After I tell them everything at dinner, then we can finally take the next step. Because truth be told, I think taking Forrest’s knot would help me relax even more.
As long as they don’t have any preconceived notions about my family or have an issue with me having withheld my last name, then we’ll be fine.
Chapter 15
Forrest
“Doyou think she’s going to bring up her family tonight?” Wells asks, adjusting his bowtie.
I’m adjusting the cuffs of this fucking constricting suit, feeling like I’m about to Hulk out of the fucking thing as I shrug.
“She’ll discuss it when she’s ready,” I tell Wells.
He’s impatient as fuck, and I know I don’t want to discuss my family anytime soon, so I don’t blame her for wanting to take her time.
“You’re right, I just want to know everything about her, ya know?”
“I know. Now let’s go enjoy dinner and then suffer through this party,” I tell him, smacking his ass out of the door.
We wait at the hostess stand for Claire. We made a reservation at an Italian place tonight. I’m not sure why I expected her to show up in a black dress, but she surprises me as she approaches us in a white dress that grips all of her curves in the right way, silver floral embellishments covering the whole thing.
“You look beautiful,” I tell her and she smiles, kissing my cheek and then Wells.
Fuck, I’m obsessed with her. Both of us are, and I can’t help but to think about if we didn’t come on this cruise. What if I wasn’t running off some tension in the middle of the night and didn’t run into her when she needed me?
Then there’s the lingering worry that she’s in love with this Elliot guy. Her reaction to the text message the other day seemed like she wasn’t telling me everything, and then her reaction to thinking she saw him was a whole other thing.
I’m trying to not let that bother me, and I haven’t brought it up with Wells because I don’t want him to worry. The stuff with her family isn’t a big deal to me, but if we’re falling this fast and her heart isn’t fully open to being the center of our pack, that’s what truly fucking scares me.
“Everything okay?” Claire asks, grabbing my forearm, leading me into the restaurant.
“This suit jacket is just a little tight,” I lie.
“You both look great,” she says easily as we’re led to our table.
I called in advance and made sure we weren’t by a window so she doesn’t get seasick. She didn’t say how she felt last night, but I’m hoping she didn’t suffer and that she would have asked for me if she needed my scent. I may get off on the idea of her needing my scent more than I should.
Claire orders us a bottle of wine for the night and we order our meals. She’s tapping her leg under the table, her sign that she’s anxious. I want to reach out and soothe her, but the server comes to our table to uncork the wine and pour our glasses.
She’s quick to snatch up the glass and take a heavy sip.
“So. The other day with Megan, she brought up my last name, and you seemed to recognize it,” she blurts out, looking at Wells.
My Beta shifts in his seat, excited to hear what she has to say and doing his best to seem neutral.
“Sørensen Enterprises was one of the sponsors for the last Olympics, so I was familiar,” Wells replies, and Claire nods.
“I came into this experience not wanting to lead with my name. When I tried to date in Manhattan, everyone either had a preconceived notion of me or was looking to gain something by coming closer to my family.” She takes another heavy swig of her wine. “Fuck, that makes me sound stuck up, and that’s the last thing I want you to think.”
“We don’t care what your last name is or who you’re related to,” I say.
Claire winces and Wells tilts his head at me, like he’s trying to communicate something with me that I’m obviously not picking up on.
“It’s not that I don’t have a good relationship with my family. They’re amazing. Honestly I don’t think my childhood could have possibly been any more perfect. We’re all still really close. I know I told you they weren’t thrilled about the idea of me coming here, and that’s because I’ve been wrapped in steel wool my whole life. This is the first time I’ve traveled by myself, but it’s because I’m taking this seriously. I want what my parents have. The pack that loves me for me, the billion pets, the kids, all of it.”
She takes a deep breath, her leg still tapping under the table.
“We’re looking for all of that too,” Wells assures her.