Chapter Five
I was trying to be subtle about it, because what kind of weirdo falls in love in a few short days, but I was starting to think my subtle was lacking. Especially when I kept doing stupid stuff. Like saying, "I lllllike this cup," while holding a coffee cup that has Bunny's logo on it.
You know, like the same cups I serve coffee to everyone in town in. Every. Single. Day.
He either thought I was unperceptive as a mother, and I was going to end up with Bunny's Diner cups for my birthday, or he was starting to catch on.
Probably didn't help when I blushed the color of Ridley's hair, and scampered away every time, either.
What was worse was when other people caught it. Like a few minutes ago, when Green and Foster had to run into to town for something to do with Foster's job, and I'd gone up on my tippy toes to kiss him. When we pulled back, I said, "I lllllistened to a country song today. Okay, bye."
"Uh…bye, Pretty Angel."
But I was already inside the kitchen, pretending to do things by opening cabinets and moving stuff around.
"You can come out now," Burke yelled from the living room, after I heard the front door open and shut. "Or, ya could pretend to make me a sandwich."
Groaning, I walked into the living room and flopped down on the couch. Ward looked away, clearly trying not to laugh, while Arry smirked from behind his phone.
"It's okay that ya already love him." Burke too looked on the verge of laughter. "You have to remember, he's your perfect match in every way. It's not surprisin' that your feelin's are so strong, so fast."
"But, what if he's not ready, yet?" I dropped my face into my hands, mumbling against my palms. "I'd much rather just wait until he feels the same, than say anything now, and run the risk of him freaking out and leaving me."
"He's definitely ready," Arry said, bringing his phone down for just a second. "He looks at you the way all these mated assholes look at each other. I can practically see the heart eyes. It's disgusting."
"You're so full of shit," Burke said, throwing a pillow at the man. "You'll be the same way someday."
"What if we don't have a mate?" Ward hardly ever spoke. He wasn't shy, or even rude. He just simply kept his mouth shut unless he had something real to say. "I mean, with the rate everyone is finding their mate, we have to be getting close to our quota, right? It just makes you think, maybe you aren't going to end up with one."
"Do you want one?" I asked the big man, softly, worried it was a bit of a sore subject.
Shrugging, the man smiled softly. "It would be nice to snuggle something soft at night, and share sweet kisses with."
"Soft?" Burke looked at Ward thoughtfully. "Like a woman? I guess I didn't know ya were straight. With all these gorgeous gay men runnin' around, I was startin' to think the entire leap was gay."
Laughing, Arry shook his head. "No, he meant man. He's definitely gay. He just likes him men with a little extra cushion."
"You like cute little chubbies, Ward?" Burke's eyes lit up, making his handsome face even more animated. "I'm so gonna find ya the man of your dreams."
Rolling his eyes, Ward went back to his book.
My phone ringing surprised me. I'd had a perfectly fine prepaid flip phone. With the very few people who called me ever, it had been perfect for my various jobs to get ahold of me. But when Green had seen it, he honestly looked like he was going to faint. I've never seen a black man get so pale so fast.
He'd rushed me to the store like my head was about to fall off, or something, and bought me a brand new smartphone, actually glaring at me when I'd offered to pay for it.
Looking down at it now, I still wasn't sure if it had been worth all the drama and extra money.
Bunny's name was flashing across the screen, so I answered it quickly. "Hello?"
"Hey, sweet boy. I know today is your day off, but the new guy doesn't start for a few more days, and for some reason, we just got swamped. Do you think you can come in and work a couple hours until we make it through the dinner rush?"
"Of course! Green had to run and do something for Foster, anyway, so it's not like I can really hang out with him right now." Already in motion, I grabbed my shoes, and the keys to my old beat up car––that I absolutely would not budge on when Green tried to buy me a new one––and started to head outside.
Burke grabbed my arm, pointing to his own keys in his hand, telling me he'd give me a ride, while Bunny thanked me and hung up.
I smiled, but hesitated. "I don't want you to have to go just because of me."
"What else am I gonna do? Sit around and watch these two be lonely?"
"Ward might be lonely," Arry said, spinning his phone to reveal a shirtless torso. "But I'm 'bout to go find Romero, here, and question him about these alleged nine inches."
Ward made a face, and stood from his chair to walk up the stairs. "You're gross."
Arry laughed. "Maybe he's my mate!"
***
When Burke and I pulled into the lot, I was a bit confused when I saw Green's truck sitting in the parking lot, but excited. Regardless of the fact that I couldn't quit almost telling him I loved him, he was my absolute favorite person to be around in the whole world. Every minute I got with him seemed fake and amazing at the same time.
Burke had parked up front where everyone else parked, so I raced around the side of the building, needing to get my apron and clock in.
What I wasn't expecting, was to see my mate handing an envelope over to the man who'd played the part of the worst possible father to an orphan for twelve long years.
"I hope you brought the money, Avers. Don't think I don't know what that mark on his chest means. I could get twice as much if I had the fucking time to do it." Green sounded different. Not like mine. Not like the man I was head over heels in love with.
He sounded cold and hard, and I couldn't help but back up away from all of it, not wanting either man to see me at the moment.
"I have the money, cat. But this better be my boy, or I'll have my wolves wipe out your entire town." Brian pulled three, eight by tens out of the envelope my mate had handed him, and I saw myself on them, in different stages of working at the diner.
That's why he'd taken the pictures.
In that moment, I honestly felt like my heart shattered.
Like a pressure so strong on my chest, that something had to give. Either my heart or my lungs were going to blow, and I needed my lungs to scream out my pain.
"Noooooo." It was a loud, miserable sound that drew the attention of everyone in the impromptu meeting of selling Rory to the most convenient bidder.
He was selling me back to Brian. That's all I could think, over and over. He'd chosen the cruelest way to get rid of me.
"Foster!" I heard Green yell, as he charged forward into Brian, taking him to the ground.
"I've got him!" Foster yelled back, running at me, and pressing me up against the wall, as men I recognized from back when I was being held by Brian, started running out of the woods toward me All clearly headed for either me, or where Green was beating the shit out of the man I loathed with every breath I took.
When men in black clothing followed them out of the woods, I watched in shock as they started throwing the wolves down on the ground, and cuffing them.
A man in a suit clasped Green's shoulder, stopping the brutal beating of a man who had passed out probably ten punches ago.
"Mr. Wilkes! Your mate needs you." His voice was deep and firm, like he was used to always being in control.
Green's eyes snapped around to where Foster was just starting to ease away from me, and I saw it then. The truth was right there in his shifted eyes.
He hadn't been trying to sell me back to the man who had imprisoned and punished me. He was saving me. I was finally free.
Marching over to me, he grabbed me hard, and buried his face in the spot between my neck and shoulder where he'd placed his mark a couple days before. I was a little surprised to feel the wetness, and then the obvious sob, but I clung to him, as he cried against my skin.
"I'm so sorry, Pretty Angel." He pulled back, his dark eyes back to normal now that the adrenaline had run its course. "I hate that you thought for even one second that I would want anything for your future, other than spending every single day and night with me."
"Fuck," I sobbed, nearly strangling him with my arms as I squeezed him to me. "I'm so sorry I doubted you. I see it now. I see how much you love me."
Smiling, while tears still ran down his beautiful, brown face, he leaned forward and pecked a kiss to my lips. "I do. I love you, so much. And I know you llllike pastries."
Giggling, I jumped up, wrapping my legs around his waist as he cupped my ass to hold me in place. "I love you, Green," I whispered, just inches from his face. "I love you so much, I feel like nothing is real. When I was wasting away in that cell, all I ever wanted was my freedom. I never dreamed I could have more than that, if I ever even got it. It's still so hard to believe that I found someone so perfect for me. The part of my soul I didn't even realize was missing. Thank you for setting me free for good."
With all the reverence I've ever seen in the eyes of the other couples I'd admired since moving here, my mate looked at me, squeezing me close. "You really are a pretty angel."