Rhys moved, and I felt him beside me, and he pulled me into his arms. “I could never hate you, Kee.”
“You don’t know what I did.” I sniffed. “I can’t stay. I have to go.”
“Shhh,” Rhys crooned. “Don’t even say that. You’re not going anywhere. It’s not your fault. Trust me, I know. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Rhys’s arms around me tightened.
But I had. I should never have… God, I’d thrown myself at Gabe.
Where would I go?
12
Gabe
I was a coward.A dumb, reckless coward. And worse than all that, I’d hurt my mate when that was the last thing I’d ever wanted to do.
Standing outside Rhys’s house and hearing Kian crying, my bear had gone crazy, was still going crazy.
I’d wanted to break down the door separating my mate from me and lift him into my arms and tell him how perfect he was. That it was nothing he did. That I was already crazy about him.
But what would good would that do if I hadn’t told him who I was?
Gods, he would never forgive me. How had I screwed this up so epically? I needed to see him. Explain. Fuck. I pushed my hands through my hair and paced back and forth.
What if my mate never spoke to me again? I’d never resented my position before, but for the first time ever, I did. Because I wasn’t just putting myself on the line—it was the town, my family… It was everyone. And no matter how trustworthy I thought he was, it felt incredibly selfish to simply put myself first.
My siblings had all left for college, but I’d stayed back. Being responsible was starting to feel like a noose.
I needed fresh air; I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I hurried outside. The sound of the river usually soothed me. The majestic mountain ranges in the distance that usually brought me so much peace didn’t.
All I could feel was the distance between my mate and me. “Please forgive me, love.” I lowered myself to the porch and hung my head.
I heard the engine of a car approaching. Didn’t my family get the message that I wanted to be alone? I’d picked one of the most secluded cabins on our property, but why I expected them to take the hint was beyond me.
“This pity party looks to be in full swing,” my papa said as he walked towards me.
I didn’t even bother looking up. But of course it was Papa, and I would bet Dad wasn’t far behind. They traveled as a pack, the two of them. As it should be when you’d found your mate.
“Ahh, I see some things haven’t changed even with age,” he snorted. “The silent treatment, really, Gabe?”
I loved my papa, but I just didn’t have it in me right now to respond. My brain was playing my screwup on repeat.
He sat down beside me and slung his arms around my shoulder. “Son, the world isn’t ending. Things always work out the way they’re supposed to; you know that, right?”
No, I really didn’t. And Papa wouldn’t get it. He’d met Dad when Dad had gone to visit friends in upstate New York. As the story went, Papa was working at a bar in town where Dad and his friend went to grab drinks. Papa was his server that night, and they’d scented each other, and it was a wrap. They’d gotten together immediately, and Papa moved to Montana with Pops.
“I can see you’re going with defeated, which is so unlike my son. I would think that stubborn, determined streak of yours would come roaring out, especially when it came to your mate.” My papa was using his disappointed voice.
I turned my head to the side slightly and met my papa’s gaze.
“You think I don’t know that’s what he is?” Papa sounded amused. “Of course I do. I knew it from the moment I saw you around him. You didn’t know it, but you did everything to stay close to him.”
I grunted.
“Congratulations, son. Kian is wonderful, and I know he’ll be a fantastic addition to the family.”
I looked away and sighed. Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen, not after I’d screwed up so badly.
