Filed To Story: Secret with Betas Daughter: Skylar Story Series
“What?! You’ve gotten in trouble over me? How? Why? By who?
“Let’s just say that I’m not the only one who noticed you, I was just the first and you happened to decide to give me a chance. That was not taken well by others and I have been punished accordingly.
“Tyler! Why didn’t you say something? I could have at least acknowledged whoever has a problem with you and me being friends.
“You have already done that much and no one believes we’re just friends. Everyone just thinks we’re good at hiding it.”
He winks at me. Oh Goddess!
I cringe. “Why does everything have to be about s*x? Seriously? That’s what whoever thinks? That we are just really good at hiding our s*xual encounters?”
I rub my hands over my face. This is so stupid, in general jealous people are stupid.
“Yep.”
He says as he opens the door to the gym for me to walk through ahead of him.
“Have you ever just invited them along so they can see it’s completely platonic?
“And have to share your attention, no f*cking way! They will pull the rank card eventually and make it so I can’t talk to you at all, so I was not going to give up any time with you that you would allow.
“Seriously?!”
I feel like a broken record, even in my own head, but that’s the only thing I can think of. Someone thinks they have some kind of claim on me and is just biding time and waiting it out, like they have all the leisure time in the world to mess with me.
“Yeah. So on that note, let’s go for some heavy weights today. I think we both need it.”
He chuckles a bit trying to lighten the mood, but the smile he gives is forced and doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
We do a full body workout, torturing every single muscle, so I know I am going to be sore later on our run, but I couldn’t help it. I’m back at being controlled, being someone else’s property to do with as they please. My father all but said he only thought of me as a baby machine to produce another strong Beta line and he didn’t care about my mate either. If he thought he could match me with someone better he would sell me like a piece of furniture in a heartbeat.
We made it to the diner and at this point the waitress knows our orders and just comes by with drinks and to tell us our food will be out in a bit. There aren’t as many people here today as usual on a Thursday morning. I made a mental note to tell Osiston and Nickolas about it.
Tyler and I were back to small talk about classes and our summer plans. I honestly didn’t know what I was doing for the summer. I thought about sticking around to take a few classes so I could graduate early and he laughed at me.
“You don’t know how to relax do you?”
He is openly and loudly laughing at me now.
“What do you mean? I relax all the time.”
I try to sound annoyed at him, but it doesn’t quite hit the way I intended.
“Studying and working out aren’t relaxing.”
He’s still laughing.
“Maybe not for you, but it makes me feel good to have something to work towards.”
I shrug. “And then once I decide to do something I see no reason to take forever to achieve my goal. Why take four years to accomplish something when I could easily do it in two and a half or three?
“Because, sometimes not doing anything is just as relaxing as doing everything quickly. Take the time to be with people you care about and just be.
“I’m here with you aren’t I? With the exception of the month that I was pissed and doing everything to not punch you in the face, we have done this,”
I gesture to the diner around us, “almost everyday since we met. This is me relaxing and taking time out to hang out and just be. Our biggest problem is that both of us don’t like talking about personal stuff so we don’t. That limits conversational topics. Don’t push for things unless you are looking at the whole picture. Some of us are worse off sitting still, not better.
Well that shut him up. He just sat there looking at me like it’s the first time he’s seen me.
“Yep definitely going to be harder than I thought.
“What does that even mean?”
I groan.
“I already told you, I was informed that rank was going to be pulled at some point and that I wouldn’t be allowed to talk to you anymore. The more I get to know you, even the little you allow, the harder I think it is going to be to let you go.
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.