Because I think I know how this happened.
I mean, I know why it happened.
“Oh no,” I murmur, and my Bear surges.
Because I left.
Because I walked out without a word.
Because I thought I had time.
“Hadley,” Kylie says gently, “we think it’s because you rejected him.”
Rejected.
The word hits like a slap.
Like something sharp and cold slicing straight through everything I was just holding together.
And just like that—everything crashes.
My past.
My present.
My mother’s voice still echoing in my ears, telling me I’m not enough.
Judd’s name sitting there like a bad taste I can’t get rid of.
And Rob—oh Gods—my Rob.
He lost control because I walked away without a word.
My stomach drops so hard I have to grab the counter to steady myself.
“But I didn’t,” I whisper, shaking my head, the words coming out thin, fragile, like I don’t quite believe them myself. “I didn’t reject him.”
Kylie and Jessica exchange a look, but I barely register it.
“I just—” I swallow, my throat tight. “I asked for one night. To take it slow. To not rush into something I might mess up. Then my phone was buzzing and my mom—shit.”
I mean, that’s what me saying that last night was, right?
Self-preservation.
Not rejection.
Not walking away.
Just breathing room.
But from his side?
From an unclaimed mate’s side?
My chest tightens.
“Oh Gods,” I breathe. “He thinks I left him.”
