I nod. They are fun guys. Ty is a bit of a rebel and a year older, but he is fun and shares my love for outdoor activities. Meanwhile, Austen is slightly calmer, but a really good friend to all of us.
“I don’t know,” she sighs, her voice trailing off. “I don’t want to lead them on,” she finally says.
I blink at her words. “Wait… what?”
“I think Austen likes me,” she says.
“You never said anything!” I exclaim.
“Because I wasn’t sure if it’s true,” she admits.
“So, how do you know now?”
“He was disappointed on my birthday when it was obvious we weren’t mates,” she pauses. “I like him as a friend. But he isn’t my mate, you know?”
I get it. She wants to be with her mate, and she certainly doesn’t want to hurt her friend’s feelings.
“We had a brief talk,” she explains. “In which we pretty much awkwardly danced around the topic, but in the end we both said we wanted our mates,” she pauses. “As for Ty, I am not sure. He is learning a trade now and will be pretty busy this summer, anyway.”
“Then it’s just the three of us,” I say with a grin. “This is going to be fun! And I can say with certainty that I won’t hit on you.”
Charlie laughs. “That’s why it’s easy with you and Dario.”
“What’s easy?” Dario asks. He puts his phone aside and nods at us. “Finn is happy to lend us his camping gear. He actually said we could keep it if we find out we love camping.”
I beam. “Awesome!”
“So, what’s easy?”
“Being with you two,” Charlie says.
“Because she doesn’t need to constantly friend-zone us,” I explain.
“So, it’s true, Austen likes you?” he muses.
Charlie and I exchange a look of disbelief. “Goddess, how could you tell!?”
“Just a feeling,” he says.
“I told him I am waiting for my mate,” she adds.
I sigh. “Aren’t we all?”
“Are you?” She looks at me curiously. “You never seemed to be in a rush.”
“I really want to meet her,” I admit. “I mean, I am not stressing over it, but Idowant to find her. It’s only natural to want that, right?”
“I guess so,” Dario mutters.
The tone of his voice catches my interest. Why does he sound so somber?
“I hope my mate will like me,” Charlie says.
“Why wouldn’t they?” I blink. “You are a catch!”
“We all know I lack on the femininity front,” she admits.
“Bullshit!” I say. “You are as much of a girl as any other girl.”
