Chapter 50

Megan

The zombie horror movie that Cade had brought was ridiculous. It was some foreign film from some decade past.

"Do you really watch this for enjoyment?" I asked while cringing at the bad special effects.

Cade laughed. "Not really. It's more something to pass the time. I enjoy the evolution of the horror film. This is some classic bad."

"Obviously." I smiled then glanced back down at my English paper. We were supposed to turn them in tomorrow. Mine was probably as good as it was going to get. I'd been working on homework off and on while Cade played the movie and tinkered with his own homework. He glanced over.

"I'd offer to look over your paper, but I don't have the same appreciation of the Oxford comma that Sam does." He grinned.

"That's okay. He actually already went over it earlier this week. I'm just a perfectionist when it comes to my grades." I sighed. It was a miracle that I still had A's, though a few had sunk to A minuses, after the past few weeks with their various distractions.

"So what do you want to do after high school?"

I pursed my lips. "Before…all of this happened—" I gestured around and Cade nodded, getting my drift. "—Rachel and I planned to set up a delivery bakery sort of thing. You know, run it out of one of our kitchens. Kind of an online delivery service for bread and cookies and stuff. We want to turn it into an actual bakery after that. We're wanting to take some business classes while running the online stuff and getting more notoriety. But it will probably depend some on what happens—" I cut off and looked sharply at Cade, realizing I may have overstepped myself.

"If you stay wolf or not?" he finished quietly, his steady eyes locked on mine, sympathy lingering in their depths.

I nodded, emotion roiling up my throat again.

"Sorry. Touchy subject."

We were quiet a minute as some guy lopped off a zombie's head with a samurai sword.

"You know Sam is in love with you, don't you?" he said. I looked up at him. "He's been pretty much in love with you for years. I'm not trying to make you feel bad or guilty; I thought you should know that he loved you a long time before he bit you."

My heart thumped in my chest. I didn't know how to respond to the echo of Grandpa's words.

"Cade, I couldn't shift last night." It was out of my mouth before I even consciously thought it.

He whistled between his teeth. His expression was more serious than ever before.

"Well, that explains Sam's mood then."

I worried my lower lip. "I hate this. I hate wanting to be human and still missing the wolf. I am so confused that I can't even hear my own thoughts inside my head. I want to be with Sam, but am torn because I'm so young, and I'm terrified I'm going to make the wrong decision or for the wrong reasons. It's like the world is sitting on my shoulders, and I'm cracking under its weight." I blinked rapidly to chase the threatening tears away.

"Megan," Cade started and then hesitated. "You don't owe Sam Wolfe a single thing." He took a breath. "Unless you love him. Then maybe you owe yourself something."