The Choice (The Choice Series Book 1) (7 page)

“Ye
ah, that sounds fun.”  I stood up shoving the last piece of bacon in my mouth. 

I went o
ver to the sink and rinsed off my dish and set it in the dishwasher.  On my way back to the girls, I watched Amber stare at Ryan.  He looked up at her and she quickly dropped her head back to her plate. 

As I pass
ed by my father he reached out and grabbed my hand.  “We need to talk about what happened yesterday.  Meet me in my office in fifteen minutes.” 

“Okay.”
I was overwhelmed by feelings of distress and confusion.  What exactly do I tell him?  I mean do I say anything about what happened between Jason and me. 

Grace
apparently heard my father’s request and asked, “So what are you going to tell them?”

I shrug
ged my shoulders; “I’ll tell them what I told you.” Of course I’m not telling them that I almost kissed Jason.  I didn’t even tell the girls that little bit of information.  They would think I was insane.   Heck I probably am.  “So you guys go ahead and I will meet you at Grace’s okay.” I watched Ryan, Enoc and my dad put their dishes in the sink and then headed back down the hall.  I assumed they were heading to his office. 

I
went and stood out on the back deck.  The wind is warm and I could tell it was going to be a hot day.  Leaning against the rail my arms crossed in front of me, I looked at the marks on my wrists.  They had already healed a lot, considering it just happened twelve hours ago.  I rubbed my fingers over the marks.  My body shivered remembering the way Jeremy enjoyed hurting me.  I heard laughter down below and watched Jane walk with her two daughters towards the pool.  Emma stood next to the pool in her bright pink swimsuit and polka dot water wings.  She giggled as she jumps into the water splashing Lacey.  Lacey climbed out of the pool and did a cannonball off the diving board.  Jane watched them as they laughed and played.  She smiled at them and it made me smile.  I realized my father was probably waiting for me, so I waved down to Jane, “Have fun.”  She waved back, “We will.”

Walking down the hall to my father’s office
, I passed David and Alex playing a game of chess.  Karen was in the kitchen cleaning up the remaining dishes.  She waved as she wiped down the kitchen counter.  As I got closer to the office I stopped walking. 

I c
ould hear my dad ask, “So Jeremy and Jason got away?” 

Ryan responded,
“Yeah but we need to know what they’re planning.”

My father must
have been moving papers around because Enoc popped his head out the door and said, “Olivia come on in, we were waiting for you.” 

His blue eyes never le
ft mine and they made me nervous for some reason.  I couldn’t hold his gaze and I looked away.  He didn’t move out of the doorframe and my body brushed against his as I slid by.  I heard a throaty rumble covered by a cough.  My father looked up at Enoc who moved away from the door and sat down in the red leather chair.  Ryan was already sitting on the sofa so I took the remaining chair across the desk from my father.  They asked me about the other night and I told them everything.  Of course I left out what happened between Jason and me.  A few times my father reached across his desk to comfort me. I kept my eyes on my Father while I spoke.  After I was through I dropped my head letting my hair cover my bruised face.  I didn’t look at Enoc or Ryan because I was too embarrassed by what happened with Jeremy. 

“You can go now if you want Olivia.  I just needed to kn
ow what happened.”  My father stood up and walked around his desk pulling me into a hug.  I hugged him back thankful he was here.  I let his woodsy smell comfort me. 

After leaving the office
I walked towards Grace’s. I wondered why they didn’t tell me what they had planned, or how they are going to protect me. I waved to Ruth who was picking apples from the orchard and dropped them in a basket.  She saw me and waved me over.  “Hey Olivia, could you help me pick some apples?” 

“Sure, I would love
too,” I answered, as I reached up high picking a bright red apple. 

“I heard what happened, you okay?”  I shuffle
d my feet but focused on finding another apple. 

“No, I mean, well it was just so crazy.
I am scared that Jeremy will get me again.”  I gently set another apple in the basket. 

“You know while you were gone, Enoc was worried about you.” 

Stopping I turned to look at her.  “That surprises me.  He acts like he doesn’t even like me.  He barely talks to me and well I don’t know why.” 

Ruth rea
ched out to touch my shoulder, “Trust me he really cares for you.  Enoc was terrified when he couldn’t find you.” 

I turn
ed to look for another apple. “Well how come he doesn’t act like it?”  I picked another and hand it to Ruth.

“Maybe that is something you should ask him.”

“Ruth I am scared.  What if I tell him I like him but he doesn’t like me back?  Then it will be really awkward between us.” 

Ruth reached up
to pluck an apple from the tree.  She tossed it to the ground after she found a worm in it.  “Then you should ask yourself Olivia, is it worth the risk asking Enoc how he feels?” 

I was scared to ask.  I was afraid that I had imagined the connection we felt when I first arrived.  Plus he was an Alpha and I was a human.  What could Enoc possible see in me?  I couldn’t
decide what to do.  I had to think how nice it would be if he was interested in me.  This was when I needed Amber.  I sat and picked apples with Ruth just thinking about things.  Ruth was silent and I enjoyed that she didn’t pressure me to share my feelings.  The sun peaked through the treetop leaves, warming my body.  The warm wind was cool as it blew across my damp skin. 

Once we were finished Ruth hugged me saying
, “Just think about what I said.  Don’t forget to come and see me sometime.” 

“Okay, thanks for just being here for me.”  I hugged her back tightl
y. “Do you need help carrying that back?” 

“Don’t worry I got it, you better get going.”  I turned waving goodbye to Ruth as I headed to Grace’s cabin.
   

Before I kne
w it I was standing at Grace’s cabin.  I knocked and then opened the door. “Hey I am here,” I say as I stepped inside. 

“Come on i
n! We’re in the back.”  I heard Grace reply.   

After
we are done getting ready we headed out to Sunshine.  That’s what we call Amber’s Toyota Tundra Truck.  It is a quad four by four and bright yellow.  I watched Amber as she walked, her long brown hair in a high ponytail.    She had on a pair of blue jeans that hung low on her hips.  Her black v neck t-shirt had a batman symbol on it.  Her accessories were gold bracelets and gold studs.  She always looks so relaxed.  I love that about her.  I smiled when I saw her laugh at something Grace said.  Watching Grace I noticed how slender she was.  Her light blue silk blouse lifted up to show her naval when she raised her arms.  Her tan shorts and sapphire jewelry were simple and flattering.  I was in a purple sundress.  This one has an empire waist, to help me look thinner than I really was.   The material was chiffon with front pockets a collar and a few buttons. The white gold bracelet I had on was supposed to match my necklace. I reach up to touch my necklace and realized that I didn’t have it on anymore.  I saw sunshine so I yelled “shotgun.”

We al
l climbed in.  It smelt like vanilla because of the tree hanging from the rearview mirror. 

“So where
do you ladies want to go to first?” I asked. 

A
mber answered, “There is a nice boutique off the main street in town.  It has some new things but also some used.  It isn’t that expensive so that’s a plus.  The town is small but at least it has a small movie theatre.”

I flip
ped the visor down and started to run my fingers through my straight hair.  Pulling back the hair on the left side of my head I re-pinned the simple barrette.

“So tell me about the guys in the pac
k, anyone interesting?” 

“Ha, you mean about Enoc or someone else in particular?”  Amber
asked while she raised her eyebrows at me. 

Grace laughed
in the backseat.

I ask
ed “So what is the deal with Enoc?  How long is he supposed to be here?” 

Grace replied
“I heard just until they get things figured out with you.  Then he has to get back to his own pack.  Word is that your father saved his life once and he is here as a favor to him.” 

I can’t help
but wonder if Enoc’s kindness was only because of what my father did for him.  “Do you know what happened?” I asked Amber. 

“
Yeah Ryan said that one night when Enoc was younger he had accidently wandered into hostile territory.  Enoc ended up fighting three other shifters.  Your father intervened and stopped them just as they were about to kill him.  Enoc had a severe bite to the neck and shoulder.  Enoc had also lost a lot of blood.  Your father gave him some of his blood to help him heal faster.  After he improved your father took him back home.” 

I was surprised by my father sharing his blood with Enoc.  “Well do you know why he did that for Enoc?”
  I shifted in my seat to turn and talk with Grace. 

“
What I heard was that your father went to school with Enoc’s dad.  They were really close friends.”  Grace answered. 

Wow that
is incredible. “Okay so what about your brother Ryan?” I noticed the way Amber’s hands tightened on the steering wheel.  Making her knuckles turn white at the mention of his name. 

Grace
fidgeted in her seat before she answered.  Ryan is three years older than me.  He is very protective and works hard to please James.  He has been dating this girl from the Southern Pack off and on for the past year.  I don’t really care for her, her name is Brittany and she is such a ….” letting the last word drop. 

I look over at Ambe
r, her lips pursed. “Oh my gosh Amber you like him.” 

She look
ed at me and then back at the road releasing her grip from the steering wheel. 

Stretching her finger
s, she responded, “No, I don’t” Amber looked at Grace in the back through the rearview mirror. 

“Yes you do
, I can tell.”  I retort back. 

Her eyes h
eld sadness in them, “Why didn’t you tell me?”  

She look
ed back at me “No, no… I don’t, I mean he is nice and handsome.”

“H
a” turning to look at Grace in the back, “Did you know about this?”  She shook her head no. 

“You think he’s handsom
e. I knew you liked him.”  Giving her the I told you so look. 

“Fine, I do like him but he is not interested in me
.”

W
hile looking at Grace Amber begged, “Please don’t tell him.  I will be so embarrassed.”

Grace quickly
added, “I won’t say anything to him. Why do you think he doesn’t like you?” 

Amber talk
ed quickly, a nervous habit she had.  “Remember when I came here last year?”  Amber directed her question to me.  Without waiting for a response she continued, “Well we hung out that summer.  One day out at the lake, he kissed me.  It was amazing and I was so excited.  He was so sweet and kind.  The next day he came over and said that the kiss the night before was a mistake.  He then said that he wasn’t interested in me.  I was so embarrassed I left back home early.   We haven’t really spoken since that day.  So please don’t say anything.” 

The melancholy in her eyes was heartbreaking. 
I felt bad for bringing him up at all. 

“I
won’t say anything to him at all and if he can’t see what an amazing person you are it’s his loss.  You are down to earth, fun, outgoing and not to mention gorgeous.” 

I liked Grace more
and more every time I hung out with her.  I leaned across the seat and wrapped my arm around Amber’s shoulders and gave her a hug.  “Why didn’t you ever mention him before?” 

“Well he was a part of the pack and I wasn’t allowed to discuss things within the pack.
  You have no idea how hard it was not being able to share.  I am so glad you now know all about this.”  She waved her arms in the air emphasizing her point.  She leaned into me and nodded at Grace. 

Pulling a
way from her I said, “So that is why you came back early from summer break. Is he part of the reason you never dated anyone seriously? I mean come on you’re gorgeous and there were plenty of guys lined up.” 

She smiled
and blushed.  “Yeah, that was a lot of it.  Let’s not talk about it now, we’re here.” 

A
mber pulled sunshine over to the curb and parked.  We all hopped out and I smelled sandalwood. 
Jason
, I thought looking around but not seeing anyone. 

I can tell Amber
is still uncomfortable and embarrassed about Ryan so I blurted out, “I almost kissed Jason.”