Chapter 8: A Night to Remember.
*Jane*
“Jane? Are you okay? What’s going on?”
I hadn’t really expected him to pick up at this hour. I mean who
calls someone they barely know at this ungodly hour?
“I shouldn’t be calling so late. I’m sorry, I’ll hang up…”
“Don’t hang up.” There was something in his voice that made me
drop the finger that was ready to end the call. It felt like he was
touching the depths of my soul without even being here. My
racing pulse slowed, and I could feel my wolf relax. She’d been
restless since that encounter with Xander.
“Talk to me.
“Just a nightmare,” I lied. I wasn’t sure why I did. I’d practically
told Aaron everything about my marriage to Xander. “Woke up
in a panic and just… grabbed my phone. Dialed the first number I
saw.”
Aaron smiled. “Are there any monsters?”
Even though he couldn’t see me, I rolled my eyes. “Something like
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that.””
“Want to hear something ridiculous?” Aaron asked. Without
waiting for my answer, he launched into a story about getting trapped in a nightclub bathroom.
I giggled. “How did that happen?”
“I didn’t read the sign! I had no idea the lock was bad. Definitely
not my fault.”
“Yeah. definitely not.”
The switch in topics took me off guard, and I appreciated the fact
that he’d realized I needed some cheering up and didn’t push
further for answers.
As he spoke, I found myself curling into a ball, hanging on his
every word. It was just a regular conversation, but I felt drawn to
him. It almost seemed like I was speaking to someone I’d known
for years, rather than someone I’d met all of 5 minutes ago.
“So there I was, trapped in this tiny bathroom stall, pounding on the door until my knuckles hurt. The music was deafening, no one could hear me over it.”
My mouth fell open. “Oh my God. How long were you in there?”
“Till closing time…”
Chapter 8. A Night to Remember
“Aaron! Why didn’t you just break the door down? I’m sure your
wolf could manage that.”
He gasped dramatically. “Are you encouraging destruction of
property?”
I had to cover my mouth to stifle my laughter. “Only if it’s
necessary.”
“Well, I didn’t have to resort to that. The janitor found me when
he was cleaning up. He looked utterly unimpressed like I’d single
handedly ruined his night.” I could almost picture him in bed,
shaking his head at the memory. “By then, three hours had
passed, and the girl I’d spent all evening working up the courage
to talk to had left.”
Even though I was surprised the story included another woman, I couldn’t help the smile tugging at my lips. “Of course she left. She probably thought you were avoiding her on purpose.”
I heard him groan and I imagined him running a hand through his hair. “I hadn’t considered that. Makes the whole fiasco even
worse.” His voice was deep and alert, like he hadn’t been sleeping at all when I called.
My ears suddenly perked up as we continued chatting. I’d been so distracted by his story and my own problems that my enhanced senses hadn’t picked up on the constant shuffling. It also sounded
Chapter & A Night to Remember.
like he was moving something heavy in the background.
My wolf twitched, straining to identify the muffled noises. But I couldn’t, so I decided to ask, “Where are you?”
“At work.”
I didn’t expect that. Aaron didn’t strike me as a workaholic. He
seemed so carefree and… wild. This was a whole new side to him.
“Moonfall?” I asked, because I wasn’t even sure what he did for a
living apart from owning the bar.
“No. Not there.”
Aaron didn’t elaborate, because before I could ask any follow up
questions, he changed the subject. “So, this nightmare that woke
you, what was it about?”
I swallowed hard. That lie had come back to haunt me. My wolf
could always smell dishonesty, and I couldn’t help but wonder if
he could sense mine through the phone.
So, I decided to confess. “It wasn’t actually a nightmare. It’s about
Xander.“–
“Your husband?”
“Yes.” I took a deep breath. I still didn’t want to tell him what
happened. It was too embarrassing. “He wants to see you.
Chapter 8: A Night to Remember.
Tomorrow at lunch.” It was the truth, not exactly what had kept
me up, but the truth.
“Should I bring flowers?”
I stifle my laughter again. “A bulletproof vest might be more appropriate.” With how much I was laughing, Xander would
come down to investigate pretty soon.
“Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything.”
His voice was so soothing that I felt my shoulders relax. I knew
he meant it. I trusted that he’d make sure everything was okay. I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.
“Thank you, Aaron… for being there for me tonight.”
“Hey, don’t worry about it. Call me anytime you need me.”
His words caught me off guard. Would I ever need him? And more importantly, did I call him tonight because I needed him?
I was still mulling that over when we said our goodbyes. I curled up in bed, feeling a sense of peace and happiness settle over me, something I hadn’t felt in a while. I fell asleep with a smile on my face, a smile that Aaron deserved all the credit for.
