“Oh, no, you don’t have to do that. It’s too much.”
I scan the room. It is a lot. But it probably feels like even more to her. It’s nothing I can’t handle. “I want to.”
“I don’t know . . .”
I don’t wait for her to give me permission or revoke it.
Instead, I gather clothes and throwing them into a nearby hamper. “Just let me know if it gets too overwhelming for you, and I’ll stop.”
She watches me for a beat as I pick up her clothes and put lids back on things that shouldn’t be left open. When I throw trash away, her body relaxes. “I didn’t catch your name.”
“Jay. And yours?”
“Kathy. Luna Kathy.”
***
Helping in Luna Kathy’s room will never make up for what I took from her, but it’s something. You could say I’m selfish, but I don’t feel any less guilty than I did before.
I finished cleaning a little while ago. I watched and listened to Luna Kathy get increasingly lighter in her demeanor as more and more of the space cleared.
At times, she’d shoot skeptical glares my way like she was waiting for me to give up, run away screaming or judge her. Now she’s laughing as she tells me stories about her and Alpha Jack.
“Do you have a mate?”
“No,” I laugh at the ridiculous question.
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh,” I look at my hands. “I guess because the idea that I’d have a mate is laughable.”
“Laughable? Why would you say such a thing?”
“To think that something so wonderful—someone loving all of me unconditionally—could happen to me is what’s so funny.”
“Someone like you? You say that like you’re a bad person,” she asks skeptically.
“What if I told you I am?”
Knitting in bed, she cocks a brow, considering my question. “It’s possible. I guess I don’t really know you, but I do know that you just cleaned my entire quarters, and you just met me. You also spent the past hour listening to me talk about my late mate. You’re not behaving like a bad person.”
“I really enjoyed your stories. Especially the one about the waterfall.”
Luna Kathy laughs. “Oh my. That’s probably my favorite memory with Jack.”
“Oh my goddess! And the part where he—”
“I know!” She shakes her head. “I couldn’t believe it.”
We both burst into laughter. It only stops when there’s a knock on the door.
I turn to find Caleb standing in the doorway.
“What’re you doing?” He looks around the room, astonished and mortified. “You’re not supposed to be in here.”
“Caleb, it’s fine—” Luna Kathy starts.
“No, it’s notfine. It isanythingbut fine.” Caleb stomps over to me. He grabs me by the arm and drags me out and down the hall toward his bedroom. His anger seems to come from nowhere.
