I smiled. “Relax. You’re still my best friend, idiot.”
Rafael laughed. “I better be.”
“I just need Jake’s help on an… important matter.”
Rafael blinked and gestured to the air. “Which is…?”
Shit,I thought. I didn’t think he would read into it this much, so I was forced into a corner now. I needed to make something plausible up and fast.
“Well, Jake works at the pet store on Main Street,” I said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “In regards to that, I was going to ask him about getting a cat.”
Rafael’s brows raised in surprise. “A cat? Really? You?”
I crossed my arms and leaned back into my chair. “Yes. Don’t you think a nice, handsome tom would suit a man like me?” I stroked my chin thoughtfully. “Or maybe a beautiful queen.”
Rafael laughed to mask his confusion. “Uh, okay. Whatever you want. Actually, maybe a cat would do you some good.” He smiled. “Maybe you won’t be so lonely.”
My heart warmed. Did Rafael really worry about me that much?
“In any case,” I continued, “we decided sitting down to talk about it would be best. I don’t know much about cats, and Jake is the expert. And maybe while I’m there, I'll run into his roommate.”
I realized I had let too much information slip. Rafael didn't know that I was meeting Jake at his house, which was a strangely intimate meeting place for an unmated alpha and omega - even if theyweresupposed to be discussing cats.
Thankfully, Rafael was too excited about the idea of getting his own date that he didn't press the matter. Still, I didn't really enjoy lying to my friend. I would tell him the truth about Jake eventually, but I first wanted to discern the relationship between us. What was it, if not just an intimate night spent together once in awhile? That’s what I’d thought Jake wanted above all - an alpha he trusted enough to sleep with, but not anything more.
But was that true? And was that whatIwanted?
When I first met Jake, I was totally content with the dynamic between us. One night and it was all over. We both made it clear that neither of us wanted strings attached. But now Jake was the one inviting me to his home, of his own free will. Then again, I didn't stop him, and the thought of turning him down never even crossed my mind.
So how did I really feel? I knew logically that I didn't want a real relationship, nothing with deep feelings or complications. Nothing that was going to make my life harder than it already was. I had already been through that before, and there was no way I was putting myself through that hell again.
I glanced at my calendar. The two big dates were one week apart from each other. On top was the date I had circled this Saturday, my meeting with Jake. The one directly beneath it what's Valentine's Day, and the anniversary of the event that shook my life and my heart to my core. The one that had broken me.
The reason that I never wanted to have a serious relationship ever again.
