*****
*Corey*
“The car will be fixed by tomorrow,” Sean announced as he shoved his phone into his pocket.
“Finally.” Trent muttered as he ate a chip, “I wanna go home.” He muttered.
“We’re not going home,” I said.
“The car’s broken! It’s just going to break down again!” Trent exclaimed glaring at me.
“And then we’ll get it fixed again.” I smiled. He glared at me.
“Corey…” He muttered before he sighed, defeated, “Get out of my sight.” He tried to glare at me but I laughed when his face twitched.
“Since you look so serious and threatening,” I smirked.
“Shut up and get out.” He snapped throwing a pillow at me.
I chuckled as I left our room before I began to make my way to the kitchen but I stopped when I heard a guitar. I smirked walking up to Kaden and Jayden’s room slowly with the intention to slam the door open and scare the shit out of Jayden but I stopped when the strumming got louder, quicker and so did his voice.
I was almost frozen in shock. When they said he could sing I didn’t think they meant that well. I frowned when the playing and singing suddenly stopped before Jayden spoke up.
“Corey?”
The stupid mate pull must have shown him where I was. It was so disappointing, I wanted to keep hearing him sing. I opened the door and walked in.
“You give yourself too little credit, Jay. Your voice is seriously incredible.” I admitted. He gave a bashful smile as he looked down.
“It’s not.” He said.
I snorted before shutting the door and leaning up against it.
“So… Uh… I was about to head out,” lie, “To the mall… Wanna go shopping or… Uh… Get our hair done or something?” I asked.
He looked shocked before he frowned at me. “Corey, I appreciate the gesture but I’m gay, not female. There’s a difference.” He said. Oh. I chuckled. “That being said, if you’re paying, I need a new notepad and some jeans.” He said. I smiled.
“Fine, I’ll pay.”
“Let’s go, then.”
—–
“Woah, what is this?” I lifted the glass ball.
“Corey!” Jayden hissed, “It says ‘don’t touch’! You’ll get us thrown out of here too.”
Yes, I had gotten us escorted out of the last clothing store, but it wasn’t my fault they didn’t have a ‘no eating’ sign on the door, so naturally, I took my food in and I might have spilt my soda on a very expensive suit. It’s their fault for assuming that I would assume that no food was allowed inside the store and it’s not my fault the store is so crowded either causing someone to bump my arm. Due to there not being a sign and the other person apologising for bumping into me, we did not have to pay for the suit but they wanted us out of the store anyway.
“I can’t break this, I have amazing reflexes,” I said.
“Yes, but I like this store and I don’t want to take any chances so put the damn ball down.” He hissed.
“You think just because I brought you here you can speak to me like that,” I scoffed, “Any way you want to…” I was saying but I noticed that he was too busy staring at little spiders in a glass tank to pay attention.
I rolled my eyes as I sipped on my drink and followed him around the store. Had I spilt my entire previous soda? Yes. Had I learnt my lesson? No. This store didn’t have the sign either so I wasn’t breaking any rules anyway.
Jayden sent me a side-glare and I rolled my eyes and I swallowed more gulps of ice-cold beverage.
“Jayden!” Jayden turned smiling and I glared at the Finn guy as he ran up to us.
“I’ll be at the food court.” I grabbed Jayden’s jaw and kissed him, the simple motion sending sparks through my body. I paused for a second taking in the feeling of his soft lips before breaking the kiss and pulled back to see his shocked face that matched the look on Finn’s. Maybe I was still confused about everything but I certainly knew one thing: he was MY mate at the moment and I did not like Finn… Or anyone that I thought could be attracted to him. Human or not. “Here,” I pulled my wallet out and handed Jayden a bunch of notes before I left.
I got to the court and bought myself more food before I began to head back to Jayden and Finn.
“Corey!” I turned and saw a familiar-looking girl. Her name? I began wracking my brain. What the hell was her name?!
“Uh… A… ria… na, right?” I said her name slowly hoping that it was right.
“Yes! You just disappeared the other night –” My eyes widened as she stood on her toes and kissed me. “I couldn’t even get your number.” She said.
I chuckled. “Well, if you still want it…” I smiled sliding my hand into her pocket and grabbing her phone. I don’t know why. I was confused. I wanted to like Jayden but at the same time, I didn’t. I wasn’t gay. I wasn’t. ‘Then why the hell did you kiss him in front of Finn and why the hell do you KEEP kissing him?!’ Part of my brain yelled. I don’t know why I did those things!
I typed my number into her phone before I held it out to her.
“Thanks, Babe,” Ariana smiled taking her phone. I chuckled as she pecked me on my lips.
“You know I have a girlfriend, right?” I asked.
“So?” She smiled, “I’ll call you.” I chuckled watching her as she walked off. Or rather strutted, it was sexy. She had a nice butt too… maybe I should have kept talking to her…
*Jayden*
After he said it I realised it was true. He had a girlfriend. But he had kissed me… More than once…
“Who was that?” Finn frowned.
“His friend,” I said. Of course, Finn hadn’t heard their conversation, he was only human.
“Very cosy for a friend. You’re okay with that?” He looked at me. No. I was not, but we were not together.
“Yes. I trust him.” I said faking a smile.
I was confused. What did he want? Corey was so confusing.
He turned and his smile dropped as his eyes met Finn beside me before he grinned at me causing me to tilt my head in confusion.
Yes, what DID this guy want?
“Jayden,” he smiled, “And you,” he didn’t even look at Finn, “What did you get?” He asked me.
“A notepad and… uh… I got this… for you.” He raised his eyebrows as I pulled something from a bag and handed it to him.
He chuckled. “A phone cover?”
“I thought your phone looked pretty dull and you kind of need a screen guard.” I shrugged, that and he had given me a bunch of money to get my stuff so the least I could do was buy him something in return. He smiled.
“Yeah? Thanks.” He said.
“So, that girl: your friend?” Finn spoke. I looked at him as did Corey.
“Yeah, and this is your business why?” Corey asked.
“Corey.” I frowned. He sighed.
“Yes, my friend,” Corey said.
“Pretty touchy ‘friend’,” Finn said frowning at Corey.
“Pretty nosy stranger,” Corey replied glaring at Finn.
“Pretty cool movie.” I pointed at a random board that stood beside the cinema entrance, “Let’s check it out.” I added and before either of them could answer I was making my way through the crowd and into the cinema.
I didn’t have to look up to know who it was when someone grabbed my arm. The tingling sensation on my skin, the quickening of my heart rate and my wolf’s instant excitement made it clear who it was.
“Quit wandering off,” Corey muttered tightening his grip on my arm slightly so I couldn’t pull it from him but not so much that it would hurt.
“I wasn’t wandering, I was leading,” I said.
“You were wandering.” My other arm was taken by Finn but there were no sensations and no reaction from my wolf.
“And you two finally agree on something, only you’re both wrong,” I said before I asked for three tickets to some movie that looked, judging from the cover, like a horror. I was about to pay but I froze when my eyes caught sight of the mirror behind the cashier.
I almost snapped my neck looking behind me before sighing in relief when I saw only a sea of people unknown to me. I was being paranoid…
“Jay,” Corey shook my arm slightly and I realised we were walking away from the cashier, Corey had paid, “What’s up with you?” He frowned.
“Nothing… I thought I saw… No one.” I mumbled.
‘Who?’ He linked me the same time Finn asked, “Who?”
“No one. I just saw a face. Could be anyone.” I said.
“Hey… You healed pretty fast.” Finn observed.
“Some weird ‘miracle’ cream from the doc,” I said.
I had made so many excuses about injuries before, it didn’t even take me a second to think about an answer. I was a pretty good liar sometimes.
“I need some of that.” He said. I chuckled.
“I don’t think the cream will work for you, Finn. Just a miracle.” Corey said I sent him a glare but he ignored it.
“I’ll get some popcorn,” Corey said.
“Hopefully you’ll get a sense of humour and some decency along with it.” Finn frowned.
I grabbed Corey’s arm and shoved him back before he could beat Finn up. ‘Calm down, you can’t fight him; you’ll kill him.’ I linked to Corey.
“That would be the point.” He muttered.
“We’re in a mall.” I hissed, “And I don’t want him dead. I actually like him.” I said before adding, “As a friend,” quickly feeling my wolf growl inside me.
“Right. ‘A friend'” Corey muttered before he turned and left. I frowned. Why did he care? What did he want? Why the hell was he so confusing?
“I’ll be in the bathroom. Tell Corey to get sweets or something.” I said walking away from Finn.
When I walked into the bathroom, it was empty. I did what I needed to before heading over to the sink. I began washing my hands and paid no attention to the door when it swung open and shut figuring that it was just another human, but when the familiar scent hit my nose, I froze.
“Hello, Son.” His voice had a smirk to it. So I hadn’t imagined it. He was there. He was right behind me. I needed to get out fast.
I turned to leave and began running but he grabbed my shoulder and shoved me against the wall before his hand gripped my throat as he leaned close to me. The familiar scent of cigarettes from his breath filled my nose and for some reason, it calmed me down slightly.
“Doesn’t this position remind you of something?” He winked as he smirked down at me. I cringed. No. He couldn’t know. He was long gone by then. “How’s my wife? My mate. That you took from me.” He glared at me.
“She left you.” I choked out but should have shut up, I cried out when his fist met my ribcage forcefully causing a painful crack that would have made me double over if he was not pinning me to the wall.
“You made her! It’s your fault you little fag!” He punched me again. “Which one of those faggots out there is your mate? I’m betting it’s the scrawny one with the black hair. He looks like your type.” I lifted my hands to his wrist trying to pry it from my neck as his hand tightened causing me to choke further. “You got away last time. Not this time. I’m going to kill you, Jay Jay. And then I’m going back to my wife and we’re going to leave that pathetic pack together.” He said. No.
I lifted my knee and slammed it into his crotch. Low blow, but I didn’t care. He was never going to so much as see my mother again. Not while I could prevent it.
We both seemed surprised by my strength as he fell to the floor. I still wasn’t used to the power boost caused by Izabella.
“You –” he got up but I slammed my fist into his face, crying out as I hurt my own knuckles. I should have gone to training when Joe told me to, I would have known how to hit someone without hurting myself.
I didn’t wait for him to get up this time, I ran from the bathroom and right into someone that was coming in. I apologised quickly before I walked away from him as I straightened my shirt and tried to hide the ache in my torso. I should have told Corey when I walked up to him and Finn, but I didn’t. I was already enough of a burden to him. I did not want him to think he needed to help me and I did not want to admit that I might have needed his help.
“Why do I smell smoke?” Corey frowned at me.
“People were smoking in there.” I motioned to the bathroom. He nodded.
“Let’s go.” He said.
—–
“Fucking idiot.”
I chuckled at Corey’s commentary and Finn shook his head as the guy on the screen followed the weird noises down into his basement.
“It would be really cool if he isn’t even in the room,” I said.
“Yeah, and he could just come in behind this guy and rip his hair and skin off his skull,” Corey said.
“Yeah, he would deserve it for being so dumb,” I muttered eating some popcorn as we got weird looks from the people beside us and Finn chuckled softly.
The movie was quite predictable. There had been a party, almost everyone was dead. I watched as the shivering guy walked into the middle of the room and suddenly a rope was thrown around his neck.
“Didn’t see that coming,” Corey muttered sarcastically before he began laughing and I joined in when the guy was pulled off his feet giving a very funny scream while being hung by the murderer, who was kind of cute looking like Dave Franco.
—–
“You are so weird.” Finn chuckled as we walked him home.
“What? He was stupid, what did he expect? He should have left the house when he had the chance, instead he goes to the one place he can expect to get killed in. Stupid.” I frowned.
Finn chuckled and I glanced at Corey who was currently typing away on his phone. Where was my phone? I pulled it out of my pocket and turned it on realising I had switched it off in the morning. Mmm… Joe, my Mom, Kaden, Sean. The usual.
I glanced at Corey as he chuckled at his phone and felt my heart drop. Samantha? Or maybe the girl from the mall? Or one of the others? He seemed to have many.
“Thanks, Jay.” I looked up and realised we were probably at Finn’s house. “I’ll miss you. We’ll talk. You’ll visit?” He smiled.
“Yeah,” I hugged him.
‘Don’t make promises you can’t keep.’ Corey’s voice sounded in my mind. I glared at him as I pulled away from Finn.
“It was… Interesting meeting you, Corey.” Finn said.
“Likewise.” Corey nodded, “And… for what it’s worth,” he sighed, “You’re pretty cool… and I’m sorry I called you a, uh… Faggot…” My eyes widened. Wow.
Finn grinned. The kid obviously forgives very easily. “Apology accepted. You’re not so bad yourself. You’re both just… very weird.” He said.
Corey and I chuckled.
“See you around,” Corey said and we left Finn to continue walking home.
We were quiet, but it did not feel awkward as we just walked while looking around or checking our phones until he spoke up.
“I don’t feel like going to the house yet.” He said.
I looked at him. “Where do you feel like going?” I asked before adding, “I’m underage and I don’t have a fake ID.” Just in case he was thinking about going to a club or a bar or someplace similar. He seemed to love those types of places. Corey laughed.
“Nowhere bad.” He said.
“Then where?” I questioned.
He smiled.
*****
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