Chapter 36


    Griffin 36


    The fear I felt when I made the bad joke about A rejecting me was almost as bad as the fear I


    had when I woke up. To find my personal wing empty and A gone. My first thought was that she


    had left me. Only all her stuff was still here, my note from this morning tucked in the first edition


    copy of Pride and Prejudice my parents gave her. From then on out I spiraled imagining the most


    horrible things to have happened to her. Never did I consider the idea that she was making me


    breakfast. Let alone that she would be sitting at the breakfast table hystericallyughing at my bad


    joke. After she had let me hug her and sniff her neck to calm down. When she hadn’t even epted


    me as her mate yet. All those little actions made me feel so much lighter. My father was right, I


    shouldn’t have tried topete with the man who rejected her. I should have treated her like I


    would have my mate regardless of her past. She agrees to hear me out but I still get excited about


    that.


    “We are going to sell the Porsche, but I want you to have a car. I want you to be able to always


    come to me whenever you want to. I realized I don’t have to spoil you like you are a sweet Princess.


    Even if I hope that someday you will be” I sigh up until now A had just been listening and she is


    still smiling.


    But if this n doesn’t work, I might mess it up again and I just love that we are back to the easy-


    going, rxed atmosphere we hadst weekend.


    “I’ll get you whatever car you want, and I will give the remaining money to an organization that helps


    children read?” I continued anyway and I am d that I did.


    She beams at me and before she even opens her mouth I knew this was


    Griffin 36


    1288 Vouchers


    the right thing to do. I need to thank Dad, as soon as I can. Maybe when A goes shopping with


    my mother. Another thing that made me incredibly happy. Even better when she agreed to take my


    card to buy herself a dress. It took some convincing but that was okay. I need to get used to the fact


    that I had a stubborn independent mate.


    “I’m afraid this isn’t just going to be a family BBQ right?” She chuckled nervously.


    Maybe she was an introvert like me. I could see her curled up on the couch reading a book instead


    of going to a party. Then again her childhood home was full of pictures of her at social events. In


    every single one of them, she seemed happy. For a second the worry about what her ex-mate had


    done to her and how that might have made her resent parties now creeps up again. Worries I


    cannot let decide how I react again. Instead, I just asked her about the pictures. And if she likes


    gatherings like that. Just getting to know her, without


    oveplicating stuff. Suddenly I get a bit excited about going to a party with her. Not one of the


    grand balls or other royal parties we host. No a more private one just for the family. Where I can still


    walk around in a hoodie and jeans. Just chat with friends and family and have fun. Because with her


    on my side I am sure it would be fun. In fact, I think I could be perfectly happy sitting in awn chair


    just a little out of the way from the party. Watching my gorgeous mate have fun, dance, sing and


    laugh.


    Because, thatugh of hers. The few times I have heard it bubble up it was music to my ears. And


    just now when sheughed because of me. It drove home the fact that I had to shape up. I tried not


    to call her my mate, not to call her by a nickname. Most of all I tried not to fall in love with her. I tried


    to not let the matebond get any stronger. No matter how much I hated the fights we had they helped


    with that. But every time things between us were rxed just like they were now. I could not help


    but fall for her. She was amazing, like the real her the kind, funny, rxed independent A. She


    was made for me.


    Griffin 36


    ***


    17288 iVouchers


    When we finally get to the car dealership she picks out the cheapest truck they have. A truck


    because that’s what her Grandpa drives he has been all his life. He taught her how to drive in one.


    The cheapest because she is a good person and she wants me to have the most money left to give


    to a good cause. After figuring out there was no chance he could talk her into getting a more


    expensive car as a trade-in for the brand-new Porsche. He told me I should be happy with my


    girlfriend. Like in the IKEA, I feel conflicted, this time though it’s not me who confirms that we are a


    couple.


    “Oh he knows and he is” A winks at the salesperson before standing up her tippytoes to try and


    peck my cheek.


    Wrapping one arm around her I lift her off the ground so she can actually reach my cheek. Honestly,


    I love how small she is, I love being able to lift her off the ground with one arm. I love how she


    giggles as I do. David was a da mn fool for not knowing he struck gold. I shouldn’t have felt so


    threatened by someone that stu pid. It is another few hours before we have to be back in the castle.


    So that A and my mother can go dress shopping before the party. Knowing my mother I won’t


    have A back until right before the party. And I love the fact that A is so willing to get to know


    my family. And how my parents love her. But I would miss her like crazy. Normally before being


    separated for a few hours, mates would just soak up every bit of love and quality time. Normally we


    would have spent those hours cuddling and k*ssing and mating. The harsh reality is that she


    doesn’t love me, not yet.


    “What do you want to do next, we have a few hours to kill?” I ask her still hoping that she suggests


    to go home and snuggle up on the couch.


    After all, she seemed more open to things like that today. Like she was more epting of the fact


    that we are mates.


    “I know it isme but I would have wanted to read Pride of Prejudice,


    50.20


    Griffin 36


    288 Vouchers


    but your couch is the most ufortable thing ever. I am sorry it just is” She shakes her head.


    There is no way I can get her to go shopping for a couch with her now. She is right my couch is


    more about style than it is aboutfort. No amount of throw pillows will make itfortable


    enough. Still, the idea of gaming when she is reading next to me. Something thates so close to


    my idea of a perfect weekend is too good to pass up.


    “True, it’s a stylish couch but it’s notfortable. But I actually like gaming, and I have a gaming


    console set up in my bedroom. Often I just y when I’m in bed since it is morefortable. I could


    game and you could sit next to me and read your book?” I suggest hoping she doesn’t take this the


    wrong way.


    I think about being in my bed with her to y a whole different type of game. It’s only natural with


    how attracted I am to her. It is not the main thing, and I would be just as happy with spending time


    with her any


    other way.


    “That sounds perfect, can we stop at a convenience store and get some snacks too? Nothing that


    would stain the pages of the book though. I think I will cry if I get a stain on it.” She tells me with


    such an earnest face that I have to suppress a smile.


    This girl can get anything she wants from any store in this town. But she demands to be the one


    who pays for the bags of gummy bears and marshmallows. And the few Dr. Peppers she gets us. I


    consider it a win though. The rest of the morning and early afternoon we spent in my bed. I keep


    messing up my game because watching A read is the best thing ever. Her expression changes,


    she will sp her hand over her mouth and the best part is. After the initial responseCcontent ? exclusive by N?/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.