85. Chapter Eighty-Five

Chapter Eighty-Five

Beth

T he buzzing sounds of a cell phone set to vibrate disrupt my post-coital nap. I don't know if "nap" is really the right word for it, but "my first time passing out from multiple intense orgasms" doesn't quite have the same ring to it.

"Ugh," I murmur, tugging the pillow up and over my ear.

Wait. That's a pillow, and this feels like a bed. Didn't I pass out on a table?

I let the pillow go and I sit up slowly, finding out I'm still naked, so it's only my location that's changed. I look around, but I'm alone. I guess they brought me up here and left me to sleep.

Them . Jack and Enzo. Two of my four true mates.

I have four true mates. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that as I scour the room for the source of the buzzing sound so I can shut it off or toss it out the window, whatever's easiest.

I spot my clothes and purse piled up on a comfy looking chair in the corner.

I think that's my phone I'm hearing going crazy, and it makes me wonder what time it is.

Moving over there, I discover a couple of things.

One, sex with two men at a time is ridiculously messy afterwards.

Especially once a girl is on her feet.

And, two, it's apparently almost seven p.m.

Thanks, wall clock to my right.

Catherine must be wondering where the hell I am.

I feel a bit weird about answering her call while I'm naked with a crazy amount of cum dripping down my legs, but I know she'll just keep calling until I answer, and the noise is enough to drive anyone insane.

Clearing my throat, I pull the phone out of my purse and answer it quickly.

"Catherine, I'm so sorry," I start.

"Beth! Where have you been?"

"Um, that's kind of a long story, actually," I tell her, as I brush my free hand over the marks on my throat.

"Are you safe? Are you okay? And how fast can you get home?"

"I'm fine," I answer, wondering what that last question is for. "You can start dinner without me …"

"I already ate," she says. "While I was waiting for you to answer your text messages."

"Oh. Sorry. I was kind of busy."

"I gathered that, but you're going to have to get home now and fast."

"Fast? Why fast?" I ask, knowing I'm not leaving this apartment without at least rinsing off my legs. A long, hot shower would be preferable, but Catherine sounds like she's freaking out.

"Mom and dad are coming over," she says. "I just got off a call with them. They'll be here in fifteen minutes at most, and if you're not here when they arrive, they're probably going to demand you go back to Sapphire Valley with them."

"What?" I ask, trying to put everything that she's saying together.

I feel as if I'm missing pieces of a very weird puzzle.

She sighs. "They heard about what happened to you."

"What? How? I didn't tell them! Did you tell them?"

"I didn't tell them. They called your dorm, and some girl named Tilly told them you were living off campus with your sister since the incident and she bugged them about making you give up your room because it wasn't fair to everyone else."

"Shit!" I murmur. "Tammy. That little rat!"

"Get your ass in gear, Beth. I'm serious."

She hangs up, and I drop the phone back into my purse.

I haul on my bra and sweater, and I carefully bundle everything else to carry it in my arms.

Heading for the door, I hear Jack's voice before it opens.

I jump back a step and he enters the room.

"Hey, you're awake!"

"I am," I admit. "And as much as I'd love to stick around, my sister is going to kill me if I don't get home in the next few minutes. Can you point me to your bathroom?"

He raises an eyebrow. "Sure. What's so urgent that she needs you home that fast?"

"My parents are coming over, apparently. It's a long story, but it sounds like I'll be in trouble if I don't get over there A.S.A.P."

"Right, well, I'll walk you home. Or sprint with you, if that's what we're doing."

"The second one," I halfway joke.

"Bathroom's the next door down," he tells me as he leads me out into the main room of the apartment he shares with his pack.

I nod and dart over there. I'm still dripping a bit, and I really wish I could get away with a hot shower. I get into the bathroom and put my stuff in the sink.

I don't even close the door as I grab a towel and get it warm and wet and soapy using the bath's faucet and the scent free soap that must belong to Arrow.

Cleaning up my legs takes a couple minutes, and I leave the towel in the bath.

I haul the rest of my clothes on quickly and throw my purse over my shoulder.

Jack's waiting for me outside the door when I'm ready to get going.

"Where's everyone else?" I ask, realizing it seems very quiet in the apartment.

I hope he isn't up here babysitting me while everyone else has dinner or something.

"That's a long story, too," he answers. "Maybe we should exchange long stories tonight, after your parents go home."

"Great idea," I tell him. "I'll call you when they're gone."

Hopefully it'll be a quick visit but considering how long it must have taken them to get out here, I doubt it will be. They gave Catherine hardly any notice on purpose.

We leave the apartment, and then the restaurant.

I can't help but freak out a little as we walk quickly in the direction of my sister's apartment.

Anyone would think my parents were Alphas, going by how overprotective they are.

If they think I'm not safe out here, they'll do everything in their power to have me go back home with them.

The thought makes me cringe. I'm not a Sapphire Valley girl anymore.

We get to the apartment building, and I turn to look at Jack.

"I'll call you," I promise.

"I know," he says, giving me a chaste kiss that's kind of a let down after everything else we did today. I know it's for the sake of speed, so I'll let it go, this time.

He lets me go and I dart up the steps to the front door.

I wave before I head inside, steeling myself for what's coming.

If they thought they were mad at me for not telling them about Marcus, I can hardly wait to see their faces once they know I'm quitting my course and I've found my true mates.

Even Catherine doesn't know about that stuff.

I move quickly up the stairs, finding the apartment door open when I get there.

What the hell?

I step forward and push the door a little more, stepping into the hallway.

"Catherine?" I call out, wary.

My sister appears at the living room door. She's pale-faced, and her eyes look a bit wild.

"Beth, there you are! Back from putting the laundry on downstairs."

I nod, getting that our parents are already here. I close the door behind me.

I remove my purse from my shoulder and toss it into my bedroom in passing.

"Here I am," I announce, coming toward her and letting her usher me into the living room where our parents are sitting on the armchairs Catherine never really seems to use.

They're kind of off to the side, facing a blank wall, and a little too far away from the couch to make good seats for visitors.

Our mom gets up and drags the chair forward to make it closer to the couch.

I catch Catherine wincing. That's a scuff mark on her pretty floor, for sure. I guess there goes her cleaning deposit.

Thanks for that, Mom.

"Don't pull faces, dear. The wind might change."

Catherine pushes out a smile. "We wouldn't want that."

My father gets up and pulls his chair closer, too, making an even worse sound against the floor.

This time my sister doesn't react. She already lost the deposit. No use continuing to be mad about it, I guess.

"Beth, why didn't you call us when you were kidnapped? We had to hear about it from a silly friend of yours in that dorm." Mom looks upset.

I feel a little guilty for trying to keep it a secret, but I've always kept secrets from my parents.

There's no way they could handle half the stuff I've gotten up to.

They didn't know about Rourke, and I hoped I'd never have to tell them about this, either.

"I called Catherine," I start. "It really wasn't that big of a deal. I was just trapped in a closet for a day. It wasn't a life or death situation …"

"I've seen the posts that boy was making on Facebook. He was a dangerous person. You got lucky that your friend's mother was able to track you down."

I'm going to kill Tammy when I see her.

She's never getting my room now.

I might even go back to that course to keep the room just to spite her.

No, no. I wouldn't.

I don't know why I thought of that.

I'm not going back there, no way, no how.

"Well, it's over now, and his father's making sure he can't do anything like it again."

"You're right. It is over," Dad pipes up. "You're not going back to class. Your mother spoke to the school already and they've agreed to let you complete the degree by distance learning. So, you can come back home with us, and get a job in Sapphire Valley like all of your friends did when they graduated high school."

I can't think of anything worse. Well, except that closet, if it had gone on for much longer.

Catherine reaches over and takes hold of my hand.

When I look at her, she nods slowly before she looks back at my parents.

"I don't want to do that," I admit. "I moved away from Sapphire Valley for a reason."

I could have applied to college there if I'd wanted to stay.

"And we need you to move back for a reason, now, sweetheart," Dad says.

He really thinks it's for the best. I can hear that in his voice.

I shake my head. "I can't go back. I've found what I was meant to do. I'm quitting my course, and I'm setting up a business consultancy."

My mother screws up her face. "A what? What even is that?"

"It's a scam, dear," my father says with a sigh.

"It's not a scam," I tell him. "And I'm sorry about the course, but I'll be too busy to finish it."

Catherine squeezes my hand, silently telling me to stay strong.

I've never been so glad I called someone in my life.

"The city is the place I need to be. I've always known that. College, or not. This is my home, and I want to stay near the sister who helped me when I needed it most."

My parents' frown at each other.

They don't get it. They never did, and I'm not sure they ever will.

"Don't be silly," my father starts.

I shake my head. "I'm not a little girl anymore. I don't have to do everything the way my parents expect me to. I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving, and you can't force me to go."

I'm not an Omega who needs to be under guardianship, and even if I was, I have mates now.

They're the ones I trust to protect me. They understand what I need. Hell, they gave me the job of my dreams. They want me to be happy, as well as safe and secure.

"Beth, we're only thinking of your best interests, dear," Mom says, her eyes pleading with me.

I nod slowly. "I know you are, and I appreciate that. I do. But I can't live my life the way I need to if all I'm doing is trying to make you guys proud of me. I'm not a librarian, and I never should have tried to be."

Catherine's smiling at me with tears in her eyes when my mom and dad get to their feet.

"I'm not happy about this," my mom tells me, shaking her head. "The next time this city chews you up and spits you out … Don't go thinking our offer to take you home still stands."

She looks at my sister. "I expected better of you, Catherine."

Catherine sighs, but she doesn't say anything.

Mom shakes her head again, and leaves.

Dad shuffles closer and whispers, "She's just upset. She doesn't mean it. She'd take you home in a heartbeat. Both of you."

"Harold!" she snaps from the other room.

He waves as he rushes to catch her up.

When the front door slams behind them, Catherine blinks and a tear rolls down her cheek.

"Sorry, that was …" I start, putting an arm around her.

She laughs. "It was awesome. I'm so proud of you, Beth. You did it."

"Um, what?" I ask, feeling kind of shocked to hear those words coming out of anyone's mouth.

I don't think anyone's ever been proud of me before in my life.

She hugs me close. "You're going to have the most amazing life. I'm so glad you're giving up that stupid course."

Right. She did question me about why I was on it.

She moves back and wipes under her eyes.

"Are you happy, Catherine?" I ask.

"I'm doing okay," she says. "I wish I'd had your guts when I was a little younger, but everything's turned out well for me. I'm so damn happy for you, Bethy."

Oh my God, she's using my dumb little kid nickname!

I don't want to tear up, but it feels inevitable.

"You should be happy, too," I tell her. "What is it you wish you'd done when you were younger?"

She shrugs, and then laughs. "See? Even now it's so damn hard to say it and I feel like a dumbass for even thinking it was a good idea. This is what Mom and Dad's negativity does."

I think hard and smile. "I know what it is, and you could still do it. I know you could."

"Maybe," she says. "As a silly little side hustle."

"You mean a business venture."

"A business venture," she murmurs. "That does have a nice ring to it."

I never expected to find out I had much of anything in common with my oldest sibling, but I think Catherine and I are more alike than I ever realized.

"So, what would you be sewing in this new venture, exactly?" I ask, curious about whether she wants to start an alterations business, or make items from scratch.

"I've been starting to design dresses, but I'm a long way off from producing something that I could sell. I altered my friend's wedding dress when she lost more weight than she expected and her dressmaker let her down. It was a lot of fun. I think I'd like to do more of that."

"Oh … I have a nice idea for a business name for you."

She raises an eyebrow. "A business name? I thought I'd just use my own name, if I ever got started doing this stuff for real."

"You could do that, or you could call it Catherine Corrects, Alteration Specialist."

She laughs. "Oh no. Oh God no. Isn't that what Pearl and Maggie Jane used to call me whenever I told them they'd gotten something wrong? I remember the day you picked it up from them. It was mortifying."

"That's what makes it work. It's a cute name with some history behind it."

"Cute. Yeah, sure. Okay. Do you need dinner?"

"I do, but I might be able to get us something from that restaurant that doesn't look like a restaurant. If you don't mind waiting for me to make a call?"

"I've eaten anyway."

"And you'll try a slice of pizza, because a little bit of fat won't kill you."

She rolls her eyes. "Fine. Sure. Just don't blame me if I end up eating more than that because you made me taste it."

"Don't worry about that."

I fully intend to order two pizzas. I'm in the mood to stuff my face so if Catherine doesn't eat much, I'll just have to work my way through the rest alone. That'll be such a hardship.

I call Jack's number and he picks up in two rings.

"Beth! Hey, that was really fast. Can I assume your parents weren't too mad at whatever you did?"

"They went home," I admit. "I told them I wasn't going with them. They didn't like that too much, but they'll get over it. Is Enzo busy right now?"

"You're asking to speak to Enzo already? Am I that boring to talk to?"

He's joking, and it makes me smile.

"You know you're anything but boring. I was asking if Enzo was busy because I was going to be a little cheeky and ask him to make a couple of pizzas."

"Oh … I think that could be arranged. Would I be invited inside if I delivered them?"

"That would be acceptable," I tell him, wondering what Catherine will make of that.

"Perfect. I'll be there in thirty minutes or less."

"See you then."

I hang up and go back into the living room.

"Pizza has been ordered," I tell her, waving my phone before setting it down on the coffee table.

"I'll grab my purse," Catherine says, getting up.

"It's not going to cost us anything."

She raises an eyebrow at me. "What?"

"I've been hanging out with the guys who own the place."

Her jaw drops. "You've been hanging out with them? Tell me that's not slang for something sordid?"

I laugh. "I wouldn't call it sordid. I found out they're my true mates. This was after they gave me a job at the restaurant."

She blinks. "Back up and tell me everything from the start. You just gave me whiplash."

"Sit down, and I'll tell you everything."