“I’m older than you,” Sin says with a snorted laugh.
My eyebrows shoot up. I didn’t know that.
“Then the only other option is that you’re mates. Fated to be the one person who can see you without barriers.”
“Wow.”
That’s pretty poetic, and I don’t miss the slight wistfulness in my mom’s tone.
“Well, I’m glad I could shed some light on the situation. You call me anytime, you hear me, sweetheart? I’m dying to meet you as well, Sin. You’ll have to fly down and see your work in action at the trauma center.”
I nod distractedly. “We’ll plan a visit after the tour ends, mom.”
Sin grins over at me as we hang up, her smile slowly fading as I rake my eyes over her features, like I’m seeing her for the first time.
My first unobstructed look at her.
My stomach bottoms out.
I know, I know, I should have been less of a dick from our first interaction. It shouldn’t take the bombshell that she’s my fated godsdamn mate to pull my head out of my ass.
Then Sin shifts to get off the bed and I can’t stop myself from jolting forward, panic filling my veins.
“Wait.” I pause just shy of grabbing her arm, keeping my wits about me enough to know that manhandling her is not the route I want to go down right now.
“Don’t go yet. I—” What do I want? For her to sit and talk to me on my bed like a couple of gal pals, or like Bert and Ernie in our matching pajamas?
... I mean, kind of.
Fuck me. I’m turning into Micah.
“I’m sorry for being such a dick,” I blurt out.
I’m feeling uncharacteristically vulnerable and naked right now. Not in a fun way, either.
It feels like I’ve just been pantsed in swim class in front of all the other kids and they’re laughing at my dick.
Not that I’m speaking from experience or buried childhood trauma or anything.
I shake the memories off and suck in a deep breath. I need to pull it together.
“So, mates, huh?” Sin settles back onto the bed beside me. “Are your mom and dad not mates, then? You didn’t see the whole no glasses thing while you were growing up?”
I snort and shake my head. “I’m a sperm donor baby. That version of my mom you just met is one that most people don’t see. She intimidates even the strongest males, and she wasn’t interested in having an uneven dynamic in her relationship. My mom likes you, though. She likes your gadgets, and that she thinks because I’ve found you, I won’t die a lonely idiot who never found a solid connection in his entire life.”
I pause, realizing I’ve just dumped a whole lot of information on her. This might not mean the same thing to her as it does to me and I’m here spilling my guts out and baring my soul, while she might be freaking the fuck out about being tethered to an asshole like me.
“Not that I’m saying you don’t have a choice here,” I blabber on. “We can just be friends or get to know each other. Whatever you want.”
Yes, I’m panicking.
Yes, I’ve just done a full 180 in how I see Sin in the past hour.
But fated mates aren’t something to be fucked with.
“I don’t know too much about the whole ‘mate’ thing,” she says. “Cal uses the word when he talks about his mom and his dads. He asked to court me and that he sees me as a mate so long as I accept him.”
I blow out a breath. “Cal knows better than anyone about it. His parents met, and they were bonded for life within about a week of knowing each other. They’re disgustingly sweet together. Madly in love.” I swallow hard. “I don’t think it means we’re forced to like each other, just that we’re... compatible, I guess.”
