Page 38 of Howl for Me
He raises a brow. “Yeah, I wanted to bone my babysitter too.”
I chuckle despite myself. “I don’t want to bone her. It’s professional.”
“Sure, man. Whatever you say,” Reggie throws in, voice lazy and teasing.
I look down, picking at a stray thread on my jeans. “She’s sweet, though. I like her.”
Reggie nods, more serious now. “Well, if you like her, why don’t you date her? She’s a good catch, man. Could be real good for you.”
“I don’t date,” I say, automatic, like muscle memory. “I don’t get attached. Never have. You guys know this.”
Reggie shrugs. “People change.”
“I can’t change,” I say, sharper than I meant to. “I’d ruin her. She deserves better than me.”
Teddy leans back, blowing out smoke. “Then why are you here at home, watching cartoons with us. Seems to me she’s got youtamed. That’s not something you do for someone you don’t got it bad for.”
I crack a smile. A slow, helpless, fuck-you smile. “Touché.”
Reggie leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “It’s alright, man. Everyone settles down eventually. Especially when they find the right one. I wish we could find that.”
I stare at the TV but don’t see it. The words leave my mouth before I can stop them.
“That’s the thing, man. The minute I saw her, I realized she’s my fucking mate.”
Silence.
Then Reggie’s eyes go wide. “Like… mate mate? Like that werewolf, soul-bound, cosmic kind of love?”
I nod slowly, jaw tight. “Yeah. Like that.”
Reggie lets out another low whistle and claps me hard on the back. “Damn. Congratulations, man.”
I flinch. “Don’t congratulate me. It’s not good. It’s a curse. I’ll destroy her.”
Reggie looks at me, all calm stoner wisdom. “Fate doesn’t lie, man. Let it do its thing. Enjoy the ride. She’s good for you. Don’t be a pussy.”
I stare at the swirling smoke overhead, trying to imagine what it’d be like to stop running for once. To let someone in. To stop pretending I don’t already belong to her in every way that counts.
I smile, because I’m too high not to.
And because maybe… maybe they’re right.
Chapter Eighteen
Cassidy
I’m just finishing brushing my teeth, half-asleep and still in my oversized sleep shirt, when there’s a knock at the door. I pause, frown, and glance at the clock. Too early to pretend I’m not home. I shuffle barefoot to the door, dragging a towel across my face, and swing it open.
Lori strides in like she owns the place, holding two mugs of coffee and zero shame.
“Where have you been, woman?” she demands.
I blink, caught off guard, and take the coffee on instinct. “How did you even know I was here?”
She flops down on my couch, already kicking off her shoes. “I saw you get dropped off last night by some mystery man,” she says, grinning wickedly. “And I need all the damn details.”
I close the door behind her and follow her into the living room, still trying to catch up. “I got a job,” I say finally, sipping the coffee.
