Chapter 81

Chapter 81
 
It’s been four days since Hunter showed up and she hasn’t spoken to Max about it. He never brought it up nor did she. But he knew about, because he was the one that led him here and gave him access to see her. It maddens her to think about it.
 
He didn’t even bother asking for her opinion when he went ahead to make the decision for her. What if she really didn’t want to see Hunter? Isn’t it obvious? She left home because of him and Max being the kind hearted person that he is, he led him here.
 
She was mad at Max and Hunter. She was mad at them both because they didn’t respect her opinion and how she feels. She was mad at Max more for letting Hunter walk into her life as though it was nothing.
 
She wasn’t going to lie to herself, deep down, she was relieved to know Hunter still cared about her. But was still upset for what he had done and why they have split up. She was more upset now that he decided to come to her without reaching out to her first.
 
It was past midnight and she couldn’t sleep even after having a tiring day at work. It was Friday but she had no idea how crazy it gets on Fridays at the café. Somehow, she was happy about how she has been occupied the whole day—it meant her mind would be taken off all the men that have been stressing her life out. Including Aaron that was avoiding her or whatever he was doing. She doesn’t like it. He shouldn’t just ignore her just because she told him she might still be together with her boyfriend.
 
She spotted the shadow underneath the door—it stood by her door for few seconds before it disappeared towards the living room. She was pretty sure it was Max and he haven’t slept also.
 
She got off her bed and head toward the door. She doesn’t even know why but she felt the urge to go out and follow him. He had been wanting to speak to her but she has been avoiding the talk. He knew she was avoiding him and the reason behind it. He respected that and let her be. He respected that but couldn’t have respect for her opinions.
 
She walked out of the room and head to the kitchen. He was standing by the kitchen island, his hands gripping the counter while his head fall between his shoulders. He obviously looks stressed.
 
She walked past him and opened the fridge to pour herself a cup of orange juice. He heard when she walked in but didn’t bother to look up. He doesn’t want to do anything that’d annoy her. He was so still that it looked as though he wasn’t breathing—just anything to not annoy Elise.
 
She leaned against the fridge watched him closely while taking a sip of her orange juice. A smile crept up on her face—she was satisfied with the way he was paranoid. It serves him right for what he had done.
 
“Bad night?” She broke the silence. He slowly looks up at her and sighed. She was standing by the fridge so, he walked around the island and stood before her, leaning his waist against the counter.
 
They’re looking at each other now and he looks at her carefully to see whether she was still angry with him. He couldn’t read her face because she was holding a stoic look and it bothered him that for the first time, he couldn’t read Elise’s expression.
 
“I’m sorry… for everything…” he stuttered. “I should’ve let you know he was coming.” He heaves a sigh again and ran his fingers through his hair, gripping the back of his neck. “Please forgive me.” His eyes were searching hers for any signs of reaction but he got nothing.
 
She takes her eyes off him and looked down on her glass cup. She had gulped almost everything. She gulped down what’s left and dropped the cup on the counter beside him. She folds her arms across her chest and stood in front of him.
 
Two minutes past by and she still hadn’t said a word to him, and he was afraid to move. He was even afraid to breathe.
 
“If you knew what I was going through, you wouldn’t have allowed him to come near me. He’s the last person I wanted to see. He’s the reason why I left my home. He’s the reason why my life is so complicated.”
“Are you sure?” He asked, without hesitation. They haven’t actually spoken about the reason why she came to New York. She wasn’t ready to speak up and he didn’t bother to urge her too, because he knows when she’s ready, she’d speak up.
 
She looks taken aback by his question but she knew what he meant by that. “I…” she let the words trail and she sighed.
 
“What’s really happening, Elise? What is the genuine reason you’re here? Did he cheat?”
 
She shakes her head as she moved her eyes everywhere but Max’s way. “He lied.”
 
Maybe it wasn’t a valid reason to make that decision but no one was in the right place to make choices for her. She knows what she had been through. She knows how she feels and what she has chosen for herself was the right choice.
 
“I trusted him, thinking he was different. But he lied.” She didn’t hide anything from Max. She told him all that happened. From Hunter hiding Ethan’s return to Ethan vandalizing their pack.
 
“And you still think Ethan is any better than Hunter?” He sounded pissed when he asked that.
 
She rolled her eyes and scoffed. “Are we talking about Ethan or Hunter? I’m not together with Ethan… I mean… I don’t know but…”
 
“But you’re thinking of giving him another chance?” He cuts in, shoving his hands in his pockets to stay put. It was hard to focus and keep calm when the person you value so much was wrecking their life with their bare hand. It’s obviously right in front her, the truth. Yet, she chooses to close her eyes and go for the worse choice.
 
Elise wasn’t even ready to deny it. Yes, she was having those thoughts. The antagonism and aggravation she felt when he neglected her had somehow vanished and she could see herself giving him another chance. A last chance.
Max pulled his hands from his pockets and squeezes the back of his neck as he spins to face the other direction. He stretches his back while he sucks in a breath. He seems to be holding that breath in while he silently counts in an attempt to mollify the dander assembling in him.
 
He turned around and set his eyes on her. There wasn’t a single grief or hassle in her eyes. She wasn’t perturbed with what she did to Hunter or now that she had announced she might get back with Ethan.
 
“Is that what you want? Is that really what you want?”
They were looking at each other and she find out that she couldn’t answer the question while he was staring at her and standing so close to her.
 
He leans back on the counter with a heavy sigh. He brought his arms back over his chest, his eyes were still on her while he did all that. “I know this might annoy you but Ethan isn’t even the problem anymore. You are. You keep making excuses for his bad behaviour, you accepted his obvious lies, and you keep giving him another chance, again and again. You’re selling yourself short, you don’t believe that you deserve better, and if you don’t distance yourself from him, you’re going to learn the hard way… but you’ll learn.”
 
His words pierced through her like an arrow because everything he just said was true. But Ethan isn’t the one lying to her, Hunter is. She bites down on her lip and lowered her gaze.
 
Ethan made promises to her and at first, it felt so real. It felt like their love would never falter. It felt like they were meant to be and nothing was going to obstruct it. He promised to be with her and love her unconditionally. But he ended up lying and disregarding her. She still went after him even after how he made her feel like shit. She moved on even though her heart was still with him and he came back to her. Hunter only lied because he was afraid she’d leave him for Ethan and she ended things with him—for that silly reason he was afraid of.
 
She’s mentally not okay. She doesn’t know what she’s doing. She doesn’t know what she wants. She doesn’t know what’s right.
 
Never has she ever been this confused like this in her life. Never has she ever been blind like this in her life.
 
She sucks in a deep breath and exhaled it. Max was still standing there, looking at her but he doesn’t say anything again. She looks up at him and his face softens. He’s feeling bad for what he just said to her. She smiled and nods because she deserved it. He’s right about everything.
 
But one funny thing is, despite knowing the truth. Despite knowing the consequences that her action may cause. She somehow still wants to be back together with Ethan.

 
43: Easter Dinner and Aaron.
 
 
Elise rolled her eyes back in her head and smacked her lips. She looks at her screen again as they wait to hear her answer. She doesn’t answer immediately because she hasn’t gotten used to talking about a guy other than Hunter with his sister, Auburn. She seems so cool about it but Elise will never get used to it even after Auburn assured her that she doesn’t care—her happiness is what matters.
 
“I mean, he’s hot… really hot. But I can’t say that I like him that way.”
 
“Bull-crap,” it was Auburn that said that. Kayla nodded through the phone.
 
“Yeah, don’t expect us to believe those kinds of words coming out of your mouth. I mean, look at him again.”
 
She shouldn’t have sent them a picture of him. Now, they won’t let her rest until she gives them every detail about him.
 
“Have you guys kissed?” Kayla asked enthusiastically, making Elise to gape her eyes out as she gasped.
 
“He is my boss.”
 
“But he’s hot,” Auburn clarified.
 
“Imagine spilling ice cream all over his body and licking it up,” Kayla said with a dreamy sigh. Auburn moaned in agreement, closing her eyes to visualize it.
 
She could swear her jaw was on the floor while she stared at them daydreaming about her boss. “You guys are disgusting. I can’t believe I’m friends with you,” Elise said, feigning maddened but they brush it off.
 
“Boo you, Elise. You’re are no fun. How could you mention Hunter to him when he asked whether he was your boyfriend? Isn’t Hunter your ex?”
 
Elise stared at Auburn’s face on the screen for a sec and took her eyes off. It still doesn’t feel right to start seeing someone. It will never feel right to date someone other than Hunter. Not even Ethan—it was one of the reasons holding her back from taking Ethan back. It felt as though she was cheating on Hunter because she has grown fond of him that no one knows what she wants better than Hunter. No one would ever treat her right better than Hunter. Yet, she doesn’t want Hunter.
 
“Aaron is human. I’m not.”
 
“You’re half human. You can be with him as long as he doesn’t pee his pants when he finds out about your identity and you’re the daughter of one of the strongest Alpha’s in Halibut Cove, Alaska.”
 
Elise scoffed at Kayla’s statement. It reminded her of Ethan’s reaction when he found out she was a werewolf. He ended up shunning her away and neglecting her. She is not making that mistake.
 
“Yeah, I think I’m going to pass.”
 
“Well, at least have fun with him. Don’t let this hot stuff slip away, Elise.”
 
She rolled her eyes and sighed. Aaron isn’t a werewolf. He isn’t Hunter and he isn’t strong enough to handle her true self.  “Auburn, you need a man. Speaking of a man, where’s Justin?” Elise had totally forgotten about him.
 
Auburn shoulder shrugs and take her eyes off her phone screen.
 
“He cheated… with an omega. I filthy one,” Kayla blurted out. Elise gasped, covering her mouth with her free hand. “Oh, no.”
 
Auburn glared at her through the phone. “Thanks a lot for making me feel stupid.” She leaves the group video call.
 
“But I…” her words failed her. Elise shook her head when she saw the remorse on Kayla’s face. “It’s obvious she’s hasn’t completely gotten over what happened. I’ll talk to her later. It’s easter and we’re having dinner at Max’s mother’s house. We’ll talk tomorrow, Okay?”
 
They end the call. She heaves a sigh and dropped her phone on the side drawer.
 
If only they knew what happened between her and Aaron just last week, they would’ve been head over heels.
 
She had been here for two months and working for five weeks. She got her first pay check and was so excited about it. Aaron invited her to his office to celebrate and they ended up kissing. He kissed her! And she kissed him back!
 
It felt good! It felt so good at the wrong time! It felt so wrong but only after she had realized what was happening. She pulled back, breathlessly and stared at him. He was staring back at her, like he was about to crush their lips again. He wanted to because he leaned in to kiss her again but she stopped him and stormed out.
 
They haven’t spoken about it since then. And it has been exactly one week. Today is Friday but they’ve been given a week off for easter. She was happy about that because he’s the last person she wanted to see. She doesn’t even want to see him again because she felt remorseful for what happened between them and how she rejected him when he tried to kiss her again.
 
She hears a knock on her bedroom door and she knew it was Max. He told her they were leaving at seven and it’s almost seven. She sighed and got off the bed as the door opens.
 
“Ready?” He asked, looking at her clothes. She was wearing white long chiffon dress with pearl-beaded neckline. A smile sneaks out the corner of his mouth as he takes in her appearance.
 
“Too much?” She asked worriedly, smoothing the dress as if it’s wriggled.
 
He shakes his head, his eyes moved from her dress to her face. “You look amazing,” he commented.
 
A smile spread across her face. She loves it when Max complements her because his words are always genuine.
 
She grabbed her purse and they head out together.
 
He paused by the door and look at her. “Just one thing…”
 
She doesn’t like the slight panic look on his face because he’s about to say something that’d upset her. Oh God, if he invited Hunter again, she’d kill the both of them. She’s rip out their insides and shove it down their throat.
 
Maybe her thoughts were too harsh because she was sure Hunter had gone back home the next day after what happened. 
 
“Aaron would be joining us for easter tonight,” he said and he could see the shock on her face. He wasn’t entirely expecting that reaction from her. He thought she’d like the idea.
 
“He’s just lonely,” he said defensively before she could even regain her vocal and speak up. “I thought you’d like it.”
 
She shakes her head. “No, it’s okay. I just wasn’t expecting it.” She opens the door and walk out. Max went after her but she was already by the elevator. He briskly locked the door and went after her.