Chapter 5

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HOPE

I wake up when the sun starts to shine through the window. I turn around and see Zeke sitting on his knees on the floor beside the bed with his arms crossed on the mattress and his chin on them, staring at me. I get a little startled and pull the cover up a bit, making only my eyes and head peak out.

Why is he staring at me like that? Has he been doing that all night?

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"I-it's ok."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you."

He smiles at me. "You don't need to thank me."

"But I took your bed."

"I wanted you to sleep in it. I want you to be comfortable."

Again with the caring. Why does he care so much? I'm confused. My own parents don't care this much...or at all. Why would these strangers do?

"I'll let you get ready and we can go down for breakfast. I'm just going to stand outside the door and you can knock when you're done."

I only nod and he goes out of the bedroom and closes the door. I'm still in his hoodie and the leggings and socks that Evelyn lent me. I hope he doesn't mind me wearing his shirt. He didn't say anything yesterday.

I get up and go into the bathroom. I do my business, wash my face and run a brush through my hair that Kate left here yesterday. I guess I'm going to meet Evelyn and Zeke's dad now. I don't know how to feel about that or how to feel about anything for that matter. I wasn't supposed to feel anything today. I was supposed to be gone.

I drop the brush on the floor and just stand there staring at my reflection in the mirror. I'm starting to feel sad again and I don't know if I can do this.

There's a hard knock on the bedroom door and Zeke yells, "Hope, I'm coming in! Tell me if you're not decent."

I stay quiet and he barges in, then into the bathroom, making me jump a little.

"Hey," he says calmly, but with a worried look, taking both of my hands in his. "Don't disappear."

How can he tell what I'm feeling without him being near or see me? Yesterday, he barged in too when I felt sad.

I break down and throw myself in his arms that he quickly wraps around me. I cry into his shirt and let his warmth calm me.

"Shh! It's ok. You're going to be ok," he almost whispers. "We're going to help you and you're going to feel better again, I promise you."

I don't argue with him. I don't know how I'm going to feel better...ever. But I still don't know how to proceed or if I can take the leap again. I just feel numb, and if they want to help me, I guess I'm going to let them. If it doesn't work, I still know my way to the cliff.

We stand there until I calm down.

"You need to eat. Let's go down for breakfast," he says, wiping away my tears, then grabs my hand gently.

My eyes are red and puffy from crying and I'm not in the mood for meeting people. I walk behind Zeke, hiding and look down at the floor.

***

ZEKE

Fuck if I'll let her disappear on me. If I need to have her in my arms all the time for her to feel better, I will.

I walk her down to the kitchen and I know that she doesn't want to meet anyone, but she needs to eat and I need help to make her feel better.

Mom, dad, Chris and Evelyn are already there eating. Chris's parents were killed by rogues 8 years ago. Mom and dad took him in, treating him like their own son. He's not just my Beta, he's also my brother. When he met Evelyn, his mate, she also moved in here.

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