Garage Girl

Chapter 13

I wake up, but I don't open my eyes. I want him to be here. If I open my eyes, and he's not here, it's just going to make me cry more.

"Shorty, I'm here. You can open your eyes." His right hand moves up and down on my back comforting me. His lips press into my forehead reassuring me. His left hand is resting on my cheek urging me to open my eyes.

"You promise?" I can't believe I've turned into one of those girls that relies on her boyfriend for everything. Wait, we're not even dating.

"Babe, what's wrong? Is it the dependent thing?" He waits for a minute, but I can't answer him. All I want to do is punch him and cry. "Babe, I know this is hard, but you have to talk to me. I need to know what's going on."

"I was thinking how I can't believe that I turned into one of those girls that relies on their boyfriend for everything. Then, I remembered that I don't have a boyfriend."

His right arm pulls me closer, while being mindful of my arm, and his lips press against my forehead again. "You're right. You don't have a boyfriend. You have something even better. You have a mate. You have someone that will always be in your corner, that will always stick up for you, that will always be there for you, that will always care about you, that will never let anything happen to you, and that will never let you not talk to him about something. I will annoy you until you cave. Now, open your eyes."

I wipe my face on his shirt, drying my shed tears and trying to stop crying. I push on his chest with my good arm, allowing my eyes to open and look him in his beautiful eyes.

"There's my girl."

I don't think that there are three other words that he could have said that would make me blush so hard. I know that this whole mating thing makes it seem like Maddox owns me, but I know that that is not how it is. It's a bond. It's not forced. It's meant to be. Honestly, I never thought that I would ever find the right guy, let alone a guy that I would marry. Having a mate is even better than having a husband. To have a husband, you have to go through a bunch of shit first. Now I won't have to go though an awful amount of sucky relationships to find someone that may or may not be husband material, but I wouldn't find out if he was for years.

"What are you thinking about in that beautiful mind?" Maddox asks, kissing my forehead.

"I'm just thinking about how having a mate is even better than a husband." I snuggle back into his chest.

"What do you mean?"

"So, to find a person that would make a good husband, I would have to go on a lot of crappy dates, years of relationships and who knows, he could still end up being an asshole and cheat on me if we were married. Having a mate is even a step up from a husband. I don't have to go through all of that. I already know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, even though you can still be an asshole at times." I joke.

"Yeah, I know I screwed up letting you get that far away without me realizing. I would and could never cheat on you though. Seriously, I can't. I can't even think about another woman romantically without wanting to throw up." He squeezes his arms, pulling me even closer to his warm chest.

"I know I said it was your fault, but it's not. I'm sorry. There's no one to blame here except for the rouge, and you are nothing but my mate in shining armor."

"When did you - It doesn't matter. Shorty, the truth is, I will never forgive myself for that and neither will my wolf - no matter who's "fault" it was."

"I wish he would. Wait, are you and your wolf like two separate things? Is it bad that I assumed it was a dude? I shouldn't have done that. I'm so stu-"

"Shorty, you ramble so much when you are embarrassed. It's so cute, but hush. Yes, my wolf and I are two separate things. His name is Leo." Maddox cuts me off, running his fingers through my hair.

"So, I heard that when we mate I can talk to you with my mind. Would I be talking to Leo or you?"

"You would be talking to both of us. Okay, let me try to explain this better. Leo is like the voice in the back of your head or the angel and devil on your shoulders. They aren't really a separate part of you; however, when I get really mad, there is a chance that Leo will take over my human body and cause me to shift into a wolf. I can also shift into a wolf without him taking over though. Is this making sense?" 

"Yeah. Maddox?" 

"Yes my sweet girl."

"Can we go to sleep? I know I just woke up, but the past 24 hours have been packed full and I'm just exhausted."

"Yes, let me grab the blanket." Maddox chest leaves my face as he sits up. He pulls me into his arms, holding me up with an arm under my ass, my arms around his neck and my legs around his like a toddler or a koala. "You're something else." He chuckles at the way I am clinging to him.

He pulls the blanket down on his bed. He looks back at me, meeting my eyes. I extend my neck and kiss him under the chin. He chuckles and kisses my nose. He sets me down on his bed and goes to change. I look down and I realize that I'm wearing one of his shirts and a pair of men's shorts. 

"Peyton. I didn't do it. I swear. Liv did." Maddox starts freaking out as I'm looking at the clothes on my body.

"Maddox. Stop freaking out. I believe you, and even if it was you it's okay. For some god awful reason, probably the mate bond, I trust you." I smile at him, trying to get him to relax.

"That would be the mate bond," he chuckles. "But I don't think I would be able to change you without wanting to jump your bones, and I can't do that to you."

"Not yet." I wink, torturing him just a bit.

"Woman, you are going to be the death of me." He groans, his shorts growing a little bit.

"I'm only slightly sorry." I laugh. "Come hold me, I want to sleep."

"Anything for you shorty." He crawls in his bed behind me, in nothing but gym shorts. He grabs my waist, pulling me closer to his warm, rock-hard chest. His arm slips under my head, functioning as a pillow, as his other remains on my stomach, holding me close to him.

"Did you tell Frank and Kathy?" I mumble, trying to be a responsible child before falling asleep.

"Yes. They understand." He kisses the side of my head. "Go to sleep shorty. Wake me if you need anything. I love you."

I don't say anything, because as much as I like him, I don't love him, not yet. I know I will, but I also don't think I had enough energy to say anything back to him either. I let the darkness take over, falling into sleep.