Chapter 12
*****
*Corey’s POV*
“Corey, you can’t seriously be telling me you’re going out again!” Hayley frowned at me.
“Uh… I’ll see you later then, Hayley,” I said. What else could I say without lying to her?
“Corey!” she snapped at me.
“Woman! I’m older than you are! You can’t act like my mother,” I joked, but she didn’t seem to be on the same page and just kept glaring at me.
“What’s wrong with you, Corey? Can’t you see how much this hurts him?!” she said.
“Hurts who?” I played stupid.
Jayden was not currently in the hotel. He was probably with Kaden and the other two. I had no idea where they were, and wasn’t interested in finding out. I was actively trying to ignore the grating pull I had towards him that showed me where he was every second of every day.
At least he was too far away for his emotions or voice to bother me.
“Corey, can’t you just wait until this witch has done whatever you want her to before you go making out with every girl you lay eyes on? Jayden’s not doing that to you. Are you trying to mark someone or are you really just doing this to hurt him?” Izabella said as she joined us.
I turned to them.
“That’s because Jayden doesn’t make out with girls,” I made sure they heard the emphasis. “And he’s not very attractive, so he doesn’t get the guys either,” I lied.
I may not have been gay, but Jayden didn’t look bad at all – not that I would ever admit that to anyone.
If I looked past how much he irritated me, how much I hated him for being my mate in those quiet moments I was able to. Moments when everyone was asleep, and I couldn’t sleep because of the stupid, unceasing pull and urgent beating in my chest that reminded me my mate was so close to me and urged me to get closer. When I just glanced over at him in the silent drive or hotel rooms.
Other than being handsome, he had a kind of alluring innocence and vulnerability, a kindness that urged you to get closer to him. His round brown eyes were very puppy-like and reminded me of a teddy bear, though they seemed more friendly.
Maybe she had a point. Maybe I was doing it just to hurt him. I couldn’t hook up with anyone until I got rid of our bond anyway, so all I did was make out and get them off. They were great distractions, of course. Well, as far as I could be distracted when half my body and mind felt repulsed that I was touching someone else when I could feel my mate nearby.
The girls glared at me before Izabella’s face dropped sadly.
“What’s happening to you, Corey?” she asked, softly.
I almost rolled my eyes.
“Nothing, I have to go. I love you, stay safe and lock the doors,” I said, leaving before they could speak again.
As I walked down the hotel hallway – which was nowhere close to as nice or clean as the previous – I pulled out my phone but paused at the home screen displayed after it turned on.
How…?
I frowned. Hayley and Izabella.
They had had my phone the entire day because I usually lost things when I felt sick, so I had given them my phone to keep while I suffered through the hangover and now, as I stood in the hall, I stared down at a picture of Jayden asleep.
I knew when it had been taken.
On the first day of our trip when he fell asleep in the car. He had the headphones around his neck, his hood hanging off his head and the book on his lap. I was about to delete it, but the mate part of me made me pause and I just stood there studying the picture.
He looked peaceful. It annoyed me. He was an Omega. Very vulnerable in his sleep, when he wasn’t sleeping as well, but when he was sleeping it was much worse. He looked like anything but a light sleeper. Shouldn’t he have been afraid to sleep so deeply being as vulnerable as he was? I didn’t understand that about him. He seemed quite open for someone so weak.
I ran my eyes over the picture, and realised I hadn’t really looked at him that closely except when the picture was taken. I pictured his eyes open. They were so inviting. There was something off about them though. That’s where the bear effect came from. His eyes appeared lively at a glance, but there was a glass-eyed dullness to them.
His hair was trimmed in a fading brush cut and his jaw was sharp – though I blamed that on how skinny he was. He had a thin scar right below his ear. It was barely visible. It ran from just under his jaw to the front of his neck stopping just before his Adam’s apple.
I furrowed my brows. How could a werewolf have a scar? Didn’t he heal at all?! Exactly how weak was he?! Why hadn’t I noticed it before? I mean, it’s not every day one sees a werewolf with scars. I had so many questions but one popped up that silenced all the others.
How had he gotten the scar?
I didn’t think it would be possible to fall on the side of his face and get a scar like that below his ear. I frowned running my gaze back to his face. My eyes drifted over it slowly, from his brows, over his nose, noticing the little beauty spot he had on the left side, and stopped at his lips. They were full and looked plump…
How would they feel if we –
I nearly dropped my phone as I snapped out of it, looking up, shocked and realising how long I had been staring at the picture.
What the fuck was I doing?! I was supposed to be on my way to a club but instead I was checking out a guy?! What the hell was wrong with me?
No. No, I wasn’t checking him out.
Then what had I been doing? It didn’t matter what I was doing, I was not checking him out. My wolf growled in my head, confused. I sighed trying to deny my own confusion. A few drinks and some hot girls. Yeah, that’s all I needed to fix my head. At least until I sobered up again.
I turned off my phone to make sure I wouldn’t see that picture until I was drunk enough not to get lost in it while trying to delete it. I then shoved the phone back into my pocket and headed out of the hotel.
—–
*Jayden’s POV*
Once again, we all waited up for Corey. I was seated on the floor with Kaden as we played mobile games while listening to the others.
Hayley and Izabella were freaking out because his phone seemed to be off, and Sean kept trying to sensibly calm them down by asking them what could possibly happen to one of the strongest young Betas on the planet. His attempts at comfort were unsuccessful though. In fact, even he seemed doubtful about his argument when they pointed out how recklessly they thought Corey had been behaving lately.
They just became more worried with every minute that passed and soon the rest of us were beginning to worry too.
I wasn’t sure why I was, but blamed it on the connection we had. The connection that was currently too clouded by worry for me to accurately feel where he was. I felt stupid for caring so much about someone I knew would be glad if I just disappeared.
It was a relief when Corey finally staggered into the room, although he was obviously way beyond drunk. I was surprised he even knew which hotel we were in, nevermind the room. He could barely walk properly.
“Corey?” Hayley spoke slowly as she got up.
Corey laughed.
“Hayleyyy! I missed yooou,” he slurred, hugging her.
She grimaced in his arms. I figured it was because of the strong smell of sweat and alcohol radiating from him.
“Mmm, you’ve gotten sooo pretty,” he mumbled, poking her cheek. “And tall! Looook at you, so tall! Where’s Izab-Izabella?” Corey stumbled over his words as he hiccuped.
I bit my lip watching him stagger around. His face was flushed, hair messy and shirt on inside-out. He had probably been with another person.
“He’s completely wasted…” Kaden muttered. “Damn, Jayden. Your mate is gross.”
I shot a glare at him. That wasn’t my fault.
“I can’t imagine how much he must have drunk to get to this point,” Trent spoke, concerned.
“Corey, lay down.” Izabella grabbed his hand.
“Izzy! I-I brought yooou some cake… Wait, it’s gone… I think a… A leech took it,” he mumbled.
I heard Sean, Trent and Kaden trying not to laugh at him. I didn’t find his state very amusing. If anything, it was concerning. He could barely speak properly.
Suddenly Corey gasped as our eyes met.
“You!” He pointed at me.
I backed up against the bed as he came charging at me, tripping and almost falling on the way. I was too terrified to laugh at him as the others did. Drunk people were very aggressive.
“Jay, move –!” Kaden began to move to block me, but Sean grabbed his arm, holding him back.
“Wait a second,” Sean said.
Corey’s running slowed as he stumbled up to me and I pressed myself further against the bed.
“You-you’re… You’re the one frommm the picture.” Corey knelt, or more like fell onto his knees in front of me.
The picture?
I froze as he raised his hand to poke my cheek.
“You have…” he stared into my eyes for a moment before his fell to my cheek. “Your skin is so soft…” he mumbled.
What was going on? I was trying to control my racing heart and trying to process the feeling of him being so close to me. I stared into his focused blue eyes as they studied my face while his finger poked my cheek again gently.
“It’s therrre.” He smiled as he touched the side of my nose. “What…” he slurred. “You… you got hurt…” He poked my neck right where I knew the scar was and I instantly shoved his hand away.
Shit. I covered that. How had he seen it?!
“What?” Kaden spoke.
“N-nothing. He-he’s drunk.” I attempted to shove Corey away, but he grabbed my wrist, even in his current drunken state, he was incredibly strong.
“No, no, I saw…” he leaned closer to me. My breath caught as I felt the heat from his body when his leg shifted so his thigh was pressed against mine. “I saw –” he was cut off as I shoved him, it seemed to surprise him, but still not enough to make him move or fall back.
Not until a nauseated look suddenly passed over his face and he turned from me, throwing up right beside me. I gagged and covered my mouth, quickly shifted away from him.
“Oh my God, Corey!” Izabella cringed.
It was disgusting, but I couldn’t have been happier that he had puked. It distracted everyone, including him. Most importantly him.
“S-sorrry, Jaaay,” he slurred, looking like a child that had done something terrible and was afraid he would get punished as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.
“It… It’s alright,” I mumbled, confused.
I kind of liked him when he was drunk; he was a lot nicer to me. It was the opposite of what I had expected.
He suddenly stopped moving and looked directly into my eyes. I stared back at him surprised and slightly concerned about what he was going to say next.
“Yoou… You have very nice eyes… I like brown eyes… I like your eyes… They’re like… they’re very pretty…” he mumbled softly.
I felt my face heat slightly as everyone laughed.
He continued to stare at me sincerely and I watched him, waiting for the Corey I knew to return. Who the hell was this person?
“Alright, Beta. It’s bedtime… We should probably get him some medicine for tomorrow,” Sean said, pulling Corey off the floor before shoving him onto one of the beds in the room. I watched as Sean proceeded to tuck him in.
“Shouldn’t we make him brush his teeth?” Izabella frowned.
“No, the taste in the morning will make him learn not to drink so damn much,” Sean said, frowning at Corey who was already asleep.
“‘You have very nice eyes. I like brown eyes. They’re very pretty’,” Trent smirked at me.
I saw Kaden roll his eyes while feeling my face begin to heat again.
“Shut up,” I frowned at Trent. He just laughed.
“You know, people tell the truth when they’re drunk.” Hayley smiled.
“You HAVE grown? Is that even possible? I thought you were a midget…” I mumbled in surprise, seeing as she was a few centimetres shorter than I was. She glared at me as everyone else laughed.
I got up, grimacing as I caught sight of Corey’s vomit. Exactly what the hell had he eaten and drunk?
“Jay. Let’s go. You guys should… start to clean that up.” Kaden pointed at the puddle as we began to walk out of the room.
“Hey! He’s your mate!” Trent called.
“We both deny that. He is your best friend though,” I replied.
“Hey! You don’t deny it. Jayden, clean –” Hayley began, but the door shut behind me.
No way I was cleaning that, no matter how cute he appeared earlier. I smiled remembering his gentle pokes on my cheek before it fell.
He had been drunk, and couldn’t even make out proper sentences. He would not remember any of that.
Don’t get your hopes up. I told myself. That always ends badly.
*****
Comment