Keeping Him (Learning To Love Him book 2) (Boyxboy)

Chapter 10.

Chapter 10.

*****

*Jayden*

I ran my hands over my face letting out a breath after stopping my car at a red traffic light. It having just turned red, I took the moment and shut my eyes trying to calm myself down. I was being irrational.

I had seen their faces everywhere all day and it was really getting to me. I felt like I was shrinking into myself, slowly getting smaller and weaker; I could feel the paralysing fear I was once all too familiar slowly consuming me again. I needed to pull myself together before I got home. Corey and the kids couldn't see me so shaken. I didn't want Corey to go back to being afraid to let me do anything by myself just because I was stupidly seeing things that weren't even there.

A loud horn from behind made me jump and I realised that the light had gone green, the person in the car behind me becoming impatient. I stepped on the gas and sighed as I drove.

Even in their deaths, they haunted me... I thought I had escaped them but now it felt like that was impossible. Had the last nine years just been wishful thinking and pretending that things could be fine?

I parked my car outside of our house and was surprised to be home because I could not even remember the drive that had caused me to end up there. Corey's car was also in the driveway. The kids had a few hours of school left, it was barely afternoon as I had been told to head home and get my head together by my boss. I didn't have to work, our pack had a lot of money, most of the pack voluntarily worked at the companies owned by our pack but I worked at a human law firm because sometimes I needed time away from wolf life – well, from everyone I saw every day.

I got out of my car locking it and walked into my house quietly hoping Corey hadn't heard me arrive. Trying to lighten up, I planned to either surprise my mate or scare the crap out of him, the latter seemed a little more appealing to me because I always tried to scare him even though I could never even faze him... one day I would make him freak out... one day.

I heard hushed talking from the kitchen and silently made my way there but stopped as I saw Corey at the table, his hand clenching a knife tightly as he hissed. I guessed that he had been chopping the vegetables in front of him when he had gotten the call, it seemed to be making him pretty upset...

"No, you listen. Do not ever call this number again. I told you to stay the hell away from me. Do you hear me?" He hissed before he slammed his phone down on the table after hanging up. I raised my brows in shock hearing the screen crack, but it did not seem to bother him as he was still clearly upset by the call.

"Who was that?" My speaking made him jump in surprise and drop the knife, I winced as it cut across his palm before it fell onto the floor. I was too shocked to even be happy that I had finally managed to scare him.

"Fuck! Jayden! Don't do that!" He hissed venomously as he turned to the sink and washed the blood off his already healed hand.

"I-I'm sorry," I said instinctively stepping back. I wasn't afraid because he looked pissed enough to stab someone, it was because I was still shaken by seeing my father and Mike's faces everywhere. He looked over at me and his face quickly softened.

"No, no, I'm sorry, Babe. That was just some old work person I'm having a problem with." He said.

"Do not lie to me." I narrowed my eyes at him slightly.

He looked at me and shook his head putting the cloth on the table. "Fine." He said.

"Who was that?" I asked again.

"No one." He said before quickly adding, "Why were you so afraid...? Do you... You think I'd hurt you?" He raised his brows.

"Wouldn't you?" I regretted saying it as soon as it left my mouth. Having old wounds opened by reminding myself about them all day had reminded me of what Corey used to be like to me.