Page 73 of Chasing The Alpha's Son
“What’s that donkey done this time?”
For the next fifteen to twenty minutes, I give Aisha an in-depth account of everything that’s been going on. Sheoohsandaahsas I tell her about our kiss in the ranger station and purses her lips as I tell her about what came next. When I tell her about Clayton attempting to lay into me, her expression changes, her nostrils flare, and she stops blinking.
“That guy is so damaged,” she says, fuming. “He’s lucky I wasn’t there. If I caught him acting up like that I’d have ended him for sure.”
It’s hard to explain, but there’s an edge to the way Aisha acts when I bring up Clayton—like just the sound of his name is enough to tighten her jaw. That he nearly sucker punched me has her incensed. She looks like she wants to jump through the phone and mess him up.
“Jasper stopped him and he’s being sent back to the pack.”
“Good.” She nods. “You need to stay as far away from him as possible. And what about Jasper? Have you spoken to him since?”
My dumb body completely betrays me, and as strong and in control as I want to act, tears spring to my eyes.
“He says it’s just more proof that we can’t be together.”
“That ass.”
I wipe my face and sniff back my emotions. “It doesn’t matter. I’m over it.”
She lifts a brow. “Ahuh.”
“Anyway, we have the blood moon ceremony viewing thing tonight, then we’re coming home, so…”
“I’m sorry, Max.”
Troy enters the video frame. “Whoa, is that Max?” He approaches, wrapping an arm around Aisha. “Hey man!”
“What’s up, Troy?”
“Ah you know, just eating well and treating my girl.” He kisses Aisha on the cheek, but she’s watching me with concern in her eyes.
“Sounds nice,” I say.
“Actually”—he turns his attention to Aisha—“we gotta go. My folks will be at the diner in fifteen and you know they hate waiting.”
“Okay, just let me say goodbye,” she says.
“No problem. Hey Max, happy Christmas, dude.”
“You too, Troy.”
He exits the frame and Aisha leans a little closer to the camera. I wait for her to speak.
“It’s okay if you’re not over it,” she says finally.
I take a deep breath in through my nose and hold it. “I don’t know if I have much of a choice.”
Aisha looks to the side, running something through her head. “Can I be honest about something? I was worried about you going up there. I didn’t know if Jasper would ever be able to get over his bullshit and open up. But from what you’ve told me, it sounds like he’s doing it—or at least, his version of it. It sounds like progress.”
“Nothing’s changed. I’m right back where I started.”
“I’m just sayin’, that boy has a truckload of trauma to work through. He’s doesn’t have the support you do. Hell, his best guy friend is freaking Clayton. He might need more time to process.”
“And I’m just supposed to wait around.”
“No, not if it’s making you unhappy. But do you think you’d be happy giving up?”
My shoulders drop and I sigh, with a slight roll of the eyes, because my stupid self—my traitor of a heart—knows the truth: there’s only one thing that will make me happy.
