Back Down Alpha

18: Slow Pulse

        After what seemed like forever, Jaimie's car slid up beside the curb in front of my house. My hand reached for the door handle, but he caught my wrist beneath his grasp. I raised an eyebrow at him in question.

        "I'm not going to tell you to forgive Shane because he should've dumped Sasha right when he found you. The only thing I am going to tell you is that you shouldn't be so quick to judge someone. You don't know what was originally going on between them." He spat out the last part and yanked his hand from mine as though it was burning him.

        With confusion swirling in my eyes, I tore my gaze away from his and got out of the car as though I had been set on fire. Taffy clambered out before me, racing up the walkway to my house. I held my bag in one hand as Jaimie's car sped off into the black night.

        The first thing I noticed when I stepped foot into the house was that the only car here was mine and there was a note on the kitchen table. Normally the silence was something that I was used to, but now it was suffocating. The front door clicked shut me behind me as I kicked it shut with my foot and set my bag down in the hallway.

        My feet brought me to the kitchen to the note and I reached down, fearing the worse.

        Terra-

        I should have told you about John. I'm sorry and I need to think about a few things so I'll be gone for however long. My spare credit card is underneath this note.

        Love you,

        Mom

        Sure enough her credit card gleamed beneath the note. For some odd reason I knew that I should have felt sad and alone, but I felt like I had finally made a change for the better in my life. The only thing that made me feel as though I had lost a part of me was the entire episode with Shane.

        Of course I was an idiot to believe that someone like him would go after me. I was small and insignificant while he was strong and a werewolf. The only ones who could obviously handle him were pitted against me.

        Sasha had every right to be upset with me. Shane was basically cheating on her with me because he claimed that we were 'mates.'

        Setting the note back onto the table, I let out a shaky breath and focused my gaze on the blank wall in front of me.

        "I'm just another girl with a broken heart that could've had a perfect ending." Paws scuffing against the tile drew my attention to where Taffy was entering the kitchen. He sat down at my feet, looking up at me with understanding eyes. "Thanks, Taffy." I whispered, patting his head.

        ~+~+~+~+~+~+~~

        The clock in the classroom seemed to tick away in the silence of the afternoon day. An almost completed final sat in front of me while my pencil scribbled absentmindedly on the answer sheet. Once the test was finished, I shoved my belongings into my bad and walked to the front of the classroom. The professor gave me a smile full of approval before excusing me.

        It's been two weeks since the entire Shane episode and I have yet to hear anything from him. No 'I'm sorry' or 'I'm done with you'. Nope. Jaimie hasn't shown up at the cafe since then and previously I'd see him just about every day. I guess that mysterious chapter of my life was finally done.

        Walking down the narrow hallway, I picked up my speed. My phone began to buzz in my back pocket so I pulled it out and saw Ruby's name flash across the screen.

        "Before you say anything, I have a plan to get you out of your debbie downer mood." Her perky voice greeted me from the other line and I felt dread fill me. "So since it's a week before Christmas and I know that today was your last final, I was thinking that we could take a trip to San Francisco."

        "Look Rubes, I can't afford-"

        "I know your mom left her card-"

        "-to go because I'm a struggling college student. Plus I have work." I complained. The double doors that led outside creaked under my hands as I shoved them open. A cold wind blew into my face so I tugged my scarf tighter around my neck.

        "I know you're not struggling because your mom is loaded. I already called your work for you," she chimed with triumph. I groaned in response, but she ignored it. "Terra, you need this more than I do. I already booked us a hotel for a week because we're spending Christmas there. I still can't believe your mom isn't back yet."

        My body stiffened at her last comment and I felt my throat tighten. The thought of my mom being gone for so long bothered me now and I was missing her a lot. She had called me a few times over the past two weeks saying that she won't be here for Christmas either and that I could go wherever.

        "Can we take your car though? Even though it's a piece of shit, it still has heating and runs good. Plus we can bring Taffy! The hotel I booked allows animals." Her voice drew my attention back to our conversation.

        "Okay. When are we leaving?"

        "Tonight. So go get packed!" Squealing with excitement, she hung up the phone without saying goodbye.

A/N: Short chapter, but I'm literally typing the next one right now! Thank you for reading and BDA will be completed in two chapters! Sweet nibblets