taken aback by the dashing good looks of the man in blue jeans and white t-shirt. His abs are teasing her through the thin fabric. She tries to keep her cool, mustering up a response.

“Hi, I’m Mikayla. Nice to meet you, too.”

“What happened to your leg there?” he said, gesturing towards the hot pink cast.

“Oh, it’s nothing…well, it’s not nothing. I broke my leg. My ankle. At an audition.”

“Right,” says Ethan, “Avery mentioned that you’re an actress. Guess you’re out of work for a while, huh?”

“Yeah, it’s looking like it,” Mikayla says, trying to sound as chill as possible. “Wait, she mentioned me?”

“Yes, did she not mention...me? She made it sound like you were on board for her little scheme. I mean, I told her and Blake not to count on me to follow through, I am not typically one to get set up-” he starts explaining before Mikayla cuts him off.

“Set up? What are you talking about? This is the first I’m hearing of any set up. I thought she wanted me to hang out here so I can recover away from the city.”

“Well, as far as I know, it’s a set up. But I can see you’re not exactly as excited as I thought you might be…”

Mikayla’s mind is racing. She barely brought any cute clothes, and she hasn’t shaved her legs in weeks. The last thing I anticipated was a fling with a mountain man, she thought to herself. She couldn’t help but feel a little angry. Avery clearly withheld information from Mikayla about her intentions for this mountain getaway.

“No, I just didn’t….know. This is all kind of awkward for me, if I’m being completely honest,” says Mikayla. “I’m not exactly at my best,” she says, gesturing towards her injured leg.

“Okay, I can take a hint,” says Ethan. “I’m just going to get back to my yard work. I wouldn’t want to make you feel awkward,” he says, with a clear sting in his words.

“No, wait-” she says, but it’s too late. Ethan walks towards the back of the house and disapears out the door.

Mikayla feels like a fool, which is something she genuinely isn’t used to. She’s sharp, witty, and charming. She nails first impressions. That’s so much of what the theater world is, anyway. Making people like you. She doesn’t want to let this situation ruin her time in Blue Ridge, though. As sexy as Ethan is, he’s clearly a bit sensitive based on their first interaction. Mikayla decides to brush it off, although she still can’t help but wonder what he’s got going on under that t-shirt.

Chapter 4

Mikayla wanders the house slowly, and with a limp, one crutch under her arm. She needs to get settled in a bedroom, but she’s still anxiously awaiting the arrival of Avery. It seems like years had passed since her terrible encounter with Ethan. She can’t stop herself from replaying the scene over and over again, thinking of all the ways she could’ve employed her charm and impressed the hunky man.

She is fixated on his physical appearance. It is as if he walked directly out of the pages of the romance novels she obsesses over each night before bed, a nightly routine carried over from her high school days. She always pictured herself as the effortlessly charming, naturally enticing heroine, but she can’t shake the residual embarrassment from her not-so-smooth first impression. Mikayla sits in the living room. She stares at the cackling fire as the front door opens, and Blake and Avery enter the home.

“Mikayla! Nice to see you,” says Blake warmly.

“Ugh, finally!” says Mikayla, half playfully, half pissed.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry! Sorry!” says Avery frantically, placing down grocery bags. “Hi girl! I’m so glad you made it! Why are you down here alone? Did you meet Ethan?” says Avery in a sing-song voice.

“Yeah. We met. Thanks for the heads up, buddy. By the way, what were you thinking? Not giving me a heads up before introducing me to that... Greek god. Like, seriously. I would’ve brought cuter underwear if I knew what you were up to!”

“I’m sorry. I thought you’d freak out if I told you what I was scheming. I know you don’t like being set up, but I mean, come on! Look at him,”  says Avery with a wink.

“Good genes must run in the family!” adds Blake. “Excuse me, ladies, I’m going go find my brother and we’ll get dinner ready. I’ll start taking your bags upstairs and Avery can show you to your room,” says Blake as he grabs two of Mikayla’s suitcases, one on each strong arm, before disappearing up the stairs.

“Thanks, Blake,” says Mikayla with a quick smile before turning back to Avery, still not satisfied with her weak explanation for blindsiding her with Ethan. She decided to press the issue.

“Yeah, I don’t like getting set up. I also don’t like a surprise set up. Why would you do this to me?!”

“Alright, alright. Mikayla, you’re worrying way too much. He’s a cool guy, I promise. I’m sure you’ll have a chance to make a great second impression,” says Avery calmly.

“Fine. Fine! You’re not wrong. I’m cute! I’m fun!” Mikayla says playfully. “Who wouldn’t want a piece of this?” she says, gesturing to her curves in a facetiously cocky manner.

“That’s the spirit, girl! You’re Mikayla Andrews, queen of the New York theater scene, and enchanter of men!” says Avery. The women laugh together, the tension defused.

“Something like that,” Mikayla says.

Chapter 5

Avery, Blake, Mikayla, and Ethan sit around a table on a beautiful outdoor deck as the day melted into evening, and the sun sets over the mountains. There’s the light hum of wind in the leaves and buzzing of summer bugs. Compared to the constant chaotic noise of Manhattan, it feels silent to Mikayla. She’s sipping her wine with intensity as Ethan sits across the table. It’s unlike her, but Mikayla hasn’t spoken much at all. They’ve finished their meals and are now sipping wine, chatting casually. Mikayla’s working on her third glass. She’s not drunk, but she’s definitely a little buzzed. From the looks of it, everyone else was still nursing their first glass. Great, she thinks to herself. Ethan will be wondering why his brother is attempting to set him up with a drunk.

“You know, I love the city, but there’s something so calming about being in these mountains,” says Blake.

“Totally agree, babe,” say Avery. “Thanks for having us all here! Cheers!” she says with a lift of her glass.

“Cheers!” the gang responds.

“I think I could live here year round and leave the city behind entirely,” Ethan says, to no one in particular.

“Oh, I don't think I could do that. It’s beautiful here, don’t get me wrong. But the city just has so much heart and culture, so many things I couldn’t live without,” Mikayla chimes in.

“So, you’re one of those?” asks Ethan. Mikayla’s almost positive she saw him roll his eyes.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asks, her face feeling hot.

“Just that you’re a city girl. That’s all I meant. No need to get upset,” he says. His brother shoots him a glance across the table.

“Oh, right,” says Mikayla. “Yeah, a city girl. That’s me. To my core,” she responds, trying to keep her cool. She can’t get a read on this guy. Is his idea of flirting with her just to get under her skin? It’s not quite what he’s saying, but how he’s saying it. It’s like he thinks he is better than her. If there’s one thing Mikayla can’t stand, it’s men with superiority complexes. She’s dealt with sexism her whole life, especially when it came to her father and how he favored her younger brothers over her.

“So, Mikayla and I met through auditioning in the city, did I tell you that?” Avery asks Ethan, trying to fill the awkward silence.
      “Yeah, you mentioned it. You know, I’m not one for the theater. No offense. I just really can’t bring myself to sit through a play, let alone a musical,” he says nonchalantly. But to Mikayla, this is a huge offense.

“How can you not like any theater at all? Have you considered that you just haven’t seen anything good?” she says defensively.

“I just don’t. I know what I like and what I don’t like,” Ethan says.

“Oh, well, I-” Mikayla begins her rebuttal, but the wine seems to hit her right at that very moment. “I think there are good musicals and there are bad musicals. There’s good plays and there’s bad plays. To rule out theater in its entirety is pretty dense, in my opinion,” Mikayla says, quickly taking a sip (well, more of a gulp) of wine.

“Hey, you’re entitled to that opinion…and I’m entitled to mine. You will find that I’m not easily swayed. But if you’re willing to try, please, humor me. Lets go to a performance I’d enjoy. A challenge, if you’re willing to accept it,” he says with a playful smile. He’s clearly flirting with her, but the wine coursing through her veins is prohibiting her from understanding his motives.

“You sound like a real know-it-all, you know? You just have the best opinions about everything, and nobody else has any good opinions, right?”

“Uh, Mikayla. If you’re feeling up to it, could you come with me to the bathroom? I feel like there’s something in my eye, could you help me look?”

“Oh, I’ll help you. There’s plenty of light out there, let me just take a look-” Blake says, offering assistance.

“You know what, sweetie, I don’t feel it anymore. I’m actually just going to go inside and get dessert. Mikayla, will you come?”

“Well, don’t make the cripple get up,” says Ethan. Mikayla feels herself getting angier at the world “cripple”. She feels there’s something very patronizing about the word, especially coming from Ethan’s mouth. Ethan’s mouth, made up of perfectly full lips that seem so soft…she finds herself wondering how soft they really are. She imagines what his tongue feels like.

“Mikayla?” says Avery, bringing her back from the dirty thoughts running through her mind.

“Yeah, actually. I would love to stretch my legs, as best I can, at least.”

Mikayla stands up, feeling even more wobbly on her crutches with three generous glasses of wine in her system. They leave the men behind and walk into the house.

“How could you set me up with that guy?” Mikayla practically shrieks as soon as the door shuts behind them. She leans a crutch on the wall and sits on one of the six stools surrounding the kitchen island.

“Where’s the dessert?”

“Well, dessert is some pastries we picked up from town, it’s just one box and I definitely don’t need your help. I just need girl talk. Some one-on-one,” says Avery.

“Right now, why? Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s great. Are you okay, though? I feel so much hostility towards Ethan coming from you. I’m sorry he doesn’t like theater, but you don’t need to be so...aggressive towards him,” says Avery.

“What, me? Aggressive? I’m not the aggressive one! He is! He’s cocky, overconfident, and clearly set in his ways. Like, it’s his opinion or no opinion. You know? I just can’t with this dude, Aves.”

“Huh…so he’s stubborn? Has strong opinions? Doesn’t like being told what to do, or what to like?”

“Yeah, I’ve never met anyone like him before,” Mikayla begins, before Avery cuts her off.

“Oh. I have. I’m talking to her right now,” Avery injects.

“Oh. Shit,” Mikayla replies. Maybe it’s the wine, but she starts giggling uncontrollably. “It’s me. I’m him. He’s me.”

“Something like that,” Avery adds with a chuckle. They’re both giggling now, whether it’s the wine or the realization that Mikayla’s not so different than the guy she seems to detest.

Chapter 6

“So we’ll be back by tomorrow morning, you guys know where everything is, and we’ll leave the keys to the extra car if you need to go anywhere,” says Avery cheerfully, an overnight bag slung over her shoulder. Blake stands next to her with his bag, as well.

“Why exactly do you have to go again?” says Mikayla, not exactly sure if she’s ready for such intense alone time with Ethan. They’ve been hanging in a group for the last few days, so the dynamic is sure to shift in Blake and Avery’s absence. She’s not sure what to expect.

“Business,” says Blake. “Just something pressing I need to take care of.”

“If it’s that pressing, shouldn’t both business partners be there? I just don’t get why I can’t-” Ethan begins to protest.

“Because Blake can handle this on his own, and I’m going with him to do a few errands in the city. We’ll be back before you know it,” says Avery with a beaming smile. Mikayla can see the gears turning in Avery’s mind. Mikayla can smell bullshit from a mile away, and she knows they’re leaving to give her and Ethan some alone time.

“Right. Sure. Have fun with your business, brother,” says Ethan sarcastically.

“Well, we better be going! Bye bye!” says Avery, practically pulling Blake out the door.

“Hey, what’s the rush?” Mikayla shouts behind them, nervous about her alone time with Ethan. Avery can’t hear her as she walks down the long driveway to their car. The house suddenly seems much bigger than it had before. Mikayla is rarely nervous…she doesn’t get stage fright, much less jitters about men. But there’s something about Ethan that intimidates her. Is it the fact that she has finally met her match: someone who challenges her?

“Well, looks like it’s just us,” says Ethan. Mikayla can’t read his tone. Is he excited, or nervous, like her?

“Yeah. It is,” responds Mikayla before an awkward silence befalls them.

After what seems like years but is merely seconds, Ethan shatters the silence.

“Do you want to go for a walk? It’s really beautiful out.” It’s a perfect June morning, with the sun hot, but not too hot. Its due to that mountain breeze that’s become quite familiar to Mikayla.

“Yeah, it’s pretty nice, but I’m really more inclined to walk through a subway station. That’s my favorite smell in the world,” quips Mikayla.

“Oh, really?”
      “No. Not really,” says Mikayla with a smirk.

“So you’re funny, huh?” Ethan says playfully.

“Yeah, I like to think so.”

“Well, I really don’t, so…”

“What?”
      “Gotcha!” Ethan says.

“Ohhhhh, so you’re funny too, huh?” Mikayla replies. This is the closest they’ve gotten to flirting. Mikayla feels butterflies, or maybe just one butterfly.

“Yeah, I like to think so,” he jokes back.

“Well, as much as I’d like to go for a walk, there’s the whole broken ankle thing…” she says gesturing to her foot.

“Right. Duh. Well. Wait, I’ve got an idea,” Ethan says. Before she gets a chance to start asking questions, Ethan has Mikayla scooped up in his arms…his muscular, perfectly sculpted arms. Mikayla isn’t sure if she’s dreaming. He carries her through the house and out the back door to the patio. He gently lays her down on a lounge chair and pulls another one next to her, positioning the chairs to face the beautiful scenery of Blue Ridge.

The cabin has a huge yard, a lush green pasture with a small lake. Beyond the yard are trees that look so small, but must be towering up close. There’s a shed, a patio with a chimenea, and a hot tub. Birds fly overhead, fish fill the lake, and bees buzz in the bush. Mikayla is definitely not in New York City anymore.

“See? Outside, but seated. And you didn’t even have to walk there!”

“Yeah, thanks for the lift. So, what, you’re like one of those big buff types? Do you think you’ll impress me with your brute strength?”

“Actually, yes. That’s exactly what I anticipated. Did it work?”

“You think I’m that easy?” Mikayla says facetiously.

“Well, yes,” he replies. They both laugh. It seems like they’re finally on the same page. Mikayla could get used to being scooped up and carried like shes living on the set of a cheesy rom-com. Suddenly, the tone changes. Ethan turns to Mikayla. His green eyes sparkle even more in the sunlight, bringing out yellow specks that seemed to dance.

“I need you to do something for me tonight,” he says. The playful and light tone of their banter is completely nonexistent. Mikayla worries that he’s about to propose something that she isn’t quite ready to do. She remains silent, waiting with bated breath to find out what he could possibly request of her.

“I need you to tie me up in that shed,” he says, pointing.

“Ha! Good one,” Mikayla says, feeling silly for being anxious when he clearly only planned to mess with her.

“I’m serious. I need you to tie me up in the shed. Before we go to bed,” he says. She sees in his green eyes that he’s not joking.

Her mind starts to race and before she can filter her thoughts, she blurts out, “I’m not doing any kinky sex stuff with you. I know we’re getting along, but if you think because we’re having one nice afternoon together, I’ll suddenly let you get me alone in a shed to tie you up, you’ve got another thing coming, buddy.” She’s speaking faster than she’s thinking. She prepares to get up from the lounge chair and make her way to her bedroom when Ethan puts his hand on her arm. It’s an electrifying jolt. She doesn’t shake him off, and he doesn’t remove his hand. They sit in silence for a brief moment before Ethan responds.

“Mikayla, it’s not like that. It’s nothing like that,” he says. “I mean, I wish it could be like that…but here and now, it is not like that. I promise,” he says. She can tell that he means it.

“What’s it like, then?” Mikayla says skeptically.

“I’m a shifter. A bear shifter,” he says.

“Okay, are you done? Are you done messing with me?”

“I’m not messing with you. I’m a shifter. Just like my brother...just like my brothers you don’t yet know,” he says, gazing towards the woods.

“Right,” says Mikayla, sarcastically. It’s one thing to joke, but if he thinks she’s an idiot who will believe any tale he tells her, he’s going to have a rude awakening. Mikayla can handle a lot, but she will not deal a man trying to belittle her intelligence. “If you think this is funny, fine. Have your laugh. You know what? I’ll even go with it. If you want to be tied up so badly, sure, I’ll tie you up. You can spend the night in the shed. That’s your prerogative,” Mikayla says.

She’s not sure why she’s so upset. Maybe it’s because she thought they were having a break through in their friendship, but really he’s just trying to get under her skin again. She shakes his hand off of her arm and pushes herself up, beginning to hobble to the house.

“Wait, Mikayla. Please. Do you want me to give you a lift?” he asks. He seems genuinely upset that she’s leaving him behind, so she turns around to face him.

“No. I’m good. I just need some me time, I think I got it,” she says, continuing to slowly walk towards the house. She’s gotten used to using the boot instead of her crutches, but she still isn’t quite ready to run a marathon.

“Please just come meet me on the patio at 10 P.M. I’ll show you what I’m talking about. I’ll explain everything the best I can,” he says.

“I’ll consider it,” Mikayla says before disappearing into the house.

Chapter 7

      Mikayla is sitting in her bed reading a book. She checks her phone for the time. 9:46 P.M. It’s been a long day of sitting around and reading by herself. She takes a few deep breaths, realizing she can’t leave this situation open-ended. Unsure of what exactly Ethan has planned for their 10 P.M. meeting, she starts to get herself ready to go to the back patio and meet him. She runs a brush through her long hair, and touches up her eyeliner that had smudged since the morning. Next, she sprays a little bit of perfume. Then, she starts feeling silly for worrying about her appearance. This isn't exactly a date…or is it? She really can’t be sure. But, the last thing she wants is to be caught off guard, so she makes herself look good to help herself feel more confident for whatever lie ahead.

She makes it downstairs to the back patio, and just as planned, Ethan is there waiting for her. He’s back in his classic blue jeans white shirt combination, looking as dashing as ever.

“Hey, you made it!” Ethan says, greeting her with a quick hug.

“I decided I just had to see what you are planning here,” she says. She feels that butterfly in her stomach again. Were they on a date?

“Not really much more than getting me tied up. Follow me, I’ll show you,” he says. Mikayla decides to break her rule of not going into mysterious sheds with men who are practically strangers. She may not trust him fully, but enough to feel safe with him. They walk to the shed, and just as Ethan had said, there were ropes awaiting them. 

“I have so many questions. Like, for example, if you’re a ‘bear shifter’,” she says with overwhelming doubt and a pair of air quotes, “then fine. Sure. Why am I tying you up? What’s this all about? Do we have to tame your big bad bear?”

“That’s exactly it. Yes. Can you help me with this?” he says. Mikayla complies and starts tying Ethan up, knotting the ropes around his perfectly toned body.

“If I lose control, I need to be restrained. It’s for everyone’s safety, including my own,” he explains. “Normally, Blake or Avery will do this for me, but since they’re not here, its your turn!”

“Oh, so Blake and Avery know about this?” she says, still not buying a word of his story.

“Well, of course. Blake’s a shifter, too. That’s kind of how he met Avery, as far as I know. He put up an ad, seeking help for keeping his bear controlled back in the city,” Ethan says, matter-of-factly. “She didn’t tell you any of this?”

“Nope, she must have forgotten to tell me about her werebear boyfriend. I guess we’re not as close as I thought we were!” she says sarcastically.

“You’ll see. You’ll just have to see,” he says. “Will you stay here until I fall asleep? It’s lonely out here,” he says. He seems very earnest, which is endearing. If he’s this committed to a gag, the least she can do is stick around to see it play out.

“Yeah, no problem. I’m here,” Mikayla says. She likes the way it sounds, having someone who wants her as company.

Chapter 8

“You know, I have a lot of trouble trusting people,” says Mikayla to Ethan. It’s now just past 11 P.M., and they’re both still awake.

“Yeah, same here.”

“I blame my family for my trust issues, personally,” Mikayla begins. “How about you?”

“There’s family stuff, of course, but a lot of my issues of security and trust stem from the fact that my body isn’t entirely in my control. I don’t decide when the...beast in me makes an appearance. I shift most often when I’m angry or sensing danger, and there’s nothing I can do to stop myself. It’s a bad feeling, not being able to help yourself and relying on other people to keep you in check,” he says. Mikayla has stopped trying to convince him to drop the whole bear thing.

“I know what you mean. Having this broken leg, I need help from other people to get around and carry things. I don’t like relinquishing control. It’s just not how I operate,” she says.

“So what it is about your family?” Ethan questions her. They’re both leaning against the wall of the shed, Ethan bound and Mikayla free to leave, but happy to stay and have someone to talk to. She loves talking with someone into the night. It reminds her of summer flings in high school. They would stay up late to sit in the back of a pick-up truck, stare up at the stars, and talk about each others their deepest secrets, fears, and dreams.

“Well, it’s a lot. I have one sister, three younger brothers. My sister is actually getting married in a few weeks right around here, so we’ll all be together. I really love my siblings. And I love my dad, and my mom, for that matter, it’s just so complicated.”

“I understand complicated.”

“My dad’s always favored my other siblings over me. His oldest daughter is his pride and joy, and he loves his sons because they’re his boys. Then there’s me,” she says, her mind traveling through distant memories of family events where she was forced to take a backseat to all of her siblings, literally and emotionally.

“Then there’s you,” Ethan says softly, staring deeply into Mikayla’s eyes. He’s hanging on to every word she says.

“And then there’s all this stupid stuff with my mom. She and my dad have been divorced forever, which doesn’t bother me all that much anymore, but when I was in high school she started dating this dude who is just total scum. Like, I hate that guy. I hate him. He was an asshole to all of us kids, but specifically me, or at least it felt that way. The summer after I graduated was really bad. In the end, I had to move out sooner than expected. She sold our childhood home and moved into a trailer with her gross boyfriend. It just hurts so bad, no matter how many ways I try to reason with it, it still feels like she chose him over me. We were so close when I was younger. Everything changed so quickly,” she says. Her cheeks flush with embarrassment when she realizes how much she’s overshared. “I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to dump all that on you,” she says.

“I asked. Thank you for sharing with me.”

She smiles. “Now its your turn,” Mikayla says.

“Well, to be fair, I’ve tried to share with you and you’re refusing to believe me,” he says, but he’s not mad. He really seems like he wants to her to understand, but she can’t wrap her mind around the idea. Mikayla’s brothers used to make up lies just to prove that she’s gullible, so she’s become weary of believing in tall tales.

“I’ll believe it when I see it, then,” Mikayla says. Ethan is leaning closer to her now, his face mere inches away from hers.

Then Ethan pulls away and starts talking.

“I have two brothers, Blake and Douglas. We’ve always gotten along, but it’s been complicated giving the way we all…are. You know, when you choose to believe it. We fought a lot as kids, but our fights would get really violent. We never meant any harm, we just had all of this extra emotion swirling around inside of us. We would disappear into the woods for hours, to really let go and try to understand. Blake got better at controlling it before any of us. He’s always been really strong and…put together. Douglas is still learning like I am, I guess. We used to scare our mom so much coming home in tattered clothes, or no clothing at all. Sometimes there was blood. She tried separating us because she was afraid of what we were up to. My dad isn’t in the picture, really. So I get what it’s like growing up with separated parents.”

“Wow...that sounds like it was a lot for your mom,” is all Mikayla can muster up. She is having trouble separating reality from fantasy. She wants to accept everything he’s told her, but it goes against her better judgement.

“Yeah,” is all Ethan says.

“Yeah,” says Mikayla. Her face is so close to his she can feel his warm breath. She’s staring at his mouth, wondering what it would feel like against hers. He must have noticed where her eyes were straying, because he leans in.

His lips lightly brush hers. She looks into his green eyes and presses her mouth against his, finally feeling just how soft his lips are. He slides his tongue into her mouth, swirling and massaging. Mikayla feels dizzy and light. There is a warm feeling like liquid sunshine coursing through her entire body.

Ethan and Mikayla are kissing hard when she wraps her arms around his neck, and runs her fingers through his hair. He moves from her mouth to her neck, lightly kissing, and then increases in intensity until he’s gently biting. As he kisses her neck, Mikayla already feels excitement between her legs. She is sitting on his lap now and she’s in bliss. She feels his arousal as she straddles him. Mikayla grinds on him, slowly rocking her pelvis back and forth. She’s wet now, wishing there was no clothing between them. She wants to consume him in his entirety and let him enter her with his throbbing member to rock her world continuously.

In the heat of the moment, Mikayla unties Ethan and he gets on top of her. He presses his body against hers, continuing to dry hump her while kissing her neck, then biting, then back to kissing. Mikayla lets a low moan slip out, and upon hearing her sounds of pleasured approval, Ethan’s erection hardens.

He begins to work his way down her body, taking in every part of her. He slides his tongue down her neck, lightly kissing every inch until he reaches her breasts. Pulling her shirt over her head, Ethan begins to kiss all over her perfectly plump breasts. He unhooks her bra without fumbling and throws it across the shed. Mikayla giggles in sheer delight, her heart racing and her toes curling.

Ethan kisses her breasts, one at a time, then sucks on her nipple, biting just a little bit. Mikayla feels like she’s already ready to explode. She is desperate for him to slide his cock inside her, but he’s taking his time with her. She loves it every moment of it.  He’s now working on the other nipple, and comes up for a breath.

“Tell me you want this,” he says, cupping her breasts with his hands and massaging them like he can’t believe they’re real and they’re in his hands.

“I want this. I want you,” she says, hoping that’ll be enough to get him to pull her shorts and her panties down, and slide himself into her.

“Tell me again,” Ethan says breathily. He gets off on hearing her say it, and he wants her to say it over and over until she’s screaming. But he moves gently and kindly, worshipping her body and her soft skin.

“I want you. I want you. I want you!” Mikayla says as he moves his lips down her body, grazing her stomach and approaching her essence. She pushes his head down, fingers in his hair, as he works her clit with his tongue. He uses his tongue to trace circles on her throbbing clit. She’s so wet, and he loves the physical response that lets him know he’s hitting all the right spots. He licks her, enjoying her taste.

Mikayla feels like she might finish any second. She wants to keep going, she wants him inside of her desperately, but she isn’t sure she can hold on much longer. When she feels like she’s about to cum, he moves back up her body with his mouth, meeting her face to face again. Now, his finger is inside of her, rubbing her clit over and over as little squeals escape from Mikayla.

“Give me all of you, I’m ready,” says Mikayla.

“Not yet,” he says, a smile creeping across his face. He rolls onto his back and pulls her on top of him. It’s her turn to perform.

Mikayla unzips his shorts, letting out his beast of a cock. She’s excited and she’s ready, but first she rubs her hand up and down, knowing just the right spot to make his toes curl. She puts her mouth on his penis, sucking him as hard and as passionately as she possibly can, wanting desperately to have him inside of her. She likes being on top, being in control. She likes having her hand (and mouth) on the steering wheel, directing the show as she sees fit.

He finally slips into her, and she rides him hard. The feeling of him inside of her is like no drug she’s ever had before. She’s dizzy in the best way, her head light with ecstasy as she grinds up and down, up and down, up and down, until finally, he lets out a great big moan and finishes. But he’s a gentleman, so he immediately rolls Mikayla onto her back and goes down on her once more.

Now it’s his turn to do the work. He’s thrusting his tongue inside her with vigor, going as deep inside of her as he can. He’s making sure to lick her in all the right places. He is still feasting upon Mikayla as her back arches and she lets go, finally experiencing the sweet release of completion. They lay next to each other, breathing heavily, their hearts racing, and adrenaline rushing.

Mikayla and she lays her head on Ethan’s chest and listens to his heartbeat. She wants to live in that moment forever. She’s cozy and safe, with the butterflies in her stomach dancing in circles, fluttering in rhythm with Ethan's heart beat. She feels sleepiness overcome her and her eyes begin to close. She doesn’t fight the urge, figuring she’ll just remain in the moment as long as possible. She has no idea how everything is about to change after this moment.

Chapter 9

When Mikayla opens her eyes, the first thing she notices is that she is in complete darkness. She’s still in the shed, but it must not be morning because there’s no light creeping through the windows. She remembers letting herself fall asleep on Ethan’s chest. She stands up, noticing that he is nowhere to be found in the shed. His clothes are still in a clump on the floor, a reminder that he was here and that their night together did happen. She opens the door to the shed, and the yard is lit by a lantern. Her eyes adjust to the dim lighting, only to meet face to face with a giant brown bear. She can’t mistake those green eyes with their dancing yellow speckles: it’s Ethan.

“Mikayla,” he says with in a low voice. She stays silent, shocked and trying to come to terms with what is in front of her. She tries to pinch herself awake, certain she’s having some sort of bizarre dream. Mikayla isn’t afraid, though. In fact, she feels calm with the giant grizzly bear.

“I’m a shifter, Mikayla,” Ethan continues. “I run in a pack with Blake. There are others. There’s so much I want to share with you, to show you about my world. I don’t want you to be afraid.”

“I’m not afraid. I guess I just was always a skeptic about...all of this. This world. I really guess I had to see it to believe it,” she says in awe. She begins to reach her hand out, to stroke his fur and fully accept the reality of what is right before her eyes, but she stops herself.

“Can I?”

“Of course,” says Ethan.

Mikayla reaches out. She is calm and gentle. She feels safe and secure. Ethan curls up next to her, still huge even when he’s not standing, and she pulls over one of the lounge chairs next to his resting spot. She lies comfortably while stroking his fur. If this is a dream, it’s a sweet dream, and she’ll savor every moment of it.

Suddenly, Ethan rises and darts away into the forest and disappears. Mikayla sits up, not sure if she should wait for him. But it’s buggy outside, she’s tired, and possibly delirious, so she begins to hobble slowly into the house. She makes herself comfortable on the couch where she’ll wait for Ethan to return, in whatever shape or form.

Chapter 10

Mikayla is woken up by Ethan. He’s back in his clothes, looking like he haphazardly threw them on without even buttoning his pants. Mikayla notices his shirt is inside out. He’s not wearing any shoes, and he’s dirty. Mikayla wonders what he’s been up to all night. Where did he run off to after they passed out in the shed?

“I’m sorry I left you like that,” Ethan says. “And…I’m sorry I look like....this,” he says. Mikayla giggles. She can’t help but think he looks rugged and sexy. She doesn’t mind a guy who can get a little dirty. As soon as Mikayla saw Ethan, the butterflies in her stomach started up again. But what does he mean by “left her”? Mikayla’s mind starts to race, and she begins to put together the pieces from the events of last night. She can’t distinguish reality from her dreams.

Ethan continues. “I felt so calm and safe when you were sitting with me, petting me. I’m so used to being alone in that shed, tied up so I can’t hurt myself, or worse. I was just so calm I began to...shift back. I had to go-,” he explains. But Mikayla interjects.

“Petting you?” she says in shock. He really was there. So that was not a dream.

“Petting me,” he confirms. “Mikayla, we can never do that again. You can’t be with me when I’m like that,” he says. He’s very serious. “It was my mistake. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

What? You don’t think I can handle it?” Now she’s defensive. She can handle anything. This she is sure of. She’s always been sure of her ability to cope and manage whatever life throws at her.

“I think you can handle it. I do. It’s just not safe. For either of us,” says Ethan.

“What’s not safe? You were so...gentle,” she says.

“I’m unpredictable, Mikayla. There’s so much you don’t know,” he says.

“But I want to know. Please.”

“Mikayla, this is a dark burden I carry with me. I’m not proud, and I feel trapped. You can’t imagine what it’s like,” he says. He’s right. She can’t imagine shifting. But she does know what it’s like to feel trapped. Suddenly, she felt a wave of sadness for Ethan.

“I’m so sorry,” she says softly.

“Don’t be sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel bad. I just don’t know how to talk about this with a human. I’ve never really had the opportunity,” he says.
      “You can tell me anything. I’ll try to understand,” Mikayla says. Human. Mikayla’s never been distinguished from others as “human” before.

“Thank you. We just have to take it slow,” he answers.

“We didn’t take things slowly last night,” Mikayla responds, and she wants to smack herself for saying something so cheesy. Ethan laughs. The heavy sadness that permeates the room is relieved for a moment.

“Well, I  guess not like that. That we can do again. And again…and again,” Ethan says.

Mikayla blushes. “So, it’s true about Blake then, too?”

“It is. Avery knows. I didn’t know if that’s something girls would share with each other when talking about boyfriends and stuff,” Ethan says. Mikayla laughs.

“No, she didn’t mention it. Maybe she thought I would not have believed her. She would’ve been right.” 

“I could see why,” says Ethan.

“So, every night you’re chained up?” Mikayla can’t wrap her mind around it.

“Yes. I have dreams that get me fired up and cause me to shift in my sleep. Sometimes I just shift because I have to. It doesn’t feel good to resist it too many days at a time,” he explains.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s hard to explain. I get really on edge. My muscles ache. I can’t sleep. It’s almost like withdrawal. My body needs certain things it can only get when I am in my other form.” He almost looks ashamed when he says it. “Can you help me?” he asks.

“How?”      

“Every single night. The ropes. Who knows what could happen if I get loose in the middle of the night…it’s just too risky. Blake helps me, and in the city, I have my assistant help. Out here when Blake is away, or with Avery- well, I could just really use for the next few weeks,” he says.

“Okay,” Mikayla says without doubting her answer for a moment.
“But,” she continues, “you have to do one thing for me.”

“And that is?”

“Go with me to my sister’s wedding. It’s in a week from Saturday,” she says. She planned on going alone, but she was sure her sister would be overjoyed to have a last minute guest. She’s been practically begging Mikayla to find a date.

“Well, I typically don’t do weddings. But I guess I’ll make an exception,” says Ethan. He smiles. Mikayla is excited, but she hopes Ethan doesn’t get the wrong idea about the wedding date. It’s not just a favor. She would be fine to go alone as planned. Mikayla just loves the idea of having him at her sister’s wedding. She really loves the idea of Ethan.

ACT II

Chapter 11

      Mikayla rests her head on Ethan’s shoulder. They’re laying on the couch with Avery and Blake sitting near them on the other couch. It is a muggy night, too warm and sticky to sit outside around the firepit like they had been the past few nights. Mikayla feels giddy, like she’s in high school again. It feels like telling her parents she’s at her friend’s house when she was really sneaking out to hang with her crush. There’s something about a summer fling that will always feel youthful to Mikayla.

However, Mikayla doesn’t want to repeat mistakes from past relationships. She doesn’t want to fall head over heels for someone who is going to drop her when the summer nights get colder and the leaves start falling. Mikayla decided that if she is going to go for this, she’s setting some rules for herself. She does not want to get too attached. Plus, Mikayla isn’t one to forgo her independence for a man. 

For Mikayla, balance is essential. She’s weary to give herself over completely to something only to have the rug pulled out from under her, leaving her with nothing but a name in her metaphorical Little Black Book. Just one more ghost in her closet. She muffles the voice that tells her there’s something different about Ethan.

“It’s getting late,” Mikayla says to Ethan. It’s almost 2 A.M., and Mikayla realizes Avery and Blake are passed out on the couch. If Blake is what Ethan is, why he doesn’t need to be shackled up like Ethan? Mikayla wonders. Does Blake have a better way to control his inner beast, or is it Avery’s influence? Has finding his one true love tamed him? Mikayla wonders if there’s hope for her and Ethan to have something resembling normalcy, but she quickly shakes the thought away. Planning for a future together creates a fantasy situation out of what is most likely a fling and nothing more.

“I guess it is late,” Ethan agrees. He stands up and stretches. A little bit of his rock hard abs peek through from under his shirt, and Mikayla sneaks a glance. He catches her eyes and winks.

“Don’t tease me,’ says Mikayla playfully. She stands up. She’s gotten much better at walking with the boot. She thinks she’ll be able to at least dance to a few songs in a week. Her sister’s wedding is swiftly approaching, and Mikayla’s nervous about introducing her date to her family, especially her brothers.

“I’m no tease,” Ethan says. He grabs Mikayla’s face with his big hands. Her cheeks feel warm. She looks up at him and their mouths meet, they exchange a kiss that is so gentle, soft, and sexy that Mikayla nearly goes weak in her knees. She’s worried she’s getting too caught up in her feelings and pulls away.

“Let’s get you ready for bed,” Mikayla says. She’s been tying him up for a few days, but she can’t help but still feel a bit weird about the whole situation. Sure, there’s the fact that the man she’s sleeping with literally shifts into a bear, but then there’s the other aspect that freaks Mikayla out: how much he depends on her. It is not like Mikayla to be responsible for someone else. She doesn’t exactly have maternal extincts, but she knows how to be a good friend, at least. She questions how exactly she would define her relationship with Ethan.

“Hey?” Ethan says, breaking Mikayla’s train of thought. She wonders how long she let her mind race.

“Sorry, I’m just tired,” she says. “Let’s go.” Hand in hand, they make their way out the back door.

Chapter 12

It’s morning. Avery and Mikayla are in the kitchen hanging out in their pajamas, sipping iced coffee. Blake is out back doing yard work. Mikayla hasn’t seen Ethan yet this morning. She wishes she could wake up next to him, but is opting not to sleep on the cold floor of the shed. Plus, she isn’t sure if it’s safe. She’s still learning the ways of the bear world.

“So, Blake hired you to shackle him every night?” Mikayla says in shock. Avery is finally sharing the details of her romance with the rich Manhattan hunk.

“Basically, yes. It’s crazy how these things happen, am I right?”

“Pretty damn crazy,” says Mikayla. She wonders what will happen when everyone moves back to the city in a few weeks. Will Ethan hire her as a live-in assistant and caretaker? Or does he have someone else for that? Mikayla sips her coffee.

“Something on your mind?” Avery asks.

“Yeah, just a few things,” says Mikayla sarcastically. “I just don’t know what to make of Ethan and I. You know, we haven’t slept together since the first night that everything...happened.”

“Well, he’s clearly still into you. I see how you guys interact. You seem like more than just friends.”
      “Oh, without a doubt more than friends. But then it gets kind of gray,”

“Maybe you can get some answers, because it looks like someone’s awake,” Avery says, pointing. Mikayla turns around to see Ethan. His t-shirt is in shreds, just barely on his body at all. His jeans are tattered. He looks disheveled, like he spent the night running through the woods. It’s likely he was doing exactly that.

“Good morning, ladies,” says Ethan.

“Ethan,” Avery says, raising her glass in greeting.

“Hey you,” Mikayla says.

“I gotta go switch my laundry,” says Avery. She darts out of the room, leaving Mikayla and Ethan on their own. Avery is always so sneaky with her little setups. Mikayla is starting to wonder if this little game of matchmaker is all for Avery’s own pleasure and has nothing to do with her.

“Speaking of laundry,” Mikayla says to Ethan. “Do you have a suit here to wear to the wedding?”

“Right…the wedding,” Ethan says, clearly not having thought of the event since she asked him to attend.

“You know it is only in a few days, right?” says Mikayla.

“Of course. Yes,” he replies, but Mikayla is skeptical.

“Well, the suit?” she asks.

“I’m not really a suit guy,” Ethan mutters, shrugging.

“It’s a wedding, Ethan,” says Mikayla.

“You told me it was a casual, small thing, Mikayla,” he retorts. He’s not wrong. Mikayla told him that the wedding would be no more than 25 people, mostly family and a few of bride-to-be Catherine’s closest friends.

“Well, just because it’s small doesn’t mean it’s not a wedding. Wedding usually means suit,” says Mikayla. I won’t let my date be the only one underdressed, she thinks to herself.

“Being that my invite was last minute, I’m sure your sister will understand if I don’t have a suit ready to go,” says Ethan. Mikayla feels her blood start to boil.

“You know, I’ve let you count on me all these nights. I haven’t overstepped boundaries, or asked too many questions about your personal stuff. I haven’t asked for much from you,” Mikayla says. She’s getting more and more upset as the silence grows, and is embarrassed to have tears in her eyes. “If you don’t want to come to the wedding, just tell me. I can’t make you do anything.”

“Mikayla,” Ethan says. “I’m sorry. I’m just so new at all of this.”

“New at what…society? I find that kind of hard to believe, Ethan. Aren’t you a business owner? Don’t you own a suit?” Mikayla can’t believe how worked up she is getting about something as seemingly insignificant as a suit. 

“I am not really as involved as we let people think. That’s mostly Blake at this point. I’ve been increasingly...unpredictable these past few years. I don’t know what’s happening with me, but it’s best for me to stay in Blue Ridge for most of the year. I’m rarely in the city anymore,” Ethan explains.

“Are you too unpredictable to come to this wedding with me?” Mikayla asks.

“Are you so selfish that you can’t even hear what I’m telling you about how hard this has been for me?” Ethan fires back.

“Selfish? I’m selfish? You’re the one that needs me constantly. For all I know, that’s the only reason you went along with Avery’s match making scheme in the first place. Because you need to use me,” Mikaya says. She’s furious, but she’s speaking calmly and candidly.

“Do you really think that, Mikayla?” Ethan asks, and the look in his green eyes makes it clear that he’s truly hurt by her accusations. Mikayla’s anger turns to sadness. She never meant for her summer fling to become so intense.

“No,” Mikayla says. And she doesn’t. She wants to go back to the first night, before secrets were revealed, and the only thing exposed was the skin under their clothing as they gave all of themselves to the other.

“Okay, good,” says Ethan. He steps closer to her and places his hands on the small of her back. Ethan puts his mouth on Mikayla’s. He works her mouth, swirling his tongue, and pressing his lips into hers. There’s that giddy feeling again. Mikayla kisses back. They’re pressing their bodies into one another, and Ethan gently picks up Mikayla with his huge arms. She loves the feeling of being supported by him. He drops her down on the living room couch. He’s on top of her now, breathing heavily as he slides down her shorts and then pulls her shirt over her head. He unzips his pants and reveals his erection.

“Avery could be back up here in any second,” Mikayla says, but she makes no effort to resist what’s happening.

“We’ll have to be quick, then,” Ethan says. He continues to kiss her all over. He slides his erection into her, and they both notice the pool of moisture that has formed between her legs. She feels incredibly naughty and sneaky with the risk of getting caught looming over her. He’s inside of her, pumping hard and fast, but leaves one hand pushing on her clit. Ethan’s pleasuring in her in every way possible. He thrusts, up and down, up and down, riding her like it’s his job. She begins to let out a squeal of pleasure, but Ethan gently covers her mouth with his massive hand.

“Shh,” he says, moving up and down. Up and down. He grinds on Mikayla, his cock throbbing and Mikayla’s toes curling.

“I’m almost done,” he says, his hand still on Mikayla’s mouth. For a woman who typically doesn’t like being pushed around or told what to do, she’s extremely turned on by this man, with his hand on her mouth, playing a risky game and trying not to get caught.

“I’m close,” he says again, riding her even harder. Mikayla can’t hold on any longer. She finishes, with full body chills consuming her as she reaches orgasm. Turns out Ethan wasn’t the only one who was close. He finishes moments later, and Mikayla feels the aftershocks of her massive orgasm. Her mind is fuzzy, like she’s drunk. Ethan lays on top her, collapsed over with satisfaction.

Mikayla loves the moment they’re having. She wants to stay in that silence, not worried about unpredictable shifting or wedding suits, but basking in the glow of pleasuring one and another like neither of them have been pleasured before. Ethan jumps off of Mikayla when he hears the back door opening, and Mikayla quickly throws her pajamas back on.

Blake enters the room and waves silently at the two, headphones and work gloves on. He hadn’t noticed a thing as he heads straight upstairs to clean up. Mikayla and Ethan exchange a giggle and a high five. Mikayla sighs. She’s sitting next to Ethan now, her head leaning on his shoulder as they stare straight ahead at a television that isn’t on. Her fingers are interlaced with his. They play with each others fingers in special silence. It is a silence that’s comfortable and safe, a silence that allows their synced heart beats to be the only sound in the room.

Chapter 13

“So he’s hot?” Mikayla’s sister Catherine questions her through the phone.

“So, so hot,” Mikaya replies.

“Can you believe it’s one week away?” Cat says.

“Can you?!” Mikayla squeals with excitement. Cat has been with her fiance William for nearly seven years, and Mikayla knows just how important this day will be for her sister. Cat was never much of a romantic until she met William.

“Hardly! I can’t believe it’s finally happening. I mean, he’s the man of my dreams, Mikayla. Is that corny? He’s so patient and loving and kind. He helps me grow. Like, we’re not one of those couples who have become one person, you know? We encourage each other to evolve and explore and maintain our independence,” Cat says.

“Okay, now you’re just bragging. Save it for the vows,” Mikayla teases. But, somewhere deep down, Mikayla feels off. It has nothing to do with Cat and William and everything to do with herself. Yeah, Ethan is hot, as she assured her sister several times within their ten minute phone call, but is hot enough? He’s dependent on her, perhaps too dependent, on top of the whole werebear thing. She wonders if it’s maybe too complicated and not worth pursuing. It’s just a summer fling, after all. While she has feelings for him, she’s an expert at burying them deep, deep down to things easier for their inevitable split.

“Well, I gotta run. Final dress fitting!”

“Okay. Good luck, bye,” Mikayla says, and her sister picks up in the shift in her tone of voice.

“You sound upset? What’s going on?”

“It’s nothing.”
      “It’s never nothing,” Cat says, “You can’t lie to me. You should know this by now.”

“I’m just wondering if I’m making a mistake bringing Ethan to the wedding. He’s not that important. I’m not sure if it’s good to bring him around family and stuff,” Mikayla wonders aloud.

“Is he a nice guy?” Cat asks.

“Yes, definitely,” Mikayla responds.

“Does he have anything like, majorly weird about him?”

Funny she should ask. “Not a thing,” replies Mikayla, lying through her teeth.

“Well, then, he sounds like a good enough wedding date. Remember: I’m the one getting married, not you,” Cat gently reminds her sister.

“I know, I know. But I’m sick of wasting my time, you know? How many guys who are ‘just good enough’ come in and out of life regularly? I just want what you and William have. Something real.”

“And I really, truly believe you’ll find that. You’re a catch, sis.”
      “Thanks, sis,” Mikayla says. “I hope you’re right.”

Chapter 14

“So, what do you guys think about going out tonight? Mikayla, are you feeling up for it?”

Mikayla’s ankle is doing significantly better. She’s enjoying her time in the quiet solitude of the cabin, but was starting to feel a bit suffocated. After all, she’s really is a city girl through and through. She likes doing tequila shots and dancing on tables. Or she used to, at least. She’s calmed down a bit since her college years, but she’ll never say no at a chance to go out and get a little silly.

“Yes! Yes. I’m so up for it,” Mikayla says.

“You know I’m down for whatever you want to do, baby,” says Blake to Avery. Mikayla smiles to herself, remarking on how sweet Blake is with Avery. Her moment of peace is shattered when Ethan chimes in.

“I’m actually pretty tired. I haven’t been sleeping very well,” says Ethan, and everyone knows what he means. He’s still trying to tame his inner bear. Every night, no matter how he feels when he goes to sleep, he wakes up as a bear with his clothes tattered and ropes holding him back from escaping into the woods.

“That’s a shame,” Mikayla says. It’s also a shame that she’ll have to go out without him, but she could use a little time to just be herself, by herself.

“You can’t go,” says Ethan.

“Excuse me?” Mikayla is taken aback by his attempt to tell her what she can and cannot do. She can feel that her face is getting hot, and her cheeks flush.

“You can’t go because I need someone to be here for me. I need you to do the whole bedtime routine,” Ethan says.

“Ethan, I am not your mother. I do not need to put you to bed,” Mikayla says. Avery motions to Blake to leave the room with her, giving Mikayla and Ethan a chance to be alone, and to escape the awkward situation they got trapped in.

“I don’t expect you to be my mother. I’m expecting you to do what you said you’d do for me,” he says. He’s very calm, which only infuriates Mikayla further.

“I can’t do this! I can’t be responsible for another person! I’m just figuring out how to be responsible for myself, Ethan.”

“That’s not what I’m saying. I would never expect you to take me on as your full responsibility. I don’t know, Mikayla. I’m still trying to figure all of this out myself,” Ethan says, his eyes wide with sadness. Mikayla’s anger subsides as she remembers how hard it must be for Ethan to live like this, so out of control of his own body.

“I’m sorry, Ethan, I’m sorry. I can’t imagine what your life is like. My biggest problem is nailing an audition, while yours is….not transforming into a grizzly bear. Perspective, I guess,” Mikayla says.

“Don’t belittle your own strife like that. You work hard. I know you well enough to understand that you have personal situations that weigh far more heavily on your soul than auditioning.”

“Thanks for saying that,” Mikayla says. She’s not used to being seen the way Ethan sees her.

“You’re welcome. Listen, for tonight, I’ll try to do things on my own. It will be a good test run. No one will be around, so its safer. I’m only a danger to myself, at least.”

“Are you sure?” Mikayla asks, not sure herself if she feels bad leaving him behind. But he’s not her boyfriend. She’s not sure what he is at all.

“I’m sure. Go have fun,” he assures. Mikayla gives Ethan a peck on the cheek before calling out to Avery.

“Coming!” she says, moving as quickly as she can to meet the couple upstairs and get ready for their night on the town.

Chapter 15

“Don’t get too excited, it’s just a dinky little bar in this empty town, but it’s fun,” says Blake. He’s driving with Avery in the passenger seat and Mikayla in the back. She checks her makeup in her compact mirror, making sure her bright red lipstick is just right. Living in the boondocks the past few weeks, she hasn’t made much of an effort to wear makeup. She’s happy to get all gussied up, even with a sneaker on one foot and a cast with a walking boot on the other.

“So no dancing then, huh?” Mikayla jokes.

“We wouldn’t you to break your other ankle,” Avery says.

“I actually broke my ankle during my monologue, but good one!” Mikayla says.

“Alright ladies, we’re here,” says Blake. It’s immediately apparent that the place is a total dive. But a dive usual means cheap drinks, and cheap drinks mean getting good and drunk, which Mikayla is always game for.

They make their way through the smokey bar, towards a table in the back. Music vibrates the floor with an open space for people to dance, but the area was empty. A man in a flannel shirt and blue jeans approaches their table. He’s handsome and perfectly scruffy with a chiseled jawline that makes Mikayla weak.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t the big city man, Blake Collins. How the hell are you, bud?”

says the gorgeous stranger.

“J.P.! Hey, man. Great to see you. I see you still haven’t figured out how to shave all...that,” he says, gesturing to J.P.’s scruffy face. Mikayla has yet to make eye contact. She could really use a drink. She looks across their table at Avery, about to signal that they need to get to the bar, when Blake grabs Avery’s attention.

“Aves, you remember J.P.? From last summer?” he says. Mikayla can’t help but feel way too sober and way too awkward. She’s out of the loop.

“Of course. Hey, J.P. I like the beard!” says Avery.

“I do, too,” Mikayla interjects into the conversation. She’s never one to be shy, even when the stranger is as breathtakingly sexy as J.P.

“And who might you be?” J.P. says. Mikayla is confident that he’s giving her “fuck me” eyes, but maybe that’s just what she wants to think.

“I’m Mikayla. A friend of Avery’s…and Blake’s. From the city, here for the summer,” she says, holding eye contact with him.

“Well, ‘Mikayla from the city’, it is certainly a pleasure to have you here. This is my bar, you know.”

“That’s great, then you can help me get a drink,” Mikayla says cheekily.

“Sure thing, a round on the house for my friends old and new!” he says, disappearing to the bar.

“Avery, he’s so cute. Are you kidding me?!” Mikayla bursts with excitement.

“Yeah, honestly he is, but I’ve heard he’s a bit of a gross dude,” Avery says.

“Really?” Mikayla makes no effort to mask her disappointment.

“I mean, maybe it’s all rumors. I hardly know the guy.”

“Interesting,” Mikayla says as J.P. returns with four distinct cocktails on a tray.

“I thought City Girl would want a fancy drink,” he says, passing them out while keeping one for himself.

“I’m going to choose to ignore the condescension in your tone and graciously accept this drink, so thank you,” Mikayla says confidently, and sips the drink.

“So, what brings you up here?” J.P. says as he slides into the booth seating himself next to Mikayla, his jeans grazing her bare thigh.

“Just recovering a little. The city is a lot to handle when you can barely walk,” she says.

“What do you mean?”

Mikayla points under the table at her casted ankle.

“Oh, I see. How’d that happen? Did you trip hailing a taxi…or running up the stairs to the Met?”

“Your understanding of the city makes me feel like you’ve never really been there,” Mikayla says, sipping her drink again. Avery picks up on the fact that Mikayla is flirting, so she grabs Blake by the arm and brings him to the bar.

“I’m going to go order some food. Anyone want anything?”

“Just put it on my tab,” says J.P. Mikayla wonders if he’s showing off for her. With that, Blake and Avery disappear.

“So, I’ll be straightforward because that’s just who I am. You’re extremely beautiful and we don’t get goddesses like you in these parts, typically,” he says, and places his hand on her thigh. She doesn’t push it off.

“Well, I’m very straightforward, too. I’m done with this drink and I need you to get me a another,” she says. Just then, her phone lights up with at text message. She checks it subtly.

Missing you, it says. It’s from Ethan. Suddenly, she’s hit with a pang of guilt and she removes J.P.’s hand from her thigh.

“Can you please get me another of whatever this is? You know, might as well bring two,” she requests.

“You’ve got it,” says J.P. and he disappears to the bar along with Avery and Blake. Mikayla is alone with her thoughts and her guilt. She tries to reason with herself. I didn’t do anything wrong. I am not in a relationship. Even if I were, I still haven’t done anything wrong, she thinks to herself.

She goes to text Ethan back but isn’t quite sure what to say. If she’s being honest with herself, she finds the text more smothering than sweet. She likes him, but she also wasn’t planning to get involved in something so serious that she’s getting “i miss you” texts. In that moment, Mikayla makes a decision. She belongs to no one. If she were out in the city, she’d be throwing herself at this J.P. guy. She wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity now. She stands up, feeling a little woozy after finishing off her second drink.

“Oh barkeep, another please,” she calls out to J.P., who is returning to her with another drink.

“You’re fun,” he says to Mikayla. They meet Blake and Avery out on the dance floor. Mikayla practically chugs her drink.

“And you can drink!” J.P. adds on, overjoyed.

“I am fun,” Mikayla says, and in that moment, whether it is to regain her feeling of independence, pure animalistic attraction, the alcohol, or the combination of it all, she presses her lips onto J.P.’s right there on the dance floor.

Chapter 16

J.P. kisses her back, hard and aggressive. He presses into her body with his own as they swirl their tongues together, and slowly move out of the limelight of the dance floor and towards the back door. Mikayla wonders for a moment if it would be safest if she remains within view of her friends, but decides to ride her wave of independence and continue on. They disappear outside into the dimly light area behind the bar. There’s a picnic table, and J.P. carries her towards it.

Laying her down on the table under the dim lighting and the buzz of the summer bugs, J.P. unzips his pants and reveals his erection. Mikayla’s mind is really spinning now, with a combination of alcohol and the uncertainty she feels about her situation. She reasons that it has nothing to do with Ethan, but she just can’t have sex with some guy she barely knows. It breaks the set of rules she’s set for herself, rules that are loose and few, but give her some sort of guide on how to act.

“I can’t,” Mikayla says, sitting up. “I really need some water.”

“You can,” J.P. says, but sternly without a smile. Mikayla desperately wishes she hadn’t left the bar with him. She’s feeling panicked suddently, and goes to stand up when J.P. pushes her down, using a lot of force. Now, Mikayla is justifiably terrified. The huge man who had charmed her just moments before is now using force with her. She isn’t sure if she can outrun him with her ankle, so she doesn’t try. She looks around to see if there’s anyone witnessing the encounter, but they’re in complete isolation.

“Get OFF me,” Mikayla practically growls at J.P.

“Make me,” J.P. says. At that moment, a huge roar practically shakes the ground and a grizzly bear comes tearing through the woods that borders the bar. The bear comes charging at J.P., knocking him to the ground. He’s got him pinned. J.P. doesn’t stand a chance.

“Go!” the bear says in a deep voice. Of course, it’s Ethan. Mikayla doesn’t question how he found her or what he is going to do with J.P. She flees inside the bar, searching for Avery and Blake. She pushes through groups of bikers and townsfolk to reach her friends at the bar.

“We have to go. Now,” Mikayla says in a panic.

“Is everything okay?” Avery asks.

“Yeah, what’s going on?” Blake chimes in.

“Everything’s okay. I think. I don’t know. Let’s just get in the car,” says Mikayla.

Without further questions, they exit through the front of the bar, allowing Mikayla to avoid the scene she just escaped from. Blake starts the car and the girls pile in. Mikayla peers out the window behind her as they cruise back to the cabin. She sees a bear dart into the woods away from the bar.

Chapter 17

At home, Mikayla assures Blake and Avery that she’s fine and just started to feel sick after drinking. She mentions nothing of the bear attack. She sits on the couch, waiting for Ethan to appear. Sure enough, a dirty, worn-down Ethan appears through the backdoor wearing tattered jeans and no shirt. Mikayla can’t help but notice how sexy he is with his six-pack and rugged vibe, even though that’s the last place her mind should be.

“What happened back there?” Mikayla asks Ethan. She’s in pajamas now, sipping a bottle of water and trying to recover physically and mentally from the ordeal they just went through.

“Nothing. He’s fine…he’ll be fine,” Ethan says. “I just messed him up a little,” he adds proudly.

“But why were you there? How did you know?” Mikayla interrogates him.

“Because you didn’t answer my text, and I knew something was wrong.”

“You can’t just assume that something is wrong because I didn’t answer! You can’t stalk me!”

“Something was wrong, Mikayla, and I saved you. What are you upset about?” Mikayla’s getting incredibly frustrated. He isn’t wrong- he did save her. But she isn’t keen on the idea of him keeping tabs on her.

“I can take care of myself,” says Mikayla.

“Didn’t really look like it,” he adds smugly.

“I would’ve figured it out,” she says. But tears are welling up in her eyes as the reality of her situation sets in. She isn’t sure what she would’ve done. She immediately feels stupid for trusting a stranger who charmed her with drinks. Mikayla has street smarts…or so she thought.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “It’s gonna be okay,” Ethan comforts her, sitting next to her on the couch, holding her hand. The gesture is gentle and sweet. Guilt overcomes Mikayla.

“I’m...sorry. I don’t know what I was thinking, just throwing myself at that...beast,” Mikayla says.

“So that’s how you view a beast, then?”

She’s well-aware of her word choice. “Yes,” she confirms. “That man is a beast. A monster. When a man tries to deprive me of my humanity, he loses his status as human. He’s a beast,” Mikayla explains.

“So, what does that make me?” he asks. He leans closer.

“You are a man,” Mikayla says. “I want to say a ‘hero’ even, but I don’t want to make your head any bigger than it is.” They giggle together.

Ethan leans in and kisses her. She lets the warm feeling wash over her, briefly forgetting just how wild her night was.

“You know, I really did miss you,” he says.

“I missed you too,” Mikayla says, leaning her head on his chest and shutting her eyes, hoping her dreams are just as sweet as Ethan.

Chapter 18

“Remember, it’s probably not best to interact with my brothers too much. They’re pretty relentless,” Mikayla says. Ethan and Mikayla are taking a car service further upstate to her sister’s wedding. It’s early in the day, and the afternoon sun is just starting to shine in the sky. It’s warm and muggy, and the A.C. is blasting in the car.

“I got it, I got it. I won’t provoke the brothers,” says Ethan.

“I think we’re almost here,” Mikayla changes the subject. She seems frazzled and a bit overwhelmed.

“Hey, today’s gonna be great,” Ethan says, putting his hand on hers.

“Oh, I know. I’m not worried. I mean, I’m worried about some things but I’m not worried worried. Its just jitters, I guess,” Mikayla states.

“What’s got you so nervous? You know, you’re not walking down the aisle or anything,” he laughs.

But Mikayla doesn’t laugh back. She really is nervous, and doesn’t want to explain to Ethan how it partially has to do with him meeting her family. They can be very judgmental, and she hopes Ethan can hold his own.

“Oh, we’re here,” says Mikayla, avoiding the question.

“Great,” Ethan says.

Ethan gets out of the car first, and comes around to Mikayla’s side to get the door for her. A true gentleman. Mikayla feels a little guilty for being so worried about him. He’s polite, handsome, and he really cares about her. That should be enough for her family. It should be enough for her. 

“You look stunning,” Ethan says.

“Thanks,” Mikayla says, and she does a twirl. She’s wearing a floral maxi dress, her loosely curled hair cascades over her shoulders. Her eyelids shimmer with gold, and her lips are painted with a gentle pink. She still has her cast and walking boot on, but with the long dress, she feels like she finally is looking and walking like her old self again.

“You clean up pretty nice yourself,” Mikayla says.

“Well, you can thank Blake for that. He came through with this suit,” he says.

The ceremony is starting within the hour. Mikayla takes a deep breath, preparing to introduce her whole family to Ethan. She knows her dad and brothers will be there, but she isn’t sure about her mom. Her mother and Cat have a decent relationship, but Cat was burned by her mother just as badly as Mikayla, so Mikayla isn’t sure if she should plan on seeing her. It would definitely be a relief to have one less family member to deal with. As Mikayla and Ethan approach the beautiful building serving as the location for both the wedding and the reception, her three brothers come barreling through the front door to greet her.

“Mickey!” shouts out Cal, her youngest brother at age 18.

“Hey, bros,” Mikayla waves.

“Hello, dear sister,” says the next oldest, Mike. He’s 22.

“Mikayla!” greets the last brother, Jimmy, age 24.

“Hi,” says Ethan. “I’m Mikayla’s wedding date. Uh, Ethan,” he nervously introduces himself.

“So, this is the new boyfriend?” Mike inquires.

“Well-,” Mikayla begins to say that they’re just hanging out this summer when she’s interrupted by Ethan.

“Yes. I’m the new boyfriend. Nice to meet you guys. We’re not gonna have any problems today, are we?”

“Chill out, dude, we’re just introducing ourselves,” says Cal.

“Yeah, just making nice with the new guy,” says Jimmy.

Mikayla feels embarrassed that Ethan is making such an aggressive first impression.

“Okay, we gotta go say hi to everyone else, bye guys!” Mikayla says abruptly, and pulls Ethan into the building away from her brothers.

“Try to have a little more chill,” says Mikayla.

“What do you mean? You told me they’re relentless. I’m just establishing my authority,” he says defensively.

“Well, they’re the domineering types themselves, so maybe it’s best for you to just lay low. Like, don’t speak unless spoken to. That kind of thing. They’ll look for any reason to ruin your day,” says Mikayla.

“Alright, sure, I’ll hide from your brothers and you can keep pretending we’re just some summer fling,” he says.

The comment catches Mikayla off guard. They have never discussed labels, although Mikayla can’t say she hasn’t thought about it. But she just can’t shake the feeling that getting more involved with Ethan might not be for the best. She isn’t sure that she can be there for everything he needs, not to mention how unpredictable he can be. Her chest aches with anxiety at the thought of Ethan losing control of himself during today’s festivities. As she begins to wonder if she should’ve left him at home, her dad, Roger, approaches them.

“Mikayla. Come give your father a kiss, please,” he says, gesturing for her to come into his arms.

“Hi, Dad,” says Mikayla.

“You went a little heavy on the makeup today, huh?” says Roger.

“Wow, immediately with the comments. It’s a wedding, Dad. Did you say something like that to Cat? I’m sure that’s what she wants to hear,” Mikayla says.

“Oh, you really can’t take a joke, huh? I thought living in the city all of these years would have toughened you up by now. Guess not.”

Mikayla starts to feel her blood pressure rising. It’s incredible how her dad is capable of belittling her in such a short amount of time. Mikayla decides she needs a drink and to find her sister. She’s about to walk away when Ethan clears his throat and extends his hand out to Roger.

“Hi there, I’m Ethan, Mikayla’s date,” he says politely.

“Oh, hey there, pretty boy,” Roger says. “Nice to meet you. How’d she rope you into this?”

“There was no roping, sir. I’m happy to be here,” he says, unphased.

“Great. Good for you,” Roger says before abruptly walking away, leaving Ethan mid-conversation.

“They seem…friendly,” says Ethan to Mikayla, who was watching in horror. She feels overwhelmed. She isn’t sure if she’s worried about her family embarrassing her with their bad attitudes in front of her date, or if she’s worried about her date making a bad impression on her family. She wishes she could care less about what other people think, but it’s just how she’s wired.

“Keep a safe distance, Ethan, for everyone’s sake,” Mikayla says, and shocks herself with the threatening tone of her voice. It occurs to her that she could really use a drink, and a moment alone with her sister.

Chapter 19

Mikayla is led down the hall to the room where her sister is getting ready for the ceremony.

“You look amazing, wow. I could really cry,” says Mikayla upon the sight of her sister. Cat is wearing a vintage white dress that flatters her hourglass shape. Her auburn hair is in a perfectly tousled updo, and she opted for a sweet floral crown instead of a veil. Her makeup is so light it’s barely noticeable.

“You’re a natural beauty. You always have been,” says Mikayla.

“Thanks, little sis. Hey, is mom coming? Have you talked to her?” asks Cat.

“I really don’t know. We haven’t talked in months. I’m sorry, Cat,” Mikayla says as she gazes lovingly at her beautiful sister on her wedding day.

“I can’t wait to meet Ethan, by the way,” she says as she touches up her makeup and begins to put on her jewelry.

“Yeah,” says Mikayla dully.

“That’s it? Yeah?”  Cat says, picking up on Mikayla’s weird vibe.

“Yeah. I don’t know. Yes. Sure,” Mikayla says, preparing to change the subject. The last thing her sister needs on her big day is to deal with someone else’s relationship drama.

“Tell me the details. Please, tell me. I’m so anxious, in a good way, but still anxious for everything to go well. Any distraction would be great. Lay it on me,” Cat urges her sister.

“I don’t know what there is to say. He’s great, really…and wait until you see him. It’s honestly kind of unreal how hot he is. But, I don’t know. It might be too much for me…he might be too much for me,” Mikayla says.

“What do you mean?”

“He just depends on me a lot. Like, more than I’m used to being relied on. I don’t know if I can handle something this...demanding,” Mikayla says.

“I get what you mean, but is it really so bad to have someone that depends on you…that you can depend on, too? That’s kind of how relationships work,” says Cat.

“I’m not in a relationship!” Mikayla snaps. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just been...a lot. I won’t bore you with the details,” Mikayla says, desperate to move on from the subject.

“Hey, whatever you want to call it, don’t take it for granted. Finding someone who cares about you is really, really special. The way William drops everything and is there for me the moment I need him...I just feel so lucky to have someone like that in my life, and you should, too.”

Mikayla ruminated on the idea for a moment. Mikayla knows there’s some truth to her big sister’s wise words. Maybe Mikayla just doesn’t know a good thing when he’s in front of her.

There’s a knock on the door. A woman’s voice calls out to Cat, letting her know they’re ready for her.

“I love you, sis,” says Mikayla. “Go get your happily ever after.”

“I love you!” she practically squeals in glee as she glides out of the room down the hallway to begin the first day of the rest of her life.

Chapter 20

The ceremony has ended, and the vows have been exchanged. Cat and William promised to be each other’s until death as their closest loved ones watched on from wooden benches. The rustic wedding vibe makes the venue look like it came straight from Pinterest. There are mason jar candles and string lights that hang daintily above the wooden rafts, casting a gentle glow like fireflies dancing in the night.

Between the ceremony and the reception, while waiting for the bigger crowd to arrive for the celebration, they serve a meal for friends and family. There were a few tables set up outside of the barn in the grass under a beautiful white tent, also adorned with string lights. Mikayla sees so much of her sister in the wedding decor.

Mikayla stands in a circle with her three brothers and her dad. They’re making small talk.

“I knew she’d be the first one to get married,” says Roger.

“What does that even mean, Dad? She’s the oldest. It kind of makes sense,” says Mikayla defensively.

“Well, it was never going to be you, not with that attitude of yours,” says Roger.

“Yeah, speaking of marriage, did you two love birds set a date yet?” says Jimmy.

“Oooooh, yes, where’s Mr. Hunkypants?” says Cal.

“Hunkypants? The best you can do? You’re an idiot,” says Mike.

“Whatever,” says Cal.

“He’s...somewhere,” Mikayla says, scanning the groups of family and friends. She must have lost Ethan in the post-ceremony chaos.

“Well, is it serious with that guy?” asks Roger.

“His name is Ethan. And no, Dad, it’s not serious,” Mikayla retorts.

“It’s not?” says a voice from behind her. It’s Ethan, returning with drinks for each of them.

“Oh, I just meant-,” Mikayla’s face turns bright red.

“What did you mean, Mikayla?” says Jimmy.

“Mikayla, can we go talk? Please?” Ethan asks.

“Yeah, you better go talk,” says Jimmy.

“No, right here is good. I want to stay here. With my family,” says Mikayla.

“You must really not want to be alone with this guy if you’re pretending you like hanging around us,” Cal says.

“We can all talk here, if you want,” says Mike, goating them for more drama.

“Family chat! Family chat!” Cal chants obnoxiously.

While Mikayla’s brothers are annoying troublemakers, she doesn’t get to see them that much. She is trying to appreciate that time spent with them today, despite all the crap they give her.

“I’m actually just going to stay here for now with my family,” says Mikayla.

“Men don’t like women who defy them, Mickey,” says Jimmy.

“I really didn’t ask you, James,” Mikayla says harshly. She realizes she hasn’t sipped the drink that Ethan brought her. She starts to chug.

“Take it easy there, you’re looking like your mother,” says Roger. Mikayla breathes in and out deeply, trying to stay calm despite all the men in her life driving her up a wall. Ethan cuts in.

“Mikayla, please. I just don’t really know anyone. I was hoping you could introduce me to some people,” he pleads. It is a fair enough request.

“Oh, we’re not good enough for you, Pretty Boy?” says Cal.

“Leave him alone!” Mikayla demands.

“If you want us to leave him alone, then go with him. Introduce him to Cousin Bob and Aunt Jean. It’ll be a blast!” Mike sarcastically says.

“Just stop,” Mikayla quietly says. “I’m staying here,” Mikayla says, arms across her chest like a child. She practically stomps her foot in protest. There’s something about being around her brothers makes her youthful tendencies come out. Suddenly, they’re in grade school again, teasing her on the playground after school about her crush.

“Mikayla, come with me. We can go say hi to some people,” Ethan says, clearly not interested in any further dialogue with Mikayla’s brothers. He can’t help but note how annoying they really are. He wonders if this is what being a “normal” guy is like. He decides he’d rather be the way he is than rude, arrogant, and gross.

“I said NO,” Mikayla snaps. The hurt is apparent on Ethan’s face. He thinks he’s helping Mikayla by getting her away from her annoying brothers who find pleasure in harassing her. He realizes he must be wrong, and Mikayla really wants nothing to do with him. He turns around without a word as Mikayla’s brothers and father burst into laughter while Ethan walks away, humiliated.

Chapter 21

The party is in full swing now. Mikayla has lost track of how many drinks she’s downed at this point. She’s also lost track of Ethan, but she isn’t exactly rushing to find him. Mikayla is on the dance floor with her family, and for a moment she forgets just how terribly annoying they usually are. Turns out with a few drinks and some loud music, her family is capable of feigning normalcy. She sees Cat and William dancing together, staring into each other’s eyes like they’re only two people in the room (and on the planet).

A pang in her chest reminds her how terribly she’s been treating Ethan throughout the day. But she can’t deny having him off of her back is a relief, even just for a few songs. She shrugs it off, continuing to dance with her brothers. Then, Mikayla’s heart stops.

“Incoming,” Jimmy says, alerting the family to wait Mikayla had already seen. Her mother, Suzanne, has appeared. Suzanne makes her way towards the tent where the DJ booth blares a house remix of “Sweet Caroline.” Mikayla feels her stomach do somersaults. She wants to find Cat, give her a heads up that their mother has decided to make an appearance after all. Mikayla’s mind begins to race, going over all the ways that her mom could ruin this special day for Cat. Wherever her mom is, trouble seems to follow. Between her consistent drinking and her scummy boyfriend Tony, she tends to be a nightmare. Mikayla begins to wonder why her sister extended the invite at all.

“Great,” Mikayla says under her breath. She’s glad she’s pounded back a few drinks. “I’m going to go tell Cat,” says Mikayla, disappearing through the crowd, out of her mother’s view.

“Cat,” Mikayla says, nearly out of breath by the time she darts across the dancefloor. “I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but mom is here,” Mikayla says nervously.

“That’s okay, Mikayla,” Cat says. She’s in complete bliss, like nothing can bring her down. The newlyweds are practically floating, holding each other close and moving slowly to music that begs for twerking.

“But, Mom tends to ruin parties. Remember your sweet 16? My college graduation?”

“Nothing can ruin this day, Mikayla. It’s fine. Avoid her if you want. Whatever makes you comfortable,” says Cat calmly.

Mikayla’s face begins to feel hot. It could be the alcohol, or maybe her nerves. The sight of her mother fills her with unspeakable anger. There are so many unresolved issues that Mikayla can never feel quite comfortable playing nice with her mom, and especially Tony. She begins to make her way back to where her brothers are dancing. Suzanne has already approached her sons and her ex-husband. Mikayla notices her father storm away, not even trying to pretend he has the patience to deal with his ex-wife. The drama makes Mikayla laugh. Both of her parents can be pretty awful, so it’s funny to watch them interact with each other...funny in the saddest way. Sad in a way that can only be managed if she laughs at her misfortune. Mikayla scans the room, wishing for the first time in a while that Ethan would appear. She wonders how long she can keep the chaos at a minimum before she breaks and needs someone to lean on.

Chapter 22

“Mikayla, sweetie. You look beautiful,” says Suzanne. Tony stands by her side, silently. He isn’t even attempting to play nice because he is well-aware of the venom Mikayla is ready to spit at him.

“Mom,” Mikayla says. “Nice to see you,” she lies politely. Mikayla isn’t mad at her mom about one thing specifically, but about all the ways she’s failed her as a parent. There’s nothing to talk out, no therapy session that can fix their fractured relationship. Even when they tried family therapy, Mikayla and Suzanne talked in circles, failing to see eye to eye. Mikayla longs for the mother-daughter relationship she sees in movies and T.V. shows, like Gilmore Girls.

“You don’t answer my texts,” Suzanne says. Mikayla is close enough to smell the booze on her mother’s breath. It’s a wedding, so it should be fine, but Suzanne doesn’t know her limits. Mikayla assumes she’s been drinking all day. Her life is a constant pre-game.

“I don’t have much to say,” Mikayla says. She scans the room, thinking how she could really use a rescue from Ethan right about now, but he’s nowhere to be found. She hopes he’s enjoying himself somewhere and not getting into any trouble. Mikayla also hopes he’s in his human form. Should she be keeping an eye on him? That’s not her responsibility, but she still feels like maybe she should be paying more attention to her date.

“You should respect your mom and text her back,” Tony chimes in.

“Fuck off,” Mikayla says under her breath. She has no qualms about speaking her mind to Tony. He’s enabled her mother’s behavior and drinking, and treats her poorly. Mikayla still cares about her mom, enough to wish she at least had a partner who respected her. But, as Mikayla’s been grappling with for years, her mom is a capable of making her own choices. She’s an adult, even if it doesn’t always seem that way.

Mikayla glances over at her sister, who is still on Cloud 9. She smiles, relieved that her sister is having such a wonderful day. She can only hope that Cat and William have a family that’s not so loaded with drama and emotional turmoil. Mikayla imagines what it would be like to be an aunt, and decides she’ll be a great fit for the role.

“I’m going to congratulate the newlyweds,” Suzanne says as she begins to make her way over to William and Cat.

“Don’t,” Mikayla tries to protest. She doesn’t want her mom to ruin Cat’s day.

“Don’t tell your mother what to do,” Tony says, grabbing Mikayla’s arm. His breath reeks of cigarettes and whiskey.

“Get your damn hands off of me,” Mikayla says, shoving him away. She can’t help but feel isolated, and a little intimidated. Her brothers make it seem like they’re so protective by taunting the men in her life enough to sometimes scare them away. But when it comes to Tony, they are absent. They won’t look at him, talk to him, or acknowledge that he exists. It’s times like these, when Tony dares to lay a hand on her, that she wishes her brothers would show up to defend her. Then again, Mikayla knows that she can’t depend on men to take care of her. Ironically as Mikayla thinks of his face, Ethan appears.

Chapter 23

His clothing is tattered. Mikayla immediately panics.

“Do we have a problem?” Ethan says to Tony. All Tony can do is stare at the ripped up rags of clothing barely hanging onto Ethan’s towering frame. Tony seems so small compared to Ethan.

“Ethan, let’s go. We need to find you something to wear,” says Mikayla. A sense of urgency overcomes her, knowing she has no good explanation for why her date looks like he’d gone through a paper shredder before rolling around in some dirt.

“Is this homeless guy your date, Mikayla?” Tony says with a smirk.

“Yeah, clearly I get my taste in men from my mother,” Mikayla fires back. “Let’s go, Ethan,” says Mikayla, trying to figure out how she’s going to get Ethan a change of clothes before anyone notices.

“Come with me,” says Mikayla, dragging Ethan back into the building, away from the lights and the dancing. She finds the room where she met with her sister earlier that day.

“What happened?” asks Mikayla. She’s equal parts angry and concerned.

“I...I don’t know. I got really upset. It just kind of…happened,” says Ethan.

“What made you upset? Did someone try to fight you? What is it?” says Mikayla, wondering if whatever set him off would interfere with the wedding celebration.

“It’s not like that. At all,” he says. His green eyes are sad. He looks away from her.

“What then?”

“It’s you, Mikayla. You upset me. I’m not blaming you for my...shift. That’s not your fault. But I am hurt by the way you’ve been ignoring me all day. I thought you wanted me here… I’m just having trouble figuring out what you want,” says Ethan. Mikayla feels like she’s about to burst into tears.

“I...I’m sure William has some extra clothes with him,” she says, avoiding the confrontation as long as possible. “I’ll be right back.”

Mikayla runs out, wiping away tears, feeling too many emotions to try and reconile them. She feels terrible about the way she’s treating Ethan, but she didn’t mean to hurt him this badly. She wishes she’d shown a little more backbone and didn’t try to seem “cool” in front of her brothers.

She walks back to the reception and sees Cat, William, and her brothers all dancing in a group.

“I need a change of clothes. For Ethan” Mikayla says frantically to Wiliam.

“Oh, no, did he shit his pants?” says Cal. The boys all laugh. Cat even laughs.

“Just a bad spill,” says Mikayla. “Clothes? Please. William?”
      Cat interjects. “He brought an extra button down and pants, they’re with my stuff. Where I was getting ready.”

Of course, Mikayla says to herself, about to run back to Ethan.

“Better get back to the baby!” Mike calls out.

“Dude, shut UP,” Mikayla whips her head, about to harnass her anger and confusion to finally defend herself.

“I mean, he does seem a little bit needy, don’t you think?” Cat asks. She doesn’t say it to be mean spirited. She’s just offering her sincere concerns.

“He’s all over you. Seems like a real clingy dude,” says Jimmy.

“Yeah,” Mikayla says under her breath. She supposes he is.

“But, if he makes you happy, that’s okay,” Cat says when she sees her sisters tortured face.

      “He does,” Mikayla says. She really wants to believe it. But she can’t help but think any other date would not be having her running around looking for a change of clothes. He’s been practically breathing down her neck all night, and she only missed him when she felt like she needed protection. She realizes how unfair that is to him. Mikayla can’t help but hate herself for getting involved in this wild situation.

`      “Sure sounds like it,” Roger adds with a sneer.

“We don’t approve!” says Cal.

“Yeah, he’s some sort of manchild. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you can do better,” says Mike.

“Thanks for the input, assholes,” says Mikayla. She’s had enough of other people’s opinions, and flees back to help Ethan.

Chapter 24

“Here,” says Mikayla, tossing some clothes from a suitcase at Ethan. “You got lucky,” she adds. “Maybe you should consider keeping a spare outfit on you for when...this happens,” she says.

      “Mikayla,” he says. “What am I doing wrong?”

“It’s not you,” Mikayla says.She knows this is only partly true. Her own issues with dependency made her wary about Ethan from the beginning. Yet, to some degree, it is about him. She can’t push it out of her mind, despite how much he cares about her and how great he is in bed. It’s not enough, and somehow too much. Mikayla feels dizzy, and like she might be sick.

“Hey, hey,” he says in a calm and comforting voice, as usual. He’s dressed again. “We can talk later. Forget I said anything…forget anything happened. Let’s just go try to have fun,” he says. This is a plan Mikayla can get behind: putting off the important discussions for as long as possible.

“You’re right,” she says. “Let’s go have fun. Come on,” she says, grabbing his hand. They leave the room, head down the corridor, only to be met face to face with Tony. He’s clearly hammered and practically falling over himself. Suzanne is nowhere to be found.

“Hey, you,” Tony slurs, stumbling towards Mikayla. “Your mom misses you. When are you going to give her a chance?”

“Stay out of this. Leave me alone,” she says, trying to move past him. He blocks the door that leads to the celebration. Mikayla can feel the vibrations of the dance music.

“No. No. I won’t stay out of this. The way you treat your mother is deplorable,” he manages.

“Impressive word use,” Mikayla says. No matter the situation, her snarkiness cannot be contained.

“That attitude is going to get you in big trouble someday, missy,” he responds.

“Hey, we don’t have a problem here, do we?” Ethan steps in.

“Oh, the valiant savior. How….valiant,” he seethes. “Mikayla barely even likes you. I heard the whole family talking. None of them like you, did you know that?” Tony asks, his voice dripping with malice. Mikayla’s sweating. Her need to vomit becomes too much to hold back. She wretches, vomit splashing all over Tony’s sneakers.

“Shit. Shit. I’m sorry,” says Mikayla. She looks up to see Tony towering over her, with an angry vein popping out of his forehead.

“You dumb bitch,” says Tony.
      “Don’t you dare talk to her like that,” says Ethan. Mikayla can feel a change in the air as Ethan’s anger rises. She has to figure out a way to calm him down before he loses control for the second time today.

“It’s okay, I’m okay,” says Mikayla.

“Well, I’m not okay,” says Ethan. “I will not stand by and let this scumbag treat you this way.”

“What are you gonna do about it, tough guy?” says Tony. Mikayla backs away, realizing things are about to get physical. The men puff out their chests and get in each other’s faces so close their noses almost touch.

“Come on. Hit me, I dare you,” says Tony.

“I won’t do that.”
      “Then I’ll be the one to get this party started,” he says, then raises a fist and swings at Ethan. He lands the punch on Ethan’s nose. With that, Ethan can no longer hold back his rage.

“Ethan, no!” says Mikayla, but it’s too late. His body swells and evolves until a brown grizzly bear stands tall and terrifying. Tony begins to cower.

“Leave, Mikayla,” growls the beast. “Just go,” he says.

“What the f-” Tony begins, but his voice is cut off when the bear snatches the back of his shirt with his mighty teeth. The bear flings Tony across the hall. Tony screams in pain and fear.

“Stop! Stop it!” Mikayla pleads. She can’t watch this. She wants to disappear.

“GO!” the bear says angrily. Mikayla heads back to the tent, and turns around to see the large bear headed out a side door, with Tony dangling in his mouth. He’s alive, but Mikayla isn’t sure for how long.

Mikayla makes a run for it, returning to the dance floor. She isn’t sure how she’s going to explain Ethan’s absence again. She’s relieved to find that no one is actively seeking Tony, except maybe Suzanne. But that will be her problem. Mikayla has her own problems to deal with, and her own man to track down.

Chapter 25

The party is dying down, and the goodbye’s begin.

“Thank you for making my perfect wedding happen,” Cat says over and over to her guests, shaking hands and exchanging hugs as they file out toward the cars waiting to drive them back to various hotels.

Mikayla migrates with her brothers and father towards the newlyweds.

“Thanks for coming, fam,” says Cat. She’s glowing.

“We thought about ditching, to be honest,” says Cal.

“Yeah, he’s not lying. I hate weddings,” says Mike.

“That’s probably because you’ve never had a wedding date,” says Jimmy.

“And…where exactly is yours?” Michael fires back.

“Well, I had a date,” Cal explains, “she’s just sick today.”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” Mikayla chimes in.

“Give your brother a break, Mikayla,” Roger retorts. “It’s not like everyone needs someone breathing down their neck, like that Ethan guy,” he says.

“Why call him ‘that Ethan guy’? What’s your point? You know his name is Ethan,” Mikayla says. She’s exhausted and no longer feels the energy of liquor coursing through her system. Her head is spinning as the hangover creeps up on her.

“Yeah, speaking of Ethan…” Cat begins, “Where is he? I haven’t seen him in a while.”

“Oh, he said goodbye. He had...something to deal with,” Mikayla says. Slick, she thinks to herself. They’ll totally buy that.

“Am I getting clothes back?” William asks.

“Yes,” Mikayla lies. No damn way, she thinks. She saw that outfit get torn to shreds. She’ll have to replace it.

“He couldn’t even say goodbye to the bride and groom?” Cat asks. She seems hurt, and Mikayla can understand that. It’s her day. Plus, Cat has been the most supportive of her relationship, or whatever it is, with Ethan. Mikayla's cheeks flush, embarrassed and a bit ashamed of Ethan’s disappearance. She’s just thankful no one has inquired about Tony. Suzanne is out of sight as well.

“He’s an Irish goodbye type,” Mikayla explains, trying to defend him.

“Oh, like Mom and Tony,” says Cat. “They disappeared a while ago. But, it’s whatever. I guess it’s nice that they came at all.”

“You give your mother too much slack,” Roger says. Mikayla practically rolls her eyes.

“I give both my parents too much slack,” she immediately fires back. Good for Cat, she’s actually sticking up for herself, Mikayla thinks. “Listen, Mikayla. Speaking of slack, I’m not sure if we’ve given too much to Ethan.”

“Oh, we’re roasting Ethan? Finally!” says Jimmy. Mikayla could have guessed this conversation was coming.

“I’m getting a vibe that he’s super….controlling,” says Cat earnestly. “And no, I’m not trying to ‘roast’ the guy. I just want to share my honest opinion with my sister, you doofus,” she replies to Jimmy.

“Oh, me too! Pick me!” Cal says, jumping up and down, waving his hand in the air like an eager school boy. Mikayla can’t help but notice she’s never seen her deadbeat brother so enthusiastic about a topic. Of course it’s about her relationship.

“Listen. Mikayla. He’s a handsome guy, so I get the appeal,” he says.

“Sooooo sexy,” Mike says, mocking Cal.

“You know what I mean. I’m good at thinking like a woman. That’s why I’m so good with women,” he says.

“Can you get to the point?” Mikayla says. But she feels like she already knows what her family is ramping up to. “Controlling” isn’t the word she would use to describe Ethan, but she can see how her family would interpret that based on their interactions. His dependence can be suffocating. She has to be prepared to drop everything for him, at any point, to help him manage. He’s not controlling, Mikayla realizes. It’s quite the opposite. He lacks control and needs Mikaya to keep him in check, which is not the job she signed up for this summer.

“We don’t like him,” Mike says simply.

“Yeah, he seems like he wants so much from you. We saw him try to tell you where to go and when. He seems overwhelming, and being that you are who you are,” Jimmy says, “I can’t imagine that you enjoy having someone so bossy in your life.”

“You guys have never cared about any aspect of my life this much,” Mikayla notes. “What changed?”

“We just get weird vibes from the dude,” says Cal. “Like he has a secret. There’s something he’s not telling us.”

“You clearly watch too much true crime,” Mikayla jokes, trying to diffuse the tension. But she does feel an odd sense of appreciation for her family’s investment in her romantic life. They’ve never cared much about her, other than to tease her endlessly. While their sentiments aren’t exactly kind, Mikayla can’t help but consider them. Is it because she believed them, or she wanted to?

“You need someone who knows when to give you space and not push you so hard,” says Cat. “We love you, that’s all.”

“Speak for yourself,” says Mike. Mikayla gives him a playful shove.

“All three of you are idiots,” she says to her brothers. “Love you, Cat.”

Mikayla heads towards the car waiting to bring her back to Blake and Avery’s. She’s hoping Ethan isn’t there, and that fact indicates that she has a lot to think about.

Chapter 26

It’s late by the time Mikayla’s car service drops her back at the cabin. She slowly walks to the door and pushes it open, desperately trying not to make a sound. She wishes she could float to her bed without having to worry about getting herself up the stairs or removing her makeup. She’s so exhausted from the long day full of drama and family, and of course, family drama. As she enters the house, she tries to come up with the right words to tell Ethan how she feels about him. The light turns on as she enters the living room, catching her off guard. She lets out a small yelp.

“Hey, it’s just me,” Ethan says. He’s sitting on the couch, completely human and fully dressed.

“You scared me,” she says. “I wasn’t expecting to see you, you know, since the way you left was...abrupt…to say the least.”

“I didn’t want to just not see you for the rest of the night. I’m sorry I left you like that. It was just the safest option,” says Ethan.

“Where is he, Ethan?” Mikayla says. She doesn’t care very much about Tony’s well-being, but the last thing she needs is to get wrapped up in a missing person’s situation. She wonders if her mother is panicked and alone. Despite knowing better, she feels badly.

“He’s gone. It’s taken care of,” Ethan replies cryptically.

“Gone? What do you mean gone? You can’t just...get rid of people, Ethan!” Mikayla says in a panic.       

“But you hate that guy. He was easy to get rid of. No one is going to question where he is.” He is way too confident and it scares Mikayla a little.

“How can you say that? What about my mother? He’s all she has. Had,” Mikayla says, near tears. She’s so tired and wants to go to bed, but there’s so many unspoken words between her and Ethan. Sleeping on this will only make her feel worse. She knows she would be tossing and turning in bed, dreading the conversation she knows they need to have.

“Ethan,” she begins. “You cannot just do these things. You can’t just get rid of people, and you can’t just shift into a bear during a wedding. Twice!” she continues.

“I didn’t mean to-,” he starts, but Mikayla keeps going. She feels a surge of adrenaline.

“We can’t do this anymore,” she finally says.

“What can’t we do?” Ethan asks, genuinely confused.

“This. Any of this. All of this.”

“What can’t we do?” Ethan repeats, clearly in denial about what Mikayla is alluding to.

“It’s over. We’re over. I don’t know if we ever actually officially began, but we’re officially over. I’m so sorry. I really don’t know how to put this lightly. I just have to come out and say it.”

“Is it because of the shifting? I knew it would be too much for you to handle.”

Mikayla is offended by the assumption, even though, at this moment, she has no right to be. There was some truth to it.

“It’s not the shifting,” she says, although she can’t deny that it all plays into her decision. “It’s my family. They don’t think we’re a good match. They don’t like you, Ethan,” she says. Her words are stinging. He says nothing.

“I didn’t realize...I thought that...” Ethan is scrambling for the right words to express his shock and pain.

“Since when do you care about what your family thinks? To me it kind of feels like you hate them,” he continues. “Or that’s how you made it seem, at least. I guess I don’t really know you like I thought I knew you,” he says.

“I’m...sorry,” Mikayla manages. She feels a huge lump in her throat. Shes filled with guilt, uncertainty, and possibly regret.

“So, this is because your family doesn’t like me. It has nothing to do with your own feelings?”

Mikayla feels trapped by the question. She so badly wants to run to her room and pretend this conversation never happened. She looks down at the cast on her leg, blaming it for being the reason she’s out here in the cabin, so far from her home in the city.

Ethan continues, “the woman I thought I knew would never do something just because someone else, especially her family, thought it was best for her.”

“Well, maybe you don’t really know me,” Mikayla says. She immediately feels terrible, and wonders if she’ll ever learn to stop speaking without thinking.

“What about everything we shared? The secrets, the conversations, and...all the physical stuff? You’re prepared to pretend none of that ever happened? I really, really thought we had something special, Mikayla. Don’t do this. Please,” Ethan says. Mikayla is pretty sure his green eyes with the yellow flecks are filling with tears, but she refuses to look him in the eyes. The last thing she needs is to see him cry.

“I can’t pretend none of that ever happened. We just can’t keep letting it happen. I can’t do this anymore,” Mikayla says. She feels guilty because she knows her reasons are not nearly as thoughtful as Ethan deserves. He only ever wanted to make her happy, but for Mikayla, it isn’t enough. She wonders if it’ll ever be enough. Will she continue to sabotage the only good things in her life forever?

“I’m just not ready for something so intense,” she says, and she means it. She just wishes she didn’t.

“Okay, Mikayla, but I really hope you change your mind,” Ethan says. “I’m going to give you some space. I’ll stay out of your way,” he promises. He puts his head down like a sad, abused dog. He walks off into the night, towards the shed. Mikayla wonders how’s he going to get through the night without her, but remembers there was a time before her. He’ll just have to figure it out. She has the relief she wants now. She’s no longer committed to Ethan or his particular needs. If this is relief, then why does it feel so bad? Mikayla wonders.

Chapter 27

“I can’t believe this dreamy summer is about to come to an end,” says Avery to Mikayla. All of Mikayla’s bags are packed, and she’s about to hop in a car service back to Manhattan.

“I can’t either,” Mikayla says. It’s bittersweet. There will never be a summer that compares to the one she just had. There will never be a summer fling like the one she just had.

“I bet you’re eager to get that old thing off though,” Avery says, gesturing towards her cast.

“You have no idea. I can’t wait to feel free!” Mikayla says. She plans to drop off her bags at her apartment, and immediately hail a cab to the doctor, who will finally remove her cast.

“Thanks again for having me, Avery. This was a special summer and I can promise you I’ll never forget it,” Mikayla says.

“Totally agree! It was awesome having you here. I loved having a gal pal around,” Avery adds. “So, that’s it for you and Ethan, huh?”

Mikayla feels the lump in her throat. Ethan. They had not spoken since the night she told him it was over. It’s been three days of awkwardly passing by each other, exchanging half smiles, and avoiding interaction. Mikayla wishes she could’ve gone back home immediately after, but that was never part of the plan. She didn’t want Ethan, Avery, or Blake to think she was running away. Mikayla prides herself in her ability to face her problems head on. She doesn’t love the lingering feeling that there are unspoken truths between her and Ethan. But she has no choice other than to move forward and let the summer fling be nothing but a fading memory.

“That’s it,” Mikayla says.

“You know, I didn’t want to get involved, but he’s completely torn up about it. He’s been drinking. Blake told me,” she explains.

“And that’s my fault?” The last thing Mikayla needs is to feel guiltier.

“No. No, not at all. He makes his own decisions,” she says. Mikayla thinks about how that isn’t true at all for Ethan, how some of his actions are purely the result of a supernatural force that he must carry the burden of.

“Right. So?”

“So, just consider calling the guy. Checking in on him. I know he’s not going to reach out to you, but he wants to,” says Avery. “By the way, I’m not just saying this. Insider info via Blake, of course.”

“Of course.”

“Just think about it. Not everything that is meant to be takes off perfectly on the first run. I mean, Blake and I had quite a rocky start. I never imagined that we would make it to where we are now,” she says.

Mikayla wonders how much truth there is to Avery’s suggestion. Is it possible that Mikayla and Ethan could have another chance? It seems like their fate is entirely in Mikayla’s hands, which is yet another responsibility that feels too heavy to hold.

“If things are meant to be, they’ll find a way,” Mikayla says.

“Call me when you’re back in the city, okay? We’ll make lunch plans as soon as I’m back,” Avery says, putting a cap on the conversation.

“Absolutely,” says Mikayla, and Avery closes the front door behind Mikayla. Mikayla looks back at the cabin that sits surrounded by the beautiful mountains. The sun is beginning to set, which casts an orange glow all around. It is a picturesque scene. Mikayla would like to preserve the image in her memories as a gentle reminder of her unexpectedly wild summer. But, like the summer nights and the summer itself, everything comes to an end.

Mikayla is only certain about one thing, and it’s how uncertain she feels about the way she left things with Ethan. Mikayla is never one to go back on a decision. She’s headstrong. When she makes up her mind, she carries out her decisions. It’s how she’s survived her chaotic family, making it in the city, and even in acting and developing her career. Mikayla fully commits.

So, why can’t she shake the feeling she made a mistake? Is she being true to herself about her feelings for Ethan? Her gut instinct is always strong, but this time she feels like her instincts are betraying her. She followed them when breaking things off with Ethan. Now they’re pulling her in another direction causing self-doubt and questions like, “what if?”

She can’t help but think about her final words to Avery. If things are meant to be, they’ll find a way. That’s what she’ll settle on. That’s the glimmer of hope she’ll keep with her as an assurance that even if she made the wrong decision, it’ll work out, one way or the other.

Chapter 28

She wiggles her ankle around, marveling at how freeing the movement is. Mikayla’s been home and cast-free for a week. Her window is open, with the shouts of people on the street and the blaring horns of cars in traffic waft into her living room. She takes a deep breath and inhales the smells of the city. She would take the New York City stench over Blue Ridge Mountain air any day. She’s a city girl, through and through.

She checks her phone and sees she has no notifications. She’s disappointed and relieved. She hasn’t stopped thinking about Ethan, but she’s glad he hasn’t reached out. She knows that its what is best for her. She’s gone over the reasons in her head, over and over, trying to convince herself that she made the right decision.

She’s appreciating her alone time, but misses the company at the cabin. She’s realizing how few friends she has to spend time with as the hot August summer stretches out, and there’s a hint of fall breeze in the air. Her air conditioner hums, and drips down on the sidewalk below. It’s a comforting sound, but she’s beginning to miss the sound of the bugs humming in the air in the grassy field behind the cabin. Mikayla can’t tell if she misses the summer days, or the idea of the cabin and all the possibilities it gave her. Like the possibility of love.

Mikayla opens Tinder on her phone, only to swipe left for 10 minutes before throwing it across the room. She knows that she can’t judge a person just from a photo and a short biography. But the fact that she also can’t stop comparing every face to Ethan’s is weighing heavily on her as well. His strong jawline, his green eyes with their yellow sparkles, his towering stature, his rock hard abs, and his chest. She misses laying on his chest, a comfort so rare and so special for her.

Her apartment buzzer goes off. It’s happening. The moment she thinks of him, Ethan is here. She launches herself off the couch in a panic, realizing her apartment is a mess and so is she. Then again, should she care? While she’s been thinking about him constantly, she never quite prepared for what she would say to him if he showed up. She never really thought he would, especially without calling or texting. When she buzzes back, a voice comes through that surprises her, and is certainly not Ethan. Relief and disappointment wash over her at once, and the reality of the unexpected visitor sinks in.

“Honey, it’s me,” says the voice. “It’s Mom.”

Chapter 29

“Sorry to come by unannounced,” says Suzanne. “I was just in the neighborhood and thought I could see you.” Her mom nervously sits across from Mikayla at her kitchen table.

“It’s okay,” Mikayla says, but it’s not. Mikayla’s hands are shaking violently. As she passes her mom a glass of ice water, they can both hear the clink of the ice as it shakes.  Mikayla is sure her mother is here to talk about Tony. Did she find a body? Or worse- maybe he’s alive, and he is going to tell everyone what happened. Mikayla wishes Ethan would appear and tell her he took care of everything and it’s going to be okay.

      “So, what’s going on?” Mikayla asks to break the tension in the room. She can’t put off the inevitable any longer. She needs to find out what her mom knows.

“Well, I guess you could say I’m on my own now,” Suzanne says. Mikayla is intrigued by how calm her mom seems. If she found the mangled body of her boyfriend, she probably wouldn’t be so relaxed.

“That’s...I’m sorry?” Mikayla says with uncertainty, wishing she knew how to react.

“Oh, it’s okay. It’s for the best. The worst parts of Tony had been coming out more and more as time went on. I was in denial for so long,” Suzanne says.

“I’m sorry to hear that. But I’m happy to hear you’re okay with everything.”

“Kind of. I need to figure out how to be on my own again. You know, my life didn’t go the way I planned. From one unhappy marriage with your father to my relationship with Tony, I always have depended on men to pick me up. But, I know that I’m more than capable of picking myself up,” Suzanne says.

Mikayla sips her water. She’s holding back tears. It’s been years since she and her mother have had a real heart-to-heart. When Mikayla and Cat were younger, their mom would take them on special trips for italian ice, or to pick something out at Target and leave the boys behind. They would be giddy, blasting music with their mom and spilling gossip. Mikayla wipes a tear from under her eye subtly, and hopes her mom doesn’t notice.

“I’m proud of you, Mom. I’ve wanted you to know how capable you are. You know, I think I inherited my independence from you…almost to a fault,” Mikayla says. If her mother wants to open up, Mikayla will seize the opportunity. Mikayla wants to fully trust her Suzanne and her intentions, but it seems too good to be true. What if Suzanne is just manipulating her? What if she needs something? Or worse: what if Tony is alive, they both know about Ethan, and this is a ploy to trap Mikayla and confront her? What if Tony is waiting outside her building? Maybe Mikayla is being paranoid, but she’s used to having her guard up with her mom.

“Honey, I know. What kind of example am I? I taught you and your sister to be self-reliant. Yet, here I am, a shell of the person I used to be because I let a man control my life and tell me what’s best for me,” Suzanne continues.

“I understand, Mom, it happens. Sometimes we get caught in unhealthy relationships. You can’t blame yourself.”

“I’ve made terrible choices that cost me my relationship with my children,” Suzanne says solemnly. Mikayla’s paranoia is subsiding. Unless her mom has been taking acting classes, Mikayla is certain that she’s sincere. Things must have been going wrong with Tony way before the wedding. Mikayla wonders if Ethan ultimately did her mother a favor.

“It’s not too late, Mom. Relationships don’t have to stay broken. We just have to work on it slowly,” says Mikayla.

“I appreciate you saying that, Mikayla. I appreciate you, and I love you. I want to do better and I’m willing to do what it takes,” says Suzanne.”Whatever we need to do to get back to where we once were.”

“I love you, too, Mom,” Mikayla says. “We can work on it. We can go to therapy. We can try to fix this together.”

“Therapy wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for me right now,” Suzanne says with a laugh. “Someone needs to help me sort out this mess in my brain.”

Mikayla could definitely relate. Her brain, her emotions, and her thoughts were all scattered. Mikayla was trying to make sense of her feelings about Ethan, and now her mom is back in the picture, throwing a major curveball. But, like usual, Mikayla will adjust.

You are brilliant, she thinks to herself, you are resilient.

“You know, I didn’t get a chance to really meet that Ethan guy you had around, but he seems like a real dreamboat,” Suzanne says. Mikayla isn’t sure if she’s ready to delve into her personal life with her mom, who certainly needs to earn her place back in her life. They have a long journey ahead of them. But, as Suzanne casually mentions Ethan, Mikayla is able to get some peace of mind. If Tony is around after the attack, which seems more and more unlikely, then he didn’t mention anything about the bear situation to Suzanne.

There’s a lot Mikayla wish she could confirm, including Tony’s whereabouts. But for now, she’ll just have to enjoy this moment, and have a strangely normal conversation with her mother. Suzanne clearly did not come here to ask what happened to Tony, but to have a real conversation with her daughter. Mikayla will have to accept this, without letting her mind race and torture herself with “what if” scenarios.

“Yeah, Ethan was a good guy. Well, is. He’s not, like, dead,” Mikayla says, immediately regretting her word vomit. What if Suzanne is really worried that Tony’s dead?

“Well, what happened there?” Suzanne asks. Again, there is no mention of Tony.

“Can we go for a walk?” Mikayla suggests. Suddenly, she feels suffocated by her tiny apartment. Her mother asked her the question she’s been mulling over for weeks- what did happen there?

Chapter 30

Mikayla and Suzanne walk through the muggy Manhattan air. August in Manhattan always feels hotter than anywhere else, with sticky subways and crowds adding to the suffocating effect of the heat.

“So, do you want to talk about it?” Suzanne asks. They walk down the block from Mikayla’s apartment, with no particular destination in mind.

“He is too clingy. And, like, controlling I guess.”

“Controlling? How so?”

“Yeah, I mean, kind of. Hardly. That’s what the boys and Cat think, at least. I would definitely say clingy is a better word choice.”

“What is so clingy about him? He doesn’t give you space?” Mikayla takes a moment to truly consider the question. She wants to answer truthfully, not for her mother’s benefit, but for her own. Explaining the situation to an outsider might be just what Mikayla needs to clear her mind. Her brothers are bullies, and Mikayla never valued their opinion. Why would she start now? And on the other hand, Avery only wants Mikayla and Ethan to work because it fits her idealistic vision of double dates and summers in the cabin forever.

“He gives me space. It’s not that. It’s just that...he has a medical condition, and he depends on me to assist him every day,” Mikayla says. When she frames it like that, she can’t help but feel like a terrible person. Who leaves someone because they can’t handle their condition? Ethan never left her or turned his head away because of Mikayla’s broken ankle. It hardly compares to what Ethan goes through, but she remembers how he carried her and made her feel as light as air. She wonders if Ethan got the same relief from experiencing hardships with a partner.

“A medical condition? That’s unfortunate, I’m sorry to hear that. I don’t want to overstep, but sometimes it’s situations like those that bring people closer together, given time and a little extra effort,” Suzanne says. Mikayla isn’t sure when her mom became qualified to give life advice, but she isn’t stopping her, either.

“Sometimes a good thing is right in front of you and you just have to be willing to fight for it. Sometimes, the most powerful connections happen when people are at their lowest. It’s not the worst thing to have a person to take care of,” Suzanne says.

“But I’m independent. I like to do my own thing. I have my own life, my own schedule.”

“How do you expect to find love like that? Are you really that unwilling to adjust your life to make room for someone else, if that someone else is special?”

Mikayla doesn’t say anything.

“Sweetie, I know you’re probably thinking that I’m the last person to give advice about love and relationships. But I’ve made many mistakes. If I can prevent you from making the same ones, then I will do my damn best,” Suzanne says. They’re still walking. They’ve walked blocks and blocks. They’re both drenched in sweat, but they walk on.

“I never want you to change who you are, or be with someone who wants you to change. But from what I can gather about Ethan, it doesn’t seem like he’s that type of person. At the end of the day, you have to make a choice,” Suzanne says. “If you like your life as is, that’s fine. But if, overall, you liked your life better with Ethan, maybe that’s worth revisiting.”

Mikayla is completely shocked by her mother’s unexpected wisdom.

“Since when did you become a wise old sage?” she asks, laughing to keep her composure.

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that. Just trying to pass along a little bit of what I’ve learned from my own trials and tribulations. Listen, all I’m saying is: maybe the situation isn’t as black and white as you think it is. You don’t have to abandon your independence to be there for someone else. There can be a natural give and take. Is he there for you when you need him?”

“Always,” Mikayla replies.

“Then, ‘clingy’ isn’t the right word. Maybe ‘caring’ or ‘invested’ would help you reframe things with Ethan,” says Suzanne.

Mikayla can feel a fog lifting. For the first time, she’s seeing her situation clearly. Her mother is the last person she expected to inspire an epiphany within her. Mikayla contemplates pinching herself to make sure she isn’t dreaming.

“You’ve honestly given me a lot to think about,” Mikayla replies.

“If I can guide you just a little bit, then I haven’t completely failed you as a mother.”

Mikayla stops walking. She grabs her mother’s hands and looks her in the eyes.

“You did not fail me as a mother. In fact, it insults me that you could even think so. Because what does that say about me? I think I came out okay. The way our relationship went...everything that happened...none of it is permanent. Nothing is forever. Maybe things will never go back to the way they were, but we don’t need to seek sameness. New can be good. You know, reframing situations and all that crap,” Mikayla says.

Suzanne takes the opportunity to give her a daughter a hug. As the two embrace, Suzanne sheds a tear of pure joy and gratitude.

“Alright, that’s good for now,” Mikayla says, playfully. “I’m really glad you came around, Mom. I needed this talk more than I ever would’ve realized.”

“I love you, sweetie, and I always will. I’m going to go catch a train back to Brooklyn, okay?”

“Okay mom, bye. Love you. Talk soon, I hope,” Mikayla says as her mom disappears into the late afternoon sun. Mikayla heads back towards her apartment with a skip in her step, feeling elated at the idea of calling Ethan and asking him to meet up. She has so much to say.

Chapter 31

Mikayla returns to her apartment and realizes she had left her phone there during her walk. She’s eager to pick up her phone and call Ethan when she sees her phone has been blown up with notifications. She’s got a ton of missed calls and unopened texts, including a string of texts from Ethan. She reads those first.

I miss you, the first text reads.

I ca ant’ do anythinh withotufes you, the next text reads.

Wha t di d i do?,.’;df, says the third text.

I’mcomnig to fix this, says the next text. Mikayla stops cold. What does that mean? It’s evident from his numerous typos that Ethan is drinking. Mikayla goes to her call log to talk to him directly when she notices missed calls from all three of her brothers and her dad. She panics. There must be some sort of emergency. She didn’t mean to ignore her family’s S.O.S messages while out with her mom. They would see her as a traitor if they knew she made nice with Suzanne. But she was still worried about what was going on. She picks up the phone and calls her dad. He picks up almost immediately.

“Where the hell have you been?! We’ve been calling and calling. Come get your drunk ass boyfriend,” says Roger. He’s livid. Mikayla can tell by his tone and the way his words sting, even through the phone.

“What are you talking about?”

“That Ethan guy. He just showed up at the house, started knocking shit over, and yelling about how it’s ‘our fault’. You know I couldn’t give a shit about your relationship, especially with this d-bag, but you better get over here. Right. Now,” Roger spits out, his words soaked with venom. She hears a swift click.

“Wait, Dad- don’t-,” Mikayla starts to say. But it’s too late. If the boys try to fight Ethan, there’s no way he won’t shift. There would be no stopping him, even if it’s four against one. As soon as he feels threatened, it’s over. Her brothers, as rough and tough as they make themselves out to be, could not take on a giant grizzly bear. It would be no contest. The only way to make sure everyone stays safe is for Mikayla to haul ass to her family’s home in New Jersey. She’s got to get there as fast as possible. She calls an Uber, deciding that a train would take too long. She’ll pay whatever it takes to get to Jersey, because time is of the essence. Every moment that passes is a ticking time bomb towards total destruction.

Mikayla’s mind is racing when she remembers that her brothers keep at least a few guns in the house. If Ethan shifts and they’re left with a wild bear on their hands, they wouldn’t hesitate to shoot. She can’t stop herself from imagining the worst possible scenario.

She tries ringing her dad again, to warn him to stay calm with Ethan and be patient. There’s no answer. She calls Mike first, then Cal, then Jimmy. All of their phones are going straight to voicemail. What could be going on?

Her phone notifies her that her Uber has arrived downstairs. She grabs her bag, runs out to the curb, and jumps in her ride. After her conversation with her mom, she knew she needed to see Ethan as soon as possible. But this is not what she had in mind.

Chapter 32

Mikayla finally arrives at her dad’s house in New Jersey. She practically falls out of the car, gives her driver a quick wave goodbye, and runs to the house. She bangs on the front door.

Roger swings the door open. “Thank God, finally,” he says. She can’t remember the last time her dad was relieved to see her.

“Where is he?”

“The spawn of Satan himself? He’s in the basement. It smells like he’s been drinking for days. The boys are standing guard. Go handle it, Mikayla. I don’t want to deal with your dirty laundry anymore.”

Mikayla lets out a sigh of relief. He hasn’t gone bear…yet. She hopes her brothers aren’t giving him too much trouble. She heads toward the basement. On her way, she notices the living room is destroyed. There’s glass shattered, photos from the wall torn down, and stuffing from the couch cushions is scattered around the floor. There’s even a crack in her dad’s flat screen T.V.

“Yeah, you can be sure that asshole is paying for all this,” Roger says flatly.

“And you can stay to clean up the mess he caused.”

“Yeah, sure,” Mikayla replies, in a rush to get downstairs. She is significantly calmer than she was during the drive. If there was a bear sighting, she would definitely know by now. Her biggest obstacles are her brothers, which will be enough of a challenge in itself.

She makes her way down to the basement and sees Ethan tied up to a chair with some scarves. The scene is almost comical. The three brothers sit on the couch across from him, staring him down. Mikayla notices that no guns are involved, and breathes another sigh of relief.

“Mikayla,” Ethan’s face lights up when she appears in front of him.

“Ethan,” she says, wanting to run over and kiss his face. She wishes she didn’t have deal with whatever is happening here. She doesn’t want to reopen old wounds. All she wants is to travel back in time to the first night they shared together, and stay in that moment forever.

“Finally,” says Cal. “Please, I can’t deal with him anymore,” he says.

“He’s all yours,” says Jimmy.

“What happened?” Mikayla asks the room. “Ethan, what happened? What did you do?”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know how I got here…the past few weeks have been a blur,” Ethan says with a slight slur. He won’t look her in the eye. He’s ashamed of his behavior, and he is acting like a dog who got caught eating the bathroom garbage.

“I’ll tell you what happened, Mickey,” says Mike. “We were all out, doing our own thing,  and we came back to found the house freaking trashed. Seems your ex blames us for the break up. He says it’s because we told you we didn’t like him.”

“Which, for the record, is true. Truer now,” Cal adds.

“I thought about kicking his ass, personally,” Jimmy chimes in.

“I begged them not to,” says Ethan. Mikayla can’t imagine Ethan begging. “I knew if they got their hands on me,” says Ethan, “I’d be destroyed.” Well played, Mikayla thinks. Let them think they have the upperhand.

“Three against one? He’d never stand a chance,” Cal says cockily.

“Once he agreed to let us tie him up, we decided violence wouldn’t have to be the answer this time. Consider yourself spared, asshole,” adds Jimmy.

“Ethan, why are you here?” asks Mikayla. “How did you get here? Why?”

“Because, this is their fault. They drove us apart. They’re the reason you ended things with me, and I can’t live without you. I’ve been doing a very bad job trying to. I’ve been drinking, and I’ve been….out of control,” says Ethan.       

“We need to go somewhere else and talk,” Mikayla says. “Please.”

“You’d want to be alone with me? You’re sure I’m not too controlling? You’re not worried?”  Ethan says. He must still be a little drunk, because he’s never that snarky with her. Mikayla usually provides the snark in their relationship.

“Yeah, I probably deserve that,” Mikayla replies. “Please, let’s just get out of here and go talk.”

“Gentlemen?” Ethan says, glancing down at the scarves.

“Shut up,” says Mike. “Cal, untie him.”

As instructed, Cal removes the scarves and frees Ethan. He stands up and proptly loses his balance. He leans his entire body weight into Mikayla, and she breathes in his smell. Its familiar and sweet, even when slightly tainted with whiskey and beer breath.

“Thanks for sparing him, guys. Sorry about all of this,” Mikayla says, leading Ethan upstairs. She hopes to sneak him right past Roger, but he’s blocking the front door.

“I never want to see this guy again, do you hear me, Mikayla? I’m serious. You’re

coming back to fix this mess. You and your drama, I swear, Mikayla,” Roger shouts.

“Yeah, sure, whatever Dad. Got it,” Mikayla answers, unphased. There’s nothing her family could say about Ethan anymore. It’s up to her now to win back her man. But he needs to sober up first.

Chapter 33

      Ethan’s eyes open. Mikayla’s sitting next to him on the couch,and she’s been waiting for him to get rest so that they could talk.

“Where am I?” he says, looking around.

“You’re in my apartment,” says Mikayla. “In the city.”

“How’d I get here?”

“Well, after the whole ordeal at my dad’s house, I got you in an Uber and took you here.”

“I don’t remember the car ride here at all.”

“Yeah, you’ve been dead asleep. You basically sleepwalked up the stairs. It was pretty impressive, honestly,” she remarks.

“Alcohol really wipes me out,” says Ethan.

“I can see that,” says Mikayla. She passes him a glass of water.

“My head hurts,” he says, taking small sips.

“You think?”

“Yeah.”

“Listen,” Mikayla says. She’s nervous. She’s never nervous, even when it comes to important auditions. But she’s about to lay it all out for Ethan. She doesn’t know the last time, if ever, she was prepared to be this vulnerable with a man about her feelings. She usually ends things before important conversations need to happen.

“I’m sorry,” she begins with. “I’m so sorry I hurt you. I’m sorry I told you it was because of my family,” she continues. “It has nothing to do with them. It’s all me. It’s always been me and my feelings. No, my family didn’t love you, but they also didn’t get to know you. I guess I used them as a scapegoat instead of dealing with my own feelings. But I don’t want to do that anymore. You’re the only person I feel like I can be completely myself around.”

“Mikayla,” Ethan tries to say. But she’s on a roll, and won’t let him get a word in.      

“I’m not used to serious relationships. I’ve only ever casually dated, and I thought this would be another fling. Without even talking to you I assumed that’s what you wanted. Instead of asking you, I distanced myself more and more. I….I was scared. Hell, I’m still scared. But I’m not hiding my emotions anymore. I want you to know everything that I feel. My life has been completely empty without you. I never knew how much I could miss someone.”

“Mikayla,” says Ethan. This time, he grabs both of her hands. The hair on her arms stands up straight, and her body lights up from his touch. “I’ve missed you so much. I needed to give you your space, but I’ve wanted to talk to you so badly. I’ve been drinking to distract myself. I was always good at being on my own, and then I met you. I knew I would never, ever be okay with being alone again.”

“Do you mean that?”

“More than anything, Mikayla. But, I have to ask- do you really feel like I’m clingy, or obsessive, or...too much to handle? As much as I want you in my life, I don’t want you here because you feel like you’re my caretaker. I want you because you make me laugh, and your snarky comments make my day. I love your ambition, and your confidence. You’re an incredible person, and I never wanted to stifle you. I know I’m a lot to….bear.”

Mikayla laughs. She loves how, despite the situation, he can make her laugh. She stifles a giggle to address the question.

“No. I don’t now, at least. Maybe I did. I was worried that I would lose my independence. I have only ever worried about myself. I didn’t understand the dynamics of a relationship; it’s a two-way street, and as much as you might depend on me, I depend on you, too. It’s codependence. It’s sharing the responsibility, and taking care of each other because we want to and not because we have to.”

“I’m really glad to hear you say that. I never ever want to be a burden to you. I want to be able to depend on you and for you to know you can depend on me. I would never let anything happen to you. I love you, Mikayla,” says Ethan.

“I love you, too,” says Mikayla, and she’s never more certain of anything before. She feels no self-doubt, no cold feet. She says it with confidence as heart fills to the brim. She feels like she’s floating. She leans in, her face just inches from Ethan’s. She crawls towards him and sits on his lap. Grabbing his face in her hands, she presses her lips against his. They kiss hard, its a special kiss shared between two people in love…a kiss that makes knees weak. This kiss expresses one thousand “I love yous” and says, “I never want to be away from you.” It was the type of kiss that Mikayla had only ever dreamed of.

Chapter 34

Mikayla rolls over to see Ethan sleeping next to her. He spent the night untied and free. It was a risk they both agreed to take, together. They decided that if things went wrong, Mikayla was ready to support him and do what it takes to calm him down. The alarm clock on her dresser lets her know it’s 4:00 A.M. It’s too early to wake Ethan up, and its peaceful watching him sleep. The rise and fall of his chest calms her like watching the ocean, with its tide rolling in. She doesn’t know what their future holds, except that they’ll be with each other through whatever it is. There are still a few things on Mikayla’s mind, but they can all wait until morning. Then, Ethan turns over onto his side. His face is close to hers. His eyes gently flutter open, and a smile creeps across his face.

“This is the only thing I ever want to open my eyes to,” he says. They’re holding each other now, and she basks in his familiar smell. He puts his head on her chest while she strokes back his brown hair, letting it softly and slowly fall through her fingers.

“Me, too,” she says. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“What ever happened to Tony?”

“Oh, yeah,” says Ethan. “He’s probably fine, but honestly, I don’t know. I didn’t kill him if that’s what you’re thinking…not saying I wouldn’t have. But I just didn’t.”

“So, what happened?”

“Well, I took him to the woods and basically just scared the shit out of him. I roughed him up a little. Gave him a few scratches, a bite. Then I just left him and started running. I ran as far as I could, knowing I could get back to the cabin if I followed the mountains. I figured Tony would wake up and have to fend for himself. I thought someone would find him, a hunter maybe. Or another, less understanding bear,” he says with a grimace. Mikayla genuinely can’t tell if his bear comment is serious.

“So, he might come back?”

“Come back where? Not to you. I think he got the idea to leave you alone.”

“No, no to me. To my mom,” says Mikayla.

“Your mom? What about her? I didn’t think you wanted anything to do with her.”

“It’s funny how these things work out sometimes, isn’t it? My mom came by to talk to me, to tell me Tony’s missing. I was so nervous. I had no answers, and I thought there was a chance they knew about you. I didn’t know where you were and I was just...worried.”

“I promise you that I will always be okay. You never have to worry about me.”

“You can tell me that twice a day and I always will. Its only because I care so much about you, and the thought of losing you…” Mikayla can’t even finish the thought as she feels a lump form in her throat.

“You’re not losing me. I’m not going anywhere. Tell me the rest of what happened with your mom,”  he says. He looks up at her with his giant green and dancing yellow-speckled eyes. She feels safe and warm.

“Okay, so, she actually was pretty….relieved. Apparently things with Tony weren’t great. I’m not sure that they were never great. I totally didn’t see it coming.”

“Yeah, I mean, when was the last time you talked to your mom? About anything real, you know?”

“Forever, basically,” Mikayla said. “There was such a distance between us. I wanted to blame her and I wanted to blame Tony, but I also stopped trying. We all stopped trying. All of us kids.”

“And now?”

“Now we’re going to work on things. Talking with her was great. She really helped lift a fog. I saw things more clearly after we spoke. I never thought we’d get here.”

“I’m proud of you.”

“Really, I couldn’t have done it without you. You know, handling Tony and all that.”

“And all that,” he laughs. Sleepiness weighs down Mikayla’s eyelids.

“I love you, Ethan,” she says. “I love saying it. I love ‘love’. I love, love, love, you,” she says in a very sleepy voice.

“I love, love, love, you, too,” he says. “Let’s get some sleep. We have a big day coming up.”

“Today? We do?”

“We do. Trust me, it’s all good. There are just some things I want to show you.”

Mikayla falls asleep with a smile on her face for the first time in weeks.

Chapter 35

The city is far behind them now as they take one of Ethan’s cars from the city back to the cabin where it all began.

“What are we doing back here?” Mikayla asks, taking in the mountain view. It’s late August. The air is hot and muggy, and feels like summer has stretching on for years. They arrive at the cabin, and Mikayla excitedly opens the car door and lets herself out. She loves being able to do little physical things on her own, things that weren’t so easy when her ankle was in a cast.

“There’s just some things I didn’t get a chance to show you. You’ve shared so much of yourself, and I want to give you a proper introduction to my world. There’s a lot you still don’t know, and a lot that you’ll learn.”

“Should I be nervous?” Mikayla teases as he takes her hand. They walk around the house straight to the back. The green grass is as vibrant and welcoming as ever.

“A little,” he says, and winks.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll see,” he says. They’re approaching the edge of the woods.

“Do you trust me?” he says.

“More than anything,” she replies. With that, Ethan takes off. He keeps running until she can’t see him anymore. She’s curious, but not nervous. She trusts this man with her life, a life she plans to live out with him and only him. Out of the distance, a large brown mass of fur appears and starts walking towards her. She recognizes the eyes immediately. The bear approaches her, then rubs up against her like a purring housecat. Mikayla laughs and strokes the fur.

“Get on,” he says.

“Get on?”

“Trust me.” With that, Mikayla climbs on the back of the gigantic grizzly. When he’s on all fours, she’s a considerable distance from the ground. She grips tightly and he begins to run. They’re flying through the woods now, moving past trees so quickly they’re nothing but a blur to Mikayla. She loves the adrenaline and letting herself trust the giant creature. She can’t believe she ever felt like this relationship was suffocating her, when it is truly the most freeing experience she’s ever had. No audition or life experience could give her the rush she gets from Ethan. But not just Ethan as a bear…Ethan as a man. Ethan as a person. The sweet, kind, funny, sympathetic man who had her heart all along, who patiently waited for her while she figured it out.

Finally, the bear slows down.

“I could go on like that forever,” she says. “That’s the closest I’ve ever been to taking flight.”

“Come with me,” he says. Now, they’re walking side by side through a dense area of trees. When there’s a clearing, Mikayla sees a structure ahead. It was a cabin similar to Blake’s, but looked more like an office building. She’s confused.

“What is this doing here?”

“You’ll see,” he says. He approaches the building and knocks on the door. A few seconds later, it opens.

“Ethan! You made it. You must be Mikayla,” says the stranger kindly. He’s handsome, just like Ethan.

“I’m here, brother,” says Ethan. “Give me a minute,” he says. With that, he darts away. When he comes back a few moments later, he’s human…and completely naked. Mikayla blushes, seemingly the only one caught off guard by his nudity.

“You look great. Come in, get dressed,” says the stranger.

When Mikayla enters, she sees Blake and Avery.

“Mikayla!” Avery practically shrieks. “Its so good to see you! I wasn’t sure if you were going to make it.”

“I’ve made it. But...where am I?” she says with wide eyes, seaching the room for clues. The cabin is decorated beautifully with a rustic design, book shelves that reach the ceiling, and a wooden dining room table.

“You’re at the headquarters, Mikayla,” says the stranger. “I’m Douglas. I’m Ethan and Blake’s brother. And yes, I’m exactly like them,” he adds with a laugh.

“The headquarters? Of what?”

“It’s rather unofficial, but it’s the headquarters for our family and other shifters in the area. This is kind of home base. Its isolated with plenty of rooms to stay in an emergency, extra clothes, and books all about shifting for curious guests like yourself. For us, its a place to call home. Many shifters don’t have a home or someone to help take care of them, so this is what we made. A makeshift home for any shifter out in the woods on their own.”

“Wow. This is incredible,” says Mikayla as she marvels at the cabin that seems much bigger on the inside than it does on the outside.

“Isn’t it?” says Ethan.

“These are everywhere, all over the country. This one is just ours. All of the buildings are different, but they serve the same purpose. They are homes for those who feel lost,” says Ethan. It occurs to Mikayla that she doesn’t know a lot about Ethan’s past. Was he one of the lost shifters seeking refuge?

“Wow,” Mikayla repeats, dumbfounded.

“I wanted to show you this since I met you. I almost took you here, but this place is extremely private,” says Ethan.

“Ethan, I have so much to talk to you about,” she says.

“We have the rest of our lives for that,” he says with a smile. Mikayla’s heart nearly jumps out of her chest. Just hearing him say the words confirmed that she has nothing but time to learn, grow, and meet all the people in Ethan’s life. 

“Shall we eat, then?” says Douglas.

“Eat, we shall!” says Blake.

“I’ve been wanting to bring you to dinner for so long,” says Ethan. “I want you to be part of my family.”       

Mikayla’s glowing. She’s beaming in a way that would’ve embarrassed her in normal circumstances, but these aren’t normal circumstances. Nothing about her life with Ethan will be “normal circumstances”, but maybe that’s just what she needed…to stray from the norm.

Chapter 36

Mikayla and Ethan are in the living room of Blake’s cabin now. They’re full of food and drink from the family dinner.

“So,” Ethan says.

“So,” says Mikayla. She hasn’t stopped smiling all day. In fact, she hasn’t stopped smiling since Ethan came back in her life.

“I don’t want you to think I’ve made up my mind, because I haven’t. Whatever you want is what I want. I understand this is a lot to ask,” Ethan begins. He’s not one to nervously ramble, so Mikayla isn’t sure what bomb he’s preparing to drop.

“What is it?”

“I want to stay here. At Blue Ridge. I want to be close to the headquarters, especially as the summer ends. We get a huge wave of new shifters during the autumn season. I want to stay here, but I could never ask you to leave the city for me. Unless, of course, that’s what you want. I just want to be with you. I’ll live with you in the city if that’s what it takes. You don’t have to answer now, but I just wanted you to consider it,” Ethan says, and Mikayla interrupts him.

“You know, I have my whole life in Manhattan. Theater…friends…and all that,” she says.

Ethan looks defeated. “I know.”

“Wait, let me finish. I have my whole life in Manhattan, but not if you’re not there. You’re my whole life now.”

Ethan’s beaming now. “Does this mean you’ll stay?”

“This means we’re going to work it out. How do you feel about splitting your time between the city and here? I know that’s a lot to ask of you, too, but we have cars at our disposal. Since we don’t have to pay rent here, I can keep my apartment -,” Mikayla says, only for Ethan to interrupt her this time.

“Yes. It’s perfect. That’s perfect. You’re perfect,” he says. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too. But no, I’m not perfect. I’m learning how to truly give and take. No relationship ever flourished without compromise,” she says.

“When did you get so wise?” he teases.

“It’s been a big summer for me. I’m growing… changing…shifting my perspective.”

“Hey, I’m the one who does all the shifting here. Am I right?” he says. Mikayla laughs.

“Wait, wait. Important. Can we sleep together without like, all the ropes? Like we did last night?”

“Absolutely. I’m never calmer than when I’m in your arms. When I’m with you, I feel in control. I’m more powerful than my inner demons.”

“You are. But I love you in every form. It’s never been about what you look like, although as a human you are the damn sexiest. Its about what’s on the inside. Your patience, your compassion, your humor, how gentle you are. All of those things define you, not the fact that you’re a shifter.”

“I’m so thankful to have you in my life. You’re brilliant, you know that? And strong. Resilient, even. Brilliant and resilient. I can’t imagine my life without you.” They’re both smiling, staring into each others eyes.

“And I can’t imagine my life without you,” Mikayla replies.

Brilliant and resilient, she thinks to herself. You sure are.

THE END