No Naps, just Snacks

*Maverick*

“Let’s get one thing straight.” I say, taking measured strides toward her while she stands firm. “I’m no ghost. I’m as alive as they come, even if I’ve wished not to be.”

I reach out and tuck a strand of her silky smooth hair behind her ear, my fingers aching to stroke her cheek. I have no right to do it. It’s completely inappropriate, yet I can’t seem to stop myself. She meets my gaze, her eyes full of fury and confusion as a storm whips around within her. 

There’s no helping the graze of my thumb on her cheek as I drop my hand and my heart races at the simplest contact. I knew it would be a mistake to be this close to her. Mate bond or not, she has always had a hold over me. 

“Right.” She scoffs, wiping at her skin where I touched her as if cleaning the stain of me away. My jaw twitches in disappointment, though I understand her hatred for me all too well. She takes a step back from me, turning to face her suitcase. 

“Ghost or not, we both want the secret of our past kept between us.”

“And I will keep my distance. Once we arrive, I will be back to my usual detail. You will never have to see me. I will be the only one to suffer seeing you.” I say to her back. 

“One last request,” she says softly, pausing before she looks at me over her shoulder, “Stop pretending to be my friend.” It isn’t a demand, but a plea, and it feels like she’s finally letting me see what being here has done to her. A quick glimpse into the girl who still hurts because of me, and I loathe myself for it.  

“I wasn’t pretending.” I offer softly, and she narrows her eyes and wordlessly turns her back to me again.

Tatum and I were never friends. We were inevitable. Like the waxing and the waning of the moon. We were bound to happen. It just made sense. Until nothing made sense and the moon fell from my sky, plunging me into a living hell of darkness.

I knew Tatum was going to be my mate the day I saw her as a woman. There was no one else I could imagine my life with. So, me, being friendly? Well, that’s just me not knowing how to treat her any other way. 

I don’t want to be her friend, I can’t be. The last thing I want to see is the one thing I’ve ever wanted being coveted by another man. And yet, here I am fucking escorting her right in to the hands of the best man I know. Fates a cruel ass bitch.

“Tatum Rhodes! Open this damn door before I break it down!” A voice rips through the apartment and the small, strange bubble of hurt and anger that surrounded us is gone.

“Shit, what is he doing here?” She grumbles, rushing out her bedroom door. 

As her bodyguard, I should follow her to make sure the person at the door isn’t a threat. But I don’t. I give her space as I rush to her get rid of pile snatching the purple blanket I bought for her five years ago.

The one I intended to take her on a picnic with the night of her birthday, hoping she would finally be mine. The same picnic that kept me from being home when the rogues attacked our pack as I set it up. That same damn night, I lost everything and everyone I’d ever loved in one fell swoop.

I deftly unzip and shove it into her suitcase before closing it up. Then I carry it out to the front door in time to feel my blood run cold when I see him arguing with Tatum.  

Jackson. 

My best friend, who, had I given him any indication of what I was going to do with my life five years ago, would have come with me. He looks up at me briefly, then back at Tatum, laughing at something she says and I continue to move toward the door before the conversation stops mid sentence. I know his brain has caught up to what his eyes saw.

“Holy fucking shit.” He whispers. I glance at him, my eyes mirroring how dead I feel inside right now. Walking into a pack you have history in is never easy. Walking into a pack where you have deep roots you couldn’t cut out no matter how hard you tried? Much more difficult. 

“Jackson” I say calmly. Jackson chuckles dryly and shakes his head. 

“Well, holy shit. You live.” He mumbles.

“I do.” I agree and Tate interjects.

“We should go.” She says, looking at me, holding her suitcase in hand. 

“I have questions that need answering, like why is my missing best friend walking out of your bedroom?”

Tatum barks out a laugh and then looks at me, then laughs again.

“Maverick is assigned to take me safely to Alpha Artemis’ mansion. It’s not ideal, but I will deal with it.”

“You’ve missed a lot,” Jackson says, giving me a warmer smile than I’d expected and I turn, searching the apartment behind me to be sure he is actually looking at me.

“It’s been five years. I expect there was a fair bit to miss.” I offer, looking at him curiously.

“Well, now that you are back—”

“He’s not back.” Tatum breaks into the conversation. “Hell, he doesn’t even want to be here, so don’t get all moon eyed over the guy you used to know.” Tatum shoots me a scowl. “This version is a jackass,”

“Ahhh, Mav was always a jackass.” He winks at her. 

“Thanks,” I mutter with a smirk, and glance at my watch. Shit. We are late. “Say goodbye. I’ll be downstairs waiting for you.”

I move toward the door, dragging her suitcase with me, when I hear Jackson clambering behind me. 

“You’ll keep her safe, right?” He asks, and I freeze. 

“Safe? From what, exactly?” I ask him, raising a brow. 

“She was rejected, Mav. On her birthday, her asshole mate rejected her, and she seems tough, but…it destroyed her. She didn’t get out of bed for weeks. She cried for years, shit it wasn’t until maybe six months ago that she started being her old self…”

“Why are you telling me this?” I ask needing him to shut the fuck up. I can’t know this. Hearing how much she has mourned us will completely ravage the very little sanity I have left. It will shatter the delicate balance of me keeping her at arm’s length because I have to. Not just for me, but for her. 

“I don’t think she can handle another rejection, not from a chosen mate. She is being stupid doing this. Acting like she is on some dumbass American TV show with a single guy who gives out roses.” 

“She has always been stronger than you thought, Jackson.” I offer, and he frowns. 

“Help her.” He steps closer, “I know you don’t see me as your best friend, but if you ever did or that Mav is in there somewhere—I’m begging you to help her. Her confidence was shaken. If only you could have seen her…” he whispers, and a shudder runs through me. 

“I’m just a bodyguard for the alpha. Once she’s delivered, I won’t even hardly see her anymore.”

Jackson’s face falls, and he nods in understanding. 

“Right.” He clips his words. “Silly of me to ask you for help. Sorry.” 

He turns to walk back inside and I bite the inside of my cheek, letting him go say his goodbyes. I can’t promise him shit. There will be no dabbling in any of this. I can’t. It’s not just because of Tatum, but for him as well. I can’t make a promise like I would when he knew me. Like Tatum said, that version of me is gone, and I need to keep that line drawn in the sand. 

I wait seven minutes until she yanks the back door open and crawls into the back seat. I look at her in the rearview mirror with a raised brow. And she gives me an annoyed look, her eyes telling me to test her because she is ready to verbally spar.

“There is no one else riding with us?” She asks after we finally move into traffic. 

“No. Why?” I ask.

“Just seems…weird.”

“We’ve been alone before, Tatum.” I remind her, and she mumbles under her breath before pressing her forehead against the window.

“How long of a drive is it?” She asks, her warm breath fogging up the glass.

“Six hours.”

“Great.” She sighs heavily. “I can get some sleep.” 

I can’t help but smile to myself, knowing she won’t get a damn wink in. She has never been an easy sleeper, especially without a blanket and pillow to curl up in. I glance at the small travel pillow and blanket sitting on the seat next to me. When she looks away, I reach over and I swipe them off the leather seat and onto the floorboard, out of sight.

It’s idiotic, but I can’t help it. Five years have come and gone without seeing her once. Now that I have her not just within eyesight but in the same confined space, I am selfishly taking the time to relish it. Every snarky remark, every scowl, will be a reminder of what I gave up.

A reminder to punish myself for the shitty decisions I have made in my life. I needed this, to see her. Be alone with her to remind myself of why I ran.

“Sooo…” she says finally. “Can we get some snacks?”

I smirk and meet her gaze in the mirror. 

“Back pocket and under my seat is all your snack needs, and under the passenger’s seat are drinks.”

Her face lights up as she pulls out a five-pound bag of gummy worms and she squeals in delight when she sees her cheeto puffs. I wasn’t sure she would like those things still, but I had to get them when I knew I would drive her. I can only imagine how much of a shock my coming back into her life has been.

“I can’t believe Artemis remembered me talking to him about these.” She whispers to herself, a gentle smile on her lips that has my throat thick with emotions. 

I could tell her I picked out her snacks. That Artemis didn’t even think about needing anything. But what good would that do? She is trying to find someone to love, someone to love her. Telling her that the man who broke her heart is the one doing the kind gestures would only piss her off and confuse her.

“Alpha Artemis is a good man.” I say, and it’s not a lie. 

“He really is.” She says, smiling to herself as she nibbles on the bottom of her lip. Tatum giggles for a moment and then her eyes meet mine. Her smile dropping from her lips in an instant and I look away, determined to never be the reason for her faltering smile again.