Chapter 128

**Chapter 120**

**Chapter 128**

She paused for a moment, sipping her own coffee.

“There’s nothing wrong with being friends,” she said. “I mean, he has to understand that your fated mate…”

“You were left for another woman not long ago. You’re still heartbroken, but your wolf is healing,” she told me. “You can’t be too hard on yourself, and he can’t be too hard on you either.”

I bit my lip and…

I looked down at the brown liquid, my cheeks flushing as I remembered.

“Why do I feel like there’s more to the story?” she asked suddenly, noticing my sour expression.

“Because there is,” I murmured.

I peeked up at her through my eyelashes. “He was so angry, Nan. I was really scared, and I tried to get away. Things were bad… and lines were crossed.”

“Lines were crossed?” she asked, looking at me closely. I felt nervous, unsure of how to explain.

She could feel her irritation growing. “Did he hurt you?”

I bit the inside of my cheek, unable to find the words to respond.

“Oh my Goddess!” she nearly screamed. “He did, didn’t he?!”

“Not so loud, Nan!” I pleaded, grabbing her arm to calm her down. “I don’t want this to get out.”

“I’m going to kill that jerk!” she hissed, ready to stand up and confront whoever had upset her.

I pulled her back down, not wanting her to make any bad choices.

“Gavin is already dealing with it…”

She froze and looked at me with wide eyes.

“Gavin? Gavin Landry?” she asked, her voice full of surprise.

I nodded.

“He saw me walking last night and pulled over to give me a ride…” I told her. It was only half the truth, but I wasn’t ready to share the whole story. “He figured out what happened…”

“and he promised me that Walter won’t hurt me again.”

She raised her eyebrows, and a small smile appeared on her lips.

“Alpha Gavin Landry is protecting you?” she asked.

I felt my cheeks turn red as I looked down at the ground.

“I can’t believe it,” I said, glancing at my hands.

“Yes,” I replied, unable to meet her gaze.

“Why do I feel like there’s more to it?” she asked.

“I have to get to my next class,” I said quickly, jumping to my feet.

“Thanks for the coffee!”

I quickly grabbed my bag and my coffee and rushed toward the door.

“Okay, but we aren’t done with this conversation!” she shouted after me. I waved at her without turning around.

I hurried to my next class. By the time my last class of the day ended, I was drenched in sweat and feeling exhausted. I felt a bit relieved when it was finally over.

**Chapter 120**

I didn’t run…

I walked to the front of the school, ready to call an Uber on my phone. Just as I was about to grab it, a car pulled up in front of me, and I stopped in my tracks.

The back window rolled down, and there was Gavin, smirking at me.

“Get in,” he ordered.

I opened my mouth to protest, glancing around to see if anyone was watching.

“Don’t make me beg,” he murmured. “Get in the car.”

My heart skipped a beat.

I did what he asked and got into the car. Before I could fasten my seatbelt, he pulled me in close and kissed me deeply. It was a sweet and passionate kiss that took me by surprise.

—

The scene shifted to a third-person perspective.

A couple of weeks had passed since the Gala, and Irene was feeling really down. Ethan was struggling to help her through it.

“I can’t believe he just left without saying a word to me,” Irene said one night as she cuddled up in bed, looking upset.

Ethan was frustrated. “He just left the country without saying a word!”

“I’m sure it was because of an emergency,” Ethan said with a sigh. “He’ll call you when he’s ready.”

This situation had been going on for a while, and it was wearing on everyone involved.

For weeks, she cried about her cousin leaving without saying goodbye. Ethan tried to comfort her, but his heart wasn’t really in it. His thoughts were on Judy. She had been acting differently over the past few weeks, and it worried him. Ethan had noticed little changes in her mood and behavior, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.

Ethan couldn’t help but notice how Judy seemed to be glowing. Every time he saw her, she was either with Gavin or training with Matthew. While they practiced, Gavin would sit outside, watching them.

Ethan observed the quick glances Judy would sneak at Gavin, and he noticed the slight blush that colored her cheeks whenever their eyes met.

Ethan watched as a smile spread across Gavin’s face whenever their eyes met. He noticed how Gavin seemed to light up, a smirk playing on his lips. Sometimes, Ethan would catch Gavin and someone else whispering to each other, their words soft and secret. But as soon as they saw Ethan nearby, they would quickly pull away and switch to talking only about business.

Ethan felt uneasy as he watched the two of them together.

Later that evening, Ethan decided to pick up Irene and take her out on a date. He hoped it would help her forget about Walter’s betrayal. But when he arrived, he froze at the sight of Gavin and Irene together.

Judy stood in the corner, right in front of the back doors. It was clear she had just finished her training and was about to leave.

Ethan watched as Gavin smiled down at her. His heart sank when he saw Gavin tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

Judy felt a light touch on her hair. It was a small gesture, but it felt very personal.

Could it be that Judy had really moved on already?