Chapter 4 - Day 365 of Moving Pt2

AMBER.

“You’ve been quiet,” Cassidy asked me as she handed me a cocktail drink. I didn’t even check what it was and just sipped the straw. The burn hit my throat at once, and I began coughing. 

“Hey! Are you trying to get drunk?” She chuckled and patted my back.

“Amara said Zach is arriving with his family.”

“Oh, I thought Nikka said…”

“That’s what I thought, too.” I gave the glass to the server who passed by before taking a glass of water to soothe the burn in my throat. 

We were celebrating Catherine and Tyler’s union, and I wasn’t expecting him to attend. He had never attended any functions since the accident. He would rather stay in his territory and isolate himself. 

Most of his Alpha friends kept visiting him at the beginning until they all just gave up. But I knew they would still extend invitations to him, like this one, but no one expected him to show up. 

So I couldn’t believe he would show up here.

“Excuse me, my ladies. But the music had started, and Cassidy promised me a dance.” Kairo’s voice snapped me back to the present, and Cassidy began giggling. 

I playfully rolled my eyes and motioned with my hand for him to take her. Kairo was already holding her hand, tugging her, but Cassidy leaned closer to me. “Will you be okay, best friend? I can drop Kairo and stay here with you.”

“No, go with him, or he’ll hang around and listen to us. Shoo!” I forced a chuckle and shooed her away. My eyes drifted to Kairo, who mouthed a “thank you” before he swirled her around until they reached the dance floor. 

I was smiling. So broad that it was hurting my cheeks. My eyes blurred as tears pooled in them. Everyone looked happy—except me. 

I took a deep breath and decided to enjoy the night. My misery is mine alone. 

Tonight was all about Catherine and Tyler and the love of my friends. 

Even if I would never get the happy-ever-after that Cathy and Amara got with Tyler and Jace, I would still consider their triumph as mine. 

I smiled at the female server as she approached me, and I took one sparkling wine from her tray. I saw Amara on the other side, holding a glass. We raised our glasses and toasted in the air before tipping them into our lips. 

I was still drinking mine when a commotion drew my attention. And Cassidy’s voice rang in the air. 

“Zach!” Cassidy, for the life of me, could never control her voice. Instead of sounding happy, her voice sounded like, yes, you guessed it. It sounded like, “Why are you here?”

I swiftly turned my body around and watched Zach enter the ballroom with Beta Arlo pushing his chair and his whole family around him. 

His face was stoic, so I was not sure if he wanted to be here or not. 

But the moment his eyes found mine, his expression changed.

His face warped into a scowl, and as I had expected, the mighty Zach came down from his throne and decided to bring chaos and wrath with him. 

He withdrew his gaze almost immediately while I remained stuck, just looking at him. Despite the dimmed lights of the ballroom, I could see him perfectly—the deep-set eyes, the chiseled nose, and his sharp jaws. I knew the physical aspect was the only thing left of the man I fell in love with. 

I kept looking until the crowd blocked my view of him.

“Stop with the staring as if you’ve seen a ghost.” I heard him say to the crowd. I closed my eyes as his voice echoed in my ears despite the music around us. 

While everyone tried to have a friendly conversation with him, he was shutting them off. 

“I only agreed to be here, but I didn’t say I would attend the party. I want a room so I can rest.” 

“There’s nothing interesting here.” His voice was filled with animosity, and with too many Alpha pheromones around us, I was sure as hell they were restraining themselves from snapping at him. 

I took a deep breath as my hands curled into tight fists. 

Relax, Amber. I told myself. But I couldn’t just stand here and let him ruin everyone’s night. 

“Stop! I’m not a pup. I’m tired. I want to rest.” Zach snapped at his mother, and I couldn’t stop my rage this time. He could disrespect anyone but not Aunt Nadia, who had shown him nothing but understanding. 

My feet move on their own as my hands gently push people out of the way until I end up in front of the crowd, but just around the side of him.

“I’ll show Zach the available room upstairs,” I said in my regular, sweet voice, smiling at everyone when, in reality, I wanted to squint my eyes at him.

Zach’s gaze fell on me, and I didn’t like how he raked my body up and down with that sarcastic grin plastered on his face. “I said I needed a room. I didn’t need anyone to get me there.”

Jace cleared his throat and walked toward Zach, probably to take him away, but I already had enough. 

I moved faster and placed my arm in front of Jace to stop him from walking forward. I ended up in front of his wheelchair, and all the “good girl” in me had gone off the smoke. 

“Shut it, Zachary Vernon!” My hand raised, and my finger pointed at him, something I rarely do. “I didn’t say you were not capable of going to that room on your own, but this is not your party to ruin! So stop snapping at anyone, and let’s get you out of here!”