Page 13 of Carter

“What time will you be attending Eva’s party today?” Leandra asks, pinching the fruit with her fork. We’re sitting on the floor between the sofa and the table, looking straight ahead at the turned-off television.

“Leandra, finish eating,” I ask. She arches her brow.

“Why?”

“Because I’m ready for my breakfast.” Leandra doesn’t even think about it. She puts her fork down and crawls over to me, straddling my lap. When she kisses me, I can’t help but think about a future with her.

I bite one of Leandra’s butt cheeks before she finishes slipping some sweatpants on. She wiggles away from me, but a devious glint in her eyes tells me she enjoyed it. “I can pick you up at three, and we can head to Eva’s party together.” I tilt my head to watch her face. Sitting on my bed with my unbuttoned shirt, she puts her hand on my neck, caressing the skin as I slide my hands over her hips.

“Perfect, I will wait for you then, but I might have to leave early to prepare for my flight back to the States.” She reminds me as she leans down to claim my mouth, sucking my tongue and pulling my lower lip.

We’re driving through the back roads of Sydney, making our way to the pack house where Liam and Isabella are holding Eva’s birthday party. Pulling into the dirt road surrounded by trees, I turn to hold Leandra’s hand, bringing her hand to my lips to kiss. I pull up to the front of the pack house, unbuckling myself as I approach the passenger side and open Leandra’s door. “Ready?” I ask her as I intertwine our fingers together.

The party has been going on for about two hours now, and the pack has taken a liking to Leandra. Witnessing my Peach interact with the pack gives me a sense of relief. The other pack members seem to enjoy her company, as well as the children. Liam isn’t just the alpha of this pack. He's my best friend, my brother.

When I walk in with Leandra, hand in hand, Liam pulls me aside. I inform him that things with Leandra are serious and that I plan on telling her about the pack and my role as Beta. I also assure Liam that if I happen to find my mate someday, my feelings for Leandra wouldn’t change.

Why?

You might ask, well, the answer is simple because I love her.

Isabella enters Liam’s office looking suspiciously at both of us. “Everything okay here?” She questions. “Yes, I just let Liam know that Leandra and I are official.” Isabella gasps, hearing what I just said. I assure her that my feelings for Leandra are real no matter what happens. As we leave Liam’s office, my eyes immediately search for Leandra. I spot her holding a sleeping Eva, and at that moment, I imagine what she would look like with a pregnant belly carrying my child.

My pup.

I smile. Maybe someday.

The sound of tapping metal on a glass alerts everyone, and it brings our attention back to the room. Liam and Isabella stand in front of the pack members, his arm wraps protectively around her waist. Liam clears his throat. “Good evening,” he starts. “We wanted to thank you all for joining us in celebrating Eva’s first birthday. Thank you for making it special for my daughter and showing your continued support and love.” I look over at Leandra, who is still holding a sleeping Eva.

I close the distance between Leandra and me. Pulling her closer to my chest, I wrap my arm around her waist as my lips graze her own. “Baby, you ready to go?” I ask, knowing full well that her answer will be a yes. She nods before giving me a quick kiss. “I just need to settle Eva in her crib and find Isabella to thank her for the invite.” She spots Isabella making her way inside the pack house. Leandra follows, carrying a sleeping Eva. From where I’m standing, I can see Leandra give little Eva to Liam. She then thanks Isabella for the invitation and hugs her goodbye. “Goodnight, guys! I will see you all back when I return from the States.” They both wish her a goodnight and safe travels.

She lifts her head from the pillows. Her freshly fucked look is by far my favorite. Her hair is a mess, but damn, she looks beautiful. Lifting the duvet, I get under the covers pulling her close to me. She lays her head on my chest as her arm is on my torso, and one of her legs is on top of my leg. “Carter,” she whispers onto my chest. “I’m going to miss you these next few days.” She kisses my chest as she cuddles even closer to me.

“I’m going to miss you too, my Peach.”

Chapter thirteen

Leandra

Is he getting bored of me? Do I need to put out?

“I’m so sick and tired of you acting like a psycho. You need to calm down. What did I say if I’m not texting you? It’s because I’m busy, so stop annoying me. You’re acting crazy again.”

My heart clenches in pain as I think about how much I have allowed myself to be humiliated. The amount. of time I begged for his attention to just answer my message or to talk to me. The reason I felt so stupid was because I wasn’t special. He had done what he did with me with others.

And I was stupid enough to fall for his words and not do anything about it. I let him carry on and continue to use me and mess with my mental health. He got inside my head and made me believe that I was truly acting crazy, as he said. He was a narcissist. He was manipulative. He was cruel.

“Leandra,” Jess whispers, tapping my shoulder and snapping me back into reality. I close my laptop in frustration, feeling irritated with myself. Fuck! I was having a flashback. “Are you okay?” Jess whispers again. I turn to her and force a smile.

“Yes,” Jess’s eyes narrow at me, and a look of worry covers her face. I try to get back to work on my laptop, but my eyes get blurry with the tears I’m holding in. Jess breathes out as she looks at me. “You don’t need to lie to me. I’m your best friend. Talk to me.” Looking directly into Jess’s eyes, I can see her concern and worry. I can feel her looking at me even after I get up from my desk. “I’ve been having flashbacks, and it’s making me feel all these emotions I don’t want to feel. On the way here, I had one on the airplane, and now I have another one. I don’t like it, Jess.” I mumble.

I swallow harshly. “I haven’t thought about what happened in years, and then all of a sudden, it’s all I can think about. And all I can think about is how stupid and used I feel.” I say angrily. Tears threaten my eyes, but I don’t let them fall.Hedoesn’t deserve them, especially after everything he did. I didn’t deserve to be played with like a puppet for enjoyment.

“Leandra, look at me and listen very carefully. You are no one’s fuckin' puppet, you hear me?” I nod, letting her continue her speech. “You’re a strong independent woman. You accomplished your goals and dreams of owning your practice. You're freaking beautiful, and you work hard for that body that was made to sin, “she says, giving me a wink. I laugh at her silliness.

I was feeling a lot better after I chatted with Jess. My thoughts were killing me. Now, not so much as I thought about the reason for these sudden flashbacks. I fear what Carter may think about me once I tell him the truth. Exhaling a sigh, I get the courage to pick up my phone. Finding Carter’s contact info, I press his name. I hear my phone begin to ring. I hold the phone to my ear, and anxiety bubbles inside me. He answers on the second ring, “Hello sexy,” he says.

Pausing for a brief second to listen to his voice sends a tingle down my spine.

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