The Monsters We Hide

Chapter 12

I tried to have a good time with Gage, but I couldn't stop thinking about the kiss with Logan. Not even my favorite restaurant could distract me completely. I just couldn't stop thinking about how right it felt to have his lips on mine. 

        "Shyanne? Shyanne." I snapped my head up when I heard Gage calling my name. He gestured towards the waitress who was standing next to us and I realized that she was waiting for me to order.

        "I'm sorry. I'll have the chicken fettuccine Alfredo please and a Dr. Pepper," I told her and she wrote it down on the pad.

        "What would you like for the appetizer?" 

        "Breadsticks with the cheesy alfredo sauce," Gage and I said at the same time. We smiled at each other and the waitress jotted it down. She smiled at Gage seductively and spoke in a tone that. It was much sweeter than the one she used a second ago.

        "Is this your sister?"

        "Gage smiled and shook his head. "No. This is a date." Her smile dropped just a little but she composed herself. "Well, I hope you two enjoy! Tips are strongly encouraged," she said. She smiled politely at me and I gave a small smile in return.

        Minutes later, she showed up with the sauce and the breadsticks. I grabbed a breadstick and dipped it in the cheesy deliciousness. I took a bite and accidentally moaned when the flavor hit my mouth. The rest of the food was good here, but I lived for the breadsticks and cheese sauce. 

        I opened my eyes and Gage was huge smile that showed his perfectly straight white teeth. I smiled, unashamed that it sounded like I wanted a whole relationship with the food. I would if I could though. Food was my favorite thing ever!

        "Don't look at me like that. You know you like the food just as much as I do," I told him, smirking. He laughed and said "Yeah, but I don't think I'd give it that strong of a reaction though."

        We laughed and he kept making jokes and telling me stuff that had happened to him when we stopped hanging out. It was fun, and I had missed Gage. 

         I just wish he had never left me when I needed him most, and I think that's what's holding me back from the relationship thing with him. I used the other night as an excuse for it not being the right time, but truthfully, I hadn't really forgiven him for leaving me. It probably has something to do with a certain lycan too… 

         I smacked the small voice away, ignoring it. Logan had nothing to do with it. If Gage wanted something more, then he had to prove that he would be reliable. How's he supposed to do that if you don't tell him why you really said no? I sighed, knowing that the logical part was right. I needed to tell him the truth. Soon.

         We continued to talk and eat our dinner. Once we were finished, Gage left a twenty percent tip for the waitress and we walked out, hand in hand. We got in the car and he drove us further into town. When he pulled into a familiar parking lot, I turned and smiled widely at him. 

         "You brought me to Karaoke Palace?" He laughed and nodded and I hurriedly got out of the car. I haven't been here since my fifteenth birthday, right before I got my wolf. 

        Gage and I used to beg our parents to bring us here all the time and we would always sing and have fun while goofing around with the microphone and dancing on the floor.

        I took his hand in mine as we rushed inside. It wasn't very busy, considering the fact that it was still kind of early. "Actually… can we come back later? Its always more fun at night time," I pointed out. He smiled and nodded. 

        "Of course. That just gives us even more time to hang out together, Annie." A smile lit up my face as we walked back to the car. The chilly fall air was getting cooler and I regretted leaving my jacket behind. 

      "What do you want to do until then," he asked me. 

      "Well, we could always go home and watch movies, since we didn't get to last night," I said. He nodded in agreement and when we got in the car, I asked if I could turn the heat up a little, which he allowed. 

       We arrived home a half hour later. Logan was nowhere to be seen and for that, I was grateful. I didn't want to have to deal with all of that. We went upstairs into his room and I sat down on the little loveseat after he closed the door. 

        I bit my lip, debating if I should tell him now or not. He sat down beside me and since the space was so small and he was squished against the side, he pulled my legs up to lay them across his lap. I smiled and he grabbed the remote. Before I could change my mind, I placed my hand on his arm.

        "Gage… I need to tell you something." He nodded and set down the remote, curiosity burning in his brown eyes.

        I felt awkward and I wasn't exactly sure how I should start this so without thinking too much into it, I said "You know how I told you that it wasn't the right time the other night?" He nodded, and I could see a hopeful glint in his eyes.

        "Well, I just used that as an excuse." His face fell for a second but I quickly added "I like you. I always have, but I'm just still hurt. Because you left me like everyone else did after I became Omega. I just wasn't prepared to forgive you for that I guess." 

         A hurt and guilty expression crossed his face. "I don't blame you," he whispered. "I still feel terrible about that. But if that's what you're worried about now though, then you don't have to. I'm not going to leave you again Shyanne. I'm just ashamed of myself because I did it in the first place." He sounded genuinely sorry and I wanted to tell him it was okay, but he continued.

        "Maybe if I had stayed then… we might be something more by now. I wish we were already, but I only have myself to blame for that and I have never been more sorry in my life. I just hope you can forgive me eventually." I smiled and for the second time that day, I found myself repeating the three words in a whisper.

        "I forgive you Gage." He looked down at our intertwined fingers when I placed my hand in his and held on tight. I leaned in and closed my eyes, pressing my lips to his. He responded instantly, wrapping his strong arms around me and pulling me closer and without realizing it, I was on his lap, pushing my fingers into his hair.

        I could feel and smell what he wanted from me and there was no doubt that he could smell my arousal as well, but I knew he wasn't going to push me into anything. I adjusted myself to wrap my legs around his waist as we made out on his loveseat, enjoying every second of it.

         He pulled back with a giant grin on his face. "Does this mean you're my girlfriend now?" I laughed and nodded. "Of course it does," I responded.

         His smile somehow grew wider and he pulled me in again, smashing my lips to his once more. The heat between my legs was rapidly growing, but I wasn't going to satisfy it. I couldn't sleep with Gage because sleeping with him would mean that he was my mate and I wasn't completely sure about that yet. I don't know how long we sat there like that, but I didn't really care either. I just liked the feeling of his warm, already familiar body pressed against mine.