59
Jordy
She opens the door like she has every other day this week, only this time, César is nowhere in sight. “Hey,” she says, stepping aside to let me in. “You’re here early.”
“Yeah. Clan meetings were cancelled.”
She nods and I debate how to go about this. Joaninha is proud. She won’t want me inserting myself into her life. Not on her account. I've noticed this week she's fine when I offer to do something for César, but anytime I try to help her, she brushes me aside.
"That's probably nice," she says. "Gives you a chance to rest up. I know between school and patrols you can’t be getting as much sleep as you need.” I’m surprised she noticed. I don’t make it a point of giving her my schedule nor do I mention how grueling it can be sometimes. We’re not together. But knowing she pays attention, worries about me, it feels like a girlfriend thing to do. I like it.
"Yeah. I'm always down for a break." My Alpha has been running us hard. It’s our last year at Hellbound High and he wants to make sure we’re ready for what comes next.”
She nods, her mind seemingly somewhere else as her eyes take on a distant look.
“Where’s my little man?"
She shakes herself, brushing a few stray pieces of hair out of her face. "He actually just went down for a nap. I'm sorry."
I shrug. "No worries.” I shove my hands in my pockets and tilt my head to the side, scrutinizing her for a second. “Mind if I hang out until he wakes up?"
"Umm...sure. I guess. I mean, yeah. That's fine." My wolf senses she's nervous, but she has no reason to be. Joaninha leads me through the house and into the kitchen, pausing behind one of the barstools at the kitchen island where it looks like she's been doing her schoolwork.
“Keeping up?” I ask, nodding to her open textbooks.
She sighs. “Yeah. I’ve got it handled.”
I step closer to her and tilt her chin toward me. “It’s okay to ask for help sometimes,” I tell her.
She tugs her chin away. “It’s not your job to help me. I’ve got it covered. Besides, Mom should be back next week.”
I clench my jaw. “You said that before and it’s been a week already. Can you afford to keep missing school?”
Her expression tightens. “I’m not your problem, Jordy.”
My wolf growls his disagreement, the sound vibrating deep in my chest. I swear this girl is going to be the death of me.
60
Jo
“I’m not your problem,” I tell him.
“What if I want you to be?” he asks, a distinct growl in his voice. Brown eyes flecked with silver search my own, trying to understand what’s going through my head. But if I’m honest, I have no idea. This week has been…different. Not bad different, though I’m not sure if it’s good different either. It’s just different. I feel like I’m playing some elaborate game where we each have a role and a character we’re expected to be, and I’m terrified to get my part wrong.
I’m already coming to rely on him, and it’s only been a week. He plays with César in the evenings while I get caught up. He helps with bedtime and he makes being a single mom so much easier than it ever was before.
I’m getting attached when I shouldn’t be. I don’t want to mess everything up. Jordy’s only concern should be César. I’m not his responsibility. We need rules. Boundaries.
But his words from earlier this week come to me.
Date me.
Couples help one another. Would dating Jordy be such a bad thing?
Jordy’s eyes flash, taking on a liquid metal appearance when I don’t answer, and his thumb drags along my jawline. “Mariposa?”
He hasn’t called me that since…