Page 61 of Rejected Broken Mate

"Michael, you can be mad at me. I'm okay with that. But I don't want you to let the anger consume you. You don't want that." I reached out, brushing some of his hair back. "And you don't have to talk about it right now. But I do want you to enjoy yourself. Can you at least promise me you'll do that? Don't let the anger consume everything."

He nodded.

I pulled my hand back, grabbing my coffee once more. "Good. Will you tell me about it after school? We can get ice cream and talk all about the school trip."

I watched his eyes sparkle for the first time in days, and I felt a little relief. I knew that since everything started, Michael had been unable to figure out what he was feeling. He'd refused to tell me about school besides that. It was fine, while before, Michael used to get into detail about his day. He told me about class and what he learned.

I missed it, and if this were any other person besides Miles, I would have pulled back a while ago. But this was Miles. This was his father. I wanted him to have someone besides me to lean on.

After I got dressed, I could hear the school bus coming. Michael grabbed his backpack, and I fixed his hair at the door. "Alright, I'll see you after school. I get off a little early, so I'll be home a little after you get here. You just head over to the neighbors, and I will come grab you when I get home."

"And ice cream after?" he asked.

I nodded. "And ice cream after."

He smiled happily, and I kissed his forehead, opening the door. He hurried off, and I leaned on the doorframe. My stomach twisted, and I wasn't sure why.

I immediately headed to work, finding all the guys standing around the kitchen. As I came up the stairs, Ayden was cooking and flipping pancakes.

"Morning," they all said in unison. I couldn't help but smile. I'd grown so used to seeing them every day. They were always chatting and teasing each other.

"Morning," I said, stopping next to the island.

"You want some breakfast?" Owen asked, grabbing the coffee and pouring himself a mug.

I shook my head. "No, I ate before I left. But I would like coffee."

"Suit yourself," Owen said. He poured me a mug and handed it to me before taking a seat.

"What is your guy's plan today?" I asked, unsure of where everyone was going to be.

"We have a meeting," Ayden said, tossing a couple of pancakes onto a large plate. "So, Owen and I will be gone for half the day. Cayden will be leaving town for a couple of days, so he's not in this afternoon. Lucas and Miles are on cleaning duty. Theyare scrubbing every inch of this kitchen. Wesley and Thomas are going around the south side doing some safety inspections that need to be done. There is some paperwork from last week on your desk."

"Sounds like you all have a fun-filled day ahead of you." I gave them all another smile before heading into my office. I took a seat at my desk and sighed.

I tried to focus on work. I had plenty of paperwork to catch up on and emails to respond to. When it came to public activities, I pretty much had full control over the guys' schedules. Ayden and Owen had officially asked me to take over since neither of them had the time for it anymore.

I was just finishing my mug of coffee when I heard a knock at my door. I looked up and found Miles standing in the doorway, holding a plate with a sandwich on it.

"What's that for?" I asked, setting my coffee down.

"It's almost one, and you haven't left your office since you got in. Not even to pee."

I raised an eyebrow. "It's a little scary, you know that."

"I've been in the kitchen all morning and would see if you came out." He set the plate down. "And I know you don't eat breakfast in the morning that often, so I know you will be hungry."

"Thanks," I said, smiling at him. I sighed, leaning back. "Do you want to tell me what happened yesterday?"

He made a face. "What happened?"

"With Michael," I added. "I know something happened, and neither of you wants to tell me."

Miles shrugged. "He's not a fan of me."

I scowled. "What did he say?"

Mile took a seat in the chair across from my desk. "Nothing bad. He just isn't a fan of mine, but I know it will take time for him to come around."

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