Page 34 of Pack Apollo

"That's not the way it happened," he says so quietly that I almost don't catch it. "I never would've left if she would've told me. She pushed me away."

"You're wrong," I tell him, my heart racing. "I'm not who you think I am. I need you to leave."

"Wait," he shouts as I'm already walking away. "HEY!"

Ross already has his phone out probably, hopefully texting security to kick the guy out.

For the rest of the night, there's an unsettling feeling in my gut that causes me to mess up a few drink orders and almost fall off the bar at one point during a dance. By the time the doors shut, I'm ready to leave. The others ask what was going on, but I just tell them it isn't anything. Just a rowdy customer. As soon as Ross places my money in my hand, I make a beeline to the door.

My first step outside, I breathe in the fresh air that's beengetting chilly as of late. The pressure still rides my shoulders, and I second guess myself about my job for the second time tonight.

I'm not even halfway to the spot Palmer normally waits for me when I realize he's not there. Pulling out my phone, I see several missed calls from him and a text saying he's running a few minutes late. I smile as I try to think of something witty to say back to him. That's interrupted as a shadow moves in the corner of my eye and a voice calls out to me.

My body jumps straight into fight or flight mode, choosing the latter. I spin and take off at a sprint back toward the door to the bar, forgetting all too late that it's locked. I bang on it, hoping someone inside will hurry.

"I wasn't trying to startle you," the stranger says, not moving from his place next to what I'm assuming is his car. "I just wanted to talk to you for a few minutes somewhere it wasn't so loud."

I can hear voices on the other side of the door, and I guess he can, too.

He takes a small, white card out of his pocket and places it on the hood of the car beside him. "Please, I won't ever come back here and scare you like this again. I truly just want to talk. Please call me and we can meet in a very public place. You can even bring someone with you, if that makes you feel safer."

After that, he gets into his car and is pulling out of the lot as the door opens behind me.

"You forget something?" Trinity asks laughing. "No surprise with the way you ran out tonight. Hey, where's Palmer?"

"Ah," I bumble, "I thought I did, but I found it. He's on the way just running late."

His car pulls in just as I finish speaking. I don't know what drives me to do it, maybe curiosity, but I jog over to theother car and swipe the card off of it.

"Hello, gorgeous," Palmer says as I slide into his seat. He leans over to give me a kiss but stops. "What's wrong? You're as white as a ghost."

I think about not telling him for a minute, but I don't have to be that person anymore. The one who keeps everything bottled up inside because I have no one to talk to. I fill him in about the alpha. I tell him everything. From the first time he showed up weeks ago to tonight when he was waiting for me, and everything he said about the possibility of him being my father.

"Fuck," he snaps out. "I'm so sorry. I will never be late picking you up again. I should've never been late."

"Don't blame yourself," I tell him through a few sniffles as my tears had started somewhere in the middle. Obviously, my adrenaline is wearing off, and it's chosen the outlet of tears to flow out of me.

He hugs me tight, and I make a request, "Please don't tell anyone yet. I don't know what's going on and would like to speak to my mom about everything first."

Letting out a deep sigh like he doesn't agree, he tells me, "Only on one condition. You tell me or one of the others if he comes back here again. You need to tell your boss, too. Just in case."

"Okay, I will. I promise," I tell him, sucking down his relaxing spearmint scent.

The next day, I'm pacing the floor of my dorm room, glaring at my phone on the bed next to the little, white business card like they're both about to burn a hole through it. I know they'll burn the piss out of my fingers if I touch them. I just know it. I wonder for a second if I call the stranger claiming to be my father, if that counts as breaking my promise to Palmer. I can't bring myself to do it either way.

Picking up my phone, I sit down on the edge of the bedand dial my mother's number.

It rings many times before I get the automated message of her voicemail. Hitting end, I promptly redial her number. Sometimes it takes calling her four or five times before she answers.

"Hello." Her voice says from the other line after about three rings and some loud rustling around. I wouldn't be surprised if I woke her up. Even if it is the middle of the day.

"Mom," I say, hearing her sigh on her end.

"Yeah," she says. "Need something already? I don't have any money to send you. I told you not to go to that place, but you didn't want to listen to your mother, because I know nothing."

"I don't need your money, Mom," I tell her, trying my best not to get angry and remind her who is currently paying her bills, not the other way around.

"Well then what is it?" she asks snarkily. "I had a long night last night and need to go back to sleep."

---