which made me exactly thirty cents short for lunch. I couldn’t even go in there. It would only make it worse. It would only perpetuate my disdain for my mother.
I stared at the book in front of me. The words blurred together as I wondered how much money Roger would leave me for food. I wanted to just leave school now, go home and see what I was working with, but in a small town, everyone talked. I couldn’t leave and then get caught at the grocery store looking healthy later.
“It’s nice out here.”
I jumped at his voice. I looked back and saw him standing over me. How long had he been there? I hoped he didn’t hear my stomach. Dang it. What was he doing out here? He should be inside eating with the other kids.
Slowly, I looked away from him, gazing out at nothing in particular.
“Mind if I join you?”
Rather than answer, I moved my book bag to the opposite side of me. He dropped down in the space, stretching out his legs.
I didn’t know whether to worry or be flattered by his persistence.
Chapter 15
JONAS
She was a mystery. She was nice, but not overtly friendly. She took the time to dress herself fashionably in adorable ensembles meaning she cared about herself, yet she wasn’t confident enough to stand up for herself. And now, her stomach was growling, yet she wasn’t going to eat. That one I couldn’t let go.
“Please don’t tell me you’re on a steady diet of air only.” I immediately kicked myself mentally. A diet of air? What the hell was I thinking?
Her cheeks reddened slightly. She lowered her face, her eyes focusing on the ground beside her. “Far from it.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t until that moment that I realized that I liked her just the way she was. I couldn’t picture her an inch smaller. She was beautiful exactly as she was: thick thighs, wide hips that led to a smaller waist and a decent chest. Her face was radiant, surrounded by a frame of wavy blonde hair that made her blue eyes stand out.
I wanted to make her smile. I wanted to see her eyes glittering with delight. Glittering with delight? Oh God. Finding my mate had diminished me to a groveling, mushy mess of a future alpha. I never struggled for words. I never struggled to own a conversation, never struggled for the attention of anyone, yet here I was fighting for her to focus on me rather than the grass; fighting for her to give me a chance, rather than her fighting for my attention like most girls.
She didn’t make anything easy. Rather than be angry or upset, I found myself being proud. It meant she made people work for their spot in her life. But once you earned your place, she would probably be loyal to a fault, much like a werewolf.
“This was the only thing that looked somewhat appetizing in there.” Brody tossed me a sandwich as he sat down beside me. As if he read my mind, he immediately held one out to my mate.
She stared at the sandwich and then at him. She worried her bottom lip, as if this was a complicated math problem she needed to solve. She didn’t move a muscle towards it.
I grabbed the sandwich and set it in her lap. “Eat,” I ordered.
I opened my own and took a hearty bite. Brody didn’t hesitate either, eating nearly half the hoagie roll with ham and cheese inside in one bite.
And then I heard her chuckle. The sound went straight to my soul and had my wolf damn near purring. Her eyes lit up as a smile split her face. She was gorgeous when she smiled. “You guys are serious about your food.”
“Hell yeah,” Brody exclaimed, taking another big bite to accentuate his point.
I loved seeing the lighter side of her. “You never told me your name.”
“Aura.” She held up the sandwich. “And, thanks for the sandwich.”
“Thank Brody for that one, Aura.” I loved the sound of her name on my lips. Ay. I really was becoming a pile of mush around her. Ugh. I was making myself sick. Was love really as sappy as the movies made it out to be?
Chapter 16
AURA
Hm.
I stared at the book in front of me. The words blurred together as I wondered how much money Roger would leave me for food. I wanted to just leave school now, go home and see what I was working with, but in a small town, everyone talked. I couldn’t leave and then get caught at the grocery store looking healthy later.
“It’s nice out here.”
I jumped at his voice. I looked back and saw him standing over me. How long had he been there? I hoped he didn’t hear my stomach. Dang it. What was he doing out here? He should be inside eating with the other kids.
Slowly, I looked away from him, gazing out at nothing in particular.
“Mind if I join you?”
Rather than answer, I moved my book bag to the opposite side of me. He dropped down in the space, stretching out his legs.
I didn’t know whether to worry or be flattered by his persistence.
Chapter 15
JONAS
She was a mystery. She was nice, but not overtly friendly. She took the time to dress herself fashionably in adorable ensembles meaning she cared about herself, yet she wasn’t confident enough to stand up for herself. And now, her stomach was growling, yet she wasn’t going to eat. That one I couldn’t let go.
“Please don’t tell me you’re on a steady diet of air only.” I immediately kicked myself mentally. A diet of air? What the hell was I thinking?
Her cheeks reddened slightly. She lowered her face, her eyes focusing on the ground beside her. “Far from it.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t until that moment that I realized that I liked her just the way she was. I couldn’t picture her an inch smaller. She was beautiful exactly as she was: thick thighs, wide hips that led to a smaller waist and a decent chest. Her face was radiant, surrounded by a frame of wavy blonde hair that made her blue eyes stand out.
I wanted to make her smile. I wanted to see her eyes glittering with delight. Glittering with delight? Oh God. Finding my mate had diminished me to a groveling, mushy mess of a future alpha. I never struggled for words. I never struggled to own a conversation, never struggled for the attention of anyone, yet here I was fighting for her to focus on me rather than the grass; fighting for her to give me a chance, rather than her fighting for my attention like most girls.
She didn’t make anything easy. Rather than be angry or upset, I found myself being proud. It meant she made people work for their spot in her life. But once you earned your place, she would probably be loyal to a fault, much like a werewolf.
“This was the only thing that looked somewhat appetizing in there.” Brody tossed me a sandwich as he sat down beside me. As if he read my mind, he immediately held one out to my mate.
She stared at the sandwich and then at him. She worried her bottom lip, as if this was a complicated math problem she needed to solve. She didn’t move a muscle towards it.
I grabbed the sandwich and set it in her lap. “Eat,” I ordered.
I opened my own and took a hearty bite. Brody didn’t hesitate either, eating nearly half the hoagie roll with ham and cheese inside in one bite.
And then I heard her chuckle. The sound went straight to my soul and had my wolf damn near purring. Her eyes lit up as a smile split her face. She was gorgeous when she smiled. “You guys are serious about your food.”
“Hell yeah,” Brody exclaimed, taking another big bite to accentuate his point.
I loved seeing the lighter side of her. “You never told me your name.”
“Aura.” She held up the sandwich. “And, thanks for the sandwich.”
“Thank Brody for that one, Aura.” I loved the sound of her name on my lips. Ay. I really was becoming a pile of mush around her. Ugh. I was making myself sick. Was love really as sappy as the movies made it out to be?
Chapter 16
AURA
Hm.
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