I Stole the Alpha's Car (18+)|✔️

Chapter 48

Two Weeks Later...

With both hands busy carrying grocery bags, opening the front door was a feat of dexterity that utilized my pinkie fingers, feet and ass.

As the latch clicked shut behind me, I called up the stairs toward Dwayne's office, "Babe? I'm back – could you get the rest of the groceries out of my car?"

At the back of the house in the kitchen, my mind wandered as I set the bags down on the island and began to put their contents away. I had an hour until I needed to be out the door and on my way to the resort – Ulf was giving me a trial run at Gusto, and if I impressed him, I'd earn a place in his kitchen.

It wasn't until I'd emptied the last bag that I noticed the brightly colored piece of cardstock that had been beneath it.

Turning my head to examine it, I froze.

It was an invitation...

...to Evan's birthday.

"Read the letter."

Glancing up, I saw Dwayne walk in with the remaining bags from my car.

"When did you get this?"

"It came to the office this morning. His aunt sent it – read the letter."

Fighting a frown, I picked up the piece of lined paper that had lain under the invitation:

Lauren,

I know that this situation in incredibly awkward all around, and I know that Evan would never say it directly, but it would mean the world to him if you could be there for his birthday party.

Please reconsider.

-Melissa

Dwayne set the groceries down on the kitchen island, apologizing, "I'm sorry about opening it – it was addressed to you, but I didn't check the envelope until after I'd read it."

Shrugging, I set it back down on the counter top and looked over at him, "It's fine."

"So, will you?"

Turning away, I opened a cabinet to take out a glass. "Will I what?"

"Reconsider."

"Attending Evan's party? Probably not."

"You know that you're not going to upset me if you do want to go, right?"

Glancing over my shoulder, I smirked. "You don't have a jealous bone in your body, do you?" I shook my head, "I'm not worried about upsetting you, I just don't want to go."

My heart sped up in my chest, and I cursed myself, knowing he could hear it.

"Lauren."

Sighing, I closed the cabinet and faced him. "You know, you could let me get away with lying once in a while."

"When it's about my mother's cooking, yes. When it's important, no."

I raised my eyebrows and asked, "You want honesty?"

"I do."

"Okay then; I'd love to go hang out with the best friend I haven't seen in months – but he's also my ex, and flying out for a visit isn't exactly going to be helpful right now." I shrugged, "That's what I mean when I say I don't want to go."

"Well, that's a shame."

"Why?"

He met my gaze evenly. "I already bought our plane tickets."

I felt my eyes bug out of my skull, "You what?"

He at least had the decency to look sheepish. "I already bought the tickets. We'd fly out Saturday morning, attend the party, and then fly back on Sunday night."

"What were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking my mate might want to go to her best friend's milestone birthday party?"

I felt the familiar thrill when he called me his 'mate', but I couldn't let that distract me.

"Did you think to ask me first?"

"If you don't want to go, I'll cancel."

"Yes! I want you to cancel!"

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure!"

"Okay then – if that's your decision, that's your decision." He paused, "Although..."

Marching over to the fridge, I filled my glass with ice and water. "'Although' what?"

"You do realize that if you don't go to this party, the first time you will probably see him post-breakup is at our mating ceremony, right?"

Oh, god...

I scowled, "Shit..."

"Exactly."

Pulling the glass away, I shot Dwayne a glare. "I hate it when you make sense."

"It happens on occasion."

Bringing the ice water up to my lips, I took a long, cold drink.

Would it really be so bad?

"Look, just... Just give me some time to think about it, alright? When's the deadline to cancel?"

"24 hours prior to takeoff."

"Okay. I'll let you know before then."

"That's all I ask."

That night, in the silent pre-dawn gloom, I lay awake. As Dwayne slept beside me, my mind kept looping back to the Evan question. It was like a loose tooth that I couldn't stop bothering.

There was one thought in particular that I couldn't get out of my head.

Leaning over, I shook Dwayne's shoulder until I felt him start to stir.

"Hmm?"

"Dwayne?"

"...'s something wrong?"

Facing him in the dark, I asked, "Why are you playing devil's advocate for Evan?"

He looked at me through eyes still cloudy with sleep. "Playing what?"

"Devil's advocate. You want us to go visit Evan, but I don't get why."

Reaching his arm out, Dwayne pulled me closer to him. Sighing, he admitted, "Because I've been the 'Evan', Lauren."

"What?"

"I've gone through what he's going through. I've had partners – people that I really, deeply cared about – break up with me when they found their mates."

"And?"

His fingers traced along my spine. "And it always hurt – but it hurt the most when they ghosted me."

"I'm not ghosting him."

"Oh? When's the last time you spoke?"

I looked away, unable to answer him.

"Yeah." His thumb came up to caress my cheek. "I just... I understand what he's going through."

There was a pain in his eyes that made me ache to comfort him.

Snuggling closer, I rested my forehead against his chest. "And you think we should go?"

"I think that if his friendship matters to you, then you need to show him that it does."

Closing my eyes, I breathed in my mate's scent and felt the warmth of his skin against mine.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"If you think we should go, then we'll go."