Stalked by the Alpha

Part 19: 7 Years of Bad Luck

There was a surprising lack of thought in my head when I walked away from Gabe. He called out for me a few times, but I couldn't let myself turn around. There was no way I was strong enough. I exited out of the house and sat numbly down on the front steps, not even really seeing what was in front of me. There were a few people that passed me by and greeted me, but I didn't even look in their direction. Absentmindedly, I wiped my face and realized that there were a few tears rolling down my cheeks that I hadn't even felt. It was like the nerve endings everywhere were gone, and I was left floating in within my own body. I had been sitting there for a while I guess when someone entered my field of vision. I looked up and was met with the concerned brown gaze of Paige. She didn't say a word, just put an arm under my elbows and lifted me to my feet. 

We struggled into the main entryway, with her supporting most of my weight. I tried to shuffle my feet along, but my dirty sneakers kept catching on the rugs and the smooth hardwood that really had no reason to trip me up. We crossed past the hallway that I had last seen Gabe and was immediately caught up in a green gaze that froze me in place. 

Gabe was sitting in a chair exactly where I left him. He looked so upset that despite my disappointment in him, all I wanted to do was make him feel better. He made a movement as if to get up from the chair, but Paige growled, a deep and fierce sound of protection and he sat back down, despite returning her growl with one of his own. He seemed to realized that his presence wasn't something that would help. Paige placed a protective arm around my shoulder and we started back towards the stairs. The stairs seemed long and incredibly challenging, but we finally made it to a guest room that was located at the top of the stairs. It was warm and comforting, possibly something that was made for a child, based on the small twin bed and the sunny yellow color that was everywhere. It was the complete opposite of how I was feeling but I appreciated it anyway. It reminded me of my room at my grandma's house, with the bright sunny colors and the tiny bed. 

I sat on the bed, staring blankly at the mirror that was hanging  in front of me on the wall across from the bed. What I saw was nothing that was worth anything. The person who was staring back couldn't even keep her soulmate happy. Without really thinking, I raised my fist and smashed it into the mirror repeatedly until the glass shattered and the shards cut into my knuckles. Paige ran into the room, holding a bundle of clothes and a towel, and pulled me away from the mirror, forcing me to sit on the bed. She grabbed my face between her hands and forced me to make eye contact with her. 

Her warm brown eyes were filled with tears and she stared at my before she whispered, "He is not worth this Ev. You're worth so much more."  

She didn't say anything else, simply grabbing my hand and gently reaching over to the first aid kid that was sitting on the nightstand. I just stared, fascinated as she pulled the small shards of glass out of my knuckles and washed the cuts carefully. Turning my hand over, she cleaned the now dried blood off of my palms. Once she was done we sat in silence for a few minutes. The only sounds were the ones coming from outside the door from other members of the pack and suddenly I realized that the silence was exactly what I needed. I started to regain awareness and feeling in other parts of my body. The pain that should have been present in my hand the whole time finally made an strong appearance, making me wince. My thoughts were running at a normal pace, rather than the slow and disjointed thoughts I had housed previously. I turned to look at her and she wordlessly handed me the towel and clothes, then rose and directed me to a tiny bathroom that consisted of a shower, a toilet and a sink. I gave her a small grateful smile which she returned and said, "I'll be waiting outside with ice cream and an ear for listening."

I took my time in the shower, disregarding when my knuckles throbbed under direct water pressure and slowly washing my hair and body. The water ran over my scars and the ribs that were protruding and the hips that stuck out a little too far and I all I could think about was Gabe's eyes when we walked past him in the hallway. They were seared into my brain and it made me want to cry. Even with how upset I was with him all I wanted to do was apologize for making him sad. He was something that I couldn't live without, but apparently that feeling was not reciprocated by him.

I slowly turned the water off, letting the temperature run from hot to cold as I did so. I dressed in the clothes that Paige had brought me, a pair of joggers and a loose tank top and I searched through the bathroom until I found a brush. My hair was unbelievably snarly, so I was still struggling with it when I left the bathroom. Paige was sitting on the bed, typing furiously on her phone, but looked up when I entered the room. The broken mirror was gone, and the broken glass was picked up from the floor. She patted the bed next to her and I sat. Gently taking the brush from my hand, she started patiently working out the tangles that were everywhere. She started humming absentmindedly and I closed my eyes, enjoying the song. Once she was done, she carefully took my beaten hand in hers and started applying bandages to the knuckles and palms. We didn't talk, because there didn't seem to be a whole lot that needed to be said. Paige was one of those extraordinary people that didn't mind the silence, and right now, neither did I.  When she was done she reached into her bag and pulled out 2 pints of ice cream with a dramatic flair that made me smile. 

"Do you want to eat and then talk, talk and then eat, or do both?" she asked handing me a pint of chocolate peanut butter ice cream.

"Let's do both," I replied, cracking open the lid and digging in.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well @cutekilleryui , you got your wish! Another chapter! 

As usual, let me know if you have any suggestions or parts you really liked, otherwise make sure to vote! Thank you!

kath