Chapter 17
"Can you drive?" Joy asked as they entered her apartment. They had managed to get away from the dogs, with Jude talking to them out of chewing the couple to bits with their tiny fangs.
"Yes."
"Can you swim?" She was asking every question she could think of, just to get to know him a little more.
"Yes."
"Can you... ride a bicycle?"
"Yes."
"Okay wait. Let's make this easier. Is there anything you can't do?"
"Err... I can't sing."
"Can you dance?"
"No."
"Me neither," she giggled, pulling out her cell phone as she plopped onto the couch, Jude sat himself on the floor.
Joy tapped on her father's number, and the phone only beeped before going quiet. The same happened with his assistant's number. She clicked her tongue, rubbing the creases on her forehead.
"What is it?" Jude inquired.
"My dad. He still isn't back yet," her eyebrows furrowed, "I've been here for almost two weeks now. He has to have heard the news by now, it doesn't make sense that he hasn't come back yet."
"Maybe he was really out of it when he left. He was probably devastated about you and just cut communication with the people here."
"Okay, but what about Reuben? His assistant. He wouldn't cut contact. He would have known by now and told my dad." She chewed on her bottom lip. "Something's wrong Jude. What if something happened to my dad?"
"I didn't know you were a daddy's girl."
"Oh, I am. He was both my dad and my mom, and we were like super close until he... remarried." She rolled her eyes.
"You don't like her, do you?"
"She's alright. I don't have a problem with her," she forced a smile, showing a bit of teeth. "She takes good care of my dad and I'm grateful for that..."
"But?"
"She took my place, and basically kicked me out and moved in with her whole family," she spat. "She became dad's new best friend and I was a third wheel."
"No one can ever take a daughter's place from her father's heart."
"As if that wasn't bad enough they decided to have a daughter. She's sixteen and a spoilt little brat."
"You have a sister?"
"Half-sister," she corrected with a frown. "Argh, stepmoms are so annoying."
"So, when we get married, will Khaya call you his stepmom?"
"No, of course not, that's different. Khaya and I..." She froze, her head tilting to the side as her brain processed what he had said. "W-What?" She blinked.
"What?"
"Don't 'what' me," she spat. "You said, when we get married! What makes you think I want to get married right now? I just got cheated on by my bloody fiancé and you're thinking about getting married?"
"Not right now. I'm just saying, in future, when we decide to get married. Khaya-"
"Why are you saying when?"
"What am I supposed to say?"
"If. If. If," she hissed.
"You called me your man this afternoon in front of your ex-fiancé. What does that mean?"
"I was trying to make him go away."
"So, you didn't mean it?"
"No, it's not that I didn't mean it. I mean, you are a man, but you're not my man. I just wanted him to think you were so that he would go away."
"Okay, you succeeded. He thinks I'm your man. But what do you think?"
"About what?" Her eyes darted around the room then fell back on his. She let out a deep sigh. "Jude don't do this to me."
"I'm not doing anything to you." He stood up. "You're confusing me."
"Jude-" She croaked.
"I have told you how I feel about you. But I don't know how you feel. One minute you let me get close to you, then the next you push me away. You don't trust me and it's breaking my heart."
"You're right. I don't trust you," tears stung at her eyes as she gripped a cushion. "But, you gave me a reason not to trust you. You broke my heart first. You made me feel safe. You actually made me feel safe and you were lying to me the whole time." She furiously wiped the tears that dripped. She felt a lump clog her throat and she clenched her teeth to keep herself from screaming the words out. "You said you had a feeling we were mates from the very beginning. I don't know much about mates, but I know they don't do that. You were supposed to talk to me, maybe I would have understood. You didn't even give me a chance to understand. You made the decision for me," she sucked in a deep, shaky breath. "You knew who my mom was and you didn't tell me. You knew I was a wolf and you didn't tell me. You just kept me there, in the dark. So, I don't trust you, I really don't."
"Joy-"
"You keep getting close to me and I let you because I'm confused. I feel like I should trust you but then I'm reminded about what happened and I can't help but push you away. I can't help it, you did that to me," she sobbed.
"Joy-"
"I really like you a lot, but I'm so scared. I hate feeling like this. I hate it so much and I don't want to feel like this. I also want to trust and love I really do. But two of the people closest to me just betrayed me and I'm so scared that it's going to be three." Her shoulders were hunched, her hands clasped together, tears continuing to flow on her scrunched-up face.
He knelt in front of her, covering her hands with his.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He pulled her to him and she sank to the floor, her head on his chest. "I'm sorry."
"I hate feeling like this," she whimpered. "I'm really trying not to but I can't help it and you made it harder."
"Shhh," he rubbed her back. "It's my fault. I didn't realise how I made you feel. And I didn't even apologise to you properly." He pulled her back, taking her face in his hands. Her eyelashes were moist, and stray teardrops still dripped. Her bottom lip trembled and she sniffed.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I lied to you from the very beginning. I'm sorry for deceiving you like that." He swiped her tears away with his thumbs. "Can we start over? Please."
"How?"
"I'll introduce myself to you. Then ask you to come to a village in the woods with me. And I'll introduce you to everyone there."
A short snorty laugh escaped her. "You sound like an amateur serial killer."
He chuckled a bit, his hands moving to hers. "I mean it though. If you want to. We can go back to the village, and try again. On your terms this time, and the second you say you want to come back, I'll bring you back myself."
"What about those guys from the other village?" She sniffed. "What if they attack again?"
"Don't worry about them. I'll make sure nothing happens to you."
"Will we still be living in the hut?"
"We can move to the Enclosure. There's beds and a real bathroom and bathtub."
"I like the tiny hut though. It's cosy." She pulled away from him and stood up. "I'm willing to try if you promise to be honest with me."
"I promise." He followed suite.
"If you break it... or if you lie again, then I'm done," her teary expression tried hard to be stern. "I'm doing this because... I feel it too. I feel the bond too." She pressed her hand over her heart. "I want this too. So, let's go after my dad gets back."