Page 77 of Stalked By the Alphas
I make plans, research, and start to take back control of my life. By the time evening falls, I have a to-do list a mile long, but I feel more empowered than I have in years.
A knock at the door startles me out of my focused state. My heart races as I approach cautiously, peering through the peephole.
It’s Mrs Lewis.
I hesitate for a moment before opening the door. “Mrs Lewis? Is everything alright?”
She eyes me critically. “I could ask you the same thing, dear. You look awful.”
I can’t help but laugh at her bluntness. “It’s been a rough couple of days.”
She nods sagely. “I figured as much. Sally saw you crossing the park earlier in a state. That’s why I brought you this.” She holds up a covered dish. The smell of freshly baked lasagne wafts towards me.
My stomach growls loudly, reminding me that I haven’t eaten since the half-finished soup at Carter’s. Before that, who can even remember? “Oh, Mrs Lewis, you didn’t have to do that.”
“Nonsense,” she says, pushing past me into the house. “You need a good meal and some company that isn’t tall, dark, and brooding.”
I close the door behind her, oddly comforted by her no-nonsense attitude. “Thank you. Really.”
Mrs Lewis busies herself in my kitchen, pulling out plates and cutlery as if she owns the place. “Now, sit down and tell me what’s really going on.”
I sink into a chair at the kitchen table, suddenly exhausted. “It’s complicated.”
“Life usually is, dear,” she says, setting a heaping plate of lasagne in front of me. “But talking about it often helps.”
I take a bite of the lasagne, closing my eyes as the flavours explode on my tongue. It’s delicious, and I realise just how hungry I’ve been.
Mrs Lewis sits across from me, her sharp eyes studying me as I eat. “Now, tell me what’s going on.”
I hesitate, not sure how much to reveal. I realise that I can’t tell her anything without going into the whole sordid tale, and I’m not doing that. “Another failed attempt at a relationship.” The lie comes easily. God knows I’ve had enough practice with those words when it was the truth.
Mrs Lewis nods sympathetically. “I see.”
I look down at my plate, pushing the food around with my fork. “He wasn’t who I thought he was,” I add, even though I curse at myself to shut up.
Mrs Lewis reaches across the table, patting my hand gently. “Oh, my dear. I’m so sorry.”
I nod, fighting back tears. “I just feel so stupid. So betrayed.”
“You’re not stupid,” Mrs Lewis says firmly. “Sometimes people surprise us in the worst ways. It’s not your fault.”
I look up at her, seeing nothing but kindness and concern in her eyes. Suddenly, I feel overwhelmed by her compassion. “Thank you,” I whisper. “For the food, for checking on me, for everything.”
She waves her hand dismissively. “Nonsense. It’s what friends do. Now, eat up. You need your strength.”
I manage a small smile and take another bite of the lasagne. We sit in comfortable silence for a while as I eat.
“So,” Mrs Lewis says eventually. “Are you sure you are up for getting back to the bookshop? I’m happy to help out.”
“I am ready, and you know what? There is enough work for two. Why don’t you join me tomorrow, and I can get some paperwork done while you watch the shop?”
Her face lights up. “If you’re sure…”
“Completely sure.” Even if it weren’t true, the company in the form of Mrs Lewis, who is a pretty badass omega, is definitely not something to be turned down.
She beams. “Okay, then. Do you want me to stay?”
“No, honestly, I’m fine, and I think I need to be alone to sort through some things.” I’m terrified of being alone when darkness falls. David and Ayden might be dead, but the horror of what could’ve been, what did happen, remains.
